No wonder I've been having trouble breathing! This was in my HOUSE!!!! The hub discovered it this morning. It's the back side of a pegboard that he took off of the wall in the basement. Apparently, even though the basement is dry, there was just enough moisture for this life form to colonize and make my life miserable.

Mold, especially this black stuff, I don't know what you call it - is THE trigger for my asthma. Not stress, not ciggerette smoke, not even so much other allergies ( which is good, on account of I'm allergic to everything, including dust and grass)....but it was a colony of mold exactly like this one that practically had me living in the doctor's office two summers ago. It's bizzare. I'm not afraid of any of the creepy things that many girls are afraid of, such as spiders or rodents, but this stuff, that can't even move has a real power to do me harm. So, the poor Hub had to take it clear to the end of the yard and then disinfect the whole area with liberal amounts of bleach. Honestly, I'm like one of those inconvenient women from the Middle Ages, "My Last Duchess", "I gave comands. All smiles stopped together" - just stick me in a moldy old tower and that would be the end of me!

Anyway, the other thing that happened this morning....

was that my Dad stopped by. Rational and practical, he is still one of the most surprising people on the planet. The other day I stopped by to see him to keep him informed with the progress of my attempted self employment. I figure that if he sees me regularly he'll know I'm not starving to death or something. I told him all about the prototypes, and where I had dropped off flyers in paperboxes. I told him I felt that the flyers were sort of a long shot on account of most people, especially County people, would rather have some kind of recommendation before letting somebody into their home. I said I felt that my first lead might come through someone I met in the course of establishing the business - say, someone I met at the insurance office. Dad asked if I had considered advertising in the County Times, and I said I had, but, from what I could see it was expensive, - though, of course, it would target customers who can read!

I talk about all kinds of things with Dad. The prototypes, the weather, the cost of gasoline, whether or not Bigfoot exists. He has turned into one of those wise old guys who listens to whatever the hell you're talking about then asks practical questions so that, if you haven't asked yourself the same thing already then it strikes you as a good thing to think about. So when he asked me to leave him a flyer "just one" I thought he just meant to pass it on to someone he knows without getting my hopes up and I didn't give it any more thought.

Today he came by with a receipt for a one inch by one inch advertisement in the County Times to start running on 4/23, which he promptly stuck back in his shirt pocket "It's a gift. It's your birthday present. " My birthday is in October. I gave him a big hug. I was certainly very grateful to him, since I couldn't see my way clear to part with that much money at this point in the venture. But it was the last thing I expected.

As usual, he wouldn't stay, wouldn't sit down, wouldn't have a cup of tea. Probably he doesn't feel like getting slimed by the dog, who adores him. He stood in the kitchen doorway talking to The Hub about his business and how in the hell a chinchilla can get into the floorboards to begin with ( that repair being one of The Hub's upcoming jobs).

Meanwhile I'm thinking: Holy Moses! I don't have all of my brochures ready, my questionaire written ( so people can check off the services they need. Kind of like ordering sushi) the portable vaccuum cleaner I would have to take with me makes a truly frightening sound ( We have a really good whole house vaccuum system that came with the place - it was, coincidentally, previously owned by another red haired athsmatic) Moreover, if I had known he was going to do that I would NOT have taken a temporary work assignement through Kelly Services that starts tomorrow, but dedicated my time to making sure all my paperwork and equipment were ready to go.

But, ready or not, the County is about to be told: All Around the House Unlimited is in business!