broke and quiet

End of month is here again and we are flat broke. Without dogs in the house, it is very quiet.

Lisa was - and I emphasize "was" - due to have surgery on Thursday for a torn meniscus in her left knee. This morning she found out that there would be a $250 co-pay due the day of the surgery. We can't afford that; she could barely afford to buy smokes today and had to juggle her bank accounts to do that.

The mortgage is paid (except for the late fee); the electricity and phone are only one month behind so they won't get shut off yet. You really don't want to go without electricity during the summer in Florida. It can reach 90 degrees F. or higher inside our house before nightfall when the A.C. is off.

Now that the dogs are out of the picture, all of the fleas are focusing upon the rest of us. Lisa and I have bites all over our ankles and the cat avoids the floor like the plague. I still haven't swept and mopped the bathroom that was used as the puppy nursery. Every time I open the door I get attacked by fleas from the floor to above my knees. I'm not setting foot in there without chemical weapons! Flea bombs are the obvious solution - but that takes money. None of that coming in until Monday. The food stamps are running low as well; useless for flea bombs anyway.

Needless to say, Lisa and I were both extremely depressed most of the day. I was even shaking by early afternoon. By three o'clock I couldn't take it any more and asked Lisa for a Xanax. At first I only took 1/2 of the tablet, but swallowed the remainder before an hour had passed. That settled me down and I took finally a nap. She did the same.

Now the sun has set. Our attitudes have improved a bit. She went back to bed but I won't be ready for a while.

My doctor has me in transition from Zoloft to Lexapro; I'm sure that can't be helping my mood very much.

I know: bitch, bitch, bitch. Cry me a river. What's a poor boy to do?