How was your weekend, Internet?
Here in the USofA, it was a holiday weekend. From a Companionship and Connection standpoint, it was a standout weekend. I am trying so very hard to hold onto the warm fuzzies I have from spending time with dear friends and beloved family members, but I will be honest: I am cranky.
Content Note: What follows is some whining from a highly privileged and wildly fortunate individual who really has nothing to complain about. I don’t blame you if you don’t have time for that, so I’ll see you on the flippity flop.
My husband got Friday off, which meant that instead of going into the office and seeing patients, he went upstairs to his home office and dealt with insurance companies and pathology reports and patient calls from home. Sure, he got to sleep in and wear shorts and a T-shirt and he didn’t have to commute. Still… That’s not really a day off.
Also, the WEATHER, my god. The weather has been my absolute least favorite, unless you count “active tornado” which is worse. It has been SO HOT and SO HUMID and I HATE IT.
Thank goodness we have a brand new air conditioner and a pool!
Except that last week, my daughter’s room was hovering around 80F (26C) at night. The HVAC guy had warned me, after the installation, that our AC had been off for a full day, so the second floor of the house would take a couple of days to get back to temperature. But… 80 degrees after four days of waiting seemed reasonable enough. Also, we had two VIPs arriving that afternoon, and a third later that evening, and I did not want them to be sweaty and uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the HVAC guy was working on Friday and came right over and very enthusiastically tested the velocity of our air output from each register and measured the temperature of the air coming out and checked all the connections and did a bunch of other things and by the end of his visit, things were cooling down.
AC accounted for, I went out to clean the pool. (Well, I didn’t clean it, I let the pool guy do it.) The previous owners thoughtfully installed an automatic pool cover, which has been wonderful. The pool stays fairly clean, the water doesn’t evaporate as much, we have fewer critters leaping to their deaths in the water. But it would not open. And it was SO HOT. Together with my husband, we coaxed it into opening about halfway, but then it refused to move any further. Listen, I know the VIPs would have been gracious about not being able to swim, I know this. And yet. Plus, my daughter was having a friend over and I much prefer having lots of outdoor options for kids to relying on a cooling-but-still-too-hot room and a bunch of tempting screens.
Fortunately, the pool service person was working Friday! He sent out his best guy, who managed to open the pool cover. But, he noted, it will not close. We’ll have to get a pool cover specialist to come address it. Can’t wait.
Saturday morning, my daughter notified us that there was something wrong with her ceiling. We trooped into her room (cooler, thank goodness) for a look. Hmm. A suspiciously leak-like circle surrounded a tiny crack in the plaster.
Yesterday, my husband was unloading the dishwasher while I was trying to write. He opened a cupboard to put something away, and the glass lid of a casserole dish leapt out at him and shattered into smithereens on the kitchen floor. It hit the counter on the way down, leaving plenty of smithereens all over that, as well. Thank goodness it didn’t land on his foot. But the poor guy had large hunks of glass ON his bare feet and said he wasn’t sure how or where to move.
Fortunately, after a three-stage cleanup, we got the glass taken care of with minimal bleeding.
Then I got my period for the second time in about twelve years (I take oral contraceptive pills to prevent that; it should not be happening.)
Then I got a notification from Costco that my contact lens order hadn’t gone through because my prescription was outdated.
Then my daughter notified us that her ceiling looked worse.
Then I discovered my cat had knocked a section of staples off my desk and batted them across the room. I don’t think he ate any of them – he doesn’t really EAT things, except food and plants – but I don’t know that he didn’t eat any of them. All the online resources I consulted said a) this is an emergency, call the vet immediately or b) this is not an emergency unless he shows XYZ symptoms, watch him carefully or c) give him food right away to help get the foreign object through his system or d) absolutely do NOT give him food because it could cause or worsen a blockage.
Of course I had nightmares all night, mainly about being pregnant and the baby not doing well. This morning, I noticed that the house felt warmer than it should be, and when I call for cooler temperatures, it doesn’t do anything right away (at all?). The ceiling crack is holding steady, but we are expecting more thunderstorms and more rain.
