How To Remove A Dog Tick

Well, hello everyone! I admit it's been a while. A really long while. But I've been busy the last few weeks of school and once summer vacation started about three weeks ago, I didn't really have much time to spend online, since I wanted to make the most out of it. But here I am now! Woot woot!

Now I don't really have much news except for the fact that I found out yesterday that a few ticks have infested my dog somehow. I found this fact out while I was happily brushing my dog's fur and finding a grape somehow stuck on him. Needless to say, I was a bit puzzled and leaned in for a closer look. To my horror, the grape had legs, and it was not actually a grape.  

Pictured: not a grape, but a tick. A rather fat one at that and full of blood and shizz. ICK!

Therefore, now being blessed with first-hand experience, I now present to you a simple step-by-step guide on what one should do if one finds a tick on their dog:

Step 1: Determine if it really is a tick.

Ticks are usually grey, brownish or greenish in color. They sometimes look like grapes if they've been feeding for a day or two. Also, they have legs. That's the important part, lest you try to remove dog warts or nipples (?) or an actual grape that somehow got superglued on your dog. Well, okay, you might want to remove that grape, too. Your dog is not a fruit bowl, after all.

Step 2: Gather materials you'll need for tick annihilation! removal.

Once you've determined that what you're dealing with really is a tick, resist the urge to recoil in horror and jump up and down while flapping your hands screaming "ew ew ew!" like I did. Instead, take a deep breath and proceed to collect the materials you'll need to remove it safely. You will need:

- strong willpower

- pointy tweezers

- gloves

- container filled with alcohol

Step 3: Push aside some of the dog fur to expose the tick

Put on your gloves and part your dog's fur around the area where the tick is. Do this gently and make sure your dog doesn't move. Once the tick is exposed, grab your tweezers and pinch them together in the air a few times, in case the tick gets scared of your bad-assery and seriousness and just drops off on its own. If not, proceed to step four.

Step 4: Grab the tick near its head (where it is attached to the skin)

Do not grab the tick by it's body! Because it could only squeeze some of it's sucked up blood back into your dog and that is gross and risks infection. Also, there is a high chance that it will burst, sending specks of blood and its body juice flying into the air, all over your dog and onto your face, possibly in slow motion, for extra effect. But that is just vomit-worthy. So yeah, grab it by the head and not the body!

Step 5: Pull the tick firmly up and out.

Once you've gripped the tick firmly and properly, pull gently upwards. They're really clamped in there tight, so  make sure your fingers don't jelly-fy, and let go (This will lead to you having to do this over and over again so make sure you do it right the first or second time). Your dog's skin may rise up as you pull the tick out, and this is normal, so you may wish to hold the area around the tick down as you pull. The tick will eventually let go and your dog may feel a slight tearing sensation, but this is normal and doesn't hurt your doggie.

Step 5: Place the tick in your container filled with alcohol.

This will kill the tick swiftly. Resist the urge to fling the tick clear across the room in disgust like I almost did. This is because the tick may still technically be alive and will probably just reattach to your dog like an annoying ex that won't leave you alone. If the tick you've extracted is still moving, with its legs all wriggly, you managed to get the whole thing out, head and all. If it just lays limp and doesn't move, some of its mouthparts may still be burrowed in your dog. But do not fret, the remaining mouthparts will not burrow any deeper or grow a new body or something freaky like that. Your dog's body will simply try to handle it in its own way and the tick head will eventually just drop off along with dead skin and shizz over a period of time. Be sure to keep the area clean, though and if there is any sign of infection, it's best to let the vet handle it.

Step 6: Disinfect the area with soap and warm water.

This will ensure that the area heals faster and there won't be any infections. It is normal for your dog's skin to raise a bit and be reddish in color where the tick was attached and some of the hair around it may even fall out. Don't worry though, since things will get better over time, and the area will heal itself.

So there you have it, folks! Six simple steps to remove a tick on your dog! If you think the whole thing was a little tl;dr, then here's a quick video:

I guess I've been fairly successful in my encounter with this particular arachnid, unlike the last time I had to come face to face with another of its kind. Hope this would be of help to someone. Also, I missed you guys! I will most probably start visiting your blogs again tomorrow and will start following some new blogs, so expect comments and follows from me! Yaaaay!

