A day with Adyson

I took a vacation day today so I could spend an entire day with Cathy and Adyson. Tomorrow Adyson will be two weeks old and Cathy's birthday is later this week. Happy 33rd birthday, Cathy! Today seemed like as good a time as any to celebrate.

Seriously, people...

I went to the restroom at Barnes & Noble yesterday. The lady in the bathroom stall next to me had her small son in there and they were both talking to her husband (the boy's father) very loudly on speaker phone. Can you not wait to initiate or answer a phone call until you are out of the public restroom? And even worse, you do it on speaker phone so that everyone can be part of your conversation. I felt so awkward, as if I were actually the one intruding upon them, and then I was scared to flush the toilet for fear it would interupt their conversation. Below is a fraction of what was actually said:

Mom: Tell daddy what shirt you're wearing today.
Boy: Wex
Mom: He's wearing his t-rex shirt.
Boy: Flush.
Dad: What did he say?
Mom: Oh, he said, "flush." We're in the bathroom at Barnes & Noble and he wants to flush the toilet.
Dad: (dead silence)

Pinwheel Italian Calzones

Yesterday it rained all day long. The perfect weekend just to sit on the couch, watch dvds (I loved Hot Fuzz!) and cook. Joe was here over the weekend and that pretty much sums up our time together. Friday night Joe made Pad Thai and last night I made Italian calzones from a recipe Meagan gave me. Delicious!! Here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, green pepper and onion. Set aside.
3. Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate into 4 rectangles. Press the remaining perforations together to seal. Spread the filling evenly onto the rectangles. Roll up the filling inside the dough starting at the short side. Slice each finished roll into four slices, and place cut side down onto a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. While the pinwheels are baking, warm the pizza sauce. Serve the pinwheels with pizza sauce in small cups for dipping.

Nerd Test

Not that I think I'm a nerd because I don't. I do, however, have some readers that I think should take the test. (Did that sound rude? I meant that some of the questions reminded me of some people I know. Ahem.) I would LOVE to see the results.

Music City Review

The conference was really wonderful. I was starting to have my doubts last week about going but am so glad I did. I knew I wouldn't back out or anything (plus I had already paid and committed to Taina) but was just really stressed out about taking off on Friday, had so much going on and hadn't been sleeping well. This conference turned out to be exactly what I needed and I hope to go again next year or at least as often as time and resources allows. Plus Taina and I have not had the chance to hang out for some time so sharing a room was fun. Just like childhood sleepovers, we stayed up late both nights talking. Below are some photos.

Sharita, me and Taina at Cozymels. Jan and Dan met up with us at Cozymels.

Eric showing off his new posession. And, yes, that's a ginormous yam!

Nashville

Tomorrow Taina and I are headed to Nashville for the Zoe Worship Conference. There will be several others from church going as well. I am very ready for a much needed weekend of relaxation, retreat and spiritual growth.

Introducing...

Adyson Beth

She is the proud owner of a dark, black mohawk. And she's quite charming. Even with her eyes closed for approximately 20 hours a day, she has already managed to steal my heart. I'm sure there will be many more photos to come.

The big surprise came tonight when we were all ushered out to the hallway of the Labor and Delivery unit to await passing tornados. It was crazy so it's no wonder why we jokingly contemplated the name, Stormy. After more than 12 hours into her life, Cathy and Bryon finally decided on a name, Adyson Beth.

P.S. Did I mention that she's absolutely perfect?

She's finally here!

After Cathy's doctor made the decision yesterday afternoon to induce my sister's labor so that the baby wouldn't continue to get bigger, my niece finally made her entrance into the world today a little after six this morning. She is 7 lbs 15 oz and 20.25 inches long. Still no word on a name and I hope to have pictures to share very soon.

Three cheers for Matt

Breanne and I are going to see Matt Nathanson tonight at The Blue Note. (Our fifth MN show?) Matt is hilarious and I always enjoy his humor. In fact, it might just be my favorite thing about him. And I can't wait to hear him play stuff from his new album.