Today, of course, I have been making all the calls (and you know I love phone calls) (no): To my eye doctor, to update my prescription. To Costco, whose online platform allows me to cancel my previous order, but does not allow me to update or change my prescription. To the pool cover people. To the roofing contractor who is handling our as-yet-not-started roof replacement. Do I call the vet (the cat is behaving totally normally, including eating and producing waste as usual)? Do I call my primary about the spotting? Do I call the HVAC guy?
Yes, I acknowledge that I am very lucky that THESE are my biggest problems. I am grateful to have experts to call (if they would only call me back) and grateful to have the resources to address the issues.
I AM STILL CRANKY.
Okay, deep breaths. Let’s combat the crankiness with some reflection on the absolutely wonderful parts of the weekend.
- My time with the VIPs was fabulous. It is so rare for me to find people I like and like spending time with, if that makes sense? Even with people whose company I really enjoy, I often end up feeling depleted of energy at the end of our time together, which is not a reflection on them, that’s just my introverted personality. But the VIPs were the opposite. They charged my social battery instead of draining it, and I was sad to say goodnight at the end of our time together, and I hope to see them again sometime soon.
- Saturday was a quintessentially perfect summer day. My whole family slept in (with a brief wake-up for me at 5:30ish to feed and play with the cat, who slept in until 6:00!) and then spent the afternoon in the pool. It was hot enough that the pool felt wonderful and breezy enough that the heat was tolerable.
- Fourth of July was pretty great. My family typically spends July Fourth in the basement, feeling crotchety toward our neighbors who set off fireworks. To be clear, this is our preferred way to observe Independence Day. But I asked a friend what she was doing for the holiday and she told me, and then asked what I was doing, and when I said nothing she either took pity on me or thought I was angling for an invitation to her event, because she invited my family to join hers. We had such a nice time! She is my friend for a reason, and she and her family are lovely and welcoming and it was actually kind of nice to celebrate the holiday instead of boycott it. The day’s promised thunderstorms never materialized, and the weather was less humid than it had been. The evening ended with a fireworks show that was the perfect amount of spectacular and the perfect length. I had forgotten the special kind of buoyant unity that fireworks can inspire. And by the time we got home, our neighbors had nearly finished their own fireworks show, so we only had to endure a few pops and booms.
- The extreme heat may be ebbing. Not only is today supposed to hover around 77F (25C), but the weather forecast suggests that we are taking a turn toward the high 70s/mid 80s (24/30C), which sounds a hell of a lot more pleasant than last week.
- My cat continues to be The Best Cat.
Okay, as per usual, being grateful has shifted my mood toward the positive. Thank you for reading. If you have any complaints, big or small, I am happy to listen!
I can relate to the feeling of being dumped on from every direction. Like the book “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” My latest frustration is that my cable bill has climbed into the stratosphere and I don’t even watch that much TV. But I’m hesitant to cancel it. I have too many trips going on in July and I don’t know what to do about my cat. She hated being boarded and I’m afraid she won’t eat; she’s already skinny. The weather is nearly perfect here although it’s supposed to get to 88 today–but then 70s, also my preferred temperature. I think your cat is OK from what you’ve described.
Oh geez, the cable issue is frustrating! We ended up “cutting the cord” a few years ago and never looked back, but it was confusing and strangely stressful to make the decision to do it. And it’s been a long while since we’ve compared the prices of streaming services to cable — I would bet that we now spend as much as or more than we did on cable.
Also, ugh, the cat care stuff!!!!! So much anxiety about traveling when you have a pet! I always thought that cats were very self sufficient, and didn’t mind being left behind, but the more I read about, the more it seems like they DO care. Our cat sitter will come as many times a day as we want her to, but that is pricey. When we go on vacation later this summer, we’ll have a housesitter, and they will care for the cat, but I am a little nervous that they won’t PLAY with him, and he needs play. So do I hire the cat sitter on top of the housesitter? Which is all to say, I empathize with the cat care situation, Margaret! It’s not simple!
Your cat is young and needs play and my cat is old and only wants me. She needs companionship and I’m afraid that she’ll suffer without it. But what do I do? Stay home all the time? Argghh. It’s not simple indeed.
