Yesterday’s horoscope said simply, “There will be complications.” Today’s, “Clear a path around the mess.” Well, complications have come up with the income trust we set up for Mother. The Medicaid case worker neglected to tell us on the front end that it needed to have an effective date of Nov. 1, 2005. So now I get to do it all again. It’s been like this from the beginning. One step forward, two steps back, clear a path around the mess, my ass.

Mike found out yesterday that his latest commission check may get reversed, half of it anyway, due to his client changing her mind before the 30 day free-look is up. His horoscope for Monday said, “Verify what you hear, even if it's from a reliable source. Misinformation is abundant. Also, watch what you say.” Today it’s “Don't take anything for granted. Don't even buy or sell. What you see is not necessarily what you're going to get.” That’s the way it is when you live on commission. It used to bug me when he was so cautious with our money. Now I’m glad he was. An hour later. Yeah, we get to keep the whole amount. It’s like riding a damn roller coaster.

I talked to Mary Ann yesterday to see if Clay and Cooper wanted to go to Ireland with me. Unfortunately, Clay’s grades aren’t good enough for him to take a week off. He’s struggling with math, one of his favorite subjects, but he’s been forgetting to turn in his homework. Poor kid, and poor parents, I don’t know who to feel sorrier for. It’s so frustrating for all. He is really enjoying his saxophone, though. Cooper is playing the Entertainer for piano recital. It’s one of my favorite tunes; in fact, it’s the ring tone on my cell phone.

My joints are aching today, probably because of the damp weather. My ankles are especially sore. I need to take long walks every day so I won’t get too tired in Ireland. Benji and Karen have lots of sight-seeing for us to do. He’s found a source of info on our ancestors and the approximate location of their community. Naturally, he and I are the only ones who care anything about seeing it, but I’m sure we can work something out. He warned me that Pat snores, in case we share a room. According to Mike, I’m the loudest snorer he’s ever heard. Maybe we won’t keep the whole family awake. We’ll be taking the train between several destinations. Benji has never ridden a train. I thought he had.