The Vent and Rant Thread

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

One or more mosquitos attacked me during the night: several bites on my legs and arms and four(!) on my left hand. One bit went right into a vein and is turning into a bruise.

I hate it when I get bitten on the more bony parts (hands, feet, knees, elbows) because it always seems to itch worse than when the bites are on the more padded parts of the body. Thankfully there is tea tree oil and diaper rash cream.

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Don't forget the calamine lotion! Oldie but goodie for all sorts of bug bites!

Being a real wuss, I searched high and low for something that would completely stop the itch INSTANTLY for ALL bug bits, as well as stopping the pain of sunburn, minor kitchen burns, and any and all other skin irritations, yet still be safe to use often... and I found it...
Aloe gel with lidocaine
It's sold under many different brands, but with the same ingredients; aloe to refresh the skin, and lidocaine to stop the pain. Lidocaine is similar to what the dentist injects to numb your mouth. When used as a very dilute solution, it makes a safe topical anesthetic to treat surface irritations. I use this one, or sometimes this one. Do keep in mind that it is NOT something to be used for serious burns, but it's great for mosquito bites! Even spider bites, cat scratches on my leg when Felicity jumps off my lap to chase a shadow, blisters, splinters, etc., etc. Any skin irritation that doesn't 'need' to hurt.


Stitchawl

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Being a real wuss, I searched high and low for something that would completely stop the itch INSTANTLY for ALL bug bits, as well as stopping the pain of sunburn, minor kitchen burns, and any and all other skin irritations, yet still be safe to use often... and I found it...
Aloe gel with lidocaine
It's sold under many different brands, but with the same ingredients; aloe to refresh the skin, and lidocaine to stop the pain. Lidocaine is similar to what the dentist injects to numb your mouth. When used as a very dilute solution, it makes a safe topical anesthetic to treat surface irritations. I use this one, or sometimes this one. Do keep in mind that it is NOT something to be used for serious burns, but it's great for mosquito bites! Even spider bites, cat scratches on my leg when Felicity jumps off my lap to chase a shadow, blisters, splinters, etc., etc. Any skin irritation that doesn't 'need' to hurt.


Stitchawl

That sounds like great stuff! Unfortunately I can't seem to find it in any online Dutch store, I suspect it isn't allowed here (government is very strict about which painkillers are freely available).

Today's rant: it's my day off and I'm up at 6am! Because I've decided that getting up too early is better than doing chores when it's too hot (35C/95F).

[kindlekitten]

showed a "house" today that had a dead decaying cat in it

there were many other issues as well, but that was rough

[Roger Parkinson]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

showed a "house" today that had a dead decaying cat in it

there were many other issues as well, but that was rough

Is the cat included in the asking price or do they want extra for it?

[Roger Parkinson]

I watch quite a few DVDs (but I don't watch any television).
The thing that annoys me is all the crap they put in before the thing starts.
We get told who the distributor is, we get told (usually twice) that the FBI will come after us if we copy the DVD, which is odd 'cos the FBI doesn't operate in New Zealand so I guess it's okay to copy... okay I won't anyway.
Then they want to tell me about other movies I might want to see and that goes on and on. Sure I have a skip button, it's getting worn out and we're still not at the first menu.
Once I hit the play on the main menu I get told the distributor (again) then some short clips which are more branding from production companies, then the titles start which tell me (again) about those production companies and (sigh) sometime around then the movie starts.
It's like the old days when you turn on the TV and wait five minutes for it to warm up (the kids won't remember that but some of you guys remember the '60s). The previews of other movies are the things that bug me most. They ought to go into the extras or left out altogether. We buy DVDs 'cos we want to watch them again and again so some of them are a few years old now and the 'new' movies they preview sank without trace long ago.
Oh, and then sometimes the menus are just too darn clever. The best/worst example I know of is Spooks season 1 (called MI5 in the US I think) and that had quite a puzzle to figure out how to play an episode. Supposedly we were being spy-like and solving the puzzle. I'd rather just watch the thing.
Okay, first world problems I guess.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Aloe gel with lidocaine
It's sold under many different brands, but with the same ingredients; aloe to refresh the skin, and lidocaine to stop the pain.

