Well, I did wake up with a cold on Monday morning so started
the week under the weather. I took a Claritin D, which dried me up and masked
my symptoms, but I still felt crappy. I muddled through the day with a foggy
head and then went straight home. I was considering skipping knitting (yes, I
felt that bad) and so got into sweats when I got home. But after puttering for
a bit, I decided I might as well go so went to the library in sweats. Yikes! I’m
glad I went though. Better to sit with friends feeling crappy than alone.
I had a dentist appointment first thing Tuesday which was
only possible because I could breath. Whoever invented Claritin D should be
knighted. I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way in and bought more undies and a pair
of black pants for the trip. Not exactly what I was looking for but they’d do.
I taught that afternoon so the day was over in a flash. I went straight home
and packed up everything on the floor of my closet. The cleaning lady was
coming for the last time on Wednesday and I’d asked her to pay extra attention
to the floors, especially in the bedroom, in preparation for the floor
refinish.
Well, I went to bed at the regular time but was wide awake
at 3:15. After trying everything I could think of to fall back asleep, I got up
and went through all the paper on my desk. I went back to bed and read for
awhile but didn’t ever fall back asleep. I felt so awful that I may have called
in sick if the cleaning lady hadn’t been coming so I left her a note saying to
call when she was done and headed to work, stopping for extra caffeine at
Starbuck’s on the way in. Well, by the time she called at 10:30, the caffeine
had kicked in and I was doing OK. At lunch I continued the pre-trip errands,
dropping a bag at Goodwill, returning a shirt at the mall and picking up a
couple of laundry baskets for more packing up. I can’t say the afternoon went
quickly but I was still there so that was something. I did manage to pack up everything
in my closet that I wouldn’t be packing or wearing in the next week and was
showered and in bed by 9:15.
I felt human again on Thursday morning, which was a good
thing because I was training again. I had lunch with Dodie and then book club
after work. I hadn’t reread the book but had read some summaries online to
refresh my memory and we had a good discussion. I went to bed early again
because Friday was Spring Affair.
I had my first lunch with Layton in a month and had fun
hearing about his trip. I left work at 3:30 to head to the pre-sale at Spring
Affair. I had a list from Andrea but would be spending my free $12 for
volunteering impulse shopping. I grabbed things here and there (mostly old
favorites) and then Lorri and I went to HyVee for dinner before heading back
for our shifts. Well, my 4 hour shift, which was only 3.5 hours, was killer for
my knee. After standing and walking on concrete for that long, my knee was
super stiff. I’m sure the cortisone shot was the reason it didn’t hurt but I
was so ready to sit. After stopping at Nora’s to pick up a bag of clothes for
Anne Marie, I headed home for a shower and bed.
The weekend was all about, you guessed it, packing. Billy
and Amanda showed up with a friend and they worked in the yard for a few hours.
I had spent the morning working in the house (all the linens and curtains in
the front of the house were down, washed (4 loads) and hanging on the line),
thinking I’d relax in the afternoon, but I couldn’t sit while they were working
so I baked cookies and called that productive. By the end of the day, the
thicket of Wahoo trees was gone (I had them leave one) and they’d finished
raking the lawn. They’d be coming back on Sunday for mowing and perennials
beds.
Sunday brought more laundry (clothes this time) and actual packing,
moving all the furniture in the front room and sweeping/washing the floors and
doing a final neatize in the house. It was after 4:00 and still no sign of
Billy. I called the last number he’d called me from, which ended up being my
next door neighbor Judith’s cell phone. Since I’d met Billy through her, I told
her he hadn’t shown and my frustration must have come through. A few minutes later,
she was dropping him at my door. He was full of apologies, as usual, but I gave
him a load of grief and went to get gas for the mower. I was in a pissy mood and
red in the face. He mowed the front yard and stopped. I had to tell him to mow
the back. What the hell is wrong with kids today? If there’s a motivated one
out there, I can’t find him/her. But he promised he’d mow while I’m away and
Judith offered to keep the money for him (paying him ahead didn’t work last
time) so there’s a chance he’ll actually show up. Sheesh!
So, by the end of the day, I was feeling OK about things.
The front room and spare bedroom were completely ready for the floors and I’d
started in my bedroom. My suitcases were aired out and I’d started packing and
my knee was doing OK. I’d be flying in four days but had decided to take all
day Thursday off to take some of the stress out of last minute prep. Plus the
spring weather was finally here and I was able to leave the windows open at
night for the first time this spring. With spring so delayed, I’d be missing
some of my favorite blooms – forsythia, tulips and Korean spice viburnum. Maybe
I’ll see some in Ireland? I live in hope.
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