Sneezing should become a competitive sport. Today is May 8.

Following a night of wild, nonsensical dreams, I woke up feeling cranky and sore. I can’t quite recall what I was dreaming about, but I’m pretty sure it involved mobsters and a cabin in the woods. I’d managed to kick my blankets off during the night, so I was cold and grumpy. Within minutes of waking up, I started sneezing and needing to blow my nose.

I take allergy medication every morning to help alleviate my symptoms, but nevertheless, I went through my fair share of tissues today. If it were up to me we wouldn’t have any window or door open in our house unless absolutely necessary; however, my parents have other ideas. I couldn’t figure out why my allergies were so bad today until I noticed one window in our kitchen (the one directly above a flower bed outside) was cracked, allowing pollen and other allergens to enter the house.

As a way to take my mind off of my sneezing, I decided to bake some cookies. I used my regular chocolate chip and walnut recipe, which I’ve made countless times this semester alone. To entertain myself while I baked, I put on a Spotify playlist of fun music. I ended up dancing around a bit, which in turn resulted in me getting flour on my clothes. I didn’t use as much cinnamon as last time, so the end result wasn’t quite as savory. I also noticed the cookies seemed a bit drier than usual. I’m not sure if I baked them for too long or if I simply added too much flour, but I’m going to figure out what happened so I don’t make the same mistake again.

While the cookies baked in the oven, I cleaned up the mess I’d made in the kitchen. I try to be neat, but I can’t seem to avoid smearing excess flour and dabs of cookie dough on the counter while I work. In addition to washing my own dishes, I also put away the clean dishes in the dishwasher. I am awful at loading the machine, but I don’t mind putting clean items back in the cupboards. By the time the cookies were done baking, I’d managed to de-flour the various countertops and clean up any other areas my mess might have spread to.

Once the cookies had cooled enough to taste, I grabbed a few, poured myself a glass of milk and headed to the living room to watch some Netflix and enjoy my not-so-healthy afternoon snack. For some reason I’ve been rewatching my favorite episodes from shows I’ve finished, such as The 100 and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I know that’s probably not the best use of my time, but because I already know what’s going to happen I can let my mind wander and do a little daydreaming while watching the shows.

For dinner tonight my family and I decided to support Flat Branch Pub & Brewing once again. We have long enjoyed meals at the restaurant, so I’m glad we are doing our part to help the business stay open. The food was delicious and so filling I wasn’t able to eat my whole meal in one sitting. I’m planning on finishing off my leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I’m planning on spending time studying for my Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB and AP Literature and Composition tests tomorrow. I don’t have much time left before my tests, so I have to make each day count.

“If I could describe happiness to you, I wouldn’t choose words.” ― Alexandra Vasillu