Overwhelmed: Take 2

 I know this blog has been quiet, especially since faithful readers have been contacting me asking if I'm okay.... sorry about that, thank you for your concern. I am okay, just been tired, overwhelmed and stressed. Seems lately everything is falling apart. Add computer glitches to that!

For starts, the termites are back with a vengeance: eating not only the french doors, but now munching the front door, a couple of windows and even the floor. So had to get the termite guy back for a retreatment and a total inspection of the house. Thank goodness for the warranty.

Then the sprinkler system died and I had to have the thing totally redone to the tune of $1,100.00...

And the refrigerator ice maker, which has been making death rattles for the past few months, finally croaked. Had to replace that. Another $400 or so. After it was installed, I kept thinking it wasn't working, as I didn't hear it working, though there was some ice in the tray. One night, I decided that the only way to find out for sure was to empty the tray before bedtime and if it is working, there should be ice in the morning. Morning comes: no ice. Call the guy back who diagnoses a broken valve, checks his truck for the part, doesn't have it. Calls his office, they don't have one. Checks local supply companies and finds the nearest valve in North Carolina. This is on a Thursday and it won't be delivered until next Wednesday.... so I get out the 5-day large cooler that Bob and I bought years ago for hurricane season, run to the store (wearing a mask), buy a few bags of ice, fill the cooler only to find the next day my floor flooded as the rubber stopper is broken. Have to mop up that mess, soaked rugs, etc. Go to Walmart, buy a 7-day cooler, when I pick it up, it's heavier than the old one but I figure that's because it's stronger, think I can handle it, take it out to my car, lose my car in the parking lot (duh) find car, have a hell of time getting the cooler in the car, then stop for ice on my way home, lug the new cooler into the house thinking I've made a mistake (this is a two person job) but handle it, fill it up only to find (false advertisement that "retains ice for 7 days" sticker) because two days later I have a cooler half filled with water and half clumped together ice. Have to scoop out ice and dump by handfuls into bathtub, then lift the heavy cooler, teetering in on rim of the tub, to open the valve and let the water out. Dry it off, back to Walmart to get a refund, buy a different cooler (5 day) on wheels, easier for me handle, stop again at the store, buy more ice, come home only to find a message that the part for the refrigerator is in and they can put it in that afternoon.

And Kona has another ear infection, first I tried a homeopathic vinegar treatment but that didn't work and she is now on a medication for four weeks so she can't go in the pool, this just after I got her over her pool fear. The pet pharmacy screwed up the order: my vet ordered eight doses but when the pharmacy called me for payment they said it was 12 doses, I said it's supposed eight so the guy on the phone checks with the pharmacist, says I'm right, it is eight. I pay for it and two days later get 4 doses instead of 8..... Did get it all rectified but a hassle to deal with.

Then I'm biting into a piece of chocolate, the one little pleasure I allow myself as I'm trying to diet, one piece of chocolate a day. I bit down heard a crunch, pulled it out of my mouth, horrified I found a human tooth in it. Turns out to be mine. Had to make an emergency appointment to see the dentist. This happens on a Friday and can't get in until Tuesday, so a long painful four days and recovery afterwards and more money out the door...

Back in Feb. or so, I had noticed a black wet stain under my coffee maker which unknown to me had been leaking. We have wood countertops. I got a new coffee maker and tried to scrub out the strain the best I could and let it dry out figuring no one will see it under the coffee maker and one day I'll have the whole countertop sanded and refinished. To my horror, in July, I walk into the kitchen to see that the countertop has buckled (warped) up more than inch and a gap is spreading between the countertop sections, not to mention everything is crooked and doors on cabinets not closing properly. I did put some weights on the warped part (read this on a DIY site) but that didn't work, so I'm going to have to get a carpenter over here to fix it... still working on that... a guy coming (hopefully) tomorrow to take a look... 

Meanwhile, I find out I can't legally quote from depositions for my memoir as the Defendant didn't file them with the circuit court and even though I have copies of them, can't use them as they are not "public record".  I spent a couple of days looking through court records online, finding only "motions to dismiss", "motions to depose", motions to do everything but no depositions on file. This really screwed up my manuscript as I was using quotes throughout, and at Chapter 24 and nearly done, now I have to totally rewrite/rethink... so my book has come to a screeching halt.

Add this whole pandemic thing that has everyone stressed out, including me, a person already prone to anxiety attacks. Going to the store has become a sort of nightmare. I'm feeling lonely, isolated, stressed, tired all the time, trouble sleeping, nightmares, missing Bob, etc.

I won't even mention the squirrel that fell from the sky and nearly clobbered me on the head. Oops, I just did. I was walking Kona, crossing the street, and I hear this whizz, then BANG, then crack! right behind me, turn to see a poor squirrel lying on it's back, one little paw twitching ever so slightly. I am horrified, start to walk away, but turn back, mind spinning: i.e. is he dead? or just injured? and if so, I shouldn't leave him in the street where he (or she) could be run over by a car, but then how to get him/her home and then what? Stop myself, figure Step 1: see if he/she is alive. Take a few steps toward it. The squirrel lifts its head and looks at me, then creeps, pulling itself to the curb, manages to get up the curb and falls on the grass. I think, OMG, it's broken a leg or something. So I take a few steps toward it and it sees me and Kona, springs to life and dashes up the nearest tree. A Lazarus Squirrel! I tell you, it scared me half to death, but I scared it back to life.

There's more, but this post is already too long...

Now I'm going to cross my fingers, push the "publish" button and hope this will post!