in which primrose is too sick to have cheese with my whine

[primroseburrows]

Okay, here's how it is.

I am ill. Bronchitis, the doc says, but it sure feels like the flu to me. I ache all over, down to my hair follicles. I think it's the flu. I still had to drive Huge U-Haulish Truck today to haul stuff (of course) to the Salvation Army. One of the things was a beautiful solid pine farmers' table that just needed assembly. SA wouldn't take it. I only had the truck for another hour, and there was no way I could've hauled it, with my symptoms (or even without) to the new place. So I had to take it to the dump. When they told me that (st00pid SA truck guy didn't even look at it), I burst into tears. Right there in front of Hannah, the SA guy (*hexes him*) and all the people dropping their goods off and staring at the crazy lady bawling next to the rental truck. That was the table my kids and I ate on when we were first on our own in a new house; we used it for Thanksgivings and dinners and sewing and homework. It's in almost perfect condition, and I had to junk it. The dump guy said he would put it aside so that someone might take it, but I wonder if he wasn't just being kind.

Anyway, we brought the truck back to the truck place and then had to get the bus back because we didn't have a ride. I'm now at the new house, and I'm not going back to finish cleaning until at least tomorrow. Sometime during all this my supervisor called and asks if I want to work just until seven to avoid freezing someone in. Um, I called out because I was ill, hello! I said no, much to her disappointment. Then I took my prescription cough medicine but it doesn't seem to be working. That's because it doesn't have codeine, which is the only thing that helps when I'm this cough-y. It also makes me puke for hours. :/ So, no codeine.

And I still don't have my own computer, and I'm using dial-up on mr_t00by's.

But.

I'm warm. I'm dry. My family is fine. I do not have Cholera or dysentery or any of those water-bourne diseases they expect in South Asia. My house is a mess of boxes, but so what? I have a warm bed to crawl into (which I expect I will do fairly soon). I know where my next paycheck, my next meal, my next breath is coming from. I know where my friends are (except gee, where's patchfire? We keep missing each other. :() I had to take my dog outside on a leash at three a.m., but she's here and relatively healthy and hasn't been washed away anywhere. I may not have cable, but I have electricity, heat and plumbing (the presence of which helps that I don't get any of the aforementioned diseases).

So. I want everyone to go and gripe about all the problems you're having. Go on, do it. Bitch about the awful day you're having. Really whine, get all worked up. It's cathartic, I've done it (see above). Scream, rant, even cry like I did. It's good for you.


Then think about what it might be like to be a five-year old girl in Thailand who's just lost her mother. Or even worse, (for me, at least) imagine that you're a mother in India who's just lost her five-year-old. You'll feel much better about all the stuff you just ranted about, I can almost guarantee.

I guess I'm having a pretty good day after all.

*hughughug* to everyone affected by the tsunami. I'd say I know how you feel, but gods. I don't.

Comments

[neonnurse.livejournal.com]

I hope you get to feeling much better VERY soon. I feel sorry for you, because moving is dreadful. Hugs hard back!

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Moving is awful, but my new apartment will be nice when I'm through with it.

[february-sea.livejournal.com]

Perspective is an amazing thing, isn't it?

Blessed New Year, my friend--I'm looking forward to meeting you sometime in 2005!

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I simply don't know what to say about an event that takes so many lives and caused so much pain. The US has never had an experience like this.

And yay for meetups! I'm thinking that when my flat is done I could have a (small) t00bage. Maybe when patchfire visits in Feb.

[february-sea.livejournal.com]

:) I'm small. I won't take up much room at the small!t00bage. Honest. :D:D:D

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

You're invited, never fear!

[ceilidh]

OMG WHY wouldn't they take the table???? *horrified*

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Because the guy had a bad case of craniorectal inversion--his head was up his arse.

Here's the conversation, pretty much verbatim:

Him: We can't take that in such bad shape.

Me: *aghast* It's in excellent shape!

Him: No, it isn't.


Honestly, I felt like I was in the non-funny version of a Monty Python sketch.

[erebor.livejournal.com]

First of all, really sympathizing with you on the moving thing. But you made it through it!

Second, doubly sympathizing with you on the illness. I had a stomach flu all week and had to work two days with it. I turned all the way inside out Sunday night and then had to be back at work on Wednesday ... and I was so weak I couldn't leave my chair even once for seven straight hours (thank god for friends who brought me colas and water and stuff).

And like you, I didn't want to post about it because, like you say, with all that's going on lately, I just kep thinking that doing a pity post would be so insignificant, especially given all the good things I have going for me. So, thanks for giving voice to those thoughts. You're so right about our blessings.

