What's Happenin'

• It's water day, and I'm catching up on almost one month's worth of laundry I have not been able to do, because our top loading American-made washing machine went ka-put on us. I have been divvying up some of my laundry, especially the whites, and sending them to mom-in-law's on her water day; the rest, I'm sorry to say, we've done by hand. All of the ropa anterior and kids' uniforms have been scrubbed by nearly prematurely arthritic hands and eczemaed skin. Ouch is right. What I was left with was a mess of towels, because I will not put that burden on the mom-in-law, nor will I ever attempt to wash them by hand. Unless, maybe, I'm a Survivor contestant.

• Jolly (not) Maytag--I mean Gibson--repair man finally came, couldn't smoke and drop ash on my kitchen floor because he was fasting, and replaced the part at the tune of 100 JD, so I'm back in washing business. But only on water day.

• Felix McRatson, Jr., has met his sticky demise. I am still working on my husband about the need for a cat. I do not want a Jordanian street cat. I want a fluffy white squash-faced Persian who won't walk through the mud or rip out my window screens. I want a cat who cares about her appearance. I want a cat who displays just enough attitude, but not too much to make me want to drive 15 miles away and leave it on the side of the road. Is that too much to ask?

• I have a chest cold. It's the kind that comes on suddenly and makes me feel as if I've been inhaling noxious fumes for several days. I have a burning, itching sensation in my throat and a non-productive (go ahead and say "phlegm" because you are surely thinking it) cough. I took some cold meds at night, so of course I slept through suhoor (a.m. meal before fasting) and thus did not wake up my husband or any of our prodigy. Blame it on the chest cold, mama's ill.

• Tonight I'm making sesame chicken.