I feel like the Ideal Situation would be to have a Cat Swapping friend — someone who either has their own cat to swap with you when they go on vacation, or who is happy having a cat while you are on vacation. But that would require having a) found such a person! and b) accustomed one’s cat to someone else’s home/cat many years in advance of one’s vacation.
I’m glad that you felt better by the end, but I want to validate your crankiness, because good grief that is an epic list of annoyances! I do not believe Mother Teresa would have come through that without being grumpy. I hope this week is better for you!
Hahahaha — Thank you, that is very kind.
I’m really glad you shared your crankiness with us. It actually makes me feel a little less alone too, because I was over here getting emotional on a Monday afternoon over the randomness of everything.
Your cat is absolutely beautiful. Please never stop sharing pictures of him. I’m still convinced he did not eat the staples 😘💜
Awww, thanks, Kari. Emotional Monday afternoons are tough. Sending you love.
All in all a prime example of ‘first world problems are still problems’! The logistics of running a working home are sometimes just A Lot™️ (I’m still unattractively envious of your pool and aircon though!).
All in all a prime example of ‘first world problems are still problems’! The logistics of running a working home are sometimes just A Lot™️ (I’m still unattractively envious of your pool and aircon though!).
Hahaha – yes, champagne problems for sure. Or, more pesky annoyances than problems.
First of all, the VIPs! I WISH I WAS AMONG THEM. What I wouldn’t do to come and swim in your pool and just generally bask in Suzanne Aura. WOULD THAT I COULD. One day! One day that will be me, I WILL BE THAT VIP.
Second of all, omg, that photo of Lenny. It’s like he’s judging you so hard for even thinking for one second he would eat a staple. Fortunately for me, Rex will also barely eat food – although he HAS eaten, um, dead things in our yard but that’s food in a way – but if anything disagrees with him, he immediately barfs. Which does not sound like a happy thing, but it keeps the vet away. Or something.
HVAC ISSUES. Before we got our new system, I actually sobbed while phoning the HVAC people because, as George says when the zipper is stuck, it is JUST SO FRUSTRATING. And good grief, pool cover stuck, pool cover not closing, Costco contacts, why can’t things just work?
My husband uses Costco for all his prescriptions and it works great. For some reason, I cannot do this. I have tried, lord, how I have tried. But no matter what I still have to go to the actual counter, say that my doctor called something in, and then wait patiently to retrieve it. Fortunately it is not hard to spend time at Costco, I just go through my list. BUT WHY CAN’T I GET ONLINE PRESCRIPTIONS TO WORK.
Also, wtf period. I seem to be back to every three weeks now and I am 51, I really don’t need this callback to fertility.
Dead things totally count as food, Mom. (HORK.)
Why is Costco’s online pharmacy messing with you, Nicole? WHY???
No. Not every three weeks. That is NOT the way things work, anatomy. I’m sorry you are dealing with that argh!!!!
Your cat is the Best Cat, he is so pretty! And if he is eating and toiletting normally, probably fine. I confess to wishing that we had gone the cat way rather than the dog way, but I am allergic and it turns out that one of my two is too. Also, I feel your ceiling leak. I have one in my living room that I have been trying to get sorted with my landlord for a while. They are the worst.
Thank you, thank you — I really hope he is fine.
I do highly recommend the hypoallergenic cat route, although it is spendy. And they still do stupid things like maybe eat a staple.
I am here to sympathize with you on all of it. Because, lumped all together, that is A LOT!
Based on that innocent face, I would bet that Lenny did not eat any staples. C’mon, just LOOK at that face.
Your period. My first thought is perimenopause. My periods went wild when I was going through it. But the fact that you are on contraceptives to keep it from happening? That would make me call the doctor. It could still just be perimenopause but better safe than sorry.
Gah. I am so over having periods. I am not having more children. Let’s stop with the monthly hassle, shall we?? But hormonal BC is just the worst for me. Thankfully, since having an ablation my periods are so much lighter (TMI?). Still, I AM SO EXCITED TO BE DONE THIS ERA.
