Cafe Hitch-hike

2021-06-03

Trojan Horse

I had a dream that my apartment was broken into and tossed. They tore the lock off the door and replaced it with another, but left a key so I could let myself in! I did, and whoever did it tore a hole in the wall, as if that was where I kept some secret safe! They spray painted something I couldn't read on a wall, and left some of the tools they used! I went to my car so I could sit and process what I had just seen, and then someone drove off with it! I went back into the house and was completely flustered.

Then, I was sitting in a cafe' across a table from Huck. He appeared to be in decent spirits with a smile, but his words came out like he was ready to state his case. He was going to give a list of grievances against me and I actually wanted to hear what he had to say, but then I heard barking--

--the dog stood at the foot of the bed, yapping, and pulled me out of my dream. I was upset about getting my house destroyed, my car stolen, and an ex-beau who was about to tell me what sucked, but leave it to Miss Marley to watch out for her mommy.

The first dream kind of came true because my apartment was invaded, but by fleas. It was really a royal mess because it was a collision of causes: the dog had them over a week ago and I bombed the house, but I didn't respond aggressively enough. We're having an exceptionally buggy season besides and a neighbor told me her dog also had fleas. Then, I picked up a rock outside (or at least what resembled one) during the energy workshop (I was supposed to bring 2 but I only had 1 and used what I could find outside). We were told to sleep with the rock that night. I washed it with soap and water after I found it, but itched like crazy when I woke up. Ok, I then recalled I picked it up in a sandy area, the perfect habitat for fleas other than warm-blooded mammals. I really dropped the ball on that one and brought a Trojan Horse of sorts into the house.

I bombed the house (again) and used a spray on furniture, bedding, and rugs. I did a deep vacuuming and while I moved furniture, I found some stuff Huck left behind. It was nothing particularly useful: ink pens (nice ones, I'll add), a box of chewing gum in a purplish box (Choward's Scented Gum, I remembered when he offered them and I thought they were kinda weird), and a comb with some of his fine, wavy, short hair. It reminded me of the time I found my hair under someone's bed from the times I slept over months before, I guess he or his housecleaner never swept under it.

Maybe it was a good thing to clean up, but the first line of attack against the critters was weak. The fleas thought that shit was funny and continued to flourish. I found this out when i went to bed with fewer bites than the nights before, but still got bitten.
Marley didn't itch and I figured out why. The vet gave her a pill for fleas, but it was really to keep them from biting her. Oh, my!

Second plan of attack: use a stronger house bomb (second time this week), comb the dog like mad (poor thing was just covered with the fuckers), shampoo her with stuff I remember the vet prescribing long ago in another bad infestation, wash all the bedding (again), carpet bomb everything, and vacuum with OCD-like precision. I couldn't even talk to Oteil this evening because of all of the work (and I was seriously pissed off besides).

The house did get invaded like the dream, and it was due to my negligence. I'll be sleeping on the air mattress for a little while so I can treat the bedding (napalm the crap out of it) and an air mattress is easier to clean than an actual bed while I deal with the infestation.

Well, at least I had something different to think about!

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