Sanibel, Sand Fleas, and Other Fun Tales

2024 and/or the universe is continuing its quest to be a major pain in my ass (and other parts of my body…details to follow, so consider yourselves warned) in the most annoying ways. It gave me a teeny tiny bit of sense of accomplishment last month…and then this month gave me sand fleas.

And now that I’ve certainly piqued your interest, here’s a recap of the month:

—My mother-in-law and her sister (I don’t know if aunt-in-law is a thing?) came to visit earlier this month and stayed for two weeks. During their stay, we (four adults and two dogs) took a road trip to Florida’s west coast to Sanibel Island so they could hunt for shells. Sanibel, if you’re unaware, is known for excellent shelling opportunities, as evidenced by this picture I took on the beach:

—While there, we stayed in a second-floor, dog-friendly rental a two-minute walk from the beach and soon learned that Charles Edgar Cheeserton III does not know how to go down stairs. He’s a terrier, so he is fond of rushing headfirst into situations without thinking about things like gravity, or the fact that he does not live in a house with stairs and, as such, does not know how to safely navigate them. He’s okay, but I think the experience took a few years off my life. After that, we carried both dogs up and down the stairs.

—Also in Sanibel, I learned that I am super allergic to sand fleas, which is an incredibly stupid allergy, in case you were wondering. According to the subsequent research conducted by my significant other, Hurricane Ian apparently turned Sanibel into some, like, super sand flea breeding ground, and come sunset, those little jerks come out biting. Blissfully unaware, we all went to the beach the first evening to watch the sunset, and were all relentlessly attacked by those tiny, little bastards. We were only on the beach for maybe five minutes before we ran away, but I’m the only one who ended up with a parting gift of insanely itchy and painful welts covering my legs, arms, and feet (front and back) and portions of my front and back. It took about ten days for the reaction to subside. Even now, I still have a smattering of marks on the back of my knees. Thankfully, they no longer itch. So, if you’re planning a trip to Sanibel and want to look at the sunset, bring insect repellent. Lots of it.

Other April Achievements

—Sold a book. I don’t know who you are, kind soul, but thank you! There are a lot of books out in the world from which to choose, and I truly appreciate you thinking mine worthy. If you decide to read it, I sincerely hope you enjoy it. And if you hate it, I appreciate you trying.

—Read a book. I only managed to finish one book this month, but I suppose that’s better than not reading anything at all. I cannot stress enough how much that stupid sand flea thing wiped me out.

—Wrote, like, three whole sentences in the Terrible Romance Sequel. You’ve probably figured this out already, but it’s still not finished. Maybe next month. (Please, 2024?)

—Walked a total of 94 miles. I don’t know how that happened, either.

—Snuggled with my puppies. Because of course I did. Here’s a pic of Charles Edgar keeping me company on the couch upon our return from Sanibel:

How are things in your corner of the world? What fun do you think the Universe has in store for me next month?

Be safe and well, all.