Tick tock, 

March Entry Number 2

It's a nice rainy Saturday over where I am, and this has not been very helpful in motivating me to study for finals week. I just want to curl up in my cold bed, wrap myself in blankets and either watch a good movie and drink a cup of hot chocolate, or lie daydreaming while lazy instrumentals play in the background.

Or you know, just sleep and proceed to snore really loudly.

And I can't really do all that, because of aforementioned finals week. Meaning, I have an exam every day and no time in between to actually study for each one. But finals week also signals something else...SUMMER! Sweet glorious summer! Freedom and wonder and joy and awesomeness and...I-I'm tearing up just thinking about it. They're tears of HAPPY EXPECTANCY, mind you! Pictured here:

Also pictured: Possible symptom of psychosis.

Cool segue! So apparently there's a 'Hunger Games' film out, and in fact, most of the people I know have been talking about it. On Facebook (and you know it's big when it's on Facebook), and in real life (not that I would know. I don't really have a 'real life' anymore, and..gosh, that's sad). The earliest I've heard about this 'Hunger Games' thing (which frankly to me sounds like one of those competitive eating contest titles) was last year, when some of my blockmates have been passing around copies of the books, borrowing them one after the other. But even now, I still don't know what it's all about.

I do know it could be about this, though.

But anyway, I could probably get around to knowing more about it come summer, which starts in a little over a week from now. However, would anyone care to give me a quick summary? Or is this one of those things that you have to find out for yourself? Like what it feels like to pee standing up and you're a girl (vice versa if you're a guy). Aaaannd moving on, I have a ton of things I want to do for summer and I want it to be one of the most best summers ever, because it's right before I start clinical internship, which is just as scary as it sounds. Plus, I would also like to actually catch up with you guys and your blogs. I MISS ALL OF YOU! :( 

So virtual hugs and a sad "wait for me!" for all of you. Finally, check out what one of my friends did for this blog (willingly, and in no way at all influenced by my not-so-anonymous request on her own blog):

Ain't it precious? I may use it as my blog's official blog button, if it's alright with the totally-willing-and-not-at-all-forced-to-do-so-against-her-will creator! So yeah. That is all. You may go on with your lives.

Will the ads be always in your fervor, (or whatever that Hunger Games phrase is. Don't kill me, fans!)

Jeepers Creepers Where'd You Get Those Peepers

Oh hai there. Happy March to everyone! We're already a little over a week into this year's 3rd month and I only have 5 posts on my blog for 2012 so far. For shame, I know. However, I have a perfectly good excuse that involves report papers, fieldworks, exams and patient evaluations. But for everyone's sake, I will spare us all from my lengthy whining and get straight to the topic of this post, which is...

the fact that our house is haunted. Yes, you read that right. I have enough compiled evidence right now to deduce that I am stuck in my own horror movie. Meanwhile, other actual horror movie characters are all like:

"Yeah. Let's see how you like it, you poopyhead."

First incident: When the house help and I get back home after grocery shopping, brother comes home from school and immediately complains about us being meanies since we didn't open the door for him when he came home earlier. Naturally, we look all confused as he explains to us that we clearly just stared at him from the upstairs windows, not moving despite his repeated doorbell attempts. He said he eventually got pissed off and goes back to chill at his school for a while (which is a 5 minute walk away). But then, how can we stare at him from the upstairs windows (like he claimed we did) when we were out when he came home earlier than expected?

Second Incident: Home alone as both the house help and my brother were out doing way more interesting social stuff and I was just slumped on the bed stalking people I wished I actually had social connections with (disregard that) when suddenly I hear three loud knocks on my bedroom door. At that instant I'm like...

"Oh gawd. I am screeeeewwwweeed."

Shaking, I slowly brushed off all the junk food wrappers piled on my bed, got up and walked slowly towards my bedroom door. Taking a deep breath, I turned the doorknob and swung the door open, simultaneously half-croaking, half-stuttering a hasty "Y-y-yes?". There was no-one there, thankfully. Although, looking back, I don't really know what I'd do if there was an actual entity staring back at me when I opened the door. 

