Poison Ivy

Okay, I’ve had it for about a week now, so I think I’m entitled to do a little bitching. Well, probably not, actually… since it was my dumb ass who went out to clip a few feeds from the flower beds without wearing gloves. 🤦🏻‍♂️ What makes it worse is that it’s not the first time that I’ve done it. Every couple of years something motivates me to cut some of the crap out of the flower beds, and each time I end up with poison ivy, poison oak, poison whatever on my hands… 🙄🤷🏻‍♂️

Thankfully most of it is on the back of my right hand, with a little bit on my left and some random spots on both of my arms. But I’ve got some topical steroid goo that I’ve been using, and then I have calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream waiting on the bench. But lemme tell ya… even though I know it’s not a good thing for it, having hot, hot shower water hitting itchy poison ivy areas is the most awesome yet most horrible feeling possible, but at the same time. 😏😣😋

I’ve never claimed to have any allergies, but I’d have to say that whatever this is breaks that idea. I can see the puffy on the back of my hand, and of course some of it is blistering, but while it’s annoying… really annoying… it makes me think of the poor folks who are allergic to peanuts, shellfish, etc- causing a similar reaction all over. 😯😬 I guess some people have to even go to the ER if they get poison ivy… but with folks like that, I guess I’m just not sure when you know if you should go. 🤔😳

I guess that’s because mine isn’t near that point… and also because it really seems like one of those things where you’d sit in the waiting room for an hour and a half, and they’d send you on your way with a prescription for whatever poison ivy goo you’ve probably already got at home. 😏 Meh… distracting myself now with a movie that Dad suggested. I was gonna fall back on a Bond movie since I couldn’t think of anything that I “haven’t seen yet, but should” until Dad reminded me about Age of Adaline. That’s one that I remember wanting to see even when it first came out in theaters, so I don’t know how it has stayed under my radar for the past five years or whatever it’s been… 🤷🏻‍♂️

Comb, Goo, Powder, & Spray

Several days ago I went around the inside and outside of the house, spraying the porches and squirting down “poison barriers” at all the doorways, to kill and/or keep out the spiders, ants, bees, silverfish, etc… and while that seems to have actually worked pretty well, one of the potential pests that I hadn’t thought of managed to make their way into the house somehow. 😒

I noticed Bubba scratching a little more than usual, but I figured it was just from it being so hot and her fur starting to get kinda long again. But nope… took a closer look yesterday evening when she came and plopped down on me, and somehow she’s managed to get fleas. 😞 Well… fleas are managing to get her. 😿 I didn’t see too many, and with her being mostly white they’re usually easy to spot, so hopefully I caught it somewhat at the beginning. 🥺🤞🏻 And we do go outside for a few minutes at a time now and then, but always with her lazily & happily slung over my shoulder – cuz she’s a priss and doesn’t really care to touch the grass. 🙄🙂

Luckily I still had one dose of that “between the shoulder blades” goo treatment that Genesee suggested, from last year when I had to give her (and the house) the treatment. So I went ahead and completely combed her out, applied the goo while she was distracted with lovins, and then immediately got online to order flea powder for the carpet and flea spray for the other areas and soft furniture. Surprisingly (and I did google it extensively) this type can not only be used on “stuff” but it can be used directly on your critter as well. 😳🤔

Rather than spraying it on her, which she would of course hate, I’ll probably spray it on one of her favorite brushes – doing the “Don’t worry, nothing going on, nothing to see here…” routine while I squirt and brush, squirt and brush. 🙀🚿🧐 And honestly, with the flea goo already applied, once I get the carpet and furniture treated I might not even have to do anything more than get the dead ones and their dirt off of her with the fine-toothed comb that she also already likes. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Poor kitty. 😕 She can be old and grumpy like me. 😾 Last thing she needs is this annoyance. It’ll be handled.