Family Guy

Monica and I are going to see Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane tonight. He's going to do stand-up and will show never-before-seen clips from the show. He also does the voices for Stewie, Brian, Peter and Stan Smith. I laugh a lot at the show so I'm sure I'll laugh a lot tonight.

Update: Seth was great and I'm glad I got to see him and hear more about the show. He even showed us Sunday's show before it premiered which is cool. The worst part is that I've come down with some sort of illness. Sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, etc. Ironically enough, my boss also has the same thing. I guess that's what happens when you spend too much time with someone.

Work

My life in a nutshell. Way too many 10-12 hour days working lately and although the end is in sight, I'm still waiting for it to stop. Today we were filming on location and, at one point, I thought I was an extra in Deliverance. If you haven't already guessed, getting back to nature isn't quite my thing. But the best part of my job is always seeing the fruits of my labor - I can't wait!

Baby update

Cathy went to the doctor today and is already dilated 2 centimeters!

Two and a half weeks

My mom, sister and I at Cathy's church shower.
Cathy opening the pink baby sweater I bought for her.

Cathy only has two and a half weeks left until her due date. Her church family threw her a shower today after services and I was glad I could be a part of it. I've seen all the cute stuff. Now I just can't wait to see my cute baby niece.

Wilco

I saw Wilco last night. I think that makes it my third show and I was not disappointed. The thing that never ceases to amaze me is the band's energy and never have I seen them play just one encore; last night there were two and I've even seen three. Jeff said we were the most energetic crowd on this tour so far and that even included his hometown crowd. Read more about the show here.

Breanne and I before the show.

Cheese

I recently received two different cards from two different people with one similar theme. Sad or funny? I guess my friends know me very well.

My index card

On my bulletin board, above my desk, is an index card with Matthew 11:28-30 written on it. It's a good reminder for when life is a little too stressful. Not to sound alarming, but the card has gotten a lot of use lately and I'm glad it's there.

Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my load is light.

Lazy Day

Today was a lazy day. It didn't even occur to me until late in the day that I was still wearing my pajamas. I guess I hadn't had a reason to leave the house. After a day of cleaning, laundry, napping and telephone talking, I finally took a bath and changed out of my pajamas at 7:30 p.m. I can't remember the last time I spent the whole day in pjs.

Jonesing for a come back?

About a week or so ago, Monica professed her love for the fanny pack to me. She said she had a purple one growing up and wishes it would come back in style. Of course, over the weekend, she pointed out every fanny pack in sight. You know all the phases and styles we went through while growing up (tight rolled jeans, acid wash, parachute pants, high bangs, etc); is there anything you'd like to see come back in style?

Flirty Thirty

Without a doubt, I have had the trip of a lifetime and the best birthday ever. I had such an amazing time with my girlfriends and it was so great for everyone to get to know each other, too. Plus, Carrie and I realized it had been five years since we've seen each other - crazy!

First things first. Monica and I arrive around 9:30 am on Sunday and met Kate at the aiport. Carrie soon met us for lunch at the Paris, where we stayed. We decided to walk the strip before heading to The Palms where the 2007 Video Music Awards were being held. We had the place staked out for the red carpet but were quickly disappointed to find out that the red carpet festivities were being held inside for media-only and that the only view we'd get were celebrities being dropped off at the front door in limos with the hotel being blocked off from view on the inside. Out of all my years of red carpet-watching, I found this to be very disappointing. Most award shows have red carpets outside and bleachers for the general public. Boo MTV. Boo. And what happened to regular festivities from past MTV awards shows such as bands playing live outside? We did catch a few celebrities who were kind enough to roll down their windows and wave. Most stayed inside their vehicles and away from fans - boo again. We saw Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler, Paris Hilton, Rosario Dawson and a couple others that I really had no clue about...this is where it's obvious that I'm 30 now and not 15.

Sunday night we had dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Postrio at The Venetian. We spent the rest of the evening walking the strip, touring the hotels and then saw the water show at the Bellagio - so amazing - before retiring to our casino for nickel slots. I am proud to say that I walked away from my trip only $15 poorer due to gambling.

