Pre-travel jitters have arrived, right on schedule. I have done this a hundred times, and every time the anxiety gets me. I know how to pack. I've made adjustments in my routines that will make getting through the airport a little smoother. I updated my car rental app with the correct expiration dates on my credentials. Most of my laundry is washed, even if it isn't sorted or particularly wrinkle-free. I even have pre-purchased gluten-free breakfast for myself. I'm good at this. So why am I stressing about packing, and TSA, and middle seats on Southwest, and rentals, and driving the turnpike between OKC and Tulsa, and avoiding discussing politics with my entire family and... oh, wait, is that the one I'm freaking out about? Hey, fam, can we promise to talk about anything but that? For reals?
This afternoon was my annual eye exam, that I get roughly every 18-20 months. Yeah, I'm terrible at getting that one scheduled. Because of the medication I take for lupus, I have to see an ophthalmologist rather than just an optometrist, and have more extensive testing done. Eyes dilated, field of vision tests, all that. They said my eyes still look fine, including the tiny cataract that hasn't changed since last time. Tricare covers all of that, but they don't throw in the glasses prescription, so I had to pay for that separately. I made my next appointment while I was there, so I didn't have to pick up the phone sometime in early 2026 and apologize for being late. I stepped outside, had the sun hit my dilated eyes, turned and went back for the plastic sunglasses. It wasn't until I was on the bridge over the railroad tracks before I realized I didn't grab my prescription that I paid for.
Our livestock guardians have been extra guard-y for weeks. I thought I had a handle on them learning the word "STOP" by way of a squirt bottle, but without the teaching tool, it isn't working when they bark at quarter to six, when it's still dark but someone regularly walks their dog. I don't want to get out of bed, and they don't want to shut up. They were particularly agitated this evening, at late dog-walking time in front of our window. The squirt bottle was helping, but it also chased Saoirse around to the other side of my chair. She proceeded to bark at full volume right in my ear hole. That was four hours ago, and my eardrum still hurts. Does anyone have any good tips for calming guardians who love to bark more than anything?
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