The itch

Okay. All this gushing I've been doing lately about Barcelona and my neighborhood and Spain and my apartment? It still holds. It does. But. If it's gonna work long-term with me and Europe, they've got to move their window technology into the mid-twentieth century. For god's sake, install some fucking screens, Europe! I tried to convince myself that it's more natural or rustic or authentic or something to have open windows lead right to the great outdoors, but fuck that. Screens keep the bugs out and let the breeze in and they work really well and I really, really miss them. It got hot here, I have to have my windows open. So now I am covered in mosquito bites. I couldn't sleep the other night because I couldn't stop scratching them. I finally broke down and went to the pharmacy yesterday to buy something to put on them, but it doesn't work very well.

Apparently there are these bad Asian tiger mosquitoes here, but I don't think they're what's getting me because the tiger mosquitoes apparently give bites that are really painful. If only I hurt instead of itched. Itching can nearly make you go insane. It's awful. Plus it's pretty embarrassing to be out in public and constantly scratching yourself (at least the bites are pretty much confined to my feet, ankles, and arms). So now I've started using my heavy-duty 95% DEET bug spray that I bought for Russia (St. Petersburg was built on a swamp), but it's really scary stuff. It has disposal instructions. I may die or grow a third leg or something, but at least I'll hopefully stop itching.