Hello!

(I was going to post pics, but blogger is forever lame. I guess somethings never change. So, don't feel obligated to read this long, pictureless post.)

Well I know I said I was taking a break from blogging, but I still can't believe it's been over two months since I've written anything. I do have a good excuse this time. On July 31st, my trusty little computer decided to die. I thought it was the hard drive, so when I could afford it (about a month later) I shipped it out to California for my dad to take a look at. The hope was that he could recover my pictures from my hard drive, install a new one, and send it back to me.

He got my computer, got my pictures off no problem, then ran the computer for more than 2 minutes. It died. It wasn't the hard drive. It was just the computer, refusing to live. So sad. So, being the awesome dad that my father is, he bought Jake and I a new (to us) computer as an early birthday present! I got it just four days ago and I am in love, now that my fingers are used to the smaller keyboard.

It's such a blessing having my father get us a new one. There was no way we could afford a new computer anytime soon, so this was so exciting for us. Thank you Papa!!

Last weekend Jake and I went up north to visit his sister for the day. Knowing we'd be gone the majority of the day, we asked if we could bring Fala. She was very welcome. As soon as we step in and get settled, my sister-in-law announces that they have fleas!............

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Two days later my poor doggy is itching up a storm. It's my fault. I'm so stupid. I refused to believe she had any fleas because I didn't see them. It was late enough in the year that I didn't give her her flea meds this month because of the colder weather. I thought she was just itchy from dry skin. I kept looking on her belly but saw no signs of bites. Jake looked yesterday. I don't know if I'm just really unobservant, or if I had other things in mind when I was looking for the bites, but my poor Fala is covered in little red bites. All along her belly, up to the base of her tail, it's just heartbreaking. She can't stop scratching. Even our landlords who live on the level below us hear her scratching! So today, I finally got off my lazy, bad-dog-mom butt and washed the girl. What a relief to see dead fleas in the tub after we were done!

Enter Belle. Belle has just started itching, but neither Jake nor I have seen fleas. But we've learned our lesson (we = me). I quickly asked some friends this morning for flea shampoo, and tricked my innocent kitty into following me in to the kitchen. Now, she was harassing Fala the whole time Fala was getting a bath. Belle was rubbing up against the tub, darting in and out of the bathroom, just showing Fala that SHE was a free kitten. So Belle did kinda deserve it....

She's gotten a lot bigger/stronger/meaner since her last bath.

I survived with just three gashes on my arm, surprisingly. Once I got her wet, she lost all will to fight. It was just sticking her in the sink and getting the sprayer near her that was hard. But she got a flea bath and it will hopefully help her too.

The rest of the day I will vacuum everything, from the carpet to the couches to the bed. I will wash all clothes Jake and I have worn in the last week and a half, and I will wash all blankets. I don't know what else to do to properly kill the little blood suckers, but I'm pretty sure we caught them before they got too out of hand. Hopefully, this little fiasco will be good enough to rid us completely. My poor, itchy animals. It's really rather heartbreaking!