Ah-choo…ah-choo….My wife sometimes suffers from allergies, a trait she shares with our oldest schnauzer, Tinker.  While my wife sneezes and sniffles, the dog scratches and licks her paws.  I, of course, have my share of flaws, so I try to be more than tolerant.  Last night, as I was snoring, the sneezing and itching got everyone everyone stirred up.  I ran to the bathroom for Kleenex and Vicks between an empathetic “Bless You,” and just as things were settling down, the cat decided to have a hairball.  That’s when my wife discovered a couple of other surprises that the cat had left behind, and reluctantly got up to clean up the mess.  Fortunately, I did not get tossed out of the bed like the cat, and rolled over with no trouble getting back to sleep, while she remained wide awake and alone with her thoughts.

I dreamed about a hilarious story that absolutely had to be captured in this blog first thing this morning.  However, there is no story because it was only a dream.  Instead, I have to take a blanket to the dry cleaners, unplug a toilet, remove some cobwebs, buy an SSL certificate for this site, and deal with my sleep-deprived wife.  I woke up to an e-mail cancelling the Pints to Pasta half-marathon that I was going to run next week, and an unexpected change in flight plans to Los Angeles next month.  My breakfast egg, however, was a double-yoker, so my luck was about to change.

The dogs are due for haircuts today, and I should do some house cleaning.  I think the sneezes were an indication that I’ve neglected some dusting responsibilities.  Also, all the ash and smoke in the air from the nearby forest fires, that caused the cancellation of my run, is now settling on the surfaces of our furniture.  I know our dog is allergic to grass, house flies, egg, and wheat, among other things.  I doubt that she was tested for ash, although that’s one of the areas of her body that constantly itches.   With my wife, it’s typically cheap perfume and dust particles that make her sneeze.  She’s also dealing with a pinched nerve in her back and the daily stress of work.  Did I mention that I’m retired?  She threw in a couple of sarcastic barbs about that as she trudged out the door for the office.

I’m cooking dinner tonight, so she doesn’t have to bother with that after work.  It’s a flank steak done under the broiler, with mashed potatoes and creamed corn.  She was worried about her business trip to Washington D.C. tomorrow, and how Irma will affect her flight and meeting schedules.  I’ll be home with the freshly groomed and bathed dogs.  At least, she’ll get to have dinner with her daughter.  She also expressed concern about the expected rainy weather here in Portland, and how that will interfere with our plans to entertain her visiting niece this weekend .  In between worries and concerns, she urged me to resolve any financial needs for my son and his family down in Florida.   She obviously has a lot on her mind, and had been thinking about it most of the night.

I’m obviously not faced with that level of stress any more.  I think that overall she’s happy for me to be retired, but is occasionally envious of my status.  She still enjoys her career, but not necessarily after a sleepless night of restless animals, a snoring spouse, and dust in the air.  Gesundheit!