Hey-ho!  Flea O'Flaherty here!  Remember me??  I'm the kid who itches all of the time!

People still treat me like I have the plague, give me as wide of a berth as possible, anything to avoid getting in contact with me.  I keep tellin' em that I'm not contageous; however, I don't think they believe me.

Ma and da, they keep telling me to stop scratching so much, or else I'm going to wind up with a very nasty skin infection that requires hospitalization; but I can't help myself.  At times it feels like a million bugs are crawlin' all over me; it drives me inSANE!!

Fiona and Ferndetta, my pesky older sisters, are still pickin' fights with me, anything to get my goat.  They know stress makes me itch worse; they must enjoy torturning me, making me suffer.  I didn't ask to have my skin problems; I wish they could go through with what I have to for one day, so they can see what I have to face!  It's not fun having itchy, sensitive skin!

I wish we could move to Arizona; maybe the drier air there would calm my itchiness!  Louisiana is okay, I guess, but it sure doesn't help my problem any, especially when it's hot out!  When it becomes hot and humid out (like in the summertime), I about come unglued!!

Maybe it's due to all the cajun spices hangin' in the air. 

I don't know, but wow, I never stop itching!!  The only time I have any peace whatsoever is when I'm asleep, but then a big-time itch wakes me up, and there I am, in the middle of the night, just diggin' at my skin, praying, hoping that the itch will stop!!

It's a wonder I get any sleep at all, at the rate I'm going!!

The kids at school don't make it any better for me.  If anythin', their teasing only makes me itch worse, and the teachers, they get annoyed.  They tell me to go to the nurse, to see if she has any lotions to help me, but none of the lotions I've tried work.  I don't know what's going on, but something's got to happen to make this awful itchiness go away for GOOD!!

I also have allergies; to make matters worse, besides the ever-itching skin, I also have a runny nose, watery eyes.  It's worst during spring, fall.  Summer, too; even winter.  I can't get a break anytime of the year. 

Another reason why I would like to leave Louisiana.

Maybe I ought to move to Alaska. 

Maybe the mountain air would do me a world of good!  I will have to discuss this with my ma and da, to see what they think; I bet they'll say what they always do:  "Oh, Finn, stop being ridiculous!" making me feel worse than ever.  They never take any of my suggestions seriously; neither do Fernie or Fiona!

Well, it's Saturday, so I'd best get off here.  If ma or da find out that I've been on the computer at five forty five in the morning, they'll probably have my head for breakfast!  Take care, and may God bless you and keep you in His care!  So long for now; I will write in here again down the road!

~Finnegan O'Flaherty ("Flea").  :(