Sunday, June 23, 2019

Mosquitoes are coming

soon

Not Today
Liam and I

We love it outside

but at some point there are mosquitoes and they are ferocious and blood sucking and welt producing

MOSQUITOES ARE COMING
when?

whenhttp://www.mosquitomagnet.com/articles/mosquito-season

We are looking to screen in the patio...a dream which will come true soon...

I have written about my concern and experiences in prior LiamLicks

an obvious recurring theme in my house living life, tap/click on links to read

https://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/mosquitoes%20feast

an excerpt

There is no buzz. There used to be. When I was a kid living in our 3rd floor apartment in Pomonok Houses in Queens, NY there was a buzz. It came on summer nights. It was the sound of mosquitoes buzzing around my head. We did not have screens on the windows. They would find me and circle for a feast. I pulled the covers over my head to hide from the buzzing bugs.

PULL UP THE COVERS

We did not have air conditioning; it got very hot quickly. Usually the mosquitoes got what they wanted, leaving gorged with my blood.

Now we have screens and air conditioning. We live in a house with a yard. I had always dreamed of a yard. Of sitting outside with my dog. I have that yard and I have a dog, Liam.

The mosquitoes are also outside. Screened out. They are not like the ones in our growing-up apartment. These make no buzz. They bite so quickly and so often that one trip outside and I have multiple bites. These bites are not like the childhood bites. I don't know that I have been bitten until suddenly an unbearable itchy sensation compels me to scratch until the welts appear. These bites remain sensitive and keep their shape and itch producing sensation for days. These are not the mosquitoes of the 1950's and 1960's. Who are these new creatures? They also can make one sick because some have West Nile virus. People die from infected mosquitoes.

and Another

https://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/bug%20zapper

excerpt

Saturday June 15, 2013 about 6:30PM

I set up. I go out early evening because that is happy hour. The day is winding down, the mowing is over as are outdoor house projects. The sounds are more muted. Also a more deserving of rest feeling exists after the day's events. Who else goes out early evening? The biting bugs led by the mosquitoes.

Equipment set up. My fire pit, bracelets on wrists and ankles anchoring long pants, socks, long sleeves

wine, Kindle, devices, Liam

I read, play, listen, watch, think. I do not itch, scratch, swat, wave, or hide.

I get bitten

I am type O...as are most ppl

After 2013, I stopped going out
the prep was ridiculous, and zapping of bugs inhumane
I subjugated my dream of a screened in patio for these past 6 years
I am older now.looking at the final years of my life and I am venturing out again

it is time to act on the dream

Some photos of us outside to right and following

We stay out a long time

Liam gets his fill earlier than I do and beckons me in by standing and staring me down

MOM, COME IN

Our Dream is Coming

woof, woof

Sunday, June 2, 2019

Rosy Girl

I think this might be bad

I woke up

on Wednesday May 22 with a massive sunburn

except I had not been in the sun

and the rash existed only where clothes had touched and every area tingled and felt like I was being pricked by needles

don't think Shingles

I have had the opportunity to receive the two latest vaccines

I keep becoming more fiery, red and blown up

my skin is the color of Rosé wine
https://vinepair.com/wine-101/learn-about-rose-wine/

with a hint of salmon
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon_as_food

neither of which I like at all

For two days I tried every remedy I had at home

I researched and used all the products shown at right below

and yet
I grew rosier
and when it crawled up my face to my hairline and traveled down my legs
I knew I had to seek professional help

I made an emergency appt with my dermatology group

The PA, Angela, took pictures for future reference

She was intrigued

Angela said I was definitely reacting

That’s good I suppose

I still have reactions

something is in me and revolting by displaying an angry evenly distributed sunburn with a few areas of blotch...I dubbed it rashburn...

I had worn a dress to bed...one I had not worn since last summer...when my dresses get too stained I relegate them to indoor use only. Did something occur in my closet?

Impossible

I Marie Kondo'ed my entire closet two months ago. No surprises there...

Was it my profound recurrent nightmares finally sprung to the surface...Liam illustrates

Was it the wrenching goodbye to my guest plants?

They left Tuesday, the day before the outbreak

MY GUESTS ARE LEAVING

I was prescribed a powerful cream and the over the counter antihistamine Claritin
My items were in CVS. The helpers are never in a happy place.
The prescriptions are all over in bins, carts, shelves... if not found immediately the assistant delves into a darker place and shoots aggressive vibes at the customer. I was the recipient of anger as my cream was in a giant brown bag off to the side. She shoved it on the counter at me causing a clatter.
I motioned that I had a non-prescription item as well...this added to her consternation...transaction done. I turn away, reach for my car keys, Not in my bag. I go back. The customers help me look. Her big shove at me had pushed my keys off the counter into the shelves below....where they were found residing with those items they want you to grab as you go like gum, mini candies travel lotions

arrive home

swallowed the Claritin pill

then to the cream
It took a half hour to apply the cream

I did it myself with a wooden spoon for hard to reach places

I don’t ask for help from Paul because I am practicing to be a self-sufficient widow
my yoga flexibility helps with the positions I had to achieve to get to my middle back.

Liam tries to help
but he
is a licker
not an applier

I then had to walk Liam. I wore a dress which stuck to me. It was windy. Thank goodness for the cream. I only wore the dress. I noticed a group of young teenagers following. Himm.

