busy AND allergy week

And i thought things were busy, this time LAST week!  :-)

But i'll start arsy-versy -- this has been a bad spring for allergies, here.  It began last month when i was in Texas:  well, that's no surprise;  it was when we lived in Texas back in the late '80s through mid '90s that i became aware that i had allergy PROBLEMS; before that i only had (tiny) allergy problems.  As i drove home i started noticing all the lovely Bradford pear trees in bloom, and knew that my misery was only beginning.  I've had a daily headache ever since, more of a nuisance than a PAIN, but it takes away some of the joy of spring.

Benedryl is a must-use, and when symptoms are particularly bad i double-down on antihistamine with Histame and/or nicotine.  Now, it's hinted in many sources that benedryl MAY influence weight-loss, but i can't seem to find any solid evidence, and i even asked Dr. Westman on last year's LC cruise if he saw that as a problem and he said no.  So...?  I dunno.  What i AM sure of is that allergy-season increases stress and poor sleep, and that ain't good for nobody.  ;-)  While eating cleanly i tend to see inflammation fade away, but this month hasn't been perfect in that regard!  My rings have not been as loose as i'm accustomed to.

The busy-ness has added to my stress too, alas.  I like to wake up in the morning and let my brain equilibrate while drinking a couple of cups of coffee and reading my usual round of mail, blogs and social media.  EVERY DAY for over a week i've been rousted out early, and that [ahem] just doesn't bring out the best in me.  Yesterday, i totally caved in and had a whiskey-and-soda with my lamburger at the Scottish Arms, and two glasses of wine with my steak at supper!  It was in fact a good low-carb day, but since i had been trying to follow my Strong Medicine regimen i tended to feel like a cheater. Well, it WAS a perfect maintenance day but not good for LOSING.  At least i haven't gained!

We've gotten a lot of ground covered though, when it comes to our construction project.  We actually saw some of the trees that are going into the back yard, and the garage doors are ordered.  The chosen stone for the fireplace that is no longer available has been replaced and sent-off-for.  To my extreme relief, the beautiful floor tile i chose a year ago IS still available, and will shortly be on its way to us.  The purveyor of our fireplace impressed us enough to be a contender for the mantlepiece too.  We've talked with more crafts-people than i can easily enumerate.  ...One more week and some real progress will be visible.

Once all the materials are here, i have a lot of faith that everything will fit together beautifully -- we have a true artist as our carpenter/project-manager.  But what they say about "decision fatigue" is TRUE;  all of this stuff has been exhausting.  I still have small things like hardware to choose, but the biggest things are out of the way.

Tomorrow morning i plan to sleep late ... but if it's beautiful outside (as i expect) can i remain inside en deshabille?  ;-)  Sunday they say it's going to rain -- i can loaf around then!  But ... that would be a perfect time to put together the loom we drove to Kansas City for, last weekend!  I'd say "so little time, so much to do" if it weren't for the fact we're retired.  If WE don't have time, who does?