Bug Bites at a Wedding

Now that could be a good book title. Bug Bites at a Wedding. Ever notice that there are no were-bugs out there really? Or spiders? Shellfish? Most fish, really, when you get down to it. Maybe whales and dolphins, but never any pufferfish or jellyfish. Why is that? Someone should write those. I’m not sure I could do it without a whole lot of silliness, but maybe. Maybe maybe maybe.

Last week I went to my niece’s wedding. It was lovely. We took my mom down and that was an adventure of the eldercare variety, but we all got home okay, so it’s good. Anyhow, it was hot. HOT. On Wednesday there was a post-rehearsal lunch at a winery and yes, I did bring home wine. I’ll have to show you one of their labels. Ack! I just looked and I didn’t get a bottle with that label! I’ll see if I can find one and make it the picture for this post. The label is lovely gallows humor with dead people and murder and a guy hanging in the gallows. Okay, I’ve set the image. There are people in graves and dead cows, but the whole picture I couldn’t get. It’s Matchbox Wine Company in Zamora, California.

The lunch was fabulous, as was the setting. They had misters going (yay!) and we drank wine and ate mini tacos fresh made, and I got to meet the groom’s family and friends and get reacquainted with the bride’s side (my Sister-in-law’s side).

The next day was the wedding at this lovely bed and breakfast with its own outdoor bar and dining, and a renovated historic house, a really cool old square tower, a building for dancing (and rain) and a gorgeous outdoor garden and koi pond. There were pictures, then the wedding, then more pictures and drinks and food, most of which was grown locally, and toasts, and all the good stuff. Except. It turns out there were mosquitoes. Now these bug repellant wipes were provided (that smelled something awful) and I put the stuff on once I realized I was getting bitten.

I had no idea.

I got eaten alive and never have I had bug bites like this. Holy shit it was bad and I spent this week down

ing benadryl and some other allergy medicine and slathering myself with calamine lotion. You have to see. I will show you. Keep in mind these pictures are a whole week AFTER the bites. Ooof. Just talking about it makes me itchy.  I mean, look at those bites and they don’t even show the breadth of them.

The positive side was that it cooled off and rained while we were gone. On the way down the smoke was terrible, but on the way back, we could breathe.

The dogs were happy we hadn’t abandoned them forever, though of course they remember it as forever and think we are criminals for being so evil as to abandon them forever. Dog logic. It’s a thing.

now I just have to get back on the work horse, get caught up on all the things, and oh, yes, do my annual physical this Friday. (this is where I stick a finger in my throat and make gagging sounds). I expect the doc will be very impressed by my bites and less impressed with other things. As she is wont to be.

Today is the giant boy’s birthday, so off to gather up the family and have dinner and prezzies and hopefully not itch myself to death. Why did I have to talk about that? My fingernails itch now!

Oh, and our boy giant has got us starting to play disc golf, which turns out to be quite fun, albeit humiliating at moments. Just like regular golf.

Hope all of you are doing great! And don’t forget that Putting the Ice in Nice is coming out in a week, AND you can preorder, AND you can read the first chapter.

XOXO

Di