I do feel like I'm having a bona fide downswing.


I don't really want to leave my home. It's been too stressful. My entire area has become a driving nightmare. Many NJ drivers are aggressive as it is, but when they start fixing roads, bridges, and power lines, etc., it's downright evil. The people that plan these things have no consideration for people's mental well-being. They start work on many roads at the same exact time. It gets to the point where you have to take 3rd or 4th choice routes to where you want to go because of detours and cops/others directing one-lane traffic. The 3rd and 4th choices are backed up, too. You attempt other ways, even making illegal turns to find another blockage.The aggression gets even worse with people cutting others off, butting in unfairly, honking on horns, tailgating, and even worse. The other day my husband was coming home to work and because he didn't let a man butt in where he shouldn't have, the man pulled up real close to my husband's car at a light and started banging on my husband's car to yell at him. Fortunately, my husband is adequately intimidating to shut such people up. When I've been driving, I find myself literally screaming in my car. I can be aggressive, too. I crank up my radio to full blast and swing loudly or even almost "headbang" to heavy metal music. Middle fingers, etc., are very common. Then you get behind someone doing 25 mph in a 45 mph area with no place to pass.


Dad has been moved to a rehab facility. Kind of a place between the hospital and being able to return home. My sister said that a woman (social worker???) will be talking to all of us about Dad's aftercare. Sis said for me to expect a call. That means I have to answer my phone no matter what. Usually I screen calls because most are robocalls or solicitation calls. Occasionally I get called from people who say "You just called me!" and I hadn't. These criminal robocall people somehow call where it shows a local number, even ones that are actual residential numbers. I once had one man tell me to report it, but there is nothing we can do at this point. People would be be reporting such thing multiple times per day. Politicians have to do something about this! Sometimes the solicitors are even aggressive. Honestly, you are supposed to be in the safety of your own home and you end up having fights with callers. Even "good" solicitors are cocky/aggressive. Once the New York Philharmonic tried calling us to sell a season package and we put our parrot on the phone with him. We left for a bit and came home to find a voice message saying "Your parrot agreed to our season package, so I will need your credit card number to complete the purchase." At least that did make us laugh. Most are not laughing matters.