There is one thing that always drives up the wall. Our mom. Not all the time mind you, but especially times like this week. She is sick and refuses to go to the doctor. On top of that she is the worst sick person we have ever come across. More so because she is a hypocrite to the marrow of her bones. If any of us were to be sick she would insist on making us soup and take medicine. Yet, when we try to do the same she grows irritable. She refuses to take cold medicine instead opting for cough drops and complains about the food. She wants things that she shouldn’t be eating while sick, avoiding the homemade chicken noodle and choosing a heavy meal filled with dairy. Not something for a sore throat, not to mention that we are not allowed to help her. She protests saying we wouldn’t when she doesn’t ask and sneaks around the house. The day is much longer with a stubborn sick person who is beyond belligerent. She believes in the medicine cloth to heal all ailments, the medicine cloth is a towel wet with either cold or warm water. Let’s just say it is not an effective cure all. The only relief is through the hours she spends sleeping instead of hovering sickly in the kitchen out to infect us all. This week can only be harrowing and hopefully we will get through it unscathed.
There is something else more annoying. We went to get our eyes examined for contacts. I already knew that my eyes are different perscriptions. Don’t even get me started on my lack of depth perception. I was the only kid in T-ball who couldn’t hit the ball off the tee, because I really didn’t know where it was. Anyhow, it turns out Alison also has different levels of vision in her eyes as well. Also, both of us have been over correcting our vision. Turns out that you can do that way too easily, because a stronger perscription means you can see really well, for us that means far away. However, I can now read at any distance with my contacts. Something that was pointed out by me new optometrist as a symptom of my wrong perscription. As I automatically held the piece of paper closer to my face. I don’t have to do that anymore!
Then there are days which just seem to compile on the level of wrongness. Be it freight trains nearly hitting your car. Not entirely my fault because that is the first time I’ve seen a train there and there were no caution signs or signals to announce the train. Boy did I notice it though, when the horn blared and I was momentarily confused as there is a commuter track close by and we’d just seen that metra train pass by. So, imagine my surprise to see a street over that the train tracks I was currently driving over which we hardly notice, not just me you’re not supposed to stop on the tracks but people do all the time at that intersection, to see a train coming towards my car. Obviously it was good I didn’t stop as the car behind me also kept moving not noticing the train I assume until the last second. After that the madness continued, with lots of close calls and distracted drivers. Lots of lost people seemingly following us. Or my least favorite the close stoppers. The type of driver that leaves like six inches between your car and theirs after pulling up behind you at a red light. Those are only part of the mishaps of that ill fated day.
My final complaint this week are cat kisses. Seven has been most affectionate these days. He keeps licking me. Only I get these strange and oh so wrong cat kisses. Contrary to Alison’s belief, it is not because I am dirty and therefore taste delicious. If that were the case he would certainly not stop, and I’d have to pry his teeth from my arm. Instead, I’m left with a happily purring cat on my lap and a wet patch on my arm and the unsettling feeling that sandpaper would have felt better.