Of Lately

- Last week, I could not do anything right. I flubbed and goofed my way through the entire week. It happens, but it also happened to be a very long, very busy week (and even busier weekend), and I was stressing. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was feeling the effects: tendrils of pain from my temples down to my shoulders, sound and light sensitivity, and a massive headache. It was a pointed reminder from my body to chill out, already. (Point taken.)

- Last night one of my coaches "borrowed" my goggles. I should have known better. Goggles are easy to break and a pain to break in, and I always have to track them down again whenever somebody uses them, but I was nice and lent them out. And that's how I came to the pool this morning for my swim, sans eyewear. I learned a lot; for instance, if somebody had asked me if I could swim freestyle in a reasonably straight line without goggles, I would have said "Yes, of course," when in actuality the answer is "No, not if my life depended on it." I bounced back and forth like a pinball, whacking my hand on the lane lines, which is why my fingernails look like they were chewed on by a dull meat grinder. I am so good at looking ridiculous. It's one of my special talents. (Along with stressing and nagging, apparently.)

- We had the most glorious sunshiney day yesterday, with temperatures into the 70's. I had a pile of housework to do between job #1 and job #3, and I ignored it all in favor of dragging a blanket and pillow out onto the grass and sleeping in the sunshine. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I took my favorite leatherbound copy of The Hobbit out with me, intending to read, but instead I left Bilbo and the dwarves (not dwarfs, Tolkie points out in his introduction. It makes me happy) to their unexpected party, and drifted off to sleep, still vaguely conscious of the sound of the wind through the trees and Maggie's bees collecting the first pollen of the season, and I woke up twenty minutes later positive that I was sunburnt to a crisp and would die an early melanoma-ridden death. But my skin seemed happy, and I felt less fragile, so apparently it was okay.

- This was especially nice since we have nothing but rain in the foreseeable forecast. ! My boss laughed at me last week and said, "You're the most sunshine-dependent person I know. You're, like, some kind of alien plant-humanoid that needs sunshine to convert into energy." Well, okay, then. Sorry for being an alien plant-humanoid. When the sun isn't shining, I just want to sleep. (I even bought a special candle to burn on days like this, hoping that would make them less onerous. Nope. Not even close.)