Sunday, July 6, 2008

Sometimes reality is such a bitch...

What I Left:



What I Came Home to:
  • A miserable chest cold, product of too much relaxation after too much life craziness.
  • A child on hospital watch with dozens of scary-ass bites that seemed to contribute to a heightened immune response causing hives around mouth and highly enlarged (i.e. visible from above the skin) lymph nodes. (She's improving, fyi.)
  • A half-complete bathroom reno - forgive me for neglecting to mention this but I was in denial, all details to come soon, I'm sure you're beyond thrilled to know. Upshot is that all the demolition was supposed to be done and everything except a couple of key features in place upon my return. But instead the new toilet is in my dining room (boxed, thankfully) and walls are untaped (construction-speak for "all there is is blueboard right now") and there are tiles all over my exceedingly narrow hallway. Did I mention the dust?? Which, btw, just makes the chest cold that much more hideous.
  • A migraine (I get about one of these a year) which came on the heels of discovering that I had written out two exceeding large cheques to the designer and contractor and, in my pre-vacation fatigue and frisson, neglected to transfer money from the line of credit into the chequing account. So those cheques bounced and the NSF fee was 80 bucks, not to mention I had to get to the bank on Saturday to have a certified cheque made out because the contractor is half-way through the job and (I suppose, rightfully) suspicious. Rule one of renovations: Don't piss off your contractor.

Note to reader: I cannot believe I did this. How wretchedly ineffective of me. You must know that I have never bounced a cheque in my entire life. Like not even for $30.00. So this filled me with horror and embarrassment the likes of which made my blood vessels dilate super quickly, and then to immediately contract. Hence the horrendous, day-long migraine - including ocular hallucinations! (These are different than antihistamine hallucinations, btw...)

Wow, could I be less post-vacation rosy glow? Do you just want to smack me at this point?

I promise, give me a couple of days and you'll hear all about the good stuff. And then, you may recall, I'm off to Montreal for a fast-track weekend of eating and shopping. I'm so bringing the camera for that one.

PS: I'm putting together answers to a couple of games I was tagged to do. Oh, and just getting back into my blog-reading groove now. Can't wait to hear what y'all have been up to...

12 comments:

  1. I did the same thing with a giant check to my plumber three years ago. You are not alone. I was mortified, but he was very dignified and understanding, and the hassle ended quickly.

    I'm sorry about the child, and you, and all the mess. I hope things flatten out soon, and that you're all back to normal quickly.

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  2. I've been up to pretty much, absolutely nothing. Lots of drinking and lots of eating this weekend. Not too much sleeping. Sorry to hear you returned from vacation to be beaten over the head with bad luck. Chin up, it'll get better. xoxo

    PS- We believe you on the bounced cheque. . . I hear it's happened to the best of us. . .

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  3. I'm always so traumatized by coming back from vacation, that I never want to go on vacation.

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  4. I am so sorry all this is happening to you right now. Lets get together and have fun together soon.

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  5. Ah, that is so sad. The summer before this I was in Hawaii, last summer it was Japan and now I'm trapped in PA working all day...yes, life is lame sometimes.

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  6. Um, you need another vacation, pronto!

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  7. Don't know if you know, or if you've mentioned it on here already; there's a YSL exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

    http://www.mbam.qc.ca/micro_sites/ysl/expo_en.html

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  8. You know, E, you are the first person who said "it could happen to anyone" to whom it's actually happened (from my recent anecdotal pool). Thank you for sharing. Seriously!

    E8: Your vacay sounds right up my alley. Loved your TV post, btw.

    Wendy: That's hilarious. I am so with you right now! You just have to go on glamourous business trips instead...

    Hey Marth: Still so unwell but I'm going to call you as soon as I feel up to it. Let's try to get together the weekend after I come back from Mtl.

    Clothes Horse: Trapped you might be but you're looking so gorgeous! Keep wearing the green...

    Miss C: Is your PEI cabin up for grabs?? :-) Do you, by any chance, have something in Tahiti??

    Y: Thanks so much for the link. I've been trying to figure out how to get to this as we're seriously going to Mtl. for a day and a half. I don't know if my husband is going to agree that this is a useful time expenditure, though I've heard that it is a short exhibition. I might take my daughter (or better still, leave her with my husband) and scoot out if it opens early enough on Sunday am.

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  9. It opens at 10 AM on Sundays if that's early enough for you. Have a fantastic time in Mtl! I haven't left the city in over a year and am so envious!

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  10. i came back from holiday to a similar list of disasters. not fun is it. still trying to shake off a cold.

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  11. this is what happens when you stop blogging and start enjoying life...no good can come from not blogging.

    I'm happy that 'child' is on the mend. xxxx

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  12. Y: I'm going to try to get there for sure. I'll let you know. And thanks again.

    Kirsty Lee: It kind of makes you never want to take a break again! (At least not a long-anticipated one...)

    IM: Thanks. And I hope you are wrong about the blog vortex. A little break is ok. If you get a letter, right?? :-)

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