The work week crept to a close this week. By Friday, I felt so tired. On Saturday, I awoke with a dull headache and blamed it on the pollen that’s coating everything in a fine, yellow, powdery film. Earlier this week, I’d turned the windshield wipers on in my car and they sent up a yellow cloud. I sneezed, although my windows were closed. Our cat, Dexy, took a break from begging for a faucet drink to wheeze. I was in a grumpy mood, complaining to myself about things when I heard Sean’s voice in my head asking me, “Is this another one your middle class white girl problems?” I could picture his grin and I laughed because yes, I am blessed with an abundance of those - a filthy pool, that is home to at least two bullfrogs, that keeps tripping the breaker, a trip to Cuba for January and a President that’s now banned trips to Cuba. I’m fairly certain that my text to Andrea upon learning the news has reaffirmed my spot on a government watch list. Last night, Andrea fell asleep quickly while I stared at the ceiling. “I can’t sleep. I feel anxious.” I say and refer back to an earlier, ongoing conversation. “We’ve got this!” Andrea mumbles, then as if roused awake shouts, “WE’RE TOUGH!” What the hell does that even mean? I tell her about this exchange in the morning and she laughs. In spite of my middle class white girl problems, I do feel a little better emerging from this weekend. We hung new curtains in our bedroom after its recent paint job. I’d cheerfully tossed the brass curtain rod and olive drab curtain in the dumpster rental a few weeks back. “I hope you like the new curtains. I got them on clearance from West Elm and I can’t return them.” I tell Andrea. She says she likes them and I think she does. Too late.... Because it was a nice weekend, we emptied our shed of its contents so that this one can be hauled away in a few weeks and the space prepped for the new shed’s eventual arrival in July. I am glad that a few of our remaining household upgrades have an end in sight. The projects have dragged on, each one sparking another. Today while dining at a BBQ restaurant, I drew a picture in crayon on the paper tablecloth that illustrated the viscous cycle of being lazy and my love of foods. The irony isn’t lost on me. Then our friend texted us about walking in the morning. Here’s the takeaway from that – the universe is always listening and it’s conspiring to support you. So be careful what you say – unless you’re tough.
