Marching

It still surprises me that even here in the Sonoran Desert, the weather in March can be just as capricious as it is in New England. Today started fair and fine, with nary a cloud, quite warm. It held until about 2, when something started blowing in; by the time we were leaving to pick up DS1 at school, there was a stiff wind and the temp felt 20 degrees cooler, and the sky was filled with clouds.

Now I'm listening to various howls and the jangles of the windchime outside, and I'm thinking, did I leave anything out there I don't want getting wet? I don't recall hearing a forecast for rain, and most likely this front will blow through here without letting fall a single drop, but you never know with this sort of thing.

My mood was as oddly changeable as the weather. I seem to be taking things very badly lately. The two younger ones got into a tiff while watching Dora. Probably my least favorite words as a parent, after "I can't", are, "That didn't hurt," repeated until shrieking and crying commence. It's like the kid is stupid, asking to be beat up -- "Oh, that didn't hurt!" is just asking to be smacked, whacked, or whatever'd, again, until it does hurt. I over-reacted to the little tableau but felt fine after lunch. (Lunch, what did I eat for lunch again? Oh, yes, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And 12 crunchy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.)

I made whipped cream after supper (beef stew, recipe around here somewhere) to eat with the amazingly perfect strawberries I got at Sam's Club yesterday. Great strawberries and fresh whipped cream are a very cheerful combination, you have to admit. The nice dinner, and the fact that it wasn't a stress-fest putting it on the table, was a nice way to start the evening.

Other than dinner, not much of a day. My biggest accomplishment was getting DS2 to take a nap. We all schlepped over to the vet with the cat, who is starting on a course of steroids to see if it will help her tentatively-diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease. She seemed much calmer for having the kids there, and they were so solicitous of her it was sweet. I was happy they were there! A miracle.

I tried to find out about my MRI, but it turns out the rheumatologist went on vacation on Friday and won't be back for another week. So I went by the office and tried to pick up the report, but it hadn't been typed up yet! So I will get it tomorrow. I have major errands awaiting, too, but didn't have the energy to get to them today.

Every single gland or node in my neck feels swollen now. Swallowing, not fun. So glad I'm seeing the ENT on Wednesday, although whether or not he'll be able to do anything at all for me is one of those as yet unanswerable questions.