Today, It's ALL About (Poor Little Ole) Me

I am out of sync and don't know why. This last week, I had a sudden asthma episode inadvertently triggered by a student who did not know that I am very reactive to certain medicinal tobacco products. That seems to have started the ball rolling downhill, resulting in a complete shut-down on Wednesday that required sleeping in the middle of the day, an indulgence that happens once or maybe twice a year. I've been dragging myself around since then.

This morning, I was totally psyched as I had help coming to get some of the jobs off the to-do list, including resetting all the pavers in one of the three patio squares. I pulled up all the pavers to save time when my helpers arrived, and then I dragged the wheelbarrow out of the dog run to find that the tire was -- again -- flat. This time, however, when I hooked up the pump and depressed the plunger to fill the inner tube with air, the whole thing exploded away from the tire. The valve stem blew off the inner tube, and the only thing that stopped it from hitting me in the face was its attachment to the manual pump.

When I came into the house to call around about a tube replacement, I got the message that my helpers weren't going to make it today. I have to get the jobs done before it's too hot to step outside, so it is all on my shoulders. Again. Always.

I went to every store in my area that could possibly have either a replacement inner tube or a replacement tire, preferably one that doesn't use an inner tube, and found nothing. I bought an inner tube that didn't fit the tire, which I found out after waiting over an hour for Big O tires to install the new tube. Out of sorts, I drove back to the store where I bought the inner tube and returned it, then drove back home and did the redo on the paver patio by myself.

Tomorrow, I'm heading out to either find an inner tube that fits the tire, a solid replacement tire, or a new wheelbarrow. I have to fill in Mia's holes before she digs completely under the existing fence. If I'm going to do the work myself, I have to have the right tools, and that means a functioning wheelbarrow, one way or another.

The worst part of the projects is that I have no energy at all: none. I can hardly hold my head erect on my shoulders and my arms feel like lead weights at the end of a piece of spaghetti. So, it's a pity party for one today, but tomorrow is another day. I can do this. I will do this. Whatever it takes.