You have probably heard the old idiom “When it rains it pours.” meaning when something bad happens, other bad things usually happen at the same time. Well, this idiom has been stalking me for several months. It can’t possibly be mere coincidence. It has to be something more: Murphy’s Law, a slump, a streak of bad luck, a curse, an evil spell, or something. I don’t really believe in such things, but you tell me after you hear all the bad news.

Where shall we start? Perhaps with my cat who had been sick for a year? I got the bad news from the vet that there was nothing else that could be done medically. Any pet owner knows how traumatic such news is after loving her for 17 years. She lasted for a while longer, but eventually passed away.

Then there was the invasion of ants in the kitchen. That’s only a minor problem, you say. Of course it is. I simply did not feel like dealing with it. A few ant hotels and a can of insect spray took care of it. I asked my son to help since he was fixing the leak under the kitchen sink anyhow.

I tried to forget my troubles to relax and watch TV, but it was not to be. Honey was coughing. Trying to be helpful, I offered some of my cough drops but leaned forward too far. My heavy rocker flipped over and I hit the floor, landing on my shoulder. That resulted in a call to 911 and trip to the ER for a broken shoulder. (Oh, yes.)

Since my arm was in a sling and I couldn’t do much, the dishwasher decided it was a perfect time to quit working. At first I was going to get it repaired, but after hearing the cost, I decided that I might as well replace it. Being in no shape to shop, I ordered one online. The dishwasher was fine, the installation not so much. They worked and worked and I prayed and prayed. Finally, they got it installed. Had I known, I would have repaired the old one regardless of the cost.

The rain had only started. There is more — much more. My son was going to move my car. I can’t remember why. I only remember that it would not start. We tried jumper cables with no luck. Finally, I called AAA to tow it. The way my luck was going, the cost to repair it was more that the car was worth. I ended up selling it.

Let me see what else. There was the broken tooth. Naturally my dentist picked that particular week to retire after 45 years. I had to find a new dentist and beg him to take me on an emergency basis. They have more broken teeth from Jolly Ranchers than anything else. If I had known they would put it in my record, I would not have told them about the candy.

Some of this stuff was my own fault, obviously. Some of it was not. Since my shoulder was broken, I hired a cleaning service to clean the house. It seemed like a great idea until one of the maids managed to drop something that broke the bathroom sink. Yes, I’m serious. The entire thing had to be taken out and replaced. Oh well, it’s not as if my nerves were not already shot anyhow.

The rain continued with a string of other unrelated things, a lost cell phone, a septic tank that backed up due to tree roots in the drainage field, and a gynecologist that retired. (There seems to be an epidemic of retirements going around.)

Well, I suppose rain can always pour harder. Just to prove it, my tooth broke again.

Copyright 2023 Sheila Moss