That is a lot of annoying things to deal with; I would be cranky, too.
I’m with Nicole. Pick meeee. I want to be a VIP. I hope you had the best time with your super cool bloggy visitors and I WILL GET THERE EVENTUALLY. (Not in a creepy way, just in a “I really want to hang out with Suzanne” way…haha).
Gracious, cats and kids sure know how to put parents through the ringer. I hope Lenny is alright and did not consume staples. Yikes.
YES YOU’RE CRANKY AND YOU’RE ALLOWED TO BE!!! You had to replace your AC and all evidence points to a roof leak plus other miscellaneous annoyances. If you were going to plan the perfect day, none of this stuff would be on the list.
My girl talk pill story is that every once in a while I get breakthrough bleeding, and when it happens more than once I (reluctantly) go old school and take the placebo row so that I have a period. After that things seem to go back to normal for a few years. Anytime menopause wants to get here, it is more than welcome.
I feel like there is no chance that Lenny would eat staples, but it’s the perfect example of Things That People Who Have Pets Have to Worry About. Gah!
This is all just awful. Just AWFUL. I didn’t even read the upside stuff, because COME ON, THIS IS AWFUL. The crack in the ceiling is what sent me right over the edge.
My complaint is that Edward is supposed to be having surgery next month, which is already three months after he was ACTUALLY supposed to be having surgery, and today we got a call from the pre-authorization department saying that our insurance seemed to be inactive and had there been any changes recently to our coverage? NO. NO THERE HAVE NOT. But I can’t even REALLY complain about this, because (1) I have nearly full confidence that this is some sort of glitch rather than anything actually terrible and (2) I appreciate the pre-authorization person so much, and her message made her sound like she was my kind of peep: she seemed nervous about calling; she overexplained; she said she knew there was plenty of time before the surgery but she just didn’t want to waste any of that time; etc. So actually this is not even a complaint. Never mind. Let’s go back to that ceiling crack, and your husband’s DAY OFF WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY ZERO PERCENT A DAY OFF
That’s a lot of house things. We have two house things right now and they are making me cranky, too.
That’s all. Solidarity in being annoyed by having to take care of property.
You definitely have a list of things that are worthy to be complained about! House woes are the worst. I hope you figure out what is going on with Carla’s ceiling! That does not look good! Gah, being a homeowner can be such a drag.
My chief complaint is that I accidentally charged a doordash meal to my corporate card. So I called the phone # we use to pay for personal expenses on our corp card and it asked for my card number. So I went to my wallet to find that my corp card is not there. The last time I used it was in late June at an offsite dinner so I tried 4 different times to call the restaurant and I cannot get through to human being! I get an AI agent and then get dumped into voice mail. Sigh. I am going into the office tomorrow so am hoping I can talk to someone in person and see if they have my card in the manager’s office. I could order a new card but it is such a hassle to change my credit card number in all the places it’s saved, like Delta, Marriott, Doordash, Apple Pay, blah blah blah.
That is a lot of aggravations at once. And roof problems are especially worrying. I know because we’ve had a lot of roof repairs/replacements in the 24 years we’ve lived in this house.
In a week I’m leaving to join Beth at her mom’s house, where she’s been for the past month. I don’t know how long I’m staying, possibly the rest of the summer and I have no idea how to pack for an open-ended trip. I’ve been fretting about this for weeks. Also, I am not even sure why we planted a garden this year when we’re going to miss its most productive period. I am afraid Noah, who will be here alone, will let the tomatoes and cucumber rot on the vine.
Also, I’ve had some problems with the prescription for my glucose monitors. The price suddenly shot up into the unaffordable range and I don’t know what to do about it.
Ooh. I mean- none of these are big things (except for Leo potentially eating staples, which I don’t think he did). But a thousand little things really add up. AND, everything is 100x worse in the heat. So yeah… I get it. The thing about the pool cover would be especially frustrating- I mean it’s a heat wave, at least you want to be able to swim!!!
