BOILS AND SORES

We all go through these phases that I call “boils and sores periods.” I am not talking about personal tragedies, serious illness or disappointments for I do not feel the grinches have a hand in that nor can I be glib about them.

Instead, B&S is when one picky and annoying thing after another piles up on us. Things go swimmingly well for long periods and then the cracks in peace and contentment appear. Our health tries us and our appliances have suddenly reached the end of their lifespan.

The only good thing is that I know with perfect logic and from experience, the period is finite. You can fight it and rail at the grinches or just roll with the blows. I am a lazy person, so I tend to roll and while I am rolling, I look for the positive side. Kind of spoils the fun of the grinches that are trying to get to you.

Not my picture though I sure wish it were. Compliments of the Net. Could not pass up on the storm clouds with the silver lining. Anyone else see the face?

It started with my fall on my nose the first of September. Little did I know that was going to be the start of B&S. It wasn't all that bad though my nose is still a bit tender. It did put my osteoporosis fears to rest when nothing broke. I learned that I still bounce.

I was just healing from that when I put my back out which I tweaked in the fall. Now this happens a couple of times a year so it isn't a reason for concern, just aggravation. I was almost healed from that first back problem when I re-injured it. Now I do lose my sense of humor a bit on repeat injuries. Still, it could have been worse and eventually, that also healed. By now I was suffering cabin fever for I have been more or less laid up for a couple of weeks.

Finally, I got out of bed one morning with no pain. Yipee !! I was feeling pretty smug when out of the blue, I had to make a panicked run to the bathroom. For the next 2 and a half days, I stayed pretty close to the bathroom. I know, too much information. Anything good out of that?? You bet. I lost 2 more pounds and didn't have to count the first calorie or sweat one drop. Cooking chores went on hold as I observer the BRATTY diet. Bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, tea and yogurt. This does work.

I had one good day when nothing hurt and I wasn't chained to the bathroom. Boy was I getting cocky thinking it was over. Went to bed that night feeling chipper and woke up with the mother of all sore throats in the AM. Thinking I had better stock up on some cold remedies before I got really sick, I got in my truck to go to town.

I sprayed water on the windshield to clean it when I discovered my windshield wipers had died quietly in the night. I checked the fuses and they were good. A new wiper motor was probably called for but it wasn't raining so that could wait. Hay, it could have been the rainy season.

The next morning I awoke to a full blown cold. Positive there??? Oddly yes. First it could have happened when my nose was freshly mashed. Now that would have been brutal. But mainly it seems Minnie, my cat of the famous gas attacks, was having another spell of eye watering gas. My eyes still water but thanks to the cold, I can't smell her. Hallelujah.

Fall finally made an appearance the same day as my cold. When I got up yesterday morning, the house was a bit cold so I flipped the thermostat to heat and nothing happened. Curious, I flipped it to cold and still nothing. Hoping it was a faulty thermostat, I bought a new one but no luck. Time for a repair man.

I know you are thinking there is no way I can't find a positive here. Oh yes I can. The temps are positively mild right now. Had this happened when we were sweating through 100+degrees every day, that would have been awful. I do have back up heat for at night and during the day with the windows open, it is quite comfortable.

The repair man is on the way and with a little luck, he will leave me enough money that I won't have to send "I'm sorry notes" for Christmas.

Repair man just left and it was a simple fix. Big positive. Christmas is still on.

So is the B&S period over? Gee I don't know but what I do know is that it WILL end. They always do and life goes on back on track eventually. This optimism has been a life long affliction.

My brother once said in exasperation as I sought the bright side of an event when we were kids, "If you came upon a room full of Sh*t you would just grab a shovel and start digging thinking there had to be a pony in there somewhere."

I also bound out of bed in the morning chipper, even before coffee. Now you see why I am still single. I would drive a normal guy up a wall.

Optimist: someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it's a cha-cha. ----Robert Brault . This guy has a cool site with an equally cool insight, full of quotes, some original, some tried and true. Worth a visit and he shares freely.