Today I am going to clear the dining table.  Why? Good question as it instantly attracts more stuff to fill the vacancy left behind by the old stuff.  It's nearly magnetic in it's ability to attract said stuff. And it's not just your usual assortment of stuff__it's also tools [from the constant renovating going on around here], animal supplies [which are supposed to be in cupboards but still end up on the table], food of many varieties [well, I guess food is actually close to it's home as it sits on the table. This is food in bags and other containers least you find yourselves wondering about half eaten pizza, etc. It's not quite frat house messy]. There's more. Much more. Where does all this stuff come from? I found keys the last time I did this and I have no idea what they go to... just a small ring of keys. I need to wash the table felt cover __ * looks at table. Grimaces *  I thought about posting a sign:

But I figure it would backfire and become even more magnetic, attracting even more stuff:

Besides, who'd see the sign buried under all the stuff  :/

However, no matter all the arguments I find myself using to try to weasel out of the task  * sigh *  it must be done.

Oh, and laundry.

Sometimes I wonder what it is I do around here  * looks around *.  I distinctly remember cleaning recently  * looks around some more * but from the looks of things it all needs doing again.  There oughta be a rule. Clean something and it stays that way. Yes. I like that rule. Let's implement that.

It has been an interesting few days.  I mean this in the 'May you have an interesting life' context.

I think I'll make this chronological instead of import.

Last week I went to see the orthopedist about my right shoulder.  The rheumatologist has been giving me cortisone injections in the bursa [ for bursitis] over the last few months but it wasn't improving and the last shot caused a great deal of pain. No more cortisone. Anyway, she was on vacation when I felt a Pop! in my shoulder and could no longer lift my right arm.  This is inconvenient. It's my dominant hand. Anyway, after having an MRI it was discovered that my entire rotator cuff is basically gone. The pop was the last remaining tissue holding it all together. To top that off it is unlikely that I will be eligible for shoulder replacement or any kind of reconstruction as the RA I have will just destroy the new joint.  So I am now listed as having a partially paralyzed right arm. This as opposed to completely paralyzed.  Lovely.

Over the w/e Sari, our tortoiseshell cat, died. I blame myself completely. She had been showing signs of illness  but I was so preoccupied with my own troubles that I waited too long to get her to the vet. In all honesty I didn't think it was that severe but when I brought her outside Fri. morning she just laid down in the sun and wouldn't eat her breakfast. When I went back a few minutes later she was gone. I mean she had wandered off. She never came back. Matt found her body in the tall grass at the edge of the yard yesterday evening. He buried her at the edge of the woods.  I am eaten with guilt. If I hadn't been so short sided and self-centered she may have made it through. I will never know.

Then one of Matt's friends started a whole melodrama and dragged Matt into it. Oh, not directly but by inference in dealings that had nothing at all to do with Matt and everything to do with this friend and his lack of any kind of judgement. Now things have become tense . Matt made a stand and told this person to stay away from him and the house. Never come and darken our door again kind of thing. It's sad as he and Matt have been friends since grade school.

Then last night my front tooth [a cap] fell off. Charming. Now I have to go looking for a dentist. I hate going to the dentist [who doesn't] but especially one I've never been to before as my old one has moved away. So I picked one out of the phone book. This one had the most positive reviews in the area so we'll see. Once again it's the RA. It's affecting all my systems including my teeth, hair, nails and skin not just the joints and connective tissue. If this dentist turns out to be any good he'll probably be seeing much more of me.  * sigh *  In the meantime I am gap-toothed. Oh, and partially paralyzed. And grumpy. And riddled with guilt. I may be approaching the 'old pirate' time of life. I could trade in my cane and use one of Matt's decorative swords instead. Tie on a bandanna and Whoosh! Madame Snarly on your starboard deck, Mateys.

So on a positive note ___ wait, I'll come up with something.  Oh, yes. The pellets for our heating system are here and loaded in the basement.  This is a very good thing as all the prognostications are for a cold, cold winter here. But then again it was supposed to be a bad hurricane season and so far [knock on wood] that hasn't happened.

I hope your last few days have gone better.  And here's to a beautiful and uneventful, at least in the negative way, Fall __ or maybe I should use the word Autumn.