My big complaint right now is that I tweaked my left hip/hamstring area doing lunges (grr) and it looks like I’ll be off of running for a few days. As you can imagine, I’m NOT happy and oh yes, you better believe the blog world will be hearing about this.
oh my goodness. That was a lot of Uh-Ohs to derail anyone. I feel for you. Sheesh I do not miss having a period. I mean who does, but I am of the age that I forget sometimes. Seems ridiculous that I tolerated that for as I did.
hmm- my complaints are minimal. It irks me at times that people are not always who they claim to be. Today is one of those days. I dislike people who cannot be authentic. Aside from that – I’m annoyed that no kid has really accepted the You Can Make Dinner Once A Week assignment, so I have to contemplate dinner. Again. Our brand new garage door had one wheel come off the rail. They came out the next day but I grow weary of calling them.
Oooh, I may have hope for one of your problems. Alex’s ceiling did exactly that. And it was the air conditioning leaking, not the roof. Which is cheaper! And you were already having air conditioning problems so hopefully you can just roll it into that. It was just condensation leaking from the air conditioning right over her room in the attic. It dried out and never did it again and we have NO IDEA why it did it that time and never before and never again. If you happen to already have a dehumidifier, put it in there and if not, aim a fan at it in the meantime.
And yes, this is too many problems. Even if they are fixable problems, it is TOO MUCH AT ONCE.
Now that I am thinking about it more, I am betting that the leak is the new air conditioner having to work harder than usual to cool off and dehumidify way more than it usually does since it was starting from so high. I bet it will solve this on its own and you won’t have to do anything.
Bah, that’s a lot all at once. I’m glad Lenny is doing OK and did not eat a staple. Maya once found Mulder with a thumb tack in his mouth. Thankfully she got it out before anything got worse.
Regarding the A/C, I had a tech tell me to check the temp and if it was x degrees or less, it was working. Sadly I do not remember the value of x. It could be it was having trouble, or it could be that it just couldn’t keep up with the heat. That happens with ours. If yours is new, is it possible that it is now a more
oops…a more environmentally friendly system that is also perhaps less…cold? I hope not. My a/c is SO old, I don’t know, but I have heard that newer cars that don’t use Freon are better for the earth but not as cold.
Hang in there. Regarding your period, hormones suck. Maybe it’s perimenopause getting things all out of whack.
First world problems are still huge when they are YOUR problems and happen all at once, bang, bang, bang! I just hope the AC is a done deal — I thought it was, till the later paragraphs! And good that Best Cat is still hanging in there. Your fourth sounded great and surprisingly so! Here’s hoping the next week or so goes better. At least the weather has been more palatable!
And thanks for stopping by my blog! I reply to comments via email but don’t have your address so let me just say here I really value your visits!
That is a huge pile of problems. I would be cranky too. The staples, the leak in the ceiling, the unrelenting heat, the mechanical things that don’t work the way they should. And more, and all layered on top of, just, what is happening in the world at large.
The photos of your cat are a balm to my soul. Even the one where he is glaring.
All the things happening at one time including an unexpected period sounds absolutely worthy of a meltdown *hugs*
Enjoy your cooler temperatures for me please! We’ve been flirting with 100* (because 99 on the 4th was SO much better), and it’s made this low90s feel almost halfway bearable? But the nights are still mid70s and I’m melting alive …
Those are a lot of bad things all in a row! My cranky thing: I wanted to make muffins this weekend and when I got the container of eggs out of the fridge, I was clumsy, the package hit the side of the fridge, flew out of my hands, and every single egg broke. NO MUFFINS FOR ME.
At least there’s Leo who is perfection in every sense of the word! What a sweetheart.
I didn’t do anything for the holiday and while I enjoyed the quiet time, I was sort of wishing I had plans. But then again, if I had plans, I’d probably be wishing I was staying at home! lolz
Yeah, in the grande scheme of things these are all nuisances, but do they HAVE TO happen all at once? NO. I understand your crankiness… (legit!) but I also love that you can reflect on the very nice weekend with lovely people. That’s the best.
I think we can all relate to the crankiness, as days like this absolutley suck the life out of us. I’m so happy things were turned around and crossing my fingers Carlas ceiling issue isn’t a bigger problem.
Staples? Not appetizing at all!