Have you ever tried to write a column when you are crabby? Have you ever tried to write anything when you are crabby?

I woke up with a crabby attitude this morning. I don’t know why. Maybe it was the dream I had during the night. I was visiting my cousin in California and for some reason I was left to walk home from somewhere. I ended up on a path that led me to someone’s house. In my dream, I didn’t know these people, but I recognized the house. In my dream, I knew that I had visited these people before on a former visit with my cousin. I was lost and she wouldn’t pick me up. I had to find my way to her home in the middle of Los Angeles.

I guess a dream like that would make anyone crabby. I have no idea why I had the dream as my cousin Marilyn would never leave me to fend for myself in an unknown city. I guess I can use that dream as an excuse for my crabbiness. After all we can’t be in a good mood all the time, and I’m not. However this morning I could feel the crabbiness oozing out of my bones. I could feel the crabbiness squeezing out of my eyes. I could feel the crabbiness in every step that I took. I really didn’t know why. It just was.

So I guess I will list all of the reasons that I could be crabby. They always tell you that it helps to get your thoughts on paper and then you will feel better.

I am crabby because the elections are over, and I will no longer receive so much junk mail from wannabe winners. I am crabby because the elections are over, and I won’t receive so many phone calls trying to convince me to vote for the caller’s candidate. I am going to miss all that mail and all those phone calls! I am crabby because it was gorgeous out today, and I couldn’t wear my winter coat. Where are the wind and the rain and the snow? Didn’t someone tell the weather it is November?

I am crabby because the gas prices are so low. My checkbook just can’t take it when I don’t spend enough of its money on gas. I am crabby because my husband cooked dinner tonight. I was just getting used to eating my burned vegetables. I am crabby because I didn’t wake up with a headache this morning. My ice bag in the fridge will get lonely. I am crabby because my coffee pot didn’t leak all over the counter today. Doesn’t it know it was going to get a rest and be replaced?

Of course. I hope you know I am kidding when I am listing my reasons for being crabby. The problem was that I really could not find any reason in my life to be crabby today. I could not list any valid reasons for being crabby. I did not have a good reason to be crabby.

Does that ever happen to you? We wake up in the morning and the crabbiness jumps out at us. There is no good reason for our mood. It is just there and we have to go with it.

The problem with our “just there” crabbiness is that we take it out on those we love. Ask my husband what happened when he tried to peer over my shoulder to sneak a peek at this column. Ask Sambo what happened when he tried to hide his bone in my couch. The crabbiness ooze, oozed at those I love.

Sitting down and writing did help. It helped me see that there were so many reasons to be happy. The elections are over. Gas prices are down. I have a great meal to eat tonight. It was a gorgeous, beautiful fall day. I didn’t have to use my ice bag to get rid of my headache this morning. I also started the day with a great cup of coffee. Of course, I did not see these things until later in the day.

Maybe we should take a day to be crabby at intervals in our life. Maybe we should lock ourselves away and crab for a day. Maybe we should allow ourselves the luxury of knowing it is all right to crabby and get it all out if we don’t hurt anyone in the process.

I don’t know the answer to crabbiness. I just know it is hard to write a column when I am crabby. I give you permission to be crabby today. Of course, you don’t need my permission just your own. Let’s be crabby together. Remember sometimes crabs are fab.

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send e-mail to her at thecolumn@bevcomm.net.