Many things Swedish - and some universal

[seal]

Yesterday I discovered my first tick! I mean, I've known about ticks and what they look like, I've even helped holding dogs and cats when ticks have been removed from them, but never before, to my knowledge have I had one of these disgusting buggers feed on me and have their bodies grow to horrible blood filled sizes while their head was stuck underneath my skin, close to my left collarbone. I called a friend and asked about the best technique to pull them out, and then I just clenched my teeth and did it with a pair of tweezers. It came out, the head was still attached and I could see it waving its disgusting little antennae at me, for having the insolence of detaching it from its food source. I put it on a piece of paper and watched it drag its blood bloated body, ginormous in comparison to the head, which was only barely visible, and then I killed it. I was appalled to see the huge splash of blood on the piece of paper when the body burst like a ripe grape (it was the size of a fairly large pin head), I knew it was my blood, but it still felt like murder, and yet, for some illogical reason I was quite adamant in my gut feeling that I for the life of me didn't want to release this bugger into nature again.

Oh well, I guess I can join the "we hate ticks" choir now, as yet another confident voice preaching that they are completely unnecessary to the biological cycle, and completely disgusting on top of that.

The tick must have joined my bandwagon when I was at the lovely party last Saturday, down by the coast, in a historical building from the late 18th century. I guess I would endure more ticks if I could do it again, since I had a very good time there.

The weather here in Uppsala, has been gorgeous the last couple of days, sunny and warm autumn air with just a hint of a crisp edge to it, apples and pears on the trees and blue skies and all that jazz that Sweden can sport if nature decides to pony up.

I made and served chanterelle soup for the friends I live with currently the other day. All across Uppsala people are selling these golden shrooms and other shrooms, veggies and berries/fruits of the fall, so I'm buying and enjoying the sights:



When we finished eating chanterelle soup the fish-truck came! In Sweden there is a company that sells fish on line and also has a truck that comes by people's houses and sells fish just like the ice cream truck sells ice cream!



Apparently they sell all kinds of delicious seafood, and you can go to their website here and order all kinds of goodies to be delivered to your door, their motto is apparently "no delivery is too small". I suspect it may be a little pricey, but the idea is still very appealing...

In academic news, the jury is still out on what classes I'll have to take, even though I've already started classes. I went to the highest bureaucrat at the Academic degree office (examensenheten) this Monday and delivered my case into her hands. She was actually very nice and invested significant time into understanding the case. They'll have a meeting and decide withing a week, worst case scenario is that I'll be right where I'm now. In the mean time, my faculty is starting me in an advanced class, just in case the jury decides to vote in my favor, so as of today I'm taking "law for archivists" on top of everything else (I don't dare quit anything until I know what the decision will be). Exiting times.

Since it's been so gorgeous outside, I've done some walking to some favorite places of old, and I've decided to do some ceremonial outdoor spirituality in the near future and picked out the place for it. It's going to be nice to sleep under bare and familiar skies again and to meditate. I'm also hoping to learn some new paths with my friend G this weekend. He does a lot of walking and biking in old forests in this area and has become quite knowledgeable, so we'll probably go somewhere on Sunday, if the weather holds.

Pictures of Swedish cats and Swedish nature will come, as promised.

Comments

[darquis.livejournal.com]

paivansade got her first tick when we went camping this year. It went right for her ass crack and stayed there for a while, as at first she thought it was an ant bite.

[mojodragonfly.livejournal.com]

Hi! You bring happy goodness to my world with this post.

Oh, and ticks suck!

[slomosexual.livejournal.com]

Growing up in the swamps of Southern New Jersey, finding ticks was an almost daily occurrence. I've even watched one dissected.

Since I've left I've had to deal with them not at all. Few things creep me out like a tick. They are noxious beings

[scowling-hermit.livejournal.com]

Man, I hate ticks! To me, killing them doesn't feel like murder...it feels like vigilante justice. ;)

I do feel guilty about killing wasps or things that have stung me, though, so I understand where you're coming from.

I like the idea of a fish delivery truck. :D

Hope the classes are sorted out soon!

[katsu]

*squirm* I have thus far managed to avoid picking up any ticks, but I feel like it's just a matter of time. Uuuuuuggggh.

[browniegirl322.livejournal.com]

ewwww will you be tested for Lymes disease? Mike's entire family all managed to get Lymes this summer, including his pregnant sister!


Also, a fish truck you say. I'm a little weirded out by the idea of fish from a truck, but I'm simultaneously jealous i do not have a fish truck of my own.

[tooticky.livejournal.com]

It's good to be reading from you again sealwhiskers!
Having never dealt with ticks, I feel similarly about leeches. I'm not sure whether them stiffening and then flipping themselves end over end to get to you when they sense your body heat, or the way they attach themselves, is more completely disgusting... but I've seen a school of hungry little galaxa fish all mob a huge one in a mountain stream before, and that was satisfying.
And now for chantarelles - and chantarelle soup - what do they taste like?

[zombienought.livejournal.com]

I got two ticks on me once, from a day spent
playing and cuddling with a farm dog. I had
four adults clustered 'round me, poking my
naked bum with hot cigarettes.

My father got a tick while camping, and de-
veloped Lyme disease because he didn't make
time to see a doctor, despite the spreading
streaks up his leg.


It sounds like you're having a pretty nice
time. I hope so. Good luck with developing
a degree plan.


Do you have a recipe for chanterelle soup?
Vegetarian?


The idea of a fish truck kind of grosses
me out. Then again, so did my Finnish friend
trying to force herring (and his tongue)
down everyone's throats at NewYear's...

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Tsk ... you just deprived yourself of the world's most quiet and easy-care pet! ***EVIL GRIN***

Amazingly, considering all the time my siblings and I spent tramping through and playing in the still-forested portion of my parents' farm (fully stocked with foxes, deer, grouse, you-name-it), I was the only one to ever pick up a tick ... was 4 or 5 years old I think, and it was on the edge of my upper eyelid, nestled among the eyelashes, which made removal quite tricky. After consulting the family doctor by phone, my mother had me stay flat on my back for hours while hot wet cloth after hot wet cloth acted as a "poultice" (dunno whether they hate to be TOO hot and humid or the heat just accelerated bloodflow and finish of feeding ... either way, it dislodged itself and was duly executed)

The bloodsuckers (leeches) in our river were so much easier to deal with after swimming ... cover 'em with a glob of suffocating vaseline and they couldn't get themselves loose fast enough (same technique would likely have been used on the tick if it had been in a different location)

There are food trucks like that here too ... I grew up with a bakery van that made a biweekly visit to all the farms in three or four townships (the driver would leave our regular order of a dozen loaves stashed in our woodshed on those occasions when the door wasn't answered because everyone was out helping with harvest or something), and in Lethbridge there was a company that brought dairy products and meat to your door (for a hefty price)

Glad to hear you're getting prompt academic service and some lovely weather'n'walks while you're there. :-)

[lizardek.livejournal.com]

AUGH. Ticks. *shudder*