Monday (my birthday!) we went to the Stratosphere Tower for sightseeing and then had lunch at the Hilton's Star Trek Experience restaurant, Quarks Bar & Grill. Yeah, we pretended to be trekkies. It was so much fun and who wouldn't want to share a ginormous green drink containing dry ice? We toured more hotels on the strip and finally made our way to dinner reservations at Daniel Boulud Brassiere at The Wynn overlooking the Lake of Dreams. This was the best dinner of my life. Really, really cool light and music show during our dinner and awesome food - thank you, Carrie! Our last outing for the night was to the Mirage where we saw The Beatles (Cirque du Soleil) Love Show. Fantastic!! I now want to go see every Cirque du Soleil show possible and have been singing Beatles tunes since Monday night.

Monday, Kate left early to catch a flight home and Monica, Carrie and I had brunch at our hotel before leaving for the airport ourselves. After staying up until 2-2:30 a.m., 4-4:30 a.m. central time, two nights in a row, I was ready to get into my own bed at a decent hour last night but so loved this trip! Thank you Carrie, Kate and Monica for making it so fabulous and special.

Kate, me and Monica at the fountain outside our hotel.

The Eiffel Tower replica at our hotel.

We patiently waited for celebrities to arrive to the MTV VMAs but were quickly disappointed at our obstructed view.

Rosario Dawson was one of the few stars to arrive and acknowledge all the fans waiting outside. She even stopped and took pictures of everyone. And say what you like about Paris Hilton but she was one of the few to wave and acknowledge the crowd. (When I saw Paris my face lit up like a child on Christmas morning, her appearance made my day.)For kicks we had lunch at the Star Trek Experience restuarant, Quarks which is located at The Las Vegas Hilton, home to the official Star Trek convention! Kate liked this green dude so much she kissed him. You think you're tough? This guy has nothing on me...hey, wait, doesn't he kind of look like a mean Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle? (Sorry, if there are any Star Trek fans reading this...don't hate on me. I really am just clueless.)
Me posing with the blue dude. I hear he's from season one.
Monica and the green guy.
Our drink. Also our reason for coming to the restaurant. It's not your birthday unless your drinking a green concoction with dry ice.

Lake of Dreams at The Wynn...seriously the COOLEST thing ever. This was our view for dinner and when the sun set there was a light and music show projected over the waterfall.
Monica and I at the Venetian.
Kate, me and Carrie at the Venetian.
Carrie, Monica, me and Kate at the Stratosphere.
Kate, Monica, me and Carrie on the observatory deck at the Stratosphere. I like amusement parks and roller coasters but there are CRAZY rides up here. At more than 800 feet, I say "no thank you."

Carrie and I posing at dinner at The Wynn.
Birthday dessert complete with a candle and message!
Monica and Kate at dinner at The Wynn.

Viva Las Vegas

I'm single and turning 30. What's a girl to do? Go to Las Vegas and celebrate with girlfriends, of course! Yup, I'm all set to go to Vegas and I can't wait. Even though I'm not a gambler (maybe I'll play some slot machines here or there), I can't wait to see the sights and enjoy a show or two. On the guest list is: Monica, my sidekick from Columbia; Carrie, my longtime friend from high school whom I haven't seen in years and now lives in Virginia; and Kate, my gal pal from Texas (also a former Columbian)! I can't wait for us to all meet up in the city that doesn't sleep. Did I mention that we'll be there during the MTV Music Video Awards? Tickets are literally going for thousands of dollars so we won't be at the show but I can guarantee we'll have so much fun celebrity watching.

Set your tivo

Set your tivo. America's favorite train wreck is performing at the VMAs. True story, I had a dream the night before last that while in Vegas (more on that later) Britney was trying to hang out with my friends and I. We kept trying to ditch her to no avail. Turns out she ended up performing and opening the show in a denim shirt, nothing else. Now, we'll know in just a matter of days if I'm psychic or not.

Lucky girl

I'm a truly lucky girl. Meagan organized a birthday soiree for me last night with some of my gal pals. We had a really great time at dinner and then chatting over coffee. Thanks again, girls. I'm very blessed and lucky to have you.

