Thursday, June 25, 2009
Just a bit giddy....
My XH is back in jail. 
The foremost reason is for contempt of court orders to pay child support, at over $10,000 behind, was set up on a payment plan when he last got out of jail, in December, was supposed to go back to court here every month for at least 6 months until he showed promise that he was going to be making the payments on time each month. He made the December payment. January his paychecks were garnished for the amount owed that month, he quit his job at the end of January "because he couldn't live off the money he was left with after having his check garnished". He did not show up for court in January as ordered...nor since... At the end of February a payment was made...nothing since. In January, when it was found out he'd quit his job & missed that court date he told the child support case worker that he made the payment and therefore had no intention of going to court.
And has since evaded her.
Of course he's also a registered sex offender (against a 5 year old girl) so it wasn't hard for them to find him to pick him up...but on the flip side of that my case worker found out where he's currently working...well, rather who he's working for. He's working in the same line of work that he was doing when he attempted to molest that little girl - door to door sales.
...A job he's not supposed to be holding. 
I have an appointment with the DA tomorrow anyways about the neighbor kid ongoing saga thing....I believe I'll be expanding on that appointment. 
I'm chuckling.
The man deserves to be buried under the jail, but I suppose, for the time being, the jail being in the basement of the courthouse, it'll do.
The foremost reason is for contempt of court orders to pay child support, at over $10,000 behind, was set up on a payment plan when he last got out of jail, in December, was supposed to go back to court here every month for at least 6 months until he showed promise that he was going to be making the payments on time each month. He made the December payment. January his paychecks were garnished for the amount owed that month, he quit his job at the end of January "because he couldn't live off the money he was left with after having his check garnished". He did not show up for court in January as ordered...nor since... At the end of February a payment was made...nothing since. In January, when it was found out he'd quit his job & missed that court date he told the child support case worker that he made the payment and therefore had no intention of going to court.
And has since evaded her.Of course he's also a registered sex offender (against a 5 year old girl) so it wasn't hard for them to find him to pick him up...but on the flip side of that my case worker found out where he's currently working...well, rather who he's working for. He's working in the same line of work that he was doing when he attempted to molest that little girl - door to door sales.
...A job he's not supposed to be holding. I have an appointment with the DA tomorrow anyways about the neighbor kid ongoing saga thing....I believe I'll be expanding on that appointment. I'm chuckling.
The man deserves to be buried under the jail, but I suppose, for the time being, the jail being in the basement of the courthouse, it'll do.
Ying & Yang
Brian's quite the pessimist, and I'm not lightly saying that, whereas on the other hand I'm realistically optimistic. I can always seem to find a way either around a situation, through a situation, how to fix it, whatever, its never the "end of the world, I'm a failure" in my way of getting through things...Brian on the other hand, something goes wrong or not quite the way envisioned he's the "biggest failure to walk the earth". And that becomes our biggest falling out between us, it always ends in a fight or us not speaking to each other politely, such along those lines.
Our main ongoing "crisis" is this house. Sadly around here there isn't a lot of houses, period, that shouldn't be condemned around here either for rent or in our price range to buy. This place isn't on the "should be condemned list" but its also not a "nice" house. It fits my basic qualifications of a good sound starter house, with potential to be added onto & fixed up very nicely. Brian on the other hand thinks he's failing us because we're not living in some 2000+sq ft house.
I have nothing against the fact that he wants to do better than how we're sitting now, in fact I think that's great, that means he's willing to work at improving and has goals. The bad part of that is he feels that this bigger & grander things are something that one should start with, as opposed to starting at the "bottom-rung" and working one's way up. He's only been working on going up this ladder for two years, I think he's doing great, truth be told.
Two years ago he was unemployed and living in my apartment, sleeping on my couch, now he's getting ready to celebrate two years with the same company (a feat he'd never accomplished due to medical issues & psycho family issues). We own, free & clear, two vehicles that are less than 7 years old. We are buying this house & it'll be paid off 100% in roughly 7 years. The house is well furnished. Bills are all paid & on time, every month (well insurance seems to end up falling late by 1-2 days more often than not because of his paydays, but still). We're never lacking any real necessity, yes things get a bit tight a few days before payday & I end up getting "creative" with meals and the like, but none of us have missed a single meal because of there being "no food". Kids both have good looking clothes that fit. There really is no room for us to complain about anything in any of those departments, IMO. Some negatives : We now live in the basic middle of nowhere, in Oklahoma, close to my family, next to a very, basically, impoverished town. The school system has gotten a LOT better in the last few years, but it seriously needs a LOT of help. Our house barely scrapes by with having roughly 1000 sq ft, one bathroom, two small bedrooms, small kitchen, tiny living room, etc.... We also have some annoying electrical issues & water well issues. Not to fail to mention the neighbors. Oh, and Brian has worked his way from making $7.25 an hr to $8.40 an hr, at 40(ish) hrs a week.
