Spring Break...and I'm Exhausted

Not surprisingly after the Saturday night we had, the kids and I didn't make it to church in the morning. Sunday evening had been set aside for cleaning out the garage so I could work on Herman, but that just didn't happen. No matter, the parts I needed weren't here anyway. Instead I thought it would be a great idea to invite 3 other couples over for a St. Patrick's Day party on Tuesday evening. So I made a trip to the grocery store instead of doing anything productive around the house.

Monday was supposed to be a day of working around the house. Mrs. Drofen got up with the kids and let me sleep in since she'd slept part of the day on Sunday and she wasn't able to sleep late. As soon as I got up my FIL called to say that he and my wife's 17 y/o sister were headed to the dealership to buy her a new car. I'm apparently the family car deal negotiator ever since I negotiated almost $12K off MSRP of his new Dodge truck a few years back. I'd like to think it's because I'm cranky beyond my years, (Get off my lawn, ya damn kids!) but it's more likely because I was taken advantage of by a car salesman when I was young and stupid. I swore that would never ever happen again. And it hasn't. Anyway, SIL went home with a brand new Civic $4500 under MSRP and 2.9% for 60 months. Mission accomplished. Caught the beginning of rush hour on the trip home from the dealership but still made it in time to go to small group for church.

Tuesday morning dawned and it was time to pay the piper. The lawns both desperately needed mowing because we got rain last week, and now it's 80* out, so hello spring. I mowed the back yard at 1/2 notch above the lowest blade setting on the mower since it's the first mow of the season. It was a beating mowing it that short. It took me an hour and a half and I was left with 8" snow drifts of cut grass. Next I headed to Lowe's and bought a leaf rake to rake the cut grass into the compost pile. When I got back I started raking, but about 10 minutes into that job I figured out it was going to bring the major suck. I decided get out the leaf blower, and although it was like standing in a sand storm of cut grass I managed to blow the lawn clean of cut grass. Then it was time to head out front. Another 2 hours and I had the front mowed and blown clean. Inside for a quick shower, and it was time to start cooking and help Mrs. Drofen clean the house. We were still vacuuming about 10 minutes before our guests arrived, but the entire house did get cleaned pretty well.

For our St. Patrick's Day dinner I prepared corned beef and cabbage, venison skewers, boiled red potatoes, and steamed carrots. Our friends brought a salad, Irish soda muffins, and an Irish apple pie. It was a really great meal. And we had blast just hanging out and watching The Biggest Loser. Yeah, we're old.

Today my day started ok. Until I moved out to the couch to give Mrs. and Baby Drofen the run of the bed for baby-breakfast in bed. Somehow I moved just the wrong way and my upper back was instantly in spasms. So today I started at the chiropractor's office, and then I got to go to the local doc in a box to get some blood work done. I've got a supraclavicular lymph node that is about 30 times larger than normal and tender to palpation. Yes, this is the second very scary symptom I've had in a week and half. Lab work comes back tomorrow.

This afternoon I went to the grocery store, rented lighting equipment for Baby Drofen's 3 month pictures, and tried to buy the girls a swing set but struck out.

And now, I'm just exhausted. Again.

I really hope this fatigue isn't the third very scary symptom in a week and half.