It's just been one of those days where nothing major is happening, yet everything major is happening. I can't seem to shake this cold/sinus infection/upper respiratory infection/whatever it's trying to be this week. It wouldn't be such a big deal except for the fact that CVID mixed with autoimmune issues complicate everything.

I planned to have a nice, relaxing snow day. We got 19 inches of snow yesterday, so snuggled up with a book on the couch sounded like the most brilliant plan. But, waking up with horrible leg and stomach cramps at 2 am foiled that plan.

Back to the immunologist I went for more bloodwork and yet another antibiotic change (this is the 5th since the beginning of December--it's February 2nd). I don't know whether to be grateful or frustrated that my doctor wants to up my infusions. I had a nice, long streak followed by a fast plummet. I know it's the nature of this disease, but I still can't seem to wrap my head around it. How is it that I can feel so great one day and feel so much like death the next? How is it that I start to question myself when others start to question it? I guess that's what having an invisible chronic illness is.

I'm slowly learning to take this one day at a time--some days are better than others--today is one of the "other" days. Fingers crossed that tomorrow is one of the better days.

Laundry Savings and Spilled Infusions

This weekend was one of the fastest weekends of all time. Maybe because I spent most of it sleeping. I know after Friday night I woke up and  went back to sleep. Who could blame me? I was tired. I got up and babysat  for 3 kids whose names I can't remember 1 of... and that 1 changes at any given time.

After sitting for those 3 children and learning about a culture entirely different from anything I've ever experienced before, I headed to my aunt's to hang out with the boys. Free pizza? I think so. AND I made a sale. Thank goodness for my aunt's amazing neighbor. 

Sunday was a lovely day. I, of course, slept in. Why not? Lunch with a friend? Sign me up. Of course, the whole plan was to hit up Wally World. I had to get ingredients to make homemade laundry detergent. I jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon over a month ago and have hit a lull. I only recently started back up again. I figure that I may as well actually use the stuff I find on there instead of just pretending to pin up crap on a fake bulletin board. And, I'd rather do my laundry for a penny a load than 30 pennies a load. So, off to Wally World I went. Well, making laundry detergent turned into making a sugar scrub which turned into me wanting to make a bunch of other cleaning products (I will get there).

Of course, I also had to infuse tonight, but I get home from my adventures only to realize that I hadn't taken out the medication from the fridge. Once I finally got things started, I got creme on shirt number 1. Halfway through my infusion, I realized that it was spilling all over my clothes and sheets. So, I had to change all of my bedding and my pajamas (aka shirt number 2). I am now successfully wearing pajama set number 3 and I did not get all of my medication. BUT I saved 29 cents per load on my laundry...

Not so clean floors and chocolate cake.

Decided to infuse at 9 pm...probably not the best idea I have ever had. BUT I did make myself chocolate cake in the microwave to help dull the pain. That was an amazing idea on my part. House? Only mostly clean for my get together tomorrow. People are just going to have to deal. If you don't like it, scrub my floors yourself.

Strawberries, Italian Food, and Massages

Today started out like a typical Wednesday. What, it's only Wednesday?? Anyway... went to a couple classes, watched a kid roller race down the hall, had a kid rub up against me repeatedly like a cat... I know, I know. To anyone else, this would be a WTF? moment. But, to me, these are all normal things. I do know I can never wear that sweater again. It was one of those minky fleecy sweaters. Major sensory overload for this particular kid. Needless to say, I cannot handle being this particular cat's love object. MOVING ON.

I get invited to a birthday dinner at the last minute. Now, I had a massage scheduled right after school. I get one every Wednesday. Now, before you get all judgmental and say how does this person ever have a FML moment if she gets a weekly massage...let me start by saying it's not a "fun" massage. Think of about 30 golf balls living under your skin and then trying to walk around. That's me... and they're trying to dislodge them one by one. Good luck. That's like trying to get a piece of gum out of a VCR. There's no time to buy birthday cards, candy, flowers, presents. But, do I want dinner? Heck yeah!

So, off to dinner I go. It was delicious. Pizza and caesar salad. Delicious. I love that I go to a fairly fancy Italian restaurant and order cheese pizza and a casear salad. This is how I roll, people. Guess I could have been like my cousin and ordered like this, "can I just get the spaghetti...plain... no sauce, no butter, no green stuff. I want it un-decorated. And a LOT of parmesan cheese." We're reeeal classy. So, that went over well.

After dinner, I went to grab a few groceries and picked up a box of these delicious buttery chocolate chip cookies from my favorite grocery store and headed back to my aunt's with the cookies and the card I got at the store and pretended like I had them in the car the whole time. Wonder if she bought it? Anyway, I thought that'd be the perfect ending to my evening. I thought to myself, "TWO amazing days in a row?? NO FREAKIN' WAY!!"