Left to right: Meagan, Rachel, Monica, Meggan, Breanne and me.

Not pictured at dinner but present for coffee and dish: Taina.

Monica doing her disaster-date impersonation. It was just too funny not to capture for the entire world to see.

Labor Day recap

I had a very busy weekend in Chicago with Joe; time well spent. We had quite a few activities...started out with a movie, Nanny Diaries. Saturday we took the train to Shedd Aquarium. I've never been before and we stopped first to have a picnic lunch in Grant Park. Not really a picnic but Joe made some sandwiches that we ate on a park bench. Then we went to the aquarium. Super busy...a line just to get in and a line to see everything inside. (Lesson learned to try and do that stuff during the week but I still enjoyed it very much.) The penguins and the sea otters were probably my favorite. Sunday we went to see The King of Kong - A Fistful of Quarters. EXCELLENT. Go see this documentary. Then we made it to Table Fifty-Two. This is Oprah's former chef, Art Smith's new place. It's a quaint little boutique restaurant and Joe was just barely able to get reservations for us. It was booked solid for the weekend but as luck would have it, someone cancelled and we got in. Hurray! Mr. Smith came by our table several times to check in on us and everything was awesome. Not that I've been to many Chicago eateries but I think this could easily pass as my favorite; I'm hoping to visit again. We also made time to watch a couple of DVDs. We were on the go quite a bit this weekend but it was a great prelude to my birthday.

P.S. I think my back is back on the mend. I've been virtually pain-free for a couple days now. :-)

Life happens

Isn’t it amazing how we get so busy in our lives that time seems to go by so quickly? My friend, Barb took me to lunch today and reminded me that it’s been an entire year since we’ve seen each other. Really? Has it really been that long? We only live 30 minutes apart yet I distinctly remember the last time we saw each other was last summer for lunch at the same place. It’s really been an entire year? In life, friends get busy and often we go too long without seeing or talking to each other. It’s sad but a true fact of life. The one thing that I love about those close to you whom you don’t see regularly is that when you do see them time stands still. You know what I’m talking about. It’s not seeing someone for weeks, months or years and then you get together and it feels like you only saw them yesterday. You’re so close in heart that you’re able to pick up exactly where you left off and I think that’s when you know you have a great friendship. Tomorrow I’ll be in Chicago with Joe, someone I don’t get to see often enough but am so grateful to have a long weekend together. And Barb, thanks for taking me to lunch today. It was so good to see you!! I hope it’s not another year before we do it again.

Baby shower fun!

Sunday was Cathy's baby shower. She got so much stuff!! Seriously this little girl is going to have to change her clothes five times a day just to wear everything.

Stacy, Cathy's good friend and shower co-hostess, Cathy and I.
Aren't these cookies cute? Couresty of The Upper Crust.
All of the presents! This little girl is already spoiled.

Cathy opening her "I heart my auntie" onesie.

My aching back

Seriously, I feel like I'm about 90 years old today. Okay, so technically, I don't know what it feels like to be that old but I have a pretty good guess. My back gave out on Friday morning for no apparent reason, so the past three days I've not been able to do much but lie flat and grunt whenever I move. This made for a very difficult trip home for Cathy's baby shower. I spent the day moving like a turtle. I have an appointment with a doctor this afternoon and if I can just get some drugs to make the spasms stop, I'll be in good shape.

Redheads extinct? Say it isn't so!

Scientists are predicting that redheads might become extinct by the year 2100. Check out the article here from The Seattle Times. Much thanks to my fellow redheaded friend and partner-in-crime, Kim for passing this one along.

Baby update

My sister's baby is due October 10. She had another ultrasound yesterday and they estimate that my niece is already approximately 5 and a half pounds!!

You decide

I was tipped off by Jan to a great quiz that helps determine which presidential candidates you agree and disagree with most depending on the issues that are most important to you. Thought it was too good to not pass along and share. More information is also listed here.

Fun with Nat

Out on the town with Natalie and Mozow.

