Messy Day Gone Better

So, we had decided to cancel my phone once the contract period was up.  Good way to save 50 bucks a month.  After all, I don't often use it, and it seems silly to keep it.  No, I don't WANT to cancel it, but we need to save cash where we can.

So, hubby warns me that my Christmas is coming, and that I'll need to sign for it but not even look at it a little bit.  No checking the return address, nothing.  He says it's coming tomorrow.  Okay, I agree.  I won't look.  I plan on warning our boy not to look, either.

Except it came today.  And we are expecting other things.  Our boy opened it.  And found two brand new Droid Razrs.  Hubby decided me without a phone isn't good, and we'll just let the Galaxy Tab's contract expire in March instead.  Which makes sense--the Tab will still function perfectly well on WiFi without a contract.  But now the surprise is ruined, and, while he's not upset, it is sort of a bummer for him because they're the only gifts he got us that were surprises.  I flat-out bullshat our boy, told him the phones are for his father and me, and that he'll get his father's old phone.  So at least he can be surprised a little, right?

Also, hubby got me the 2012 White House Ornament.  William Howard Taft and the first motorized transportation at the White House.  It's a lovely ornament that I had decided not to get because I didn't want to drop the cash.  Turns out you can get a discount by buying bulk, and a bunch of his coworkers went in with him for a bunch of them.  It's gorgeous!

2012 White House Ornament--flip it over, and you see Mrs. Taft!

Anyway, back to the home front.  The new, stronger lice concoction didn't work, just like I knew it wouldn't.  Just like I tried to tell the doc's office it wouldn't.  Found  a live one on my boy two days post-treatment. None on me yet.  We're lice-combing (isn't that a county in Pennsylvania?) and nit-picking every other day.  And that's almost certainly the way we're going to wind up getting rid of them.  I'm also baking our heads with the blow dryer, which is supposed to be helpful.  Considering getting a bonnet-type dryer, which isn't as effective as a hand-held, but is also a lot easier on the shoulders and back.  Yeah, long-term investment in lice treatment.  Sounds like I've resigned myself to this, doesn't it?

I've been really good on the diet, though I'm planning to screw up today.  Had yogurt and granola for breakfast, and I'm about to demolish some mac-a-chee for lunch.  But I feel in control, like I've managed to flip that switch back on.  Today, I have mac-a-chee, tomorrow back to it without feeling bad about today.  Past four days have been under 1500 calories (with Monday only 1180), so I'm feeling positive. 

We headed out to the Bull Run Festival of Lights last night.  It was very nice, and the difference between it and the similar display they hold in Willard, Utah was clear.  The Utah display has a lot of cowboys and old west themes, whereas the only horse we spotted at the Bull Run Festival was part of a fox hunting party.  Overall, the Bull Run was better, though the Willard will always have a special place in my heart. 

Speaking of Christmas, I ordered 30 custom Christmas cards this year, and used every last one of them.  If I've forgotten anyone, I guess I'll have to drag out one of the old cards from last year.  Guess next year we'll order 40, huh?

Well, that was 35 bucks down the drain

Did the delousing with permethrin rinse on Monday.  Found three live lice on my head via nit-comb after a shower today.  Guess that didn't work.  Really don't want to spend 12 hours with Malathion on my head, but not about to blow time, effort, and hope on wives tales that don't work (like mayonnaise or olive oil).  Going to give pyrethrins a try.  If that doesn't work, going to try dimethicone, which isn't an insecticide, but rather screws with their ability to stay hydrated plus makes them easier to comb out.  And if THAT doesn't work, then I guess it's Malathion Time.

Cue bad MC Hammer music just because it pleases me.

I did go at my head/scalp with the blow dryer on high heat--hot enough that I scorched my fingers touching my super-heated hair.  That's supposed to be effective.  However, I'm pretty sure I can still feel them on my head. 

This is horrifying.

So off to Walgreens for Rid, I guess--that's the pyrethrins one. 

I'm trying to be reasonable about this.  After all, head lice aren't dangerous.  They don't spread disease (unlike other lice).  They don't actually do us harm. 

So why do I want to pour kerosene all over my head and put torch to it?

Our boy is upstairs, washing his hair.  And then I'm going to nit-comb him.  Again. 

I can't even describe how pitched this has got me.

Found this pic on numerous sites, never credited.  I dreamed this very thing all night.

Update:  nit-combed the boy.  Got almost 3/4 through with no lice, no nymphs, and no nits.  And then I hit a patch over his right ear and holy cow.  Maybe a dozen?  I pulled the comb away from his head to inspect it and a dozen or so came boiling out from between the teeth of the comb.  Damn!   

Spoke to the family doctor (ish--she's on vacation, got one of the partners)--she called in a script for MORE permethrin.  I told her we've already used it, but she insisted--she said this is five percent instead of one percent and she feels confident it will work.  If it doesn't, then she wants to see us.  No.  If it doesn't, then we'll get the pyrethrin, and if that doesn't work, we'll get the dimethicone, and if all that (with all the attendant nit-combing) doesn't work, THEN we'll see her.  No way we're dropping 25 bucks per for office visits over lice unless all else has failed. 
Oh, and it turns out there is one of the heat treatment centers locally.  You know, the fancy heat attachment that desiccates the little bastards?  Too bad about the up-to 250 bucks per for treatment.