I apparently have rats again. I can't express how depressing this is.

Ugh, Ginger. I'm sorry. Is there anyone you can call to help you get rid of them?

We've been dealing with fleas for MONTHS and it is really draining. (They're almost entirely gone, and have been for a week or two, since we finally spent All The Money at the vet for yet another treatment, which seems to be working. But I saw a couple loners crawling around on the cats just last night. ARGH.) So I get the frustration with pests -- when you're already dealing with so much else, it just feels impossible to do anything about it, and it makes your home feel like it's no longer your haven, but just another problem.

Windsparrow, your coworker was definitely out of line. Good on you for trying to forgive her, but it's OK to be annoyed with her for a while too!

bonny, your former friend continues to boggle. I certainly hope you have no intention of promising her any more help in the future. I don't know what to say about the neighbor's cat, but you'd be well within your rights to explain to FF that you just can't do it.

{{{{Sean}}}} Just 'cause. I hope you can get some rest today.

Fleas are awful. When we got them at my parent's house, it was crazy. 6 flea bombs, 2 shaved cats, 4 flea dips, and a lot of Frontline finally got rid of them all.

WS - your co-worker was definitely out of line, like Kate said.

I wish there were a practical way to send all the bad vibes from frustrations with coworkers, from "friends" of various stripes, and from disappointments in general to the fleas, making them wish heartily to be elsewhere so they stop plaguing Kate, or another another 'ffista.

Thanks, Andi. The fleas are just about gone, though (*crosses fingers*); I only mentioned them by way of empathizing with Ginger. I'm doing OK, so I hereby pass on the good vibes to those who need it more. Begone, rats and anxieties and stupid ex-bosses and jerky former friends!

Kate, what you are treating the house with, it deals with eggs too, right? Or are you planning another application after the fleas are gone to get the next generation?

Begone, rats and anxieties and stupid ex-bosses and jerky former friends!

Seconded! Also, insomnia.

We've sprayed the baseboards in the house as well as the yard (I don't know what was used but I'm pretty sure it treats both eggs and live fleas); we're constantly vacuuming and laundering; and the cats have been treated with Revolution, which does kill the eggs, as well as the Capstar pills whenever we see a live one.

I think our initial mistake was using Frontline, which apparently is losing its effectiveness, at least where we live, and then giving up on the topical treatment when that didn't work. Now that we're doing another topical treatment, it seems to be working pretty well.

I used Revolution when we lived in Arizona. I appreciated it a lot. I think I also put flea collars on them for the drive up to Minnesota, maybe some other steps to make sure that we did not have any extra passengers. At any rate, once we got settled in here, there were no fleas. If I were letting them out, I would probably continue using the Revolution. There is heartworm in the area.

Sean, I think you're right, that your parent's retirement from the workforce feels like a transition between "they take care of you" to "you take care of them", and it can feel a little scary. I hope you're able to find a calm place to contemplate from.

Jilli, I'm glad you feel good about your path. I'm sorry that you have a pissy, petty Umbridge in your life, but I'm glad you've got a plan to be rid of her presence, and that you've got the tools to keep her from writing the narrative.

Ginger, sorry for the vermin invasion, good luck dealing. No fun.

WindSparrow, sounds like you have every reason to be a little irked with this person. Thankfully, since you do have a safe space to vent (i.e., here), I'm sure you'll be able to behave with professionalism around this person (no matter how much you'd like to kick her in the shins...or maybe that's me projecting).

bonny, hope you continue to heal well, and that FF gets the hint and stops trying to take advantage of your good nature.

And now my work vent - found out that someone complained about me. The deal is that I assign access to one of our programs, but because the software contains some info that could be military application, I have to be aware if someone is a foreign national to know what level of access they get. When we had an HR manager on site this was not a problem, I'd ask her, she'd say they're x or y, no problem. Unfortunately, Corporate, in their infinite wisdom, decided we don't need onsite HR and let her go in the 2nd or 3rd wave of layoffs a couple years ago. So now I have to find out locally - without access to personnel files, and without asking to see passports or birth certificates, because technically I shouldn't have access to any of those things. So I have to go through a couple of layers of people who do have access to files. If it's a temp or contractor (as more and more are lately), I have to go through layers at the agencies. Now I never ask to see the evidence, always just request confirmation from the person who did, never gossip about anyone, and did I mention am required by Corporate and the Government to ask for the info? But someone has complained that I asked. Now there's no way that I can get into trouble for this, but it just pisses me off that this task that's a giant pain in the patoot, that I'd rather not have to do anyway, but I do because it's required legally - somebody complains about me doing it! Just as well I don't know who, partly because I'm irked and partly because I'd probably be looking at them side-eye wordering what they're trying to hide. Anyway, just needed to get that out - and I do feel better for the vent.