I spent a little less than 24 hours in St. Louis over the weekend. It was a short trip but I had a great time seeing Natalie. We haven't hung out together in quite some time - I love that girl!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?
Me, have a laundry routine? I wish. I wait until I no longer have a single pair of clean underwear and then I wash all of my dirty laundry, darks and whites seperately of course.

Soup
In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?
I think age is relative. I remember being in elementary school thinking high schoolers or college kids were really old. I find that the older I get, the less old other people actually seem.

Salad
What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?
Save money. This is a short-term and long-term goal. Why is this so hard?

Main Course
Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.
Mary-Kate Olsen (21) will kiss Ben Kingsley (63) in an upcoming film.

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?
Well my day just started and I've only been awake for a couple of hours. So far, I'm pretty content. I'm giving myself an 8.

Really?

How's this for late-breaking? And contrary to popular belief, I'm not hating. Nope.

Two

Two. I love this song and I can't stop listening to it. I'm a little bummed out that I'll be out of town during Ryan Adams Oct 5 concert in St. Louis. He's the guy that I've always tried to see in concert. Once I bought tickets and the show got cancelled. Another time, I didn't get my ticket soon enough and it sold out. Go figure.

Fridays Feast

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of pie?
Pumpkin

Soup
Name something that made you smile this week.
Seeing Taina yesterday after three long weeks!

Salad
What do you do to cool off when the weather is hot and humid?
Eat frozen custard. Wait, I do that even when it's not hot and humid. Hmm...

Main Course
You receive $1,000 in the mail with a letter that says you can only use the money to redecorate one room in your home. Which room do you pick, and what do you buy to spruce it up?
In the last year, I bought all the new furniture I need (bed, mattresses, chair, ottoman, coffee table). However, since I'm not in the business of turning down free, imaginary money, I guess I could use this for my living room and buy a new couch, too.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: My boyfriend says reality tv will rot my mind, but I disagree.

Notice

Dear Friends,
Should any of you fall into some money within the foreseeable future, please keep this in mind.

Your friend,
Amy

Kitten-obsessed

It's time for true confessions. I love kittens. They are so fuzzy, playful and sweet. There's almost nothing better. A very long time ago, I got hooked on Daily Kitten and now I'm compelled to check it every day. I've since told fellow kitten-lovers about the site and have several friends who check it regularly, too. My friend, Kim emailed me the other day asking if I've checked out Kitten War. I told her that I hadn't and I found that going to one kitten site per day was time consuming enough. I didn't stand my ground for very long. Against my better judgment, I checked it out. I'm afraid I might be kitten-obsessed.

Name that crush

I have not been watching Age of Love but I did see the last five minutes last night. Enough to know that the 30-something bachelor, Mark Philioppoussis picked the 20-something bachelorette over the 40-something bachelorette. Big surprise, right? I would have been shocked had he have actually chosen the older woman and maybe there's not necessarily anything wrong with the choice he made (after all, I didn't watch the show) but I started thinking about mismatched couples. For instance, Demi and Ashton. And remember Julia and Lyle? This leads me to my next question - What unexpected person do you have a crush on? Everyone knows I like guys who play guitar but I have to admit that I have a slight crush on Jay Leno. I can't explain it. All I know is that I like funny guys and after watching him for so many years, I've developed a certain fondness.

Changes

I've become a recent addict of Diet Mountain Dew. It seems I can't get enough of this yummy goodness.

I've started going to twice weekly pilates classes with Meagan and I really love it.

I'm going to jazzercise once a week with Monica because I need to stop sitting on my couch so much. And let's face it, I could use some practice in coordination.

I've been trying to bring my lunch to work so that I can stop spending so much money. Guess what? I forgot my lunch today at home.

I don't think I've watched MTV for weeks...months?

After a trip to the dentist yesterday, I'm contemplating getting all of my wisdom teeth removed for preventative measures.

Birthdays are fun!

Happy Birthday, Meera! I'm so glad I've gotten to know you over the past few months.

Monica, Meera, Meggan and I at Meera's party. Meggan shows off her cheerleader skills with pizzazz.

