Inside of a Dog, It's Too Dark to Read

I got out of my car when I got to work feeling rather half-dressed -- yes, in my headachey and unhappy-to-be-awake state, I had managed to completely forget, of all things, my knapsack. For those who have seen my schleppage, this is the one with the first aid kit, the two Leathermans, the folding hex wrenches (not you, Hex), the emergency backup deodorant, the hashi, the emergency supply of... yes. The scissors, the Sharpies, the roll of tape, usually my Georging stamp (but not today), my stamps, and formerly my other pair of glasses. The puppies took care of that last one.

These headaches are really bothering me. Not when I'm experiencing them, I mean; of course they're bothering me then. But the fact that I keep having them, can't figure out exactly what's causing them, and when I'm getting them. This one today started, no kiddin', around 05:30. At least the dogs were happy that they got to go out. I took one of my few remaining pseudoephedrine-inclusive Tussin-oids, got zoned with collective side effects, had to go get my backup caffeine tabs from the car... and finally, around my lunchtime, returned to something vaguely resembling normal. I was lucky -- half the time these things make me sick to my stomach, which is unusual for me.


Anyway, they're not the plethora in question. Prepare to be grossed out: I've been picking ticks off the dogs.


Something's been stirring them up around here. Whether it's the fact that they don't bother to spray their yard or tick-protect the friendly dog(s) next door - you know, the Black Puppy who gets loose all the time and wants to come play over here? - or the weather or what, I found out the disgusting way that they think Meissa is extra-special tasty. Gemma's got such thick undercoat in some spots, mostly her "pants", that she's a little harder to check over (she squirms, too). D'Argo's been the luckiest, as his have mostly been between his toes only.

It took me over an hour to go over the three of them night before last, instead of sleeping, because who wants to sleep with ticks? Then three dozen tonight. Yes, we've called to get the yard sprayed. Nothing motivates Ma like the threat of a horrible little disease-ridden bloodsucker crawling across her face while she's asleep. [nabs bug daring to walk across thigh] Me, I just get surly and vengeful.

[Googles]
[reads]
[squicks]
[shares]

Biology: The engorged female drops off the host dog, but tends to crawl upwards, depositing 1,000-3,000 tiny dark brown eggs in wall or ceiling crevices and cracks, and then she dies. Eggs hatch in 19-60 days into tiny larvae with 6 legs. These "seed ticks" crawl down the walls and attach to a dog, but can go for 8 months without food or water. After engorging 3-6 days they enlarge to 1/16 in (2 mm), becoming blue, then drop off to find a place to molt. In 1-3 weeks they become reddish-brown nymphs with 8 legs. They attach again and engorge for 4-9 days, growing to 1/8 in (3 mm) and turning dark gray. The nymphs then drop off, hide and molt into adults in 12-19 days. They seek a host dog as soon as possible, but can survive up to 18 months before attachment, after which they engorge 6-50 days and mate. They may complete this cycle in 2 months, but there are usually only 2 generations per year in the north, and 4 generations per year in the south.

No, I don't know why I'm inflicting this on you....


The summer is heating up at Dogstar Academy! (Gawd, didn't that sound like the worst network-TV pitchline?) But really, it is. We've got a whole handful of new and very energetic players with interesting characters, both canon and original, and Sirius has this HUGE PLOT going on...!

Look, even if you don't wanna play, you can come read. *grin*

But I think you should come play.


Oh, I was SO BRAVE in Target the other night! I had to pick up a get-well card for a friend of my mother's, and irresistably wandered over to look at the DVDs on sale. Thankfully, I had a bag full of boxes of pasta over one shoulder, and my hands full of on-sale cleaning supply thingies, because grinning up at me from the bottom shelf, right over a $19.99 price tag, was Alton Brown and a three-DVD set of Good Eats. If I had touched it, it would have stuck to me. I stood there for minutes, whimpering, staring at it like a mouse does a snake. It didn't matter was the subjects were (something involving breakfast) -- it was GOOD EATS. On DVD. For TWENTY BUCKS. I couldn't walk away, so... I walked around it. To look at what else was there. It broke the spell. I manage to walk away from the Good Eats.

But I'm still whimpering.


I'm feeling restless and unfocussed, and want somebody to make supper for me.

Giant bunny photo here, giant bunny story here. (from scifigal, one of kaseido's Friends)