u/Fyrewuulf

A few days ago now we were on a long trip in the middle of nowhere. I had to go to the bathroom and there wasn't going to be one for a very long time. I pulled off to the side of the road in a heavily wooded area with nobody around. I was in basketball shorts, slides, and a t-shirt. I went up 10 feet into the woods behind a tree just in case anyone would happen to pass by. Normally if I'm going to be in an area like this, I am well covered and vigilant about ticks. I would never dress like this in the woods. That's when I saw it as I was doing my business. A Lone Star Tick, easily identifiable by the white dot (NOT on my body). I immediately booked it out of there and had my wife help me conduct a full body check at the car. There was nothing. It's been a few days and I have found no ticks embedded and nothing that would feel or resemble a tick bite. But naturally I'm a bit worried about it.

When you were bit, did you find the tick on you? Did it embed into your skin? Did you ever feel or see an obvious tick bite? Thanks for any help.

2 or 3 times a year my wife, brother, and I rent a pontoon boat for a full day on the lake. It's our favorite part of summer. Generally 1 trip will be early when the water is still too cold to swim, but being eager to get out after a long winter, we spend the day cruising and drifting. The other trip or 2 will be in July and then maybe August when we can anchor and swim. Yesterday was our first trip of the year, and we invited her mom. Huge mistake.

A day before the trip she insisted she be able to take her dog. This is problematic because the dog would need potty breaks, would have to be watched carefully (especially when moving), we would have to pay an additional $50 pet fee, and we would need to give up our luxury deluxe boat for a stripped down, uncomfortable, all metal, stadium bench "pet friendly" boat. Fine. Whatever. We agreed.

We began the day needing to get up at 5am to leave by 7am to take the 2 hour journey down to the lake to be there at our 9am launch time. Her mom wouldn't get up until 6:30am having known this and agreed. We wouldn't get there until 10am, instantly losing out on an hour (9am to 6pm rent time). She further took her sweet time and we wouldn't load and launch until 11am. Down to 7 hours of our 9 hours.

By 1pm (2 hours into the trip) she said we won't be staying until 6pm. I'm fuming at this point, but I'm keeping it together. We could have just rented for half the day for half the cost, although she would have totally ruined that with her untimely behavior. I told her the best I can do is start heading back to the marina at 4pm. She was silent. By 1:30pm she began shrieking that we need to leave and had a hundred different reasons why. I snapped and said she completely ruined the day with her stupid dog, this uncomfortable boat, hours lost, money wasted, a wasted drive, wasted time off work, etc. I took us back to the marina, unloaded, and we left. 11am to 2pm is all we got after every accommodation and all the time and all the money.

On the way home she made a remark that I need to stop giving her crap. This was in response to her saying my name and me responding with, "No. Whatever you have to say, whatever you have to do, figure it out. Just no." She mouthed off some more and I snapped again and went on a tirade about how she ruins everything and she's invited to absolutely nothing again. This is a mean old drunk I have tolerated for years with extreme patience but today put me over the edge. My wife and I later talked alone and while she understood my point, anger, and frustration, and was equally frustrated, she told me I didn't need to be so mean.