What's your reality?

I’ve blogged before about my not-so-secret affection for reality television. And, yes, I’m one of the few people in this world who actually love Big Brother. (My summer would not be complete without that guilty pleasure.) I’ve noticed a lot of crazy reality tv lately…okay, crazier than usual. For example, Scott Baio is 45 and Single and Rock of Love staring Bret Michaels. And while flipping channels the other night, I came across, The Two Coreys. Talk about blasts from the past. These days, seems like everyone either has their own reality show or has been on one. So if you had to pick a reality show to be on what would it be? (I'm always telling Taina that I want her to apply for Wife Swap - I'm half-joking people.)

Introducing Amy Simpson

In honor of The Simpsons Movie coming out today, which I will probably see over the weekend, I've created my very own Simpson's character modeled after me. Go here to do it yourself.

Up, up and away

I spotted eight hot-air balloons in the sky last night as I was making my way home from the store. A few of them even seemed to be landing close to home!

Footloose and fancy free

Saturday night my mom, sister and I went to see Footloose the musical. The show was not spectacular, or even really that great, but it did make me think a lot about the movie. I can remember exactly where I was the first time I watched Footloose. My sister and I loved it. Cathy became wildy obsessed with red boots and I think we both had a crush on Kevin Bacon. And even now you can find Holding on for a Hero and Let’s Hear it for the Boy on my ipod. Looking back, Footloose was also my first Sarah Jessica Parker-experience and we all now know that SJP and I are now quite tight. So fun to relive those memories all over again. I spent the weekend thinking about all the movies that my sister and I both watched over and over while growing up: Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Heathers and The Lost Boys. We loved those movies.

I also went to see Paris, Je T'aime over the weekend. It's getting my must-see stamp of approval. The film consists of 18 shorts all directed by different people set in and around different parts of Paris. The best part was knowing that if there was one I didn't like, it would be over in just a couple of minutes. But how fantastic to have such short stories move you to laughter and to tears in just a matter of minutes.

Grandma Dixie

Tomorrow my grandma is having knee replacement surgery. It's something that she's probably needed for several years now. She's having the surgery here in town so my parents are staying with me for a few days. I'm excited for my grandma to start feeling and walking better. Your prayers are appreciated.

Truck parts

Okay, I've refrained from writing about this for weeks but I simply can't remain silent any longer. What is wrong with people?!? And what's up with this phenomenon? Seriously, people - stop.

Kimmy

Last night was Kim's going away party as she's moving to Kansas. It's amazing how in our lives we meet so many wonderful people who make such a lasting impression on your heart, you know you'll be forever touched and changed. Kim is one of those people. I first met her about 3 1/2 years ago. I was working in Jefferson City and she was the health reporter for the newspaper. She would call me almost every day to get sources for her stories and we had a very good working relationship. It probably wasn't until I left my job that the real friendship began. I changed jobs and, at about the same time, she did, too. Now we've been working together for the past couple of years. I talk to Kim every day but we don't just talk work. We hang out on the weekends and we've been to more concerts together than I care to count. She's also helped me grow up and be the person I want to be. And I've learned a lot about myself through our friendship. The great part of getting older is moving to the next great phase of your life. That's exactly what Kim is doing now. Moving on. And while I'm so sad for me, I'm so happy for her. Good luck in Kansas, Kimmy!

Itching and scratching

It all started about a week and a half ago. I used some body wash that I had never used before and broke out in a rash all over my legs. I couldn't stop itching and my very white legs had very red bumps all over them. Fortunately, the rash was contained to my legs but my arms itched, too. Finally, the rash went away just in time for me to be bombarded with mosquito bites. 32 of them to be exact. I sat on my deck one night (with a citronella candle) and, while that might have caused a few, I seemed to be mysteriously waking up with them. For the past week, my daily routine has consisted of Benadryl, Aveno oatmeal baths and hydrocortisone cream. Tonight I think I found and killed the culprit. A big fat mosquito living comfortably in my apartment. Not anymore. I sure hope this is the end of it. I'm not sure I, or my skin, can take much more.