But afterwards, chatting in the living room, I felt something on my neck...tickling. Reached up and--yes, ick, a tick. Not attached, just roaming around looking for someplace. Brrrrrrr.
Once you've found one tick on yourself, you're sure that every other itch, tickle, or odd feeling is more of them. It wasn't, but on the long drive home (which included a stop at the grocery store to pick up yeast and brown sugar for the bread I'll be baking tomorrow, garlic pesto, and cooking wine, and a stop for gas) I was sure that innumerable ticks were settling in for the night.
Now the book is calling. Words must hit the page.