The reason I look this way

I try to avoid being the martyr mom, I really do. I just want you to know, if you see me today, why I look the way I do...

I went to the doctor on Wednesday and said, "I think I have bronchitis" and he listened for half a second and said, "your lungs are clear"... even though I was coughing. "must be drainage... probably allergies"... and he pretty much sent me on my way.

Last night I was up most of the night coughing. I'm only NOT coughing when there is a cough drop in my mouth. I'm sick of cough drops. Subsequently... I feel pretty rotten, you know, tired, back aching from the coughing, eyes weak, sick to my stomach.

Austin spent the night with his married friend last night - more on that later - and so this morning, before the washing machine repair man came - I had to change the litter box. Changing the litter box and the subsequent sweeping of the floor - give me the worst muscle spasms in the world.

Oh... but in order to change the litter box... I had to go to the store and get cat litter... which I had to get down off the top shelf... put it in my cart...put up on the checkout line... put in my cart... put in my car... carry in the house... so I was already having muscle spasms before I actually changed the litter box.

So. Back to Austin's spend the night party. Austin asked if I would "let him have a party for graduation"... and I told him no... that there was no way I was sponsoring anything illegal, there was no way I was spending money on that type of party... there was no way I was allowing that in my house.

I gave him a money card yesterday for graduation. It was meant to be his emergency money for when I'm not around. That was my first mistake. My second mistake was taking him to his friend's house yesterday afternoon.

The agreement was that I would pick him up between noon and two today. I started texting him at noon. I started calling at one. I went to his friend's house at two.

Friend's mom... you know, the mom who had her son arrested for domestic violence about this time last year, which was why married friend wasn't a problem last summer - he was in jail... she met me in the driveway. Apparently she thought - because Austin told her - that it was OK with ME for him to have a "party" for graduation. Last night. The day before graduation. Despite the fact that Austin is 18.

And apparently... what she bought for this underage "adult" was so potent that he got stinking drunk... you know, falling down, pooping himself, throwing up all over the place drunk... to the extent that he ruined carpet, mattresses, etc in her house.

And apparently... it was to such an extent that he is no longer welcome there (thank God for that)... and in addition... she is kicking her own kid out as soon as he sobers up.

So if you see me today... or if you see pictures of me... and my hair is frizzy... it's because I stood out in the heat and humidity waiting for my kid to drag his hungover self out of her house.

And if my legs are swollen and red... it's because I had ants crawling all over me while I stood in her backyard screaming at my "kid" to get up and get himself together.

And if I'm hoarse... it's because I had to raise my voice for reasons other than to cheer my child's accomplishment today.

And if it seems like I have a headache... it's name is Austin.

And if I have about three times as much grey hair as I had the last time you saw me... that's why.

And if my lips are chapped and my tongue has teeth marks... it's because I nearly bit my tongue in two to keep from telling this lunatic what I thought of her.

Because at that moment... my one objective was to get my kid and his belongings out of her house. And when I got him home... my one objective was to get that nasty smell off of him. And for the rest of the afternoon, instead of celebrating his accomplishment... I'm going to be sick to my stomach knowing that THIS is what he does when he gets a couple of miles away from me, much less a few hours away.

Soooo, if you would, cut me a little slack today. I'm sorry if this is too much information but you know... I've always kept it real here.