I hope you feel better real soon. The boxes will wait. Brava for getting all done.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I still have to empty a waterbed mattress. The store that rents them says they're all out. Apparently everyone with a waterbed in the entire state has decided to empty them this week.

[patchfire.livejournal.com]

I haven't been signing on iChat, because I keep thinking I won't be online for very long. Which generally has been true.

I can't even fathom anything like the tsunami, and to say something about it in my LJ, just to have said something, seems - I don't know, trite? So I'm not. People that know me will know that I'm not a horrible unfeeling person, and if they don't, well. *shrug* The thing that I keep thinking, though, is that the population of the metropolitan Chattanooga area is just 155,000. The tsunami killed as many people as live in Chattanooga, just about. Which is, again, just impossible to fathom.

I bought myself things off amazon.com. And things on sale at Hearthsong. And something at Motherwear. This is the most exciting thing I have done. *hugs* about the table.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I'm going to try, try to get the cord to my laptop today. Or parts for a new computer. *sigh*

I agree about sounding trite--I actually wasn't going to say anything either. But when I started feeling really, really sorry for myself, I thought, hey, it could be so, so much worse.

[punkypower414.livejournal.com]

If you need any help this weekend, or rides or anything, let me know. I've got the weekend free and am at your service. My crazy computer situation kept me from offering help earlier.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Thanks, dear. I think I'm okay now, because there's such a tiny bit left and ex-landlord says he won't be back until Monday so I have a couple of days more than I thought.

[junesrose.livejournal.com]

So sorry to hear you're sick. My mom's got the same thing, and her doc won't give her anything; say's its the flu. *meep* Anyway, have some hot tea. With lemon. And whiskey.

And, dude, about the table!! The SA near me (in Attleboro) takes EVERYTHING I've ever dropped there! I can't belive they didn't take it!

And, word on the tsunami bit. I can't even watch the tv coverage cause I'm just too emotional about it.

Instead, I'm just hugging my kids more.

Have a Happy 2005 and hopeyou feel better soon!

:(

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Whiskey would more than likely have the same effect as codeine. I can't stand the taste. I wonder if champagne would work? *g*

Anyway, I'm feeling somewhat better today. I promised myself I'd take it (relatively) easy today (i.e. not lifting heavy furniture like yesterday and the day before).

[peacey.livejournal.com]

*hugs* about the table, sweets. I so feel for you about that. It's a horrid thing when people don't realize that certain possessions carry a higher sentimental value beyond their dollar value. Question though: maybe I'm missing something, but why did you have to give the table up?

While you were going thru that yesterday, I went to pick up my husband's wedding band (got resized) and I thought I'd have the rings I was wearing cleaned. One of them, a small sapphire with ittybitty diamonds, was given to me by my Mom when I was something like 11 years old. It has been on my hand since that day (except when I had to have it resized a couple times), so needless to say, it has been through the ringer. It didn't cost much in the first place, so it's sentimental value FAR exceeds it's dollar value. So anyway, this unfeeling poophead of a jeweler looked at it under a microscope & told me that the sapphire was in "pretty bad shape" and did I want to replace it. I said no & told him it was from my mother. He looked at me like I was the dumbest person on the planet and said, "You understand the stone is worthless." *bloodboils* You'd think a jeweler would understand sentimental value. If I weren't used to being on the receiving end of insane customer rants, I really would've gone off on this guy, but I just set my jaw, smiled as tightly as I could, grabbed hubby's ring, and walked out the door vowing never to go back. In the grand scheme of things, it's stupid to get worked up about something so trivial, but still, "pfffft" to that moron.

I so hope that you're feeling better, whatever it is that has laid you low. Moving is a gigantic pain in the ass as it is, let alone when you're sick. For the moment, give yourself permission to do as little as possible, stay in bed as much as you can, and as my father has told me since I can remember, gargle with salt water. :) *lovelovelove*

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

*hugs back*

I should have something for you soon. *sigh* I am so broke it's awful. Hence the no computer thing.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I had to give the table up because there was no way ADD/spacially challenged me could manoeuvre Huge U-Haulish Truck up the traffic-y streets of East Greenwich, let alone turn left into my very steep, very narrow driveway and remain unscathed. And even if I got it there, the flat's too small for it. I'd been storing it in the basement of the old duplex, but now I do not have a basement.

[peacey.livejournal.com]

Pish posh. Keep thy money. No worries. :)