Back qrib 1999, I kien infiq ħafna ġimgħat fl Santa Barbara, CA, jaħdmu għal klijent, leaving my poor wife back here in New Jersey alone. I dearly love my wife. I love her just as much today as I did when she foolishly married me 1,000 years or so ago. X'imkien matul il-linja, I maħluqa frażi, "special fear", as in "Samantha has special fears." She as a special fear of "bugs", li lilha mhumiex dubbien jew ladybugs, but rather microbes. She’s afraid of this or that virus or unusual bacteria afflicting our son, jew me, but never really herself. (Hija wkoll apposta jibża 'Vampires, pupi ħażen minjatura (speċjalment buffi) u inċidenti taħt il-baħar; hi l-kibret biża speċjali tagħha ta 'nies lebsin Santa Claus ħwejjeġ).

Ġurnata waħda, my co-worker and I decided to drive up into the nearby mountains near Ohai. At one point, we got out of the car to take in the scene. When we got back into the car, I noticed that a tick was on my shoulder. I flicked out the window and that was it.

Dak il-lejl, I told her about our drive and mentioned the tick. The conversation went something like this:

S: "Oooo! Those are bad. They carry diseases."

P: "Well, I flicked l-tieqa."

S: "They are really bad though. They can get under your skin and suck blood and transfer bugs. You better check your hair and make sure there aren’t any in your head!"

P: Fil b'leħen qawwi: "My God! CAN THEY TAKE OVER YOUR MIND???"

S: Litteralment rassikuranti me: "No, dawn mhux qed dik ħażina."

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