best of both worlds

my dad was a mechanic and also suffered from terrible allergies. i remember that his pockets were always stuffed with tissues and wads of napkins with assorted restaurant logos, and that he would often roll up some of that paper into a nostril plug for the sake of convenience. my mom's hair always stuck out every which way in the mornings. her bangs would stand up above her forehead like antennae. after getting out of bed, she would always throw on a wool sweater to ward off the chill in the kitchen.

last night i went to bed with wet hair. this morning i woke up unable to breathe after sleeping next to my dog who either suffers from severe alopecia or is somehow being exposed to chemo. i got up, pulled on a sweater, and shuffled into the kitchen. chuck had to leave earlier than usual, so i was too rushed packing lunch to stop and blow my nose every 5 seconds. i wadded up a tissue and plugged.

after chuck left, i returned to bed to get some more sleep, and on the way passed a mirror.

...words cannot describe my horror.