early early this morning (1.30 am) i woke up, my face itching like crazy. i stumbled to the bathroom. six mosquito bites, three on each cheek. and one on my right earlobe, for good luck. i returned to bed, taking my electric mosquito bat with me. i turned on the light and sat for a good ten minutes, blearily on the lookout for the little shits. after killing two, i was satisfied and returned to bed.

i am impressed, but not amused. revenge is sweet.

piling on the layers.

it's hot here. i'm not talking about a normal summer heat. no, i'm talking 105 degrees, all of which are in your face and oppressive. the kind of air that makes your skin radiate heat until there's a hot shadow following your every move.

so it's really no surprise that the other day i noticed a heat rash on my arm. my skin is as sensitive as they come, and is understandably enraged about the current conditions. my coworkers, noticing this rash, recommended i apply a certain powder all over, to soothe my skin and prevent further (and worse) irritation.

but here's the rub. in addition to my newly purchased powder, which i dust on every morning, i also apply sunscreen. spf 70 to be exact, which i slather on liberally, leaving a white film all over my arms and neck. i wait a little bit and then douse myself again, this time with mosquito repellent. the 3m kind that the army uses. because mosquitoes love my sweet blood.

throughout the day, due mostly to my consistent sweating, these layers start to shed. i leave gooky bits of powdered-lotion-repellent all over my desk and on my chair. the office dogs sniff these little blobs and wrinkle up their noses in disgust. it isn't so pleasant. luckily, i can see a little light. a time when i don't have to pile on all these layers, when i don't have to deal with all these bits of gook. for right now though, it's what i have to do, to keep my safety and sanity intact. for right now, i'm layering away.