On the flip side of that two years ago we were living in a brand new apartment, as in we were the first people to of ever lived in it, brand new. It was in a posh neighborhood, just outside of Austin, TX, inside the school district of one of the best districts in Texas. I went from making $7.00 an hr to making $10.25 in less than a year at the company I was working for, and was getting ready to be switched to a salaried position that started at $2500 a month, plus bonuses. The apartment was a little over 1100 sq ft..had two very large bedrooms, two full baths, two AWESOME walk-in closets, a large storage closet, a separate "closet" for the washer & dryer, small, but decent kitchen, with a dishwasher, breakfast bar, dining area, & HUGE living room, 11 ft ceilings, ceiling fans in each room, CH/A, city water, very close to everything, but tucked back in such a way that we didn't have much traffic in that area. The pool was (literally) right out our door, there was a playground at the other end of the complex, right next to Mikeal's best friend's apartment, a huge field type area between the pool & playground, with all the building in a O basically around the play areas so completely devoid of any possible danger from traffic. The negatives : our (one) car was on loan to us from a friend of Brian's while he was gone to Iraq. The rent was $300 more than what we're paying here each month. The bills were RIDICULOUS. The neighbors above us thought that from the hrs of 12am-5am was a great time to play basketball in the bedroom & living room. "Friends" were always needing some short time help & needed a place to crash for a while so they could get back on their feet...aka until I kicked them out. We were 600 miles from the closest family member. Then right after I got pregnant with Mikaila I started getting very sick & in SEVERE pain and was barely able to manage getting out of the fetal position, much less keep up the pace of working, on my feet, 50-80 hrs a week just to almost break even, falling further & further behind each month, especially after having mooching roommates, my dad dying, then gobs of medical expenses - Brian's scripts then were running roughly $1500 a month, plus about $400 a month in dr visits and blood work, plus my prenatal visits & ER visits, all at about the same time.
Then came the time that I could no longer keep up with it and so we packed up everything & moved in with my mom for a few months, then into one of the "slum, should be condemned" trailer houses, then into this place. Brian got off his medications & went to work here and we've worked our way up, rather quickly, IMO. We gave the car back to his friend, he bought an older truck that needed a lot of work, as well as a car that also needed a lot of work. We then sold the car, after my FIL gave us a minivan that he had nothing really invested in (he's a car dealer, of sorts) after the van was totaled we bought my current 02 car with the insurance payout, then with our income taxes he bought his 03 truck & sold the old one. Here in the next month or two we're likely going to be trading the car straight across for a minivan or his truck straight across for a quadcab that we can all ride in, instead of just two being able to ride in the truck, total...we won't know until my FIL comes out here.
Brian sees a lot of this as failure on his part. He grew up basically without knowing any real struggles, his parents weren't well off, but they were comfortable enough that they were able to make regular trips to Disney, Chicago (from Alabama) and the like, and so for him to be where he is now, with a family, a young family at that, he feels he's failing us because we aren't able to buy designer clothing, the house is what it is, etc.
On the other hand...I grew up dirt stinking poor. I was lucky if the hand-me-downs weren't *too* worn out, I got a new pair of shoes at the beginning of the school year, then again after the tax return check came in...they were always cheap shoes, never more than $10, if they were that "expensive". The house we lived in from the time I was 5 until I was 12 did not have an ounce of plumbing in it...my parents had been given the land by my grandparents, but the money to build the house ran out before the house was done, not enough money to have ea well dug, & just barely out of city limits for city water. The house was heated with a wood stove in the winter & cooled with a couple of box fans in the windows. It was a decent sized house, 3 bdrm, 2 (potential) baths, the works. Until I was 10 the walls were nothing more than some sheets between the bedrooms....sheetrock in the main living areas. We did have a bit of a farm, we raised & bred exotic birds, chickens, rabbits, goats, geese, ducks, pigs, and horses a few times, & sold down to nearly nothing quite often just so that food could be put on the table, for 4 kids....my mom was 24 when my baby brother was born, my dad 26. They struggled, but a lot could also be said that a lot of it they brought on themselves being young & unlearned about how to budget & the like & being overindulgent on some of their wants. But my dad also had a lot of health problems that kept him out of work more often than not as well, so I started stepping in to help out when I was 8. I'd spend my summers picking blueberries at a blueberry farm up the road, for $2 a gallon, eventually I started doing work at the day care that we'd go to so that mom & dad could get a decent discount there as well, I'd do dishes, scrub floors, help in the kitchen, & sit with the younger kids during their nap time or playtime, etc. Mom & Dad ended up selling the house because of "neighbor issues" (my uncle whom my mother DETESTS! moved right next to us, on his allotted property) and moved in with my dad's parents. My Papa was an OTR truck driver & my Granny was an amputee diabetic, so it made decent sense to move that direction so that someone was close to her while he was on the road, no other family lived close by at that time....they all moved into this area within a few years.
