Where do I even begin??? Today hasn't been fun. You see, we're having company because of the church event tomorrow, and of course I have to obsessively clean the house for the guests. I really don't like vaccuums...the sound reminds me of angry people. But I know cleaning is a part of life, especially when you have guests, so I did it. After a few hours of cleaning, I decided to get a bit of fresh air before I returned to preparing for guests. I'd meant to go for a run, or at least take a walk, but as soon as I got outside, my little brother and neighbor called me from the woods, asking for a little help with our fort. So I went. There's not really a path, and I had to climb over logs and piles of branches...and dodge bees, because I kinda have a bee phobia. But I got there and we began to work. We were almost done when my neighbor said, "uh-oh...is this poison ivy?" We'd been all over the area, and I saw more of the shiny plants all around. And just then, I realized I'd been scratching the area next to my eye and it really itched. It could have been worse--I didn't touch my eyes. I ran inside and stayed in the bathroom for an hour. We didn't know if the stuff was or wasn't poison ivy, but I wasn't taking chances. We've got that church event tomorrow. I didn't want to go covered in red bumps. I repeatedly scrubbed my hands, arms, face, neck, and legs, as well as anywhere on me that could have come into contact with the evil little plants. I seem to have dodged a bullet--the only real rash I've got is that little one next to my eye, and if worst comes to worst, I guess I could cover it with makeup. I usually don't wear makeup, but in this case, I may have to. Anyway, as a preemptive strike, I dug through the bathroom closet and found the calamine lotion. I began to smear it all over. Calamine lotion basically looks like chalky pepto-bismol. It dries on your skin in this chalklike layer. So I looked very pink and ghoulish. And as I was applying the stuff to my legs, my brother walked in and went, "Sara, what the **** are you doing?" I thought that was obvious, so I didn't even answer...until I saw what he meant. I was spilling and splashing the bright pink stuff all over the bathroom rug. I did mention we have company later? My parents would kill me if they found out, so I quickly re-capped the bottle and began dousing the rug with water, trying to get the pink out before my parents returned home. I got most of it--and now I have to hope that no one notices the traces I didn't get--but the rug is still a bit damp all over. I just hope no one asks. I used up an entire tissue box getting the pink chalk off me--I didn't want to touch the towels and smear them with pink, plus if I do have poison ivy left on me, it'd be a bad idea to get it on a towel. But anyway, while scrubbing out the rug, I felt the first of the cramps from...you know...mother nature's monthly "gift". (Who had the idea of calling it a gift? Do they still have the receipt, then? Can I return it?) I usually use Advil to take care of that, but I can't find the Advil anywhere. Nor can I find the Tylenol. I did find some ibuprofen, but I don't know about i.b. so I left it. I don't want to make myself sick. My dad is home, but I can't ask him for Advil, because it's kinda awkward to tell your dad that mother nature is "gifting" you. In the past, I've said it was for a "headache", but lately he's been saying that he's going to take me to a doctor if these "headaches" keep up, so I can't ask. I suppose I should wait till Mom gets home...but she won't be home for a couple more hours, and it hurts now! And the side of my face still itches, but I can't scratch it, because if it is poison ivy, I don't want to spread it. And now I definitely won't get my run, because there is no way I can run like this. And I still have cleaning left to do...ugh.

I'm just having one of those days...sorry for all my excessive complaining. I am very glad of having dodged a bullet with the poison ivy. My brother says it's lucky I thought so fast and got it off, because my neighbor is starting to itch all over. I mean, we were practically rolling in the stuff. My brother didn't touch it--at least, he thinks he didn't--but I'm making him wash his hands at least. So, yeah, today has been real fun. I'm hoping tomorrow is better...