If it's not one thing ...

My apologies to anyone who has been browsing around for something to read. It's been a little hard around here and I've found my refuge in knitting at odd hours. I know not all y'all are into the knitting, but there's something very soothing about it for me.

Anyways, I've been feeling like I'm hanging on by the proverbial thread. Many stumbling blocks keeping me from staying on track and on time with my little money-making efforts. Unfortunately that throws a wrench in things for other people which makes them as stressed as it does me. Not good for any of us. But maybe that's why they call it "work" instead of "recess." Sigh.

It's that time of year when being outside for my job leads to physical complaints: Instant sunburn (I've taken to wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat when I know I'll be out for a while.) Being on construction sites brings additional problems like being caught in a soaking downpour and getting sucked in by a river of red mud or getting a 6-inch abrasion on my leg from coming down on a stake supporting a concrete form. Stepping in shifting sand around lumber is dangerous. Oh well, I will have a lovely large bruise for a while. Enough to keep me from wearing short dresses or short shorts in public, for which the public says "THANK YOU."

I'm falling apart physically in so many ways. My blood pressure is at the "astronomical" level. My blood sugar issues put me in a semi-stupor at odd times. My sleep schedule is past ridiculous. And will someone PLEASE turn the air conditioner down!! (fanning self delicately). Being a woman of a certain age has its sucky moments for sure. Kind of like adolescence in reverse. If you thought 13 looked bad, try looking at it going backwards at 90 mph!

I'm also house-sitting for an older friend who finally made a trip to see her daughter. She hasn't been away from home since 2000, she told me, and she loves to travel. She lost her husband in February and I had to have a conversation with her recently about a visit I had with him in the hospital. He wanted me to make sure that she got out and went to see friends and family once he was gone, because he felt so guilty about clipping her wings. That was all the encouragement she needed to get back out there.

I spent some time over at her house doing "ladder tasks" for her one evening. You know what I mean by that -- changing the batteries in a clock and rehanging it in a new location; adjusting a curtain that was mounted too high; moving decorative items on a tall shelf. Those were the jobs I used to do for my mom, mostly -- changing light bulbs and cleaning the bugs out of the fixtures.

She called me today to check on things and to mention some flowers that need a little water. I'll go by later to take in today's mail and newspaper and give the plants a drink.

All day I've been chasing a pretty interesting economics story. It's a bit like going from zero to 90 in 2 seconds. I've gotten quite an education on a topic I was not familiar with. Whew! I love it when that happens but it sure pushes the adrenaline through my system.

To top it off, I was on the phone so much my phone battery went dead. Arg! I need to find a non-battery phone that takes a headset so I could actually listen and type at the same time. That's why I got the cordless phone to start with. Trying to work without a headset is an occupational danger!

I'm taking a break for a bit now that most people's work days have ended. The phone should be silent for a while. I realized just now that I never got lunch today.

Please forgive me if my comments have been sparse on your blogs. My best wish is that I can settle back into a more balanced life soon.