mental health day

I woke up this morning with a headache and a stomach ache and a severe case of I Don’t Want To Go To Workitis, so decided I would just call in sick. I have ten million gazillion sick days, and right now is the perfect time to call in. We’re done with the stack of graduation audits (at one time we had 160) and don’t yet have the graduation applications from the registrar’s office that will be the next big project. The head guy said we’d get them tomorrow. Judging from past experiences with him, that means we’ll get them, oh, next week. Maybe. Or the week after that. Or sometime in April.

Anyhow, it was a good day to stay home. And since I feel perfectly fine now, I believe I can officially call this a Mental Health Day. I slept till eleven, so I think I am still recovering from the weekend. I went to Asheville to see the parents, and spent the whole time working. I’m really starting to think we may have to look into cleaning services. That house was NASTY. The bathroom they use the most looked like something from a third world bus station. The other one wasn’t quite as bad but did have a layer of grime and I am kind of afraid one of the cats is using the shower as an auxiliary litterbox. Well, nobody ELSE uses the shower – why not?? So I cleaned bathrooms and I vacuumed and I mopped and Daddy decided I should also vacuum the couch cushions and under the couch cushions and down in the cracks of the couch which probably hasn’t been done in ten years or so – so yes, it DID need it. Ewwwwww. And I dusted and I did the bills and I was completely wiped out by the time I finally left. Which was several hours later than I meant to leave.

Then I went by Target for like the third time that weekend, and I decided I better check the oil in the Outback. I’d driven the Outback because the Civic was some 3000 miles over being due an oil change. On the way to Asheville I glanced at the Outback’s oil change sticker – and it was even worse!!! For some reason I’d been assuming Baker B was keeping an eye on that, since he’s the one who drives it most. I went to the one quick oil change place I’ve been to in Asheville and it’s out of business. So I ended not getting it changed but checked it at Target to make sure it was okay — and I couldn’t even see the oil level on the stick. Which is how I found out Baker B has not been keeping an eye on it. I called him to see if it’s just really hard to read, or if I should be freaking out because the oil is so low it’s not even showing up on the stick. And he’s like, "OH – oooops!!! I’ve never checked it!"

So there I am in the Target parkinglot, about to burst into tears because A) the oil in that car has never been checked let alone changed and we’ve probably killed the engine,  B) I’m totally exhausted and have to drive back to Boone still, C) I didn’t actually buy oil while I was in Target, just assuming it would be okay – I only bought paper towels to check it with, and D) if I have to go into Target one more time and walk five more miles to find the oil and then stand for ANOTHER half hour in line, I’m really going to have to slit my wrists. Oh, and, E) I’m totally exhausted and still have to drive back to Boone.

Luckily there’s a Walgreens very close to Target so I just drove over there and got oil. And poured two quarts in. And then when I’m nearly home the Check Engine! light comes on. Which apparently is just a coincidence – according to Baker B’s web research, that’s got nothing to do with the oil. Or anything at all, as far as he can tell. Maybe it’s from the cruise control. Or I didn’t get gas cap on tight, although it seemed tight. Or something. Anyhow, we made it back and it’s running fine. I may have put too much oil in it. Who knows!!!

This is why I think I need a day to rest. The whole weekend was like that. And before I left, Daddy says, "When do you think you’ll get back down?"

Okay, I just barely kept from saying, "Well, let’s see… how about AUGUST???? Yep, looks like August works for me!! See ya then!"

And then of course I feel massively guilty because my cousins don’t have a father to annoy them anymore. And my parents have been very good parents, and I shouldn’t resent these weekends. And I don’t resent them. I just get so annoyed at my father who sits around complaining about being tired all the time. And if he’d do a little less sitting around, he’d feel a little less tired. And the vacuum weighs, seriously, five pounds. And I mop with a Swifter. This isn’t exactly heavy duty work, and if he’d do a little bit of it now and then instead of waiting for me to come down, he’d get a little exercise and feel a little better. So I think it’s more the mental aggravation than it is the physical labor that made me so tired.

And I had to lure my mother into the (cleaned) shower, which consisted of reminding her every second what she was doing and what she needed to take with her and getting the water started and then when she got out reminding her every second what she needed to do next and what order her clothes needed to go on in – it was really sad and upsetting. She hasn’t been taking her Ryzadine because they added Namenda which is supposed to make her quit swearing at Daddy when he tries to get her to shower – and nobody realized the Namenda was in addition to the Ryzadine, not instead of it. Well, I knew it was in addition, and assumed Daddy did and my SIL did too. So she’s been off the Ryzadine three weeks, which is probably why she seems more confused than usual. And she’ll have to build it back up gradually. On the plus side, she’s not been swearing at Daddy so the Namenda is apparently working.

I also was very disappointed that I didn’t get to go downtown and take pictures with the SLR. I didn’t have time, and it was kind of rainy Sunday too. I did get some cat pictures, though:

The sweet little calico cat who has moved in. Daddy got her shots and got her fixed, and now she’s Housecat #3. This doesn’t help with the cathair problem, but the cats are good company and a distraction for them.

Simon on the back of the couch.

Simon with his head under the lampshade. I have no idea why. Maddy used to do that a lot, but I’d never seen Simon doing it. I especially like how The Cat Book is on the table too.

And Maddy on the bed. Poor Maddy’s feelings are hurt because Calico (that’s her not-very-creative name – obviously I didn’t name her) spends all her time on the couch with Mama, in Maddy’s spot. I felt really sorry for her, and Mama doesn’t even realize Maddy’s feelings are hurt – which is not like her either. So I tried to give Maddy a lot of extra attention. She does still sleep with Mama at night, at least.

And what we got to see Sunday night. Also what we’re due for again tonight. It didn’t amount to anything Sunday, but they’re calling for a big snow tonight and tomorrow. I’m ready for spring.