Couch 121: An Intimate Chat.

Gah! Two different Allen wrenches! GAH!

It's almost 10, but I am sleeping on this thing tonight if it kills me.

No, no, no. I'm almost cracking. Serious. I better sleep tonight. Tomorrow better look brighter.

I don't want to go to therapy anymore. I'm afraid of contaminating everything. I'm failing. I can't fail. I know that's questionable. But I can't help it.

Tomorrow better be a better day.

Hope you are ok precarious!

Thanks! I was amazed that these are made with the exact same single crochet, double crochet etc as with yarn - just using thread and a tiny hook. I can't make these anymore, my eyes have gotten too bad. But I can still see yarn so I'm off to dig through my yarn stash and figure out a new project.

thinking of you precaryous i hope you're ok.

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Still edging this baby blanket

I miss seeing granites cards!!!

Very nice! My very first afghan, was squares I sewed together, and it came out so huge, I got tired of edging it and ripped it out and just left it without edging. Oops... lol

Me too! ........

Ok, just now I've taken my sleeper and an Ativan. I'm putting myself to sleep (not tryin to hurt myself) because I'm just done dealing with this tonight.

Thank god or whoever for PC (you guys) to keep me company while (I hope) to calm down.

I have to admit to brother that I have tried my very best physically, strategically, emotionally...but I am failing. I need his help. I hope we can fix this so I don't have to move. I hope he's not mad. I hope I can keep my dog if I do have to move.

This kills me that I can't take care of it. I tried so hard! July through now...with this particular problem. I hate he has to spend money on me. I hate I can't be independent.

Why would you have to move precaryous? To be closer to your brother? Hugs!!!!

I would have to move if I can't keep the place up.

Tmi warning* what I think has happened is an animal is living in my crawl space.
I have had fleas since the end of July? My dog's topical flea treatment failed early. I applied next treatment thinking that would take care of it. It didn't. I used five foggers August 11.

My brother sent me $$ for foggers, sprays, bags, $70 flea collar. Dog was bitten, I was bitten afterwards. Groomer and pkg instructions said I might find stragglers for a week. Bitten in my sleep. Washed everything. Bagged all clean stuff. Vacuumed, cleaned. Yesterday, I used seven foggers!
I'm still finding fleas.

I can't sleep. Getting bitten in my sleep. Sleeping in a recliner for weeks. If I sleep on my couch, I wash all blankets and use fresh blankets each time. Vacuum couches, recliner. Fresh clothes kept in bags. Dog has had three flea baths. More, I will spare you.

Fogged yesterday. I used seven foggers yesterday!! dog went to groomers again- I waited from 11am to 5;30 pm before I aired the home. bitten twice today. Found them, so no doubt. Vacuumed them..threw away vacuum bags. Now groomer and I think there must be an animal in my crawl space with fleas coming in god knows where.

I am exhausted. Going through physical problems that diminish energy. But I cannot fail. But I have.

I need an exterminator. Brother has to pay for it. He doesn't know we need an exterminator yet. He may just decide I have to move. Moving has been brought up before. I have so much to throw away. This was my mother's home. I don't want to move!
Sorry this is long.

Not very sleepy. =\\

That is really upsetting. I'm sorry you have to live like that!!! I'm trying to think of something that might help but fleas are hard to get rid of. Neem oil is a decent repellant but it doesn't solve the whole problem. How do fleas react to citronella candles?

Pre, What sort of animals would be in your crawl space? Could you get a local wildlife rescue group to trap it and relocate it. I don't know whatt you have over there. Just a suggestion for what we do over here.

I want to make pancakes but it just took me 3 hours to make toast and stick a piece of cheese on it. Pancakes involve more than that. I hate it when it feels like you are moving through treacle.

Could be feral cats, raccoons, rabbits, possums, chipmunks, skunks. We've had feral cats and possums under there before. If only I was agile and small enough to scoot down there and see...

Eating instant mashed potatoes at 11:49 pm. Not good for me, but they usually knock me out....

Animal Control maybe? I think you qualify.

You'd probably still need an exterminator, but at least the fleas would not reappear if the animal is removed.

The only thing that makes sense is that there are animals of some kind under there. I wish I knew for sure.

I hope the solution is found quickly, easily and doesn't cost a fortune. I hope I'm worrying for nothing.

Yes, if it was caused by an animal under there...and they were removed....the fleas would surely have to stop? The fleas live in furniture, carpets, crevices... I hope I don't have to change all that. I might as well move, if that's the case. Thanks (to all) for understanding that I know I'm projecting, or over-worrying.

My brother has been nice and understanding lately. But we have a recent history where he has not. I'm just scared and exhausted and anxious.

Pre,

So sorry you are dealing with this!

The terminix web site says,"Flea bombs are not an effective method of flea control. The pesticides released do not penetrate the carpets or other fibers where the flea eggs and larvae are likely to be hiding."

I know they are trying to sell their services, but that explanation as to why you are still having issues makes sense to me.

I just had an exterminator come out to my house (for carpet beetles ). It was less expensive than I thought it might be for multiple treatments.

Thanks to all!
Thank you! Thank you for giving me the hope that I'm not a weirdo slacker (not doing a good enough job) for still seeing these things....for giving me hope treatments might not be too expensive....and for giving me hope there may be a solution that doesn't include moving!

Did you use Terminix or did you use a local business?
How do they treat it, then...if they don't use bombs?

Animal Control should be free as it's a public service. I'm sure a good exterminator can get rid of them all, or maybe render them infertile - after which they would die pretty quickly anyway.

It's 1 am and the bed is finally together. Enthusiastic adolescent cats do not make the best furniture-assembly helpers. And Ikea is biased against single people - this was supposed to be a two-person job.

It seems sturdy - I hope it can take...uh...shall we say vigorous action, should I ever get so lucky again.

Pre, just jumping in here on the flea situation. When I first bought my house (75 years old) the prior renters were breeding huskies--unbeknownst to the owner. Consequently, they weren't using flea control. I was in the house several times before they left and no evidence of a problem. But once they'd moved out and the house was empty, all those fleas came out and they were hungry! I hired in a local company and what they used killed the adults and had growth inhibitors to prevent new ones hatching. There's a life cycle of stages for flea growth, so foggers and the like only kill some adults. Repeat fogging is useless because they will always hatch and breed faster than you can fog. One professional treatment and I never had a problem again. They did tell me to clean the house first so as to not wash away what they sprayed on the hard surfaces. The emptier the house is, the better and cheaper the job will be.

If there's a grassy area around your house that is infested, there are products you can get through your vet, or the exterminators can recommend, that can greatly lessen that population--otherwise, just walking through the grass into your house will bring in more fleas. I really doubt the issue is animals in the crawlspace because they would stay with the host rather than migrate up into your house (though you probably want to get rid of any critters and seal that space to keep them out for other reasons). Also, every vet I've talked with has told me that Revolution, a topical liquid treatment for pets is both the safest and most effective. It's not cheap, and only sold through vets, but is effective. When I was abroad, I even used it on the feral cat I tamed, and he and my apartment stayed flea free despite his hanging out with his untreated feral buddies. It also protects against ear mites and maybe something else I can't remember. It's just important that all animals are treated on schedule.

You've worked so hard on this and it's not your efforts that have failed--it's the method.