Common Exotic Ailments

Every year I manage to fall prey to some weird ailment. The symptoms are mild but irritating but the cause is difficult to identify. The common theme is that I throw off some scent that attracts the smallest of bugs.

Last year I was bitten by something and the doc said probably some bug/flea that jumped from the grass. So I restrained my singing and dancing to paved roads. And yet the bites continued fueling my paranoia. Was it a bed bug ? Should I set fire to all my furniture (history says that was a treatment for bugs)? At some point I think my husband might have contemplated enrolling me in "Bug Bite Anonymous". I performed experiments that involved standing at a particular spot in a room and then checking if I suffered any bites. In one such trial run I was bitten. So proceeding to the next step I scoured the carpet with a magnifying glass to determine if some creature escaped the powerful forces of Super Vacuum 2001. And needless to say, I found the world's tiniest insect jumping about, no doubt as it scented my presence. I am unashamed to say I squished it, and the bites stopped. Is this a placebo ? I don't know but it worked.

Now, I seem to suffer from some allergy - runny nose, itchy eyes, and continuous bouts of sneezing. My sneeze count has exceeded hundred for sure. Of course in the beginning I assumed it was a cold caused by my sudden urge to eat tutti fruti icecream in 90 deg heat. But then my itchy eyes forced reconsideration. Recalling my earlier tryst with the minute warriors, I had to retrace my steps. Sandflies in the beach volleyball court, or the borrowed camping equipment that lay in my home ? And I do feel a wee bit ashamed to even think that I might suffer from allergies. It connotes a weak immune system, soft living, and lots of wealth - all of which I do not possess. For now I still suffer these common symptoms, and have almost succumbed to buying OTC medication. Perhaps it the Revenge of the Buggies, and they might have just won this one!