So, on top of these two major incidents, some of my stuff has also gotten moved around (although this could be attributed to a nosy brother who keeps messing with my stuff in search of my super secret junk food stash), and there is sometimes that creepy feeling that I'm being watched. 

So yeah. Perhaps there will be more developments regarding our "haunted house" in the near future. But for now, I can actually take comfort in the fact that someone has actually taken an interest in me.

Um...yay?

Boo,

Oh, and to the anon who asked what speech pathology is, read my response here. I'm honestly really happy someone wanted to know more about it. 

What Is This I Don't Even

Wow, how time flies. It's nearly the end of February and I haven't even asked you guys how you spent your Valentine's Day. However, If you're like me, you spent nearly the whole day fast asleep after coming home at 12 in the afternoon from a half-day at the clinic then woke up just in time to scarf down a McDonald's delivery of large fries and a double hot caramel sundae before Valentine's Day officially ended by 12 AM. Yummy in my tummy! Although I may actually be forced to admit that the way I spent this year's V-day is actually worse than last year's. Who'd a thunk it?

Well, this is depressing, considering last year I was actually hoping that this year I'd be out all day, swarmed with gifts, flowers and expensive food with a hottie by my side. But I'm sure all you lovers out there had a blast. Teehee.

So yeah. That's pretty much all I can say about this since nothing even remotely significant happened to me. Oh and since I detest having posts without pictures, here's a stock photo I saved a long time ago of a guy who forked an entire bowl of spaghetti into his mouth all at once. I remember saving it thinking I could use it in my blog someday (and I can only imagine what type of post I'd use it in), but I think now is a good enough time as any to slap it on here.

"Oh gawd...this spaghetti...just..GAWD. omnomnomnom"

Oh and finally, shameless plug! For everyone who wants to read updates on my boring, everyday life wherein I mostly just talk about potatoes and whine about studying and college and shizz, follow me on my personal twitter account here!

Well, this is a crappy post. Meh.

Moving Things With My Mind

So I watched "Chronicle" today with my brother at the cinema, despite being fully aware of the fact that I have an exam with a really heavy coverage on Monday that I haven't studied for, yet. But you guys know me, I am a master at the fine art of procrastinating.

"Hurr durr..we're on a ledge"

So Chronicle is the story of three high school guys who gain telekinetic powers after they poke around a hole in the ground and discover a crystal like structure with veins and stuff. They can fly and move objects around. Yay! They use their powers for petty stuff at first, like making Lego blocks float in the air and making a teddy bear dance around to the horror of a little girl watching, but as they grow stronger, they soon find it hard to keep their powers in check. Especially for one member of their group- a social outcast with a dying mom and an abusive father. We all know what comes after that. Oh and one thing to note is that this movie is a "found footage" kind of film that not only includes video from the main video camera, but also footage from police cams and security cams, especially during the end. It works since the kid with the camera can make it float around while it's filming most of the time so everyone can be in the scene, without having one person behind the camera all the time.

Now, I think the film was interesting enough to hold your attention until the end. The acting was really good, although there were some characters (like the girl with the other camera who seemed to just be there to film the main characters with a third party cam) that I wished didn't exist. The ending was rather meh, but I think it was a good film altogether.

Now, this film got me thinking about telekinesis and if it's really possible. I mean if I could really do it. Oh, the possibilities! First thing I'd do is definitely have food from the refrigerator float up to me so I don't have to go all the way down the stairs and to the kitchen! Fookin' A! This film reawakened my interest in moving stuff around with my mind (that all started when I watched Matilda when I was a young one). 

Fork bending because spoon bending is too mainstream.

I also had a dream once that I had telekinetic powers. I impressed everyone by moving stuff with my mind, as I waved my hands around, flexed my fingers and furrowed my brow. When I finally woke up from that awesome dream, groggy and disoriented, I still strongly believed I had telekinetic powers and attempted to move either my blanket or my phone to me (I can't really remember which). Of course, as I struggled to do it, I only ended up out of breath with cramping fingers. Only then did I realize that I did not in fact have any such telekinetic powers. T'was a sad moment for me. 

Whoooshh,