This past weekend my allergies exploded. As in really exploded, to the point where my eyes started swelling shut and then last night they commenced bleeding. I wanted to make parallels to certain Biblical references but my sense of humor has pretty much failed, as evidenced by me crying and holding frozen washcloths to my eyes, asking Alastair to “Fix it!”, as though he carries tubes of allergy medicines in a holster around his waist or something.

I’ve been back to the doctor today after ringing in sick to work – I worked all day, but the dribbling swollen eyes meatn driving is out of the question, so home I’ve been. The good news is I had a doctor who has prescribed something that (knock on wood) appears to be working. The even better news is I saw a female doctor who sympathized so completely with my raging and horrific eyes that she told me if these meds didn’t work she could hook me up with steroid treatment. I have been hurting so badly that I would consider anything to get better, including but not limited to bathing my head in acid in an attempt to get better (hey whatever works, right?) so I have no problem considering steroids. This morning I had to use both hands to pull my eyelids apart and there are giant burst blood vessels in my eyes, beefy shots are the least of my concerns. What I am concerned about is crying like a baby due to the pain and the fact that the big day is a little over two weeks away and right now there is no amount of photoshopping that can be done to improve my looks.

It got so bad that Alastair took us all off to the seaside on Saturday prior to the big game, to let the sea air help with the pollen. It worked, and all of us had fun.

(I am uber-proud of that photo, I admit.)

In other news, I finally stopped bleeding. Seriously. I was looking at standing still and creating my own Red Sea for a while there, but the bleeding has stopped. Or it stopped only to start again two days ago, which I have discovered is just my period. Only it’s not really like a period, it’s more like a query in time, a “Should I do something about it? Nah?” type of event, the bleeding is so light. Is this the Mirena finally having a positive effect? Time will tell…

I’ve been busy downloading songs. You lot are fantastic in some of your suggestions, thanks for that. Some of you chose some seriously obscure shit, so finding them all has been hard work for a blurry, bloody-eyed chick. But I’ve re-discovered a lot of songs I’ve forgotten (Chicago – my first concert ever! Come On Eileen – fabulous!) As for the playlist, it’s everything you’ve suggested, everything our other guests are suggesting, and lots of faves of our own.

We’re a little over two weeks away now, and getting things ready for the day of the wedding, the big barbecue, and the honeymoon (which currently due to work restrictions, I’ve managed to finagle a measly 4 days. It’s enough – we’re using our last airmiles and an upgrade we got and going as far away as we can on it. We’re off to Antigua…for 2.5 days. What I won’t do for some sun, eh?) We are getting there (and have some 30 bottles of wine in our bedroom to help remind us of what’s to come). Menus are sorted, clothes for all of us but Jeff and Alastair are done, and I have to get off my ass and do something about the hair and makeup because I’m useless with stuff like that (also, the lady who wanted to charge me £200 to do my hair and make-up? Are you high? Are you proposing to do my hair in 24k gold? Are you aware that I have 4 children and a nursery bill to pay?) but progress is being made, like this:

Alastair is building a giant barbecue spit, which will be spit-roasting porcine come the day (I believe it’s called “slow-pulled pork” or some other meat term like that). We’re trying not to stress about the upcoming things to do because it’s supposed to be fun and lots of elements of it are (like us clearing out our freezer by eating our way through it, something else which is also mildly stressful as I’d like to lose a million pounds prior to the big day but hey ho). All in all, if we survived Mirena and can survive pollen, in-laws at war should be the least of our concerns, right?

Oh yes – and something else I should mention. This little blog o’ mine turns 7 tomorrow. I’ve been blogging for 7 years now, which I think officially makes me ancient and one of the long term ones. I feel kinda’ chuffed about it, if I’m honest. It’s like watching my life go off to school now.

-S.