Another week begins

I'm starting to feel like Garfield about Mondays. This morning, the local news announced a major wreck between two big rigs that has shut down the highway I use to drive to Big Rapids. The removal of the two trucks has required shutting the highway in both directions for a while. Who knows what it will be like later? I groan just thinking of it.

My left arm and shoulder are so painful that my stomach hurts. I sit and rub that shoulder and upper arm, but that's only temporary relief. One more week until I can get in to see the orthopedic doctor. It hurts to do everything. I bent down yesterday to pick up something off the floor and the motion of extending my left arm nearly did me in.

Yesterday I was troubled all day long with a sense of sadness. My students are all looking forward to Thanksgiving, to the family time, the food, the re-connecting with friends and loved ones. I'm looking forward to a cold and lonely week with take-out and aching need to see my sons and my one remaining daughter-in-law. I tried to figure out whether we could hit the road and visit them, since my younger son is going to my older son's house for Thanksgiving, but it would just be so far to go, for such a short visit. I'd be exhausted and not rested enough to finish the semester, and there's a lot of work yet to do. Have I mentioned how much I hate being so far from my family? It's bearable most of the time, but holidays are terrible. I've been looking at catalogs, with all the decorations and recipes and scenes of family togetherness, and wishing that somehow, I could get my family here for Christmas. It's not going to happen. As usual, my husband and I will be the ones loading up the car and hitting the road.

Tomorrow will be the cat's appointment at the vet clinic. He's got a nodule on the side of his neck. Probably it's just a little spot from scratching. I hope that's all it is.

I'm starting to be sorry I had my hair cut so short. It sticks up in odd places and doesn't do what I want it to do. I'm tempted to shave my head and start from scratch. Last night I measured mine and my husband's heads. Mine was 22.25 and his was 22.75. I was surprised since I always think of my big old lumpy head as being much larger than his smooth well-shaped head. I have trouble finding hats that fit me properly (they are usually too small), so maybe I just need to buy men's hats. If this hair situation grows any worse, I may become a retro fashionista, with hats, gloves, pearls, and hosiery with a seam down the back of the leg. Yeah, right.