{{{JZ}}} Keep breathing! You can do this!

TCG's mother is on the phone. She wants to get together this weekend. I don't want to. She does seem to be in a good mood though.

That's just part of the chorus. The actual verses in between had some spectacular lines, most of which I've blocked out and the rest of which I can't put up here. But if all goes well, they'll have a CD out by spring so everyone can savor the... um, savor the tranny whores.

I'm going to attempt to breathe and refrain from throwing up.

Breathing = good. Throwing up = bad.

Ginger and the Very Bad Horrible No Good Day

Take dog to vet to get drain taken out. Dog is fairly cooperative, but has clearly recognized that this is the Bad Place.

Pack up dog's stuff. Call several times before getting the fostering person, who is going to be keeping dog. Drive way the hell east.

Leave dog. *Sob*

Stop at Staples and buy CD-Rs because late last night I ran out while backing up.

Get caught in horrible traffic due to a wreck. The plan to go home and wash hair before going to the oncologist for my checkup turns into changing my shirt and grabbing a piece of cheese.

Get caught in traffic due to a wreck. Arrive late and frazzled, but the doctor is much later. An hour and a half of sitting around in a paper top later.

Blood work. Tech misses vein. Gets vein in hand badly.

Delay means the return is in rush hour. Get trapped in horrendous traffic because of a wreck. Tries to get over to an exit to miss some of the traffic. In a half mile and 15 minutes of slowing down with turn signal and making pathetic faces at the drivers on the right, not one will let me over. Forced to stay in traffic.

Get home. Figure the time on the road at 4 hours and 100 miles. Remember I have to drive to Nashville tomorrow. Beat head on steering wheel.

Out of beer and Fernet.

:: sends booze to Ginger through the interpipes ::

savor the tranny whores

popcorn. up. my. nose.

Out of beer and Fernet

Oh that's such an unfair capper to your day, Ginger.

Oh poor Ginger. May all the rest of your days this week feature traffic free roads and pirate ditties.

I would say it's normal for a holiday week.

I agree completely. Peace of mind to you soon JZ. The holidays can be so jerk-aroundy.

Tick on dog question.

I just pulled an engorged tick off Bartleby. He clearly got it in the woods in Rockville.

I didn't realize it was a tick as I was yanking it off. Now I'm a bit put out that the Frontline Plus didn't protect him.

The blood in it seemed to be almost completely dried up...so I wonder if it bit him, gorged and died happy. While attached.

Here's the question. The head is still in there. There does not seem to be any infection but there is a bit of a lump. Is there something in particular I can do without heading to the vet? A warm compress? Peroxide?

Aside from all the articles I found that said make sure you pull the whole tick out I found this:

Following tick removal, the bite area should be inspected carefully for any retained mouthparts, which should be excised.

Do you have a small scissors, like a nail scissors?

I've got some fairly pointy tweezers, with which I tried to pull the left over bit out. A teeny bit broke off, but there is a black dot. Laga, does the article suggest that I dig the skin away to get the bits out?

It didn't say anything more explicatory than "excise" lemme see if I can find something better.