Another broken thing...

This morning, I wanted to claw my eyes out of my head, the pain was so terrible.  I keep thinking, "How did I get here so quickly?"  SIGH.

There are so very many obstacles to sleep and it just stinks to have yet another one.  No matter how hard I try, at times, the burning, stinging, scratchy orbs of mine cannot be ignored.  This morning, I actually screamed:  "I JUST WANT TO SLEEP!"  Poor Amos when flying off the bed.  At least my Fluffernutter is forgiving.

As I have said, this new battle with my eyes makes me feel inordinately lonely.

I didn't fall asleep until around noon, which meant I have had very little sleep.  For someone who already battles exhaustion, this problem has been especially draining.  I sort of ambled my way through the late afternoon like a zombie, but I did eat out in my haven.  I had heated up my 15-bean soup and a sweet cornbread muffin, but the soup was still cold.  I was too tired to walk back to house to warm it again, so I made do.

Whilst sitting out there, I checked the most awesome weather app that Firewood Man introduced me to a few weeks ago.  It was 74 degrees outside.  My theory was correct ... at least for today.  Out in my haven, I was in the shade, so the heat was not bothering me.  I found that rather hopeful for my continued use of my haven as the weather warms.  You see, I've been sitting out there as much as possible because I worry that I will have to wait until the fall to enjoy it again.

Once the sun drops low enough, the weather begins to cool significantly. All winter I have noticed this in a way I never have before.  It is as if that giant orb in the sky is directly heating the air around me and the lack of its presence is keenly felt.

I watched "The Voice" whilst waiting on that sun to drop.  My wi-fi signal is not all that strong outside. I do find it interesting that it is easier to stream Netflix than it is Hulu.  I suppose I should have chosen a show or a movie, but I wanted music.

Tonight, cooling off was especially helpful for me.  You see, I had some more gardening to do.  I hooked up the back yard hose (a job which I fervently wish someone else would do) and pulled it out so that I could water the raised bed.  I had some concerns that the hose wouldn't reach to my new bed, but it did, rather easily I will add.  I watered that soil mix and stirred it up a bit before smoothing things out.  Then I planted lettuce and carrots.  Last year, I stunk at growing carrots, but I thought I would try again.  In that smaller bed, I plan to grow lettuce and carrots until the lettuce turns bitter and my herbs all summer long.  Once the lettuce is bad, I thought I might try eggplant.  You know, just to see.  It could have most of the bed because I plan to grow rosemary in a pot (crossing my fingers on that one) and the sage and thyme in the bed.  Those herbs would only need about 1/3 of the bed.  The rest could go toward a new vegetable experiment.

In my original long bed, I planted cucumbers on both ends and in the middle.  The idea is to use the chain link fence like I did last year when the cucumbers were growing in the pot.  Only the pot had to be watered several times a day. I am hoping the raised bed will mean the cucumbers need less water ... or the bed will hold more water than the pot.

So, what to do with the rest of it if my herbs are elsewhere?  Well, I bought tomato plants and broccoli.  I adore roasted broccoli, so I thought that would be an interested challenge, even though I heard growing broccoli can be a hard row to hoe.  I DETEST tomatoes, but I do use tomato sauce and would like to make my own.  My dear friend Becky suggested I plant roma tomatoes, so I got a six pack of those plants.

It is early to plant plants here, but we've had unseasonably warm weather since February.  And, at Menard's, there were very few growing plants left ... absolutely no rosemary, thyme, sage, or cucumbers.  I am hoping to get cucumber plants, but I thought I would try the seeds since no plants were available.  The gardening staff at Menard's said that the cucumber plants sold out in two days. After enjoying those tasty treats last summer, I certainly understand the greedy response to a load of cucumber plants.

Since I had bought the tomato and broccoli plants, I wanted to get them into the raised bed.  I wasn't feeling pressed on the seeds, but I went ahead and took care of them, too.  Now, though, I think I should change how the carrots are sowed.  ["Sowed" or "sown"?  I just got myself into a cognitive pickle trying to figure out the proper conjugation for that sentence.]  I am not sure that is possible.  I'm crossing my fingers that some of my friend's dill comes up again this year.  Last year, I harvested all re-seeded dill.  I am not sure I will get that again this year.

I watered everything in and rolled up the hose.  Then I went and laid in the grass in front of my haven to try and recover.  Amos took his perch up on the stone bench and kept watch over me.  In return, as thanks for his good care, I dragged myself on a walk with him.  Then I spent the rest of the evening trying to work up to take a shower.  I am not sure I am going to get there, but I will at least clean myself up with wet washcloths.

Tomorrow is the third A&E appointment, as warranty service for GE.  This will be the SIXTH appointment I have actually had, the first three being three other companies who never showed up.  I asked, last Friday, when I was stood up a second time by the same employee of A&E, for a new technician, a senior technician.  I will not be holding my breath over this.

The really bummer part of my day is that my printer died.  Yesterday, my bedroom ceiling fan died.  That was 19 years old and I shouldn't be grousing over it, but now is not the time to have unexpected expenses.  Only, well, should I have expected it??  My printer, an HP laser printer, is 12 years old.  Should I have expected that demise, too?  I REALLY need to print some test results for a doctor appointment on Thursday, but there is nothing I can do about that.

I've wanted a new printer for two years, so I have two options in my Amazon cart, because I have wanted color to help organize my life more and to make homemade cards (since I am not a crafty sort of person).  I am still, when faced with the actual need for a printer, not sure which one I want.  One is a printer and one is a printer with a scanner and copier.  I very much dislike having to go over to Staples for copies, so I'm leaning toward the all-in-one.  However, I have only ever owned and used plain printers.  I guess I am nervous about it.  It is an HP though.  I've only ever owned HPs.  Just like I've only ever owned Toyotas.

You know, my first car lasted 10 years, my next lasted 11, and my current vehicle is 13 years old.  My first printer lasted 10 years and my second lasted 12 years.  That's not necessarily a bad track record, eh?  But being a good shopper and a good keeper of my goods doesn't ease the burden of having these replacements crowd upon me.

I mean, I am still paying for the mattress and I am paying for the stove (since selling mine let me buy my eye glasses and upgrade to gas).  I can manage those things.  But I am still reeling from having to replace my 5-year-old refrigerator last November.  And, as I have said, I have beggared myself through 2018 for my haven (since my four years of saving fell woefully short) and for my 50th birthday celebrating that I am currently doing.  So, the fan was a punch to the financial stomach.  The printer?  I think that might be a knock-out blow.

Should I mentioned my new refrigerator is making a rattling noise?
I'm not calling Whirlpool until I get GE to take care of my new stove.
SIGH.