I was right--no freakin' way. As I go to leave, I realized I needed to borrow folding chairs. I head down to the basement to grab them, happy as can be and I miss the bottom two steps. How? I have no idea. I've scaled the steps with the greatest of ease multiple times. I used to live at that house. I did laundry there every week in college. So, I SHOULD have been able to do them in my sleep. But, apparently, wide awake is a problem. Head first I plunge down the stairs, smack my wrist on the vacuum at the bottom (that was a new addition) and hit my knee on their cement floor. Yep, I win the Queen Grace award. I now have to carry 4 heavy wooden folding chairs up the stairs and pretend nothing happened because who wants to admit they just fell down the last 2 steps of the basement stairs when you used to live in that house? Plus, I'm pretty sure the dog saw it and laughed. Even she has made it down those stairs successfully--and she HATES stairs--and the basement. How humiliating. Now I have a nice strawberry on my left knee. FML.

Today was NOT a FML day :-). Aside from the HORRIBLE noise that woke me this morning (my alarm clock), today was a pretty great day! I got a new schedule at work that will probably take me 3 weeks to memorize. I confiscated an "air" phone from one student using it to call her barking dog at home.
Student: DOG, stop barking! I mean it, young lady!
Me: Stop using your phone, I need your help (keep in mind, I am beyond frustrated that I have to deliver 2 weeks worth of mail with very little help and she's pretending she's on the phone)
Student: I'm talking to _________.

I ignore her for a few minutes, hoping that she'll get sick of it. No such luck..
Me: Ring, Ring. Ring. Ring. _______ That's call waiting. I'm trying to call you.
Student: I can't hear you. You aren't calling me. You don't have a phone.
Me: Yes I do, it's right here, can't you see it?
Student: No you don't, that's just your hand (really????)
Me: Fine, then I'm taking your phone (and I walked over and confiscated her "phone" and put it in my "pocket).

Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is how you get help delivering 2 weeks worth of mail...

I also had an epic conversation with another student this morning during writing class:
Student: What kind of car do you have?
Me: a Chevy. But, I don't like it very much. It's always breaking down.
Student: Is it in the bottom of Lake Michigan?
Me: No. It's in the parking lot.
Student: How does it break down?
Me: It just never works right. I always have to get something fixed on it.
Student: (shouting across the room) Teacher's got a lemon! Teacher's got a lemon!

Needless to say, that made my morning. This afternoon was a whole new level of amazing--on the way to my favorite restaurant, my friend and I walked past a bakery I've seen multiple times. It's never looked appealing until today. We were expecting this tiny place with maybe 10 items. Walking in, we were hit by case after tantalizing case of Mexican pastries. In order to make your purchase, you grab a dish tub or pizza pan and a pair of tongs and set off on your journey. These people know what they are doing--they see SUCKER written on every forehead that walks in that door. As soon as you grab your tongs, you are going to start buying every other item. Two of us walked out with 12 or 13 pastries (not bad, considering there were about 300 to choose from) for 10 bucks. I'd say today was the exact opposite of a FML day. :-)

Dishwasher Saga AND USPS Saga BOTH continue...

So, I figure out how to get the Post Office to deliver my package online... I fill out the form and give instructions online for how I'm going to leave the peach colored slip with my dollar in an envelope in my box. I bundle up and walk the block to my mailbox. I try to insert my key to find that my key no longer fits into my lock. WTF? Oh, and they're sending out another repairman to service my dishwasher. I think I like 2011 better.

Dishwasher: 7 Me: 0

USPS: 2 Me: 0

REALLY?!?!

Post Office Mishap

Today is the day that was full of good intentions. I intended to sleep late on this, the last day of winter break; therefore, I woke up at 6 am. I was going to go to the post office to pick up a package that they wouldn't deliver because the sender didn't pay the postage on it. I called the 800 number on the bottom of the slip because I didn't know if the post office would have it or whether the carrier would have it. I figured the post office would since I hadn't paid the dollar, yet. They say that they were closed yesterday due to the holiday but that today resumes normal business hours. I look up the hours online and off I go--a half an hour after they should be open. I get there and the parking lot is empty and the gates are all down inside over the windows. Apparently the 800 number is either wrong OR I have the only post office in the country that is closed. FML. So, I drove to McDonald's and got a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese biscuit and came home to eat in in the peace and quiet that is the airplane take off of my furnace before starting the massive cleaning overhaul of my house. And, it's not even noon.