Feeding Time Part II

It's really starting to get me down. I can't concentrate on anything else. I can't sleep. I can't relax. I'm at the end of a proverbial tether.

Whatever it is that thinks I look like a satisfying evening meal won't go away. I thought I had dealt with the vermin, after two days of bite-less nights, but it was just the eye of the storm. Not a night has passed now without getting up with a fresh scratch. A fresh area of my body to drive me insane for the next few days.

I'm sure at some point you've all had an insect bite. It's not the pain of the bite itself, it's the constant 24/7 reminder that it's there. Well now multiply that irritation by 17 (my current bite count). Now extend the period of suffering from 'a few days' to 'a few weeks'.

I've tried everything. I've sprayed the entire room half an hour before going to bed with industrial bug spray (then sealing the room completely until it's time to go to bed). I've tried drowning myself in insect repellent. I've been told they hate air-conditioning, so I've run that through the night (at great expense). I've lit joss-sticks. I'm running out of ideas and it's making me cry myself to sleep.

It doesn't help I can't get a comfortable temperature in the night either. I tend to have to sleep on top of the covers and this still doesn't prevent me waking up in a pool of sweat (and yes it is sweat, I checked!) Of course, flying critters love damp areas don't they. I must look like Valhalla to those winged warriors of the night. You see, that's the other irritation, the constant layer of sweat on my body. It's just no longer funny (not that it ever was). The weather is so humid. It has been breaking a lot recently, but it doesn't seem to help.

Two nights ago I ended up staying awake all night. The pain from the bites I already had was driving me crazy so much I just couldn't face going to bed and waking up with more. Last night I had to make an effort to sleep - I was facing the prospect of getitng run over crossing the road in a daze if I didn't. Of course, I woke up with two new bites on the inside of my left arm and one on my little finger. I cried again.

I really don't know what else I can do. When the public holiday is over here (they seem to have one every two weeks and everything shuts when they do) I'm going to see if I can find a plug-in electric bug repellant. It's the only hope I have left.

With this lack of sleep and constant skin irritation I am not a happy camper around anyone else. I've completely lost my patience and sense of humour. Everything bugs me (excuse the pun). I can't seem to get it through to anyone what I am going through. When I hear someone laugh at the situation I feel the urge to clentch my fist. I can't remember the last time I ever had proper violent tendancies. I am not the Geoff you once knew anymore...

...and it's the tiny bugs to blame.