It�s amazing to me how your mood can totally colour your perception. I�m sure if I�d expended even the smallest amount of mental energy on this topic before this past week it would simply have been an interesting few minutes spent on some park bench somewhere or a nice pondering session during the 35-minute drive to my parent�s house. Now, though, it only manages to annoy me.

Last weekend, a friend revealed to me over a pint-tasting session his perception of our friendship. It was an offhand comment, tossed in during an especially aggressive teasing session, but man it stung. Since I was thoroughly enjoying my Harp/Bass/Guinness/Newcastle/Smithwick smorgasbord, I quickly concocted some smartass jokes on the subject so he wouldn�t harsh my beautiful buzz at the time. Sadly, if you�re Anal Like Me, you are physically unable to leave things be. It�s been niggling at me for a week now, fermenting in the portable mental ward that is my cranium; I�m now officially pissed.

So, perception. Before I even get into that, I would like to publicly apologize to everyone I�ve been unspeakably rude to this past week. Two perfectly blameless baristas at Sbux, a gaggle of little boys in the park, the little old lady in the Yukon (who couldn�t even SEE over the steering wheel and what the hell is that, anyway? Is the senior citizen credo �The older we get, the bigger the vehicle�???) and whomever else was unlucky enough to cross my path as I got steadily crabbier.

I�m usually pretty optimistic, so believe me when I tell you I was a mite surprised to find I was actively looking for the bad and the ugly in everything. The rain isn�t good for the lawn, it means I cannot take the dogs for a walk. My income tax refund isn�t good because I�m not going to get it back in time to buy new dishes for my Mother�s Day extravaganza. People are starting to really talk about my business but it doesn�t matter because I�m never going to sell enough to be able to attend JournalCon.

I understand this too shall pass, but it�s really taking its time you know?

I see a few of you out there, shaking your heads and saying, right out loud to the monitor,

�Silly cow, it�s the hormones!�

Rightly so, I�m not about to argue; I don�t have the energy, frankly. And before you start thinking I might actually be preggers, I have other news that would satisfactorily explain the fatigue. Let�s all give a warm welcome to the newest member of our family:

Murphy!

More about this little bruiser in the coming weeks�

Posted at 1:47 p.m.