cape souvenirs

It takes Zelia and me five-and-a half hours to get home, about an hour longer than it should.

To pass the time on the way back, we listen to a few podcasts called PARK PREDATORS. Doubt I'll be camping any time soon. Then again, I never camp.

I walk into my apartment and and see two, very ugly, dead gigantic water bugs, plus one that I think is dead but scoots away when I try to grab him. This has been a problem for almost a year and a half. The building and exterminating company have been trying...but these big, ugly bugs don't want to move out.

I have 27 messages. Strange, because most people I know have my cell number. But then every single one of them turns out to be some kind of spam call.

I start to unpack, but don't get far. I am too uncomfortable.

On Wednesday, I had spent about four hours at the beach — my feet in the water, my Kindle in my hand. And now I'm paying the price.

I have 68 bug bites (sand fleas, I think) on my right leg, most on my foot: top, sides and back. My left foot and leg only show 41. (Yes, I actually counted). 

I am not exaggerating when I say my feet and lower legs look like I have chicken pox.

I am trying everything.

I go into a store and feel like an addict looking for my next fix.

I get:

• Benadryl tablets (I was able to sleep last night).
• A CVS generic spray which helps little.
• Cortisone-10 which isn't all that effective.
• Ice, which feels good temporarily.
• Benadryl itch-cooling spray, which I still have to try (a friend I bump into today highly recommends it).
• Aveeno Oatmeal Soothing Bath Treatment (will try tonight).

While on the Cape, I typically walk between 7 and 9 miles/day. Today I can't even walk to my shoe repair place, only seven blocks away. I am too uncomfortable and just want to go home and scratch.

The itchiness is unrelenting. And, I can't really concentrate. I even leave my bank card in the ATM machine.

But as awful as this is, it's not all that awful.  It won't kill me and it will improve. 

I'm hoping that today is the worst.

Sadly, I now need to re-think my days of idly sitting at the ocean's edge.