My self-esteem seems to be sliding downward. By a little, not a huge amount. My energy always drops this time of year. I think I’m also depressed about having to return to retail work during the Christmas shopping season.

My best recent Christmas was when I had the whole Christmas season off for my total knee replacement. I really kind of miss those days. Honestly, compared to this year, I’ll take all that physical pain again, over the medical crap I’ve been dealt in 2021. And, let me emphasize, that the knee pain was so bad I expected a baby to come shooting out of my knee at any moment. One of my Walmart bosses, who gave birth three times, had had her knee replaced six months before I had mine, concurred with my description. Yeah, that was preferable to dealing with Christmas shoppers!

Generally speaking, Christmas shoppers can be the lowest life form on the planet. Rudeness mushrooms. More Bibles than usual get stolen from bookstores. But at least, I’m not working in a bookstore anymore. Nothing kills Christmas spirit more than being broke and having to endure working retail.

Yep, it’s a fact, the most stolen book in the US is the Holy Bible. Sad, isn’t it?

Maybe they are stolen by entitled “Christians,” who think their right to own a Bible is greater than that of the business, who had to buy it in the first place, to sell it. Maybe they just believe all Bibles should be free.

So, I’m feeling melancholy; it’s nothing serious. I’m just tired of fighting so many fucking obstacles on so many fronts. All the energy I’m spending on dealing with accident fallout and medical issues, I would rather spend on learning how to advance my writing and finding a decent online, at home job.

But, speaking of medical issues. At about 4:30 pm, I got the best medical news I’ve received all year. Someone from my dermatologist’s office called with the results of a skin biopsy that was done on 11/8. Brooke, the ARNP who did the biopsy, and I were leaning toward it coming back as some form of skin cancer cause that’s been my trend. Factor in that I’m very pale, how’s my luck looking?

It turned out to be an allergic contact dermatitis. Whew! They sent a prescription for a topical steroid to my pharmacy.

That was even better news than my surgical biopsies coming back negative for cancer, or the latest colonoscopy yielding no polyps. Why? because the caveat is, “for now,” and, “we still have to watch it.” So, it’s hard to completely relax about those issues. This time, it feels like more of a relief.

In other news: it’s chilly outside. My air conditioner hasn’t been on all day. It makes my bank account happy. Plus, I just love chilly weather. Bo, however, was not thrilled. I was outside with him twice today and both times after about ten minutes he tried to crawl up my legs cause he was cold. I opened the door and he couldn’t get inside fast enough. Listening to his claws hit the floor was hilarious.

Well, it’s time to check the laundry status and try to see what vittles I can make for dinner. The roomies are working weird schedules today and won’t be home until around 7:30 pm.