Oh, April! Look at all those people just a-dancin’ with joy over March’s departure. Notice I said, “those people” – I am not a fan of April. April is more annoyance than joyous in my book. To wit:
Taxes. My 2018 total wasn’t as big a deal as 2017, thanks to the recent updates, but I still had to cough up $800 and that's a lot to me. Besides, anything more than they already take away on payday just ticks me off. (Last year, the Feds pried $2,500 from my severely pissed off self; I admit the reduction to “only” $800 was an improvement, but WTH anyway?! I have extra taxes taken out every month and it’s still not enough?!?!! How did my effective tax rate get so high when my salary is so low?!!??!)
Allergies. Oh, yes, Spring is busting out all over . . . . ugh. I’m allergic to it. Flowers, trees, grass, and all the other green-and-growing things are throwing pollen around like Mardi Gras revelers with bright beads and I’m allergic to the pollen. I’m taking one prescription and one OTC allergy medication plus decongestants along with shots of nasal spray and inhaler hits every day just to breathe in enough oxygen to give me enough energy to sneeze, blow my nose, and wipe my swollen runny/itchy eyes all day long. (Oh, and don’t forget the ibuprofen ruining my liver in aid of dimming the raging sinus headaches.) Just breathing wears me out, never mind trying to do anything else. I’m dead on my feet by late afternoon, and on that rare Saturday when I have nothing urgent to accomplish, I can sleep for 20 hours and still be exhausted because I’m not getting enough oxygen. Oh yeah, there’s a lot of mold flourishing in April, too, and surprise! I’m allergic to mold, too. Yeehaw.
The daily dressing dilemma. Oh, yes, everyone is thrilled that March is gone, Spring is here, and Winter is over. HA! Two days ago when I was out doing errands it was 88 degrees, yet the current forecast shows a possibility of snow tomorrow. The temp dropped to 59 yesterday with overnight low in the 30s, and is forecast to be colder tonight. Funny, really funny. Ha. Ha. Give me winter anytime. It’s much easier to know how to dress for the day when the temperatures aren’t changing by 20 or more degrees from one day to the next. I much prefer to keep a hat, scarf, and mittens in the car in case of a bitter wind than to deal with a snow boots vs. sandals situation every morning.
Tornadoes. April can be all about tornadoes around here. We’ve already had at least one tornado watch or warning or something this month. I’m calm about tornadoes in general, and have a (strangely) strong “if I perish, I perish” attitude when there’s one coming right at me, but that doesn’t mean I want them flying around everywhere. I’ve seen the swaths of nothing-but-rubble left after four different tornadoes in four different cities, and that’s four more than I wanted to see. I definitely don’t want to experience a tornado or see another place destroyed.
Rain. It is not as bad here as it was in Chicagoland (where, I kid you not, it rained the entire month, day and night, and the water in the parking lot at my office building consistently ran more than ankle high), but we get enough to add it to my “April Sucks” list. Oh, yes, I know we need rain and I’m all for a reasonable amount of rain, even occasional drenching rain – at night when I’m at home. All night, every night is okay with me, but I hate when it rains on my daylight parade. Seriously, waterlogged shoes, water inside my purse and/or tote, slick roads, hydroplaning vehicles! Who needs that stuff?! There’s nothing wrong with a good thunderstorm, but let’s do that in the late evening so I can sit by the picture window with a glass of wine or a cup of tea (depending on whether it’s 65 or 35 degrees out there) and watch the storm rock and roll. That's so much more fun than the risk of being struck by lightning while splashing to my car with three soggy bags of groceries on the weekend or after work.
All right, all right. I admit that April in Oklahoma isn’t all bad. The sun does shine somewhat regularly. April is the last hurrah of anything approaching cool-ish weather before we are catapulted toward the oven that is summer. Sometimes the sky is clear and it’s warm enough to take a walk around the lake or ride a bike after work or on the weekend. I even give two plants a pass – the grape hyacinths and chocolate mint that grow in the bed down the side of my garage. The hyacinths are dainty and pretty and are the first color to show up in my yard; the mint seems to shoot up from zero to a full bed overnight and (right before my eyes start burning) I love the fresh chocolaty/minty scent. And, best April thing of all, I can put my favorite Spring wreath on my front door.
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| I made this wreath. Crocheted flowers on eyelash yarn = the way to go for me! LOL!! |
So, happy almost mid-April, y’all! After the snowstorm tomorrow, put on your flip flops and meet me on the porch. Don’t forget your allergy mask; I’ll bring the wine and antihistamines.
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| Look at that chocolate mint! I swear two days ago, there was no mint, just a half dozen or so hyacinths. Now the hyacinths are fading fast and the mint is taking over the world. It smells sooooo good. |
