Tick ed off, deer.

"Improper removal of ticks greatly increases the risk of acquiring tick-borne infections. Squeezing the tick or putting substances on the tick to try to make it "back out" may aggravate it enough that it injects into you whatever disease organisms are inside it."

• Do not burn or use any substance on tick • Do not grasp, squeeze, or twist body of tick • Grasp tick close to the skin with tweezers • Pull tick straight out • Use antiseptic on skin • Disinfect tweezers • Wash hands thoroughly • Always see a physician for possible diagnosis, testing, and treatment • If desired, can save tick to be tested at tick testing laboratory

Wait.

Why am I giving you a PSA regarding these little critters?  

It could be that I just got out of BED and had a tick stuck to my thigh nom-nom-nomming on my extra skin.  She/he didn't get embedded into my flesh, but I assumed she/he was, so I calmly went to look for tweezers and alcohol and to Not Scream.

Now, this is not surprising.  I live sort of in the woods.  But, the fact that it was nomming on me, the least likely person in the house to acquire a tick, in my bed, makes it more obvious that we need to check for them.  And, yesterday, when I spent much of the time indoors at appointments; the only time I was near the grass or wildlife was in a lawn chair on my porch sitting in the sun for a half hour.  

The obvious offender/host is the Family Dog.  My dog has had ticks aplenty, but she is not allowed in my room at ALL.  If this little blood sucker was in my bed, it either came to bed in my pants, (thanks!) or in my four year old's hair and found me.

"Super!"   

Getting a tick-sick would be awesome right now.  No, no it wouldn't.  I will assume I'm good since the damn thing did not dig into me, but here is your PSA just as well as mine, CHECK YOUR HEAD, your dog, your house.

• http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/symptoms.html
  
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tickbites.html