That last little bit

Challenge: Make a New Year’s resolution that’s gentle on yourself and will help keep your mind and/or body relaxed, happy, and refreshed.

I have two ideas for this interesting and thought provoking challenge. The first would be less stress from other people's drama. I'm just not going to let other people's problems become my problems, within reason.

I don't have a problem with helping someone in need, but I know that can be taken advantage of. Some people will happily dump their problems off on you, and then do little or nothing to find solutions themselves.

These same people will then try to pressure and guilt-trip you when quick solutions aren't forthcoming. Their obsessive problem has somehow become your problem.

Well, guess what? It's not my problem. I'll help you out if a can but I'm not going to stress over it. Not anymore. It's your problem, you deal with it the best you can. Good luck.

There is also another kind of drama creator that I'm just not going to let get under my skin. These people will create problems just to create problems. Let me give you an example:

I walk to the ATM at a local bank. It's at a drive-through island, so you have to wait for the cars or risk getting ran over. One day, I walked through the parking lot and used the the short path between two bushes at the end of the parking lot. Everyone who walked to that ATM used that path. How else would the path have gotten there in the first place?

When you emerge from the bushes you'll find yourself standing on the curb about twenty feet from the ATM. There was a car there so I waited. When that car left, it was my turn but I notice another car coming so I continued to wait, just to be nice.

That woman started to make her transaction but then noticed me standing there at the curb, between two bushes, and about twenty feet away. She instantly stopped her transaction and sped away, whipping me the finger as she went by.

OK, I guess she might have thought I was going to rob her or something. I get it.

The next day, my friend who works at a nearby convenience store, the one that I walk to everyday, sometimes after also using the nearby ATM at the bank on the way, told me the cops were in there earlier asking about someone in a gray hoodie who was lurking up at the bank's ATM.

"Oh really? Well, you tell that cop I was that person and that lady whipped me the finger while I was being so kind as to let her jump line in front of me!"

He thought it was pretty funny and I'm sure he told the cop, because the next day the cop was parked in the convenience store parking lot, standing by his car as I approached.

He just grinningly smiled at me and I just grinningly smiled back at him. We both knew what was going on and not a word was exchanged. We walkers have paths, you know? How do you think those paths got there in the first place?

Three weeks later, my dog got loose and went for a run around the neighborhood, with me chasing after him. Now, Brucie, my dog, won't let you catch him. He'll slow down enough to let you catch up, but once you do, he'll take that as a green light to run another 100 yards down the road.

To catch Brucie you have to go home and get the car, drive up beside him, and open the door. He'll jump right in since the only thing he loves more than running around the neighborhood is car-riding around the neighborhood with his head out the window.

So, Brucie is running down the street, I'm jogging after him 100 yards behind. There is a fat woman walking her much tinier dog on a leash. Brucie runs up to them because he loves everyone. She's startled and jumps back. Brucie sees she isn't interested in being friends and just continues running.

Five or six seconds later, I reach the woman at the spot of the encounter. I smile and say hello as I jog past. It was the same woman who whipped me the finger at the ATM. No big deal. I'm more interested in catching my dog than having words with her.

Over a month later, I'm reading the town's monthly council meeting minutes online. The minutes are always a month behind because they have to be approved before they get posted. That woman went to council and told them my vicious pitbull chased her and her little dog down the street. Note: He's really an American Staffordshire Terrier who loves everyone, including other dogs.

"Oh my fucking gawd, lady!!! My dog did not chase you down the street! If he did, there is no way you'd out run him! I doubt you could run your fat-ass more than twenty yards before ya keeled over!

Fuckin' bitch!... and you didn't have to whip me the finger, either, when I was just standing there patiently waiting on you! And then call the cops?!? Fuck you, neighbor!"

#1 - I resolve not to let other people's drama stress me out. I will just try to be nice and ignore them as best that I can. Fuckin' bitch... Note: it is still 12/31 as I write this, so that last little bit doesn't count, yet.

Alrighty then, let's move on to resolution #2. This one will be to actually sleep better by getting better mattresses. Thanks for the idea, Lull.

My mattresses are over ten years old. They were cheapies to begin with and I've noticed they could use an upgrade.

My 91 year old father, a Korean War veteran, lives here with me. It's just me and him. I take care of him because he doesn't want to go to a home.

I honestly think he would be better off there, instead of having an unskilled caretaker like me, but if he wants to stay with me he can for as long as I can at least provide minimal care. Especially now with Covid blasting through care-homes.

He takes seizures; the steps down to the shower are starting to become challenging; the situation is slowly deteriorating. We can manage for awhile longer, though.

During the summer of 2020 he developed a rash in some very inconvenient places. I tried everything to get the rash to go away. I took him to the doctor and got prescription ointment, changed diet a little, changed laundry detergents, did daily washing - everything I could think of.

One of the things I did was to switch rooms with him, switching beds as well. He got my former bed and I got his. I was thinking maybe there was something in the room causing the eternal rash. I immediately noticed my former bed was a lot more comfortable than his.

I never did get my former room and bed back. When I get up in the morning out of his old bed I tend to be a little stiff and sore. I've also notice my old mattress is starting to sag along the edge in the spot where my father likes to sit while watching TV. I worry that he'll get off balance from that and end up on the floor. I don't think he'd be able to get up by himself.

So, needless to say, I think a mattress upgrade is in order. I was thinking of actually going somewhere and buying really good ones this time, but on my budget I don't think that will be happening. I'll most likely end up with cheapies again.

#2 - I resolve to spend every penny of this challenge's Grand Prize money on new mattresses from Lull if I am fortunate enough to win. Whoa! I know what you're thinking, 'How shameful of you to try to bribe the judges with a sob story like that! How dare you! It's outrageous!'

Well, you know what? Fuck you, if you got a problem with it. Refer to Resolution #1. It's true - and remember, it's still only 12/31 here so I don't have to be that kinder, calmer, gentler self just yet. That last little bit doesn't count, yet.

We will be needing one Queen and one Twin, Luxe Hybrids, please. Maybe a Full instead of the Twin, I don't know, I'd have to do a little measuring to see if it would fit. We'll be needing the Mattress Foundations with legs too, all of it, whatever $2500 will get us. Thanks. Happy New Year!