Burningbird: Well, someone's a little cranky, aren't they?

August 12, 2002

Well, someone's a little cranky, aren't they?

Let's see now...

I trashed Meg's newest article, my publisher, the intelligentsia, and Glenn Reynolds. Not bad for a day's blogging. However, I think it's past time that I temper the temper. What can I say, I woke up, I opened my email, I read my email, and I've been in a very bad mood ever since.

(Not helped by having a huge bug bite on my leg from last week that isn't healing, and which is now compounded by this bizarre red spotted rash over both legs. Anyone from St. Louis in the audience have an idea of what this could be?)

On to positive things:

We've seeded the RageBoy cloud with our spam Body Parts email campaign and all we can do now is sit back and hope for rain. Or better yet--lightning and thunder. Regardless, thanks to everyone for getting involved in this, and I hope it was a little fun for one and all.

And Chris, humor aside, we miss your voice. Dive back in, the water's fine, and we'll help you stay afloat when the water gets rough. You have friends here.

Posted by Bb at August 12, 2002 07:25 PM

Comments

the rash could be chiggers. http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/nathis/arthopo/chiggers/)

Posted by: bumr on August 12, 2002 10:33 PM

url got eaten.. make that: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/nathis/arthopo/chiggers/

Posted by: bumr on August 12, 2002 10:34 PM

Thanks Ben. I think you found the small red dot problem. Teach me to walk in woods without being dressed properly.

BTW, any idea of the big bug bite? It's quite large and the area around is highly inflamed.

(To everyone else, sorry for the bug talk, but I'm still learning my place in the food chain in this area, and need advice from those in the know.)

Posted by: Shelley aka Bb on August 12, 2002 11:41 PM

Never heard of chiggers. Is that related to poison oak/ivy? I caught my first case of that a month ago.

Posted by: Dave on August 13, 2002 07:57 AM

No. Chiggers is bugs. Nasty little red bitey bugs. Poison oak and ivy is plants, as you've learned.

Shelley, big bug bite could just be a skeeter. Anything else (biting flies) you probably would have noticed as it bit you. Welcome to the Midwest, or something.

Posted by: Dorothea Salo on August 13, 2002 10:49 AM

Chiggers are like these little bugs that burrow under your skin or something. If you cover the bites up with clear nail polish, it's supposed to help, although the idea of suffocating something under my skin and then leaving it there weirds me out a bit.

They're pretty rampant in the South. There, chiggers are the reason you don't get romantic in the tall grass without a blanket. Trust me on this one.

Posted by: Shannon on August 13, 2002 10:50 AM

yup, nailpolish works for chiggers. gasoline works for ivy...

Posted by: bumr on August 13, 2002 04:07 PM

I'm in chigger country myself, and I do as the locals say when I get infested: bathe in water with bleach added. I don't know exactly how much bleach to add to the tub...I generally just sponge down with a strong solution, then shower again to get the bleach off.
(I usually don't comment but I empathize with chigger bites...)

Posted by: born to lurk on August 13, 2002 10:29 PM

Um, what we call chiggers here may not be the exact species described on that web site. These bugs are tiny indeed, like a speck of dust, but light brown, and can bite anywhere. Also, they don't just inhabit grass. I have picked up a rock from bare ground and found my hand covered in them. Bleach does seem to get them off, however; but nail polish is no good even for ticks.

Posted by: born to lurk on August 14, 2002 09:42 AM