As I mentioned in my last (first) post, things have been really busy in the Coutu-Daignault household. It has been interesting getting to play Nurse AJ with Ray and Jolie. The big cahllenge has been balancing the extra household duties, taking care of their treatments on top of working at the library (including my annual summer reading program) and teaching a summer course for the first time.

To be honest, it has been a bit overwhelming. I feel exhausted pretty much all of the time. Adding Jolie to the mix really was the icing on the cake in that area. I have even had to stop my bike rides and cut down on my reading because I just don't have the time in the morning before I have to get ready for work. I come home, and I have to take care of dinner, cleanup, and then everyone's nightly routine. I am lucky to have an hour or two just to relax with the computer or some TV time.

I am sure that it hasn't helped that I have been sleeping on the floor with Jolie for a week and a half since her surgery. It is meant to help her with not being able to be on the bed so she doesn hurt herself while jumping off. The result, though, has not been great on my back, and I don't think I have been sleeping all that great while I am down because it is not all that comfortable, even with the help of some nice thick comforters for padding. Hopefully, this part will be ending pretty soon.

I think a part of the problem is that it seems like every time things start looking up, the next problem comes along so we continue to slide further and further into difficult times. I probably shouldn't complain because there are so many people in much worse situations: no home, no food, no job, no health. We are just facing mere tastes of some of those problems.

I just keep hoping that the new job and our new union is the start of things turning around. I really need that right now.