when i was younger, i had terrible reactions to mosquito bites. i also had a knack for drawing crowds: as soon as one mosquito bit me, he would run off to tell all his friends about my blood and before i knew it i was covered in bites. the only award i ever won at camp was for having the most mosquito bites.

there were lots of jokes about my blood being sweet. these became less funny when i was diagnosed with diabetes, but there you have it.

on tuesday night, i got two bites on my right leg. i assumed they were mosquito bites, i rolled my eyes a little and didn't scratch as i waited for them to go away. they did not, in fact, go away. they turned large and purple to the point that mike was a little scared. at work today, i asked a co-worker what she thought. the mother in her jumped into action and sent me to the doctor.

"my daughter had that once and it was a little animal!" she told me. "and the doctor had to pull it out!"

i have to pause a moment to consider the irony of how i lived in central america for many years and was bitten by all manner of creatures and never had the dreaded bug-that-lays-an-egg bite (oh, yes, those are legendary) and that now i would get one of those while living in new york. for pete's sake.

at any rate, i was sent to the doctor who looked at it, gave me steroid cream, and cleared up what it was: an allergic reaction to an insect bite, probably a spider.

which brings the things that i am allergic to up to four:

- tomatoes (that's my story and i'm sticking to it)
- pencillin
- spider bites
- republicans

(hahaha, isn't she snarky and clever..... i love you, my republican family and friends!)