Word: scalped
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This column is about head lice, so by the time you?re done reading, you'll be scratching your scalp. Don't be alarmed. This is a reflexive response to the words lice and nit. I've been scratching and obsessively checking my scalp for a week, and all I can say is, I'll take a psychosomatic case of Pediculus humanus capitis over the real thing...
...September usually sees a bump in the reported cases of head lice as kids go back to school. Despite the common misconception that lice can leap tall buildings, like fleas, they're actually crablike crawlers, moving from scalp to scalp. Though lice don't usually transmit disease, they can cause a lot of discomfort, embarrassment and missed school days, so parents should deal with head lice the moment they become aware of an infestation...
...worst thing a parent can do when a child becomes infested is freak out. The best thing is be methodical. Deal with the child's scalp first, then launder sheets, pillowcases and towels, using high heat to dry. There is usually no need to dispose of clothes, stuffed animals, etc. Lice can live only about a day outside a scalp, so if the scalp is louse free, chances are the environment will be too. Unfortunately, any nits that remain can reinfect a child in a matter of days. Thus the importance of careful nitpicking (more on that later...
...arrives at the table smiling and carrying a tray of water and tea. O'Connor is small and slight in person but visually arresting. As is often her custom, she has shaved the jet-black hair on her scalp down to about as much stubble as you'd find on George Clooney's cheeks if he went razorless for a long weekend. Her nearly bare head, combined with her wide, bright eyes, gives her a beautiful, birdlike appearance, like something newly hatched. She's wearing brown boots, a blue coat that drapes below her knees, black sunglasses perched...
...Salvation Army Man had earphones on. I decided to check our tickets and see where we were sitting. First row, floor. I looked at Nate. He was practically giggling with glee, managing to sputter "five-feet from the ring!" I told him that I was going back outside to scalp my ticket, then going to the Prudential to buy a new holiday dress with my profit, and would meet him at the Park Street T stop at 11. I thought conceding the 2,000 words of my article for life and limb was a fair trade. Nate was still grinning...