I am, once again, blogging while it rains and a cat sits at my feet. Generally my favorite thing, but even this can’t seem to slice through the current grumpiness cloud.

Yesterday, on 3 hours worth of sleep, I drove 200 miles to go pick up my folks in Houston after my Dad’s back surgery. I got 10 minutes to stand up and catch a restroom break while the bellman loaded their bags (hotel attached to hospital complex. Hospital did not have bellmen.) and then another 200 miles back home.

I had desperately wanted to leave an hour early and stop on the way out there at the Antique Rose Emporium, but such was not to be the case. My middle daughter had a constant cough and low grade fever the night before- so off for a strep and Covid test in the morning. (Both negative, and appears to be allergy related. But couldn’t send her to school with the cough either way.) So no Rose Emporium, but reassured she wasn’t deathly ill or anything (as we walked out of the doctors office she said “I’m starting to feel better!” It’s always the way.) I headed out to Houston later than I’d like but able to make it work.

Her all night hacking played a role in keeping me up all night. I finally just got up and cleaned the kitchen and living room as staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night is awful. I figured that way if I fell asleep on the road and died they’d at least have a nice clean house for the wake. 3 am thoughts are the worst thoughts, but even at the time could see the black humor in it.

I didn’t fall asleep on the road- thanks to mainlining coffee- but then I also couldn’t fall into an exhausted sleep for a nap when I got home thanks to all the caffeine. So that sucked too.

The cat at me feet as I type this keeps getting nudged to stop her from licking herself. I’ve now been bitten through the blanket three times since starting this post.

The cats look terrible from allergies. Alabama looks like a scuffed shoe and Lacey looks like a Chupacabra. My neighbor though I had shaved her- she has no hair on her belly, legs, or half of her tail. Ugh… no, I did not shave the cat to highlight her butthole like that, no.

They get depo shots from the vet. I’ve tried anti-lick collars. I’ve tried small doses of Benadryl. I’ve done special foods and supplements. I bathe them in Neutrogena T-gel (the only thing that seems to work- relief lasts for about a day). They get the most expensive flea medicine money can buy (Braveco, as even Revolution hasn’t been cutting it). I called the vet and said look- I am LITERALLY embarrassed for anyone to see my cats not to mention they are miserable- does that convey how bad they are?! So yeah, just dropped another $200 at the vet for daily pills- which now gets me scratched and bitten on a daily basis. And they still look terrible.

In other annoyances:

My deodorant/antiperspirant has started working on the fritz? It’s not even the really hot, sweaty season yet?

I have gained yet another 5 pounds. This all can just go fuck itself right off.

I broke my favorite zinnia seedling.

The eggs are muddy every day when I get them due to all the rain and mud in the chicken run. Gross.

Work has been CRAZY busy.

There are SO many flies around the house.

There are SO many mosquitoes. They’e outside. They’re inside. They’re in the cars. There is no escape.

Not unrelated, I am COVERED in mosquito bites- which this year are turning into big whelts that last and itch for days and days and days.

My hair looks like straw.

Just had to give away a new eyeshadow pallette as it caused my eyelid eczema to come roaring back.

So like ARGH lately… a mood that makes perfect sense considering I started my period in the last 50 miles of the trip back from Houston yesterday. Thanks to being in my 40s this is impossible to forecast or track accurately. Also fun.

Did I mention we’re out of coffee too?

Forcing myself to look at it another way at least the tomatoes are in and thriving and the family is all (mostly) healthy. I will catch up on sleep. I will eat healthy. I will start some exercise. Maybe I’ll shave the cats or put them in tiny scuba suits. I will buy coffee today.

There are solutions to all things, some immediate, some annoyingly less so. It’ll all shake out in the end.