John: check! Barb: check!

This weekend I checked two names off my worry list:

John is still home, recuperating from his hospital stay/amputation, but he's very bored. I take that as a good sign. We talked about our fantabulous Cubs (still the best record in all of major league baseball!) and his first time ordering groceries from Peapod. His attitude toward his new diet is very positive. I haven't asked him about the elephant in the room -- his drinking -- because the time wasn't right. He told me how his brother and cousin gave  him shit about ignoring his health issues as long as he did. I just didn't have the heart to pile on by asking about his rather prodigious alcohol intake.

Barb is back at work! Only half days, and she exhausted, but she goes to the office every morning all the same. The word "cancer" never came up. Nor did the infection at her incision site. This is good. She is bedeviled how slowly her energy is returning -- especially since she has a second reconstructive surgery coming up in July -- and how chronically uncomfortable her chest is. She brushed off my worries, convinced that the worst is behind her. And I believe her.

It is such a relief!

How did I let this happen?

Over the four day weekend, I spent 15 hours doing housework. And I never touched the bathroom or the kitchen. That was all spent in the bedroom, the den and the living/dining room. My home is still overstuffed and cluttered, but at least it's no longer dirty.

All this in preparation for an inspection for vermin that most likely came into the building in the luggage of a unitowner who is undoubtedly cleaner than I am. The irony of this is not lost on me.

I must not let this happen again.

I still have seen no visible signs of the bed bugs. Nothing in the seams of my bed, no "dirt" on the nightstand beside it. So I am hopeful that my unit will be exempt from the fumigation (what an ugly word). But the way my 2016 has been going, I think I should count on it.

There is a silver lining to all this. No, really. Late last week I got a letter from Cousin Rose, asking if I was "up for company" this summer. Now as much as I love her, I cannot live with her for any period of time. So I'm using the bed bugs as an excuse. I told her she doesn't want to stay here, and I added I don't want to stay here, either. That I'd be happy to see her, but I'd understand if she didn't want to hug me, lest one of my creepy crawlers leap onto her. Hopefully that will do the trick. I do want to see her and I don't want to hurt her. I just don't want to sleep under the same roof with her!