I Don't Handle Stress Well

     I don't handle stress well.  It has been a stressful week.  Going to the psychiatrist on Monday started off my stressful week because she asked me about something I had told her a year or so ago and I had absolutely no memory of it.  At all.  I really wanted to ask if she had the correct patient record in front of her but then she brought up my concussion, asking if the long term effects seem to be gone,  so I assumed she did have the correct record.   Back to the memory thing, that stresses me that there are so many things I should remember but I don't.  A lot of things I remember I wish I would forget.  I get really stressed over normal everyday non-traumatic things people bring up that I do not remember in the slightest.
    My new grandson came home from the hospital.  He is the sweetest, best baby ever and perfect except he has a problem with one foot.  He goes to an orthopedic specialist on Monday. I worry over what the corrective procedure will be and if he has to have a cast how his tender little skin will handle it.  After having a cast myself last year and being warned about not getting a sore under it I worry since his little skin doesn't appreciate diapers against it and breaks out in a tomato red rash with white bumps. Unfortunately, give me something to worry over and I can run with it. 
     Awhile back one of my daughter's mentioned that her washer had died.  The dryer is just as old.  She and her husband have to wear dress clothes to work including mandatory company logo shirts.  They have 4 boys.  They need a washer.  I insisted she take my 3 year old washer and dryer. There is just one of me and 6 of them.  Guess who would have more laundry.  I could take my little bit of laundry to her house and do it. Or to one of my other children's homes. No big deal.  Actually, it is not as generous as it may seem.  I hate that washer and dryer.  When I bought them I thought I needed a front loading HE set.  The dryer was great.  I never loved the washer. With front loading washers you have to run a "wash the appliance cycle" every now and then.  You have to leave the door open so it can air out after running a load (not a problem) and you have to take a cloth and dry out the rubber gasket after each load, and still too often my laundry comes out smelling worse than when I put it in the washer.   Musty.  I just didn't like that washer and have always been mad at myself for buying it.  Still, it sure beat no washer and I would have felt bad every time I saw my appliances sitting there knowing with her family and her work schedule she really needed it so it was no biggy to decide to give it to her.  She understood.  She posted the saying above on facebook shortly after I gave them to her.    The giving was totally unstressful.  The stress this week came when I realized I do need a washer and I had some money put back so I started the hunt for a bargain.  You know how I love a bargain.  I love garage sales but some things I don't want used ... used things with moving parts never work for me.  I wanted new so I could have it installed.  After a relative was almost killed when something flew out of the back of a pickup in front of her on a highway I won't ever again ask someone to move something in their own truck for me. I will let a professional do it in an enclosed truck.  Anyway, while looking at appliance store ads online I found a great deal on a regular top loading washer.  A Maytag, with a little over 4 out of 5 customer review stars, and $200 off making it the same price as the cheapest washers with fewer stars and scary customer reviews such as "do not bring this piece of junk home unless you like water all over your floor." Those cheapest washers were in my price range.  That Maytag sounded great to me so I did an online order for it and the matching dryer.  I paid for it with my debit card because I had the money in the bank to cover it.  I knew I did.  OK fine, no stress yet. Later that day I got an email from the big box store.  "The bank declined your debit card so the order was not processed. Please contact your bank." So I:

