It started Friday night.
Guy took the girls Christmas shopping so they could get something for me
(here's where you say,  "AWWWWW").
That's a big deal!
So besides the obvious thoughtfulness, I was going to have time alone...
You know, as in "all by myself".
As in "now I can complete a thought uninterrupted".
As in... well, you get the idea.
It happens twice a year.
Only I was bored and lonely.
Go figure...

But even worse, I wasn't feeling 100%.
More like 50%.
Ok, 20%.

The beginnings of a summer cold.
Yes, I said "summer".
It's hot here during the day and cool at night.
By Saturday, I was miserable.
"Please just shoot me", I kept saying.
They thought they were being nice by refusing....

But Saturday was a beautiful day and I had lots that needed to be done.
So I went to the city which is an hour's drive away.
I took the oldest daughter with me.
She's good for sympathy and stuff.
Usually.

What I didn't count on was the folks out there.
They were all so disgustingly nice.
And chit-chatty.

I looked in the mirror.
I was lookin' pitiful
One eye nearly slammed shut with puffiness from the constant streaming of liquid.
The other bloodshot.
Walking like Quasimoto.
Or a zombie.
And I suppose it's not very ladylike to admit that I wanted to just stuff a Kleenex in my nose to deal with the running.

And I wanted to scream, "GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE."
But that wouldn't be very nice, or so my oldest kept telling me.

How about, "Do I look like I actually care, right now?"
No go on that one, either.
Then I got a lecture a gentle reminder on how God loves them, too.

So I thought it best to just come back home.