Just a fly on the wall...

Last night, like almost every night here, I had a full-on battle with the mosquitos in my bedroom. It never ceases to amaze me how something so small, like a mosquito, can cause such havoc to one's sleep. Is it just me, or does anyone else find that, of all places, mosquitos choose to gravitate exactly at your earloab-- with a hi-pitched buzz--that could send anyone off their rocker. If they take a liking to you, they'll stay the whole night.
Well, after many frantic attempts to swat them down from my bed in the dark, I usually succumb --and angrily circle the room, kleenex in hand (I can't kill em with bare hands yet), out on the prowl.

In Africa, I can't count a single time when I was eaten by the little creatures. And I never once used a mosquito net. In Haiti, I've turned into the most desireable of prey.

Last night was a particularly brutal battle. Fed up with the whole thing, (and a particular little bugger who really had it in for me) I reached for my homeopathic mosquito spray (which incidently doesn't work too well--buy the real stuff if you can). In my fury, I decided to spray my whole body (head to toe) as well as my sheets, pillow, etc. Sure that I had caught the critters in their tracks, I settled down to bed again.

I didn't get much sleep. In fact, it was the worst night to date. This morning, I realized something important.


Downy Wrinkle Release Spray is not a viable alternative to Deet. (incidently, my mosquito spray also came in this handy, travel size spray bottle. In a dark room, the two can become virtually interchangeable)

No wonder I woke up this morning with a face that looked like a pre-pubescant 7th grader's, but smelling like "fresh mountain rain."