• checked bank account online.  Money is there. Amount for washer & dryer had been withdrawn by big box store. Then added back in evidently by big box store.  
• Go to bank. No, bank had no reason to decline. No problem there.
• Go to actual big box store. Buy same appliances.  Compliment them on the dishwasher I purchased a few months ago and how professional the delivery people were who came to my home.  Tell the appliance man all about my online order problem. He gives me additional 10% of my washer/dryer.  Wonderful, I said. Paid for washer/dryer with same debit card. Goes through just fine.
• Next day I get an email. Online order has been resubmitted and deducted from my bank account.  What!? I had enough money for two appliances, not four! They did not say they would be resubmitting the order, they just told me to contact my bank.
• I am hearing impaired and talking to people on the phone just stresses me so I do an online chat. Explain the entire deal, nice man says he can fix it.  I specifically tell him don't cancel my in-store purchase because I want that washer/dryer set at that price the store gave me.  OK. Cancels the online order and says refund will take 5 to 7 days.  What!? I fill out customer comments and tell them by the time they refund my money 7 days later I will have overdrawn fees for one set of washer/dryers because I have now paid for 4 appliances instead of two.
• Later check bank account online and the online order amount has been deducted and added back in a second time.  I am fine. Whew.  Did not take 7 days for them to add it back in.
• Next day the big box store calls me and says corporate has sent me a refund check. Please come to customer service and pick up the check. For what, I say?  From the amount and info she gives me I know they have refunded the amount from my in-store purchase with the extra 10% taken off the total amount.
• Go to big box store.  Very nice man tries to figure out why I now have records showing I have purchased 3 washers and 3 dryers, paid for each, order cancelled, and been refunded for each of the 3 sets this week.  Very nice man really tries to straighten it out, even calling an employee at home to see why corporate would be sending me a check.  He asks her to come back to the store to help straighten this out.  I tell him absolutely not would I ask someone to come back to the store at 6 p.m.  He could talk to her tomorrow.  It was a washer, not like I was waiting on a kidney or something.  I know they will take care of me.  Very nice man says we have been trying to straighten this out now for over an hour. He appreciates my patience and understanding and is going to knock another $100 off my order. Wonderful and Thank You, I say.  After another half hour he thinks he has it all straight and he sells me the same set again,  for the 4th time.  In 4 days. Since the price is now $100 lower than the refund check he gives me money back.  OKAY!  Very nice man calls the delivery people, a second company, to make sure my original delivery date is still good to go.  No, I am not on the schedule for Friday delivery, that got cancelled when my in-store purchase was cancelled.  He tries to fix that but alas, my delivery will be a week later.  Okay. At least I have a washer and dryer coming some day.
• Next day a lady from the big box store calls and leaves a voice mail.  "Please call because we have an online order that has not been paid. Call me to make payment arrangements or we will have to cancel the order." I.should.not.have.any.such.online.order.  Is my head spinning yet????

• Call big box store.  That lady is gone for the day. I ask for that very nice man and I even remember his name is Reuben, from seeing his name tag in front of me for almost 2 hours the evening before.  Reuben gets on the phone.  Reuben, do you remember me? Yes. (how could he not)  I just got a call about an online order....blah blah blah.   Long pause. Finally Reuben says, ohhhh I hope she did not cancel your order we placed last night.  Well, me too.  Reuben assures me he will talk to her tomorrow.  Oh please do.  Do I really expect a washer and dryer to be delivered next week? NO.  But hey, maybe I will get another $100 knocked off.  Pretty soon it will be free!!!  And yes, I am stressed.

       But the real stress that broke the camel's back was this morning.  When I got out of bed, all ready for a big housecleaning day since I am not babysitting the grandkids today, I walked into my living room and I saw something in the floor right in front of "my chair."  My dogs had brought Momma a present in through the doggy door.  For three years I have had a pesky burrowing animal digging up holes in my yard. There, in my house, in front of my chair, on my carpet was a gopher.  Thankfully a dead gopher.  And a dog throwing up over in the corner.  AM.I.STRESSED.NOW????   I took a picture because I wanted to email it to my sister and whine about my pitiful, stressful life and why don't I live on the 3rd floor of an assisted living luxury place with a maintenance man to handle any problems of any kind that arise.   My big sister did not even offer to come over and pick it up for me.  I guess living in the next state is reason enough for some people.  :)   Besides, I had already done the job although I was scared to death it was just playing possum and worried that when I had to get the dustpan and scoot it in a bag that gopher would pop up, bite me, and run hide in my house somewhere, like my bed.  Thank goodness it really was dead.   My daughter asked if I was going to post that photo on my blog.  No, I will spare you.  You are most welcome.  Now, shampooing my carpet is my top priority as soon as I quit flipping out and having my mini-breakdown. That may take awhile.