And this horrid month will be gone. I apologize if I worried any readers with my lack of a post, but going through February is an all-consuming activity. Usually if there are no traumas, like say, cancer, or operations, or pain, or death, there is usually an onslaught of minor but many bad luck occurences and/or broken appliances to deal with. This February, has been one of those.

I have a man digging up my cool decking in the back yard next to the pool. WHY, you may ask? Due to a main waterline that broke, that feeds the pool. This was discovered after a month, with a note and a $500.00bill for water usage. The note, of course, said we were using a gallon per minute, which is three times the amount we usually use.

We have been busy watching TV in our bedroom, since our equivalent of Tivo(known as the Cox DVR) just quit working, for no reason, and, of course, we had to wait until this morning to get a technician out to “fix it.”

Last night was a fun-filled evening of trying to rid our computer system of a Trojan that had been attached to our computer.  I have no idea who this was compliments of, but gee-golly, Thanks! (ad sarcasm) We were looking for an extra way to spend $30.00 for the MacAfee technician from India to scan the system and remove the trojan. As it was a fairly benign trojan as far as trojans go, I guess I should consider us lucky, huh?

This morning, while having my first cup of coffee, I clicked over to my flickr site, as I’m wont to do, when looking to download some photos. To discover that it had been hacked, or bugged, or there was a glitch, whatever-the-fuck you want to call it. In the place of my G-rated family-photos was a photo of a naked woman, one of a scary castle, and many, many, many other weird photos in the place of my family ones. Of course, there can be many explanations for this, and as soon as you think of one, let me know.

I’m well aware that there are a few of my friends who have my password, and if this was any of their idea of a prank, during this month, I’d have to say I don’t find it the least bit funny. (Although I don’t believe any of them would pull stunts like this)

A good portion of my February-Curse is nothing more than an over-emotional superstition. Granted, backed up by consistent and several occurrences during the month of February. But the driving factor is and always has been my emotional problems with more than a couple of these traumatic events.

Things like the wonderful gift my first husband gave me on Valentines Day. Oh, I didn’t mention it? Two black eyes and bruises from head to toes. Or worrying myself sick as my mother went under the knife to have a double mastectomy for her breast cancer. Or when we got the news that Paul had prostate cancer. How bout that lovely February when I writhed in pain with a bulged disc while my doctor tried to decide whether there was anything seriously wrong with me. Or the Valentines Day when husband number two was hit head on by a drunk driver while he went in search of last-minute flowers to give to me at work. There were no flowers, but Valentines Day that year was a bit expensive. Especially since the drunk-driver didn’t see the necessity of carrying auto insurance.

I KNOW this February curse in nothing but irrational over-emotional superstition. Does it make it any easier to deal with knowing this? I’m afraid not. If it’s going to break, it will be in February. Unfortunately that includes the humans in and around my life as well.

The flickr account fiasco cost me about a dozen photos that I felt compelled to remove, due to the rating and oddness of the ones that were put into my site. Last night’s Trojan? Just cost us $30.00 and and an evening of trying to remove it ourselves, before getting hold of said technician.

In closing, I apologize to those who may feel slighted by my lack of posts or communication. But even if we try and put a light humor to my battle with the February curse, for me it exists, all too real and full of emotional nuance.

I have done my best to take each day of this month as it comes. Regarding broken appliances and such as just part of life. Thanking God, none of my loved ones are sick right now.

And to the author/authors of the computer Trojan and the “Flickr-prank”: I hope it gave you all the fun-filled laughter and enjoyment I’m sure you were looking for. Who would have thunk that a Trojan and a cheap hack job to my photo album could occur within 24 hours of each other. Actually 12 hours. It’s almost enough to make a skeptic superstitious.