I am feeling sorry for myself today. I did my coworkers a favor and used a "mental health day". What a stupid name. Why not "head case day" or "leap from a bridge day"? Everyone talks about that seasonal affective disorder. Maybe that's what I'm suffering from. Or maybe I just feel like today my life sucks a little bit. If I'm on my usual emotional roller-coaster ride, I should be doing cartwheels in the front lawn or singing show tunes within the next half hour. Maybe that will help to offset the half gallon of Moose Track ice cream that I just ate straight from the carton.

I'm going to take my therapist's advice and LIST things to get it off my chest. We'll see how that works for me. Here are my reasons for being in a bad mood:

1. I have to do all the yard work myself this year. I have about 30 tall, LEAFY trees in my yard. That equates to about 80 refuse bags full of debris and the City of Cleveland SUCKS at leaf pickup. Last year they waited until after the first big snowstorm. Thanks. It may sound like no big deal, but it's just overwhelming.

2. In addition to the yardwork, and "girl" stuff like laundry, dishes and general cleaning, I also have to do all the "boy" stuff around the house now like taking out the garbage, relighting the furnace pilot and nailing things into the wall. Yes, I know - Gloria Steinem would be highly disappointed in my sexist division of duties.

3. I have no clothes for fall. I should take comfort in the fact that it's because I'm skinny this year, but still. I just about had an anxiety attack yesterday when I had to deviate from my usual jeans and t-shirt work uniform for business casual because of a lunch meeting.

4. I have paperwork. Lots of paperwork. Paperwork I would like someone else to take care of. Ugh.

4. I want a new car just because I'm bored with mine and I can't afford one. Now I'm just grasping at straws...

5. Um, my spray tan is fading and I'm back to pasty...

Yeah, pretty pathetic reasons for being in a bad mood and feeling sorry for myself. I probably just need to snap out of it. Now, if I could only find my Oklahoma! CD...