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

That sounds like great stuff! Unfortunately I can't seem to find it in any online Dutch store, I suspect it isn't allowed here (government is very strict about which painkillers are freely available).

I found it here on Amazon. Have placed an order already, as it sounds like just what we need with 3 kids and two cats. Rumpelteazer, are you able to order from Amazon UK? It says in the Delivery Destinations section that it can be shipped to the Netherlands.

Too listless to rant. It is overcast and sooooo humid.

[Stitchawl]

We don't go ANYWHERE without this stuff these days. I even have a single contact lens case filled with it that I carry in my shoulder bag. Only a finger-tip dipped into the gel is enough to cover a few square inches, so a lens case is good for 10-20 applications, doesn't leak or dry out, and is small enough not to get in the way.

It's difficult being as tender as I am...

KK... did you have to remove the dead cat yourself? I don't imagine the house smell too purty.... or should I say it DID smell too puddy?

Roger, look at the bright side... You can read all that stuff on your DVDs. I can't. It's all in Thai. But maybe that's an advantage?


Stitchawl


Stitchawl

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

showed a "house" today that had a dead decaying cat in it

there were many other issues as well, but that was rough

Some thoughs on this:

* Did the previous owner die unexpectedly?

* Many realtors suggest doing things like placing a vase of freshly cut flowers on the kitchen table. Are the current owners named Addams, by any chance?

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

That sounds like great stuff! Unfortunately I can't seem to find it in any online Dutch store, I suspect it isn't allowed here (government is very strict about which painkillers are freely available).

Today's rant: it's my day off and I'm up at 6am! Because I've decided that getting up too early is better than doing chores when it's too hot (35C/95F).

In the US they sell a lidocaine gel for controlling toothache pain. There are several brand names, but the one that come to mind is “Oragel”. The trick is to read the label and look for 4% (maximum OTC dosage) lidocaine. Works great for all sorts of minor skin abrasions and pains.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Roger Parkinson

... It's like the old days when you turn on the TV and wait five minutes for it to warm up (the kids won't remember that but some of you guys remember the '60s)...

Now days you have to wait for the thing to boot up!

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Some thoughs on this:

* Did the previous owner die unexpectedly?

* Many realtors suggest doing things like placing a vase of freshly cut flowers on the kitchen table. Are the current owners named Addams, by any chance?

Or Schrödinger?

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

Or Schrödinger?

Schrödinger's fallacy.

Spoiler:

The cat knows!

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by wodin

In the US they sell a lidocaine gel for controlling toothache pain. There are several brand names, but the one that come to mind is “Oragel”. The trick is to read the label and look for 4% (maximum OTC dosage) lidocaine. Works great for all sorts of minor skin abrasions and pains.

One of the nice things about living in Thailand is that I can buy 10% Lidocaine pump spray over the counter. With my life-style, I'm frequently getting scratched up! A little squirt'll do ya!


Stitchawl

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

One of the nice things about living in Thailand is that I can buy 10% Lidocaine pump spray over the counter. With my life-style, I'm frequently getting scratched up! A little squirt'll do ya!


Stitchawl

There are very strict rules about painkillers in the Netherlands. A couple of years ago they banned over the counter sales of higher dosages of common painkillers (eg. ibuprofen), a year or so later they realised that people simply took two instead of one pill to combat pain so they banned packages with more than 20 pills for most painkillers.

Officially it's to stop people from trying to harm themselves by taking a lot of painkiller but unofficially it's suspected that it's to support the pharmacy's (which sell prescription drug) because they make less money because of new rules around the same time as the ban on higher dosages.

[Stitchawl]

Japan had very few different over-the-counter meds, and they were all frightfully expensive. A package of 20 Tylenol in Japan cost more than a bottle of 100 in the US. And generic acetaminophen was 1000 for the price of Japan's 20. Here in Thailand, you can purchase almost any medicins over the counter except those that can be used recreationally; amphetamines, benzodiazapines, narcotics, etc. But if you are worried about terrorists bio-bombing you, you can fill your home medicine cabinet with Doxycycline, Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Streptomycin, etc., etc. etc. cheaper than going to McDonalds!


Stitchawl