1) Uncle dies. I was not particularly close to him, and his life was fairly depressing… but still. RIP, Uncle Bill 😦

2) Mom suddenly resurfaces. After 6 months of relative silence and “treatment” (aka punishment for her recent offenses), she is back on the streets of Colorado. What is even more depressing about the whole situation (besides the fact that it’s freezing cold everywhere lately) is that my Dad seems to have harbored a belief somewhere deep down that the “treatment” was going to help. He still clings to this shred of hope that perpetually leads to disappointment…

3) I got food poisoning Monday night, and while the puking has subsided, I still get bouts of wooziness and I tire easily. Damn you, expired Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls!

4) My sister’s dog basically has two bum lungs, and needs to have his chest cut open to have them fixed, at a very high cost. If not, he dies. He’s already had several liters of air pumped out of his chest cavity already. Basically, her dog is to her what Annie is to me, so… I feel Bonni’s despair.

5) I went to the doctor before Christmas for my pre-Japan medical clearance, all on top of things and ready to go. I repeatedly asked for confirmation paperwork and signatures, but was emphatically told I did not need any. Turns out she was wrong, wrong, wrong, so I get paperwork from some random source in Japan and go back this week, still woozy from the food poisoning. She doesn’t understand the papers, so she sends me home while she calls around to figure them out. As it turns out, she isn’t qualified to do medical clearances, and I’m supposed to go to some other place that does them. Now I’m trying to schedule doctor’s appointment #3, but no one will pick up their phone! Of course, we can’t finalize or book anything until we are cleared. I can’t decide if it’s the military at large that is incompetent, if it’s me, or if it’s just the Army. Ha! 

6) I have to take the Bean to the worst vet appointment ever, but you all already know about that. 180-day quarantine started yesterday (at least it’s in-home!)

Grrr. Can this week be over already? I need a fresh start.