After Moody Tuesday Comes Fuhgettaboutit Friday

After a week of being in a shitty mood and posting my Moody Tuesday post, I actually took Tuesday off from work.

And Wednesday.

And Thursday.

As you’re reading this on Friday, I’ll be back at my day job, either refreshed and happy to have only one day left until the weekend, or cursing the fact that I had to go back on Friday because there’s no such thing as taking Fridays or Mondays off where I work.

There’s a fifty/fifty chance either way so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

I actually wrote that Tuesday post before Tuesday, and then on the Tuesday it published, I had made up my mind to be more positive and view the week and all of the things that have been irritating me with a fresh set of eyes.

Then it started freakin’ raining again.

Have I mentioned how much I hate the rain? I know Northeast Oklahoma is known as “Green Country” for a reason, but would another dust bowl really be so bad? I’m sure all that Grapes of Wrath stuff wouldn’t happen again.

Yes, I know. Quit being selfish. We need the rain.

Damn it.

It’s Raining, But Not Men. Damn It.

Back to Tuesday…After deciding I was going to view the world through a set of cobalt blue glasses (because I like cobalt better than rose-color), I set out in the rain to the dentist’s office.

They found two cavities.

Fuck it all.

So I left there and it was raining harder. As I tell this next part of the story, you need to understand that I’m an anxious driver under the best of circumstances. I wasn’t always that way, but somehow a combination of old age and handling auto claims for the last four years has turned me into a bumbling, paranoid, angry driver.

Multiply that by five in the rain and by ten in the ice or snow.

So the rain is coming down and I notice nothing but brake lights ahead and I remember that it’s almost four o’clock and I’m right in front of a high school that is letting out for the day, so now I’m in the school traffic that goes on as far as I can see. I made a split-second decision to turn left and get on the highway because I knew I could get off at the next exit and sort of make a big loop around to where I needed to go.

Instant regret. I forgot that I hate this particular highway in really good weather and now it’s raining and it’s the start of rush hour.

AND. IT’S. UNDER. CONSTRUCTION.

I remembered instantly why I had been avoiding this highway for the last six months.

And that exit I wanted to take to make my loop around?

It’s closed.

And so is the next one.

And I couldn’t get over to the next one because people were piling onto the highway trying to merge into the lanes that are still open.

So yeah, I ended up going five miles north of where I wanted to go and ended up in a shitty-ass neighborhood that I don’t like driving through.

Before you accuse me of being a snob, I will tell you that we used to live near this neighborhood, in an equally bad neighborhood, so I’m well aware of how shitty this neighborhood is.

Plus, an acquaintance of ours and his son got shot in this neighborhood, minding their own business.

Plus…I AM a big snob. If by snob, you mean someone who doesn’t like to have their front door kicked in while they’re actually home or get car jacked walking out of Walmart or dodge bullets while pumping gas at Quik Trip. Although, I’m pretty sure I’m safe from carjacking because who wants a ten year old Chevy Equinox? I sure don’t.

After making it back to my own neighborhood, unscathed but very tense, I decided to stop at Quik Trip and get a Peppermint Cappuccino. They’re supposed to be seasonal for the holidays, but it’s almost March and they still have it, so I’m compelled to buy it.

Because it’s Peppermint.

I called The Husband Dude to see if he wanted a drink and then put my phone in my jacket pocket. As I was juggling drinks and my purse and it’s raining on me, I managed to spill some cappuccino on my car seat.

I let loose with a string of obscenities that I won’t repeat here.

Once I finally got in the car and got settled, I said out loud, “You need to chill out.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket to put it in my purse and realized I never disconnected my call with the THD.

He probably thinks he’s married to a crazy woman, because all he would’ve heard is me cussing a blue streak, then telling myself I need to chill out. I wondered if I would find him gone when I got home, but he was home working out in the garage and he never mentioned anything about my Rated R monologue. Either he didn’t hear it or he’s so used to it, it has become normal for him, which may or may not be a good thing.

The Exorcist

The week wasn’t a total loss, though. I did have a couple of bright spots.

I spent all day Wednesday cleaning and organizing our linen closet. I got rid of four bags of trash and three bags of stuff to give to charity. Honestly, I don’t know how we managed to fit so much into such a small closet. It’s nice and clean now, though, and everything has a place and is easy to find. The fact that this is one of my bright spots for the week just proves I’m getting old.

However, I also had a good laugh when I cleaned out the closet. When Mom died eight years ago, we had to empty her apartment out pretty quickly and so I ended up with all sorts of boxes of random things that I either didn’t want to deal with at the time or didn’t want to throw away. I found one of those boxes in the linen closet.

It was a box of first aid supplies that she kept for emergencies and to help with different medical issues she had. In the box were rubber gloves, large bandages, pain relievers, and a bottle of Holy Water.

Yes. A bottle of Holy Water.

You know, a box of supplies so she could treat a burn, bandage a cut, relieve a headache, or exorcise a demon.

I guess she had all her bases covered.

I left the Holy Water in my own first aid kit, because if anybody needs a little extra help now and then, it’s probably me.

By the way, what does it mean when Holy Water sizzles on the skin? Asking for a friend.

I’m A Landlady. Sort of.

My final bright spot of the week came from an animal, which let’s be honest, is where ninety percent of my bright spots come from.

A few months ago, an orange tabby and her two kittens showed up on our front porch. They were very feral and I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch them without a trap. I really worried about not being able to catch them all together and it seemed like they were either being fed or finding food somewhere, so when they quit showing up on our porch, I put them out of my mind.

Then they showed up again. The babies are pretty much grown now and all are very shy around people. I realized they were more or less living in the bushes around our porch and our porch itself. It really is a pretty good shelter from the elements and the bushes provide good cover for a kitty who doesn’t want to be seen, but it’s still awfully cold out there and I felt sorry for them.

Being who I am, I started leaving a bowl of food and water out and then I got a dog house for them to snuggle in when it’s cold.

I know. I know. Now I’m responsible for these cats. Plus, I’m pretty sure I’m feeding every cat in the neighborhood because I’ve seen at least half a dozen felines helping themselves at the buffet.

Ugh. Why do I do this?

But I came home the other day and not only did I get the pleasure of seeing one of the boys in his dog house, snuggled up warm, but I also had a “gift” on the driveway in the form of a mole that has been digging trenches in our yard for a while now. I guess in exchange for room and board, he gave us extermination services.

Seems like a good trade, no?

I guess it’s the little things after all.

 

FYI: I got the dog house and the mat inside on Amazon (of course, because I’m an Amazon addict). I liked this particular style of dog house because I can turn the lid around to allow an “escape” hatch for the kitties. Feral cats don’t like to feel trapped and need an escape route from other predators, so having an opening in both front and back gives them options. It’s also slightly elevated off the ground and is structured in such a way that rain would just run off it and away from it rather than soaking the inside.

The mat inside is self heating, which just means it’s lined with material that reflects the animal’s body heat back at them to keep them warm. It’s machine washable, which is a must with our little critters. If you have any outdoor pets (dog or cats) I’ve been very pleased with these two items and highly recommend both of these products!

Stay weird, my friends. Normal is boring!