The last two days have been washed in heavy winds. The leaves, just turned golden-yellow, are being stripped off of their branches to accumulate near the front door, where they’re much less pretty. It’s a small thing to be disappointed about, but it seems as though so many things in the world suck right now. For one thing, our Home Depot skeleton, David S. Pumpkins, is constantly buffeted by wind on the seat from which he offers a cheery wave. Every morning, I find him slumped over as if we force him to sleep outside on the park bench, when really, he just doesn’t have the muscle tone to stay upright. What must the neighbors think? He likes it out there, I promise.

You know what else sucks? Depression. I recently had my regular mental health bloodwork done to make sure my lithium level is within the appropriate range, as well as to measure my thyroid function. All is well. Lithium can cause hypothyroidism, which can cause fatigue. We thought it would be worth investigating as a potential cause of my excessive sleeping, but no – that’s just depression. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I don’t have to make adjustments or take new steps to deal with a whole new problem, but reducing my lithium dose or adding a thyroid med sounded like a simpler answer. Instead, the answer is just to carry on treading water in the sea of treatment-resistant depression. Just keep swimming, right?

So, let’s make some teeny tiny inflatable water wings to keep us afloat. Here’s what hasn’t sucked lately.

• My houseplants are doing great. Man, they look healthy.
• I learned how to use my new, short ChuckIt to throw a tennis ball like I’m skipping rocks rather than overhead. (My rodent-obsessed dog prefers to chase things that go along the ground.)
• I unearthed two whole sets of flannel sheets that I forgot I had.
• I swapped out the hummingbird feeder for the regular bird feeder, and it’s becoming quite popular.
• The coyotes woke me up with their howling the other night. I always find it eerily mesmerizing. 7/10 spooky.

What hasn’t sucked for you, lately?