Liam kept turning around looking. was a free feeling. since my body was scorched the wind and bare covering was relief. Liam and I sat outside so I could cool off

The rashburn is receding from my face.and moving down
a bit each day
At the one week anniversary of its appearance, Wednesday May 29,
there was vast improvement
Only legs now
and today June 2nd
gone

so what to do to prevent it from happening again
No Clue

I have decided to excuse all the suspects mentioned and adhere to a dictum which works
Blame up, credit down
My fault
and I give credit to all the listed possible causes
as participants

Woof, Woof

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Soloing in Southport

Yep
I was on my way
To Southport
alone
leaving Liam, King of the North to visit Sasha, Queen of the South
both treasure their twin blankies
Before leaving I adopted two direwolves to add to Liam's pack and ensure he would not be lonely

LIAM WITH GHOST, NYMERIA AND WOLFIES

I was at MacArthur Airport and I got as close as the plane. I was flying Frontier, I got a bargain $106 round-trip. My fellow passengers were dotted about in the rows of seats. I arrived there at 5:45am. The flight was at 7:20am. Once a day to Myrtle Beach and one back 3 times a week. I was visiting my childhood friend Lynne who was to pick me up in Myrtle Beach and drive me up to her Southport NC home. Seems many of the passengers were regulars between Islip and Myrtle Beach having a home there and relatives here.

I immediately was told there was a delay till 1:20pm. What? I was scheduled to arrive in MB at 9:11am. Lynne had a full day planned for me. Apparently this delay was of no surprise to the group.

This flight had been 9 hours late Monday and cancelled completely the prior Wednesday. I was taken aback. I had received emails every day from Frontier since I had booked 5/5. They were informative and caring and efficient...the lonely plane on the runway without any humans and the lack of any company spokesperson or announcement or messenger was the exact opposite of what one would expect from the tone of their online communication. My fellow passengers called the corporate number on the website...we were told the plane needed a part...uh oh. After an hour my woman buddy adjacent told me I had a decision to make. It could be leaving early afternoon, or later or be canceled.
I was far from home. Did I want to hang out with her? Or leave and come back.
Or try another time

I escaped.

I watched all day for the news

departed at 4:03pm...see shot at right

It was a deep disappointment

We have tried to do this trip a number of times and it has been cancelled for illness, accident, hurricane and flood and now the airline
Frontier is a classy customer service oriented airline. But they have no staff, ground personnel or tech support at MacArthur, Online they are outstanding. But they need to get the planes moving and flying not parked and waiting.

And where was I going?
Here is a link about Southport

https://southportnc.org/

Home of Lynne, Organizer of Activities
see them on the left

and Planner of Gardens, Lynne's botanical creations above

Home of Ken, Maker of Chairs

He builds them, paints them and decorates them
they are sold locally and are seen at the waterfront
and around town on people's porches

Soutport is the
Setting for the TV Shows, Revenge and Under the Dome

Film Location for many Nicholas Spark's movies

and fish

and water
Intercoastal waterway
Atlantic ocean
and ships
and sunrises
and sunsets

however it was

not happening for me
that day

but

there were positives

If the delay is more than 3 hours you get a refund
I did
They gave me a $100 voucher for a future trip

I made money
and saw a sunrise

Got to know and enjoy MacArthur airport
quite a lovely spacious airy location

MacArthur, I shall return

Got lots of Fitbit steps

Had fun with the group

Learned the Frontier drill

tried out my

backpack...awesome

learned I can function on 3 hours sleep

Got to try a new Starbucks

did my first Mobile check-in and it worked
see below

I had spent hours squirting liquids into little bottles I like it.
will leave it all there. like a mini universe.
see right

And watched the Survivor finale with the boys

I will get there
Lynne's pups

Sasha and Kendl (see photo bottom left)

and the exquisitely

welcoming porch (see photo bottom right)
are waiting
and the Barb gift pothos plant is thriving in its pot here
which matches Lynne's decor and will make it on the next trip
so Barb can be in Lynne's coastal home

I will not disappoint

When the snows fall

and the white winds blow

the lone wolf dies

but the pack survives

Woof, Woof

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Nicknames

LIAM JOSEPH MCNIFF-NIKOL

yes, that is Liam's full name. but like all pet parents we have a slew of nicknames which we use.
Started watching Game of Thrones and was blown away by the nicknames given the characters. And got me thinking of Liam's

what is a nickname?

Here is the link

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nickname
if you are not a LiamLinker
Looker upper
here it is

nickname

noun

nick·name | \ ˈnik-ˌnām

Definition of nickname

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a usually descriptive name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to a person, place, or thing

2 : a familiar form of a proper name (as of a person or a city)

synonyms:

sobriquet, byname, tag, label, familiar name, epithet;

why do we do it?

accentuate a characteristic or highlight a behavior

we call Liam

Stubbett, Short Legs because he is height challenged

His uncle tagged him Beast he jumps and barks

show affection by prefacing with a loving adjective

Baby L, Baby Dog, Little Li, Baby Leester, Sweet Boy

bestow an analogy with another animal
Dingo, Ding

acknowledge a current condition
Fluffer Nutter
after a bath at Best in Show

Nicknames may also diminish, insult, taunt

Game of Thrones exhibits the use of descriptive nicknames

as I mentioned above

I started watching the first night of GoT

of its last season

I am buried in it now

addicted

Up to season 5

see link
where the origin of nicknames are explained

https://www.tor.com/2014/03/31/game-of-thrones-nicknames/

and some of its most famous

Mother of Dragons
The Hound

Kingslayer

Breaker of Chains

Thorn Lady

White Wolf

Red Woman
Imp

"Nicknames can be a mixed bag—sometimes they signal affection, admiration, or acceptance, and sometimes they’re a form of taunting, a devastating insult that lingers like a malicious ghost, inescapable. In the Song of Ice and Fire series, nicknames can be obvious, or ironic, affectionate or scathing, incredibly apt or impossibly unfair, but whether merited or misleading, such names often provide a window onto a deeper understanding of the characters that bear them."

Liam's

an illustrative series

see the inserted nicknames

Stubbett