Things started going well again for them (mom & dad) and life was comfortable again. Eventually that started going to the crapper too because Granny & Papa moved into town after he was no longer able to drive truck due to an injury & her health was getting pretty bad, so it was best for them to sell their farm & move to the city. My dad still suffered with his health issues, when he was 32 he had his first major heart attack, in 16 years, (his first, only up til this time, was when he was 16) It was finally discovered that he had a pretty severe heart condition & was back to being in and out of work, as his health would allow. I went back to work, first babysitting & mowing lawns, then once I was licensed to drive I worked full time through high school, while taking vocational classes & college courses, to help support my parents & siblings.
So to sum it up, I'm completely ABSOLUTELY aware of what "hard times" or "failing" is about. My parents "failed" because where they were making GOOD money they were also spending it faster than they were making it on gambling. Brian is NOT failing. He is honestly working his way up, we're staying out of debt doing it, our children are not suffering, I'm not suffering, I'm blissfully happy.
But because the electrical is something less than desirable in this house (I swear some complete idiot wired it) and to pay someone to come out professionally and basically redo it is going to cost roughly $4,000 (according to one estimate) he feels he's a failure...flip side of this, one of my cousins, who doesn't live far from here, is a certified electrician, I *might* be able to get him to do it for about half that price...and a VERY dear friend of mine here in town was an electrician in his former (un-retired) life and might just do it for the cost of materials and some good fried chicken. If worse comes to worse on all of that I know enough about wiring, etc that I'd crawl into the attic and do it myself...once the temps are back closer to the 60s, and take care of it for about $500, if that. I am NOT going to subject anyone into crawling up there before then, even the guy who said $4000, even if I had the money to hand to him today, I wouldn't do it, its too hot!
Another point of his "failure" in his eyes is our water well....again, another one of those COMPLETE idiot done jobs, it doesn't keep it's prime, so if you use "too much" water you have to mess with it to get it to prime back up and start pumping water into the house again. I've been doing a lot of research online about it and from what I've been able to find the only real issue with it there is a possible leak in one of the pipes, causing air to get into it & losing pressure that way, also the bladder for the well isn't set up properly, so there isn't enough good suction to keep the water in the bladder, OR/AND the pipe is too long for the above ground pump & it needs a submersible pump put on the bottom of the pipes in the well. To hire someone to come out and fix any/all these problems could run around $2000, including the price of the sub pump. But if we start, one step at a time & do it ourselves : moving the bladder to where it should be will *maybe* cost us $20. Pulling the pipe out to check for leaks & possibly replacing all of it & the foot valve *might* cost us $100...and if we do that we might as well put in a sub pump while the pipe is out, so one of those ranges from $200-$800 (not sure what kind I'd need). I can't see where a bit of an "inconvenience" once in a while is a failure on Brian's part....its something that can be fixed & if it wasn't going to be over 100* this weekend I'd in the very least get started with the moving of the bladder tank while he was off work & maybe even pull up the pipes to see if they are too long for the pump, or if maybe the foot valve needs to be replaced, & if that doesn't completely solve our problem we can deal with staying on our schedule of spacing showers, dishes, cleaning, filling the kiddie pool for another 6 months until we can buy the sub pump.
The septic...again, another one of those COMPLETE idiot jobs, they ran the lateral line at a bit of an up hill slope or they only ran 20 ft of line out so there isn't good drain for that & it puddles up a bit, that's going to cost me $3 per 10ft of line & a few hours outside with a shovel & pick. ...Again, another of those things that will have to wait until its not quite so hot outside.
Most of these things I could of already had done and taken care of had it not been for the fact that Brian does work a lot to provide for us & I've had a young infant to care for. Now that she's a toddler I have a bit more freedom of what I'm able to do & I'm more comfortable with asking someone to watch the kids for me for a few hours if I have to so that I can get this stuff done. But in Brian's eyes, he's a failure because his wife is planning on doing these things herself because, according to him, he can't afford to have someone come out and do it. He fails to realize that I grew-up doing these things. I've dug out a septic tank & lateral line. I've helped with wiring houses. I have a plethora of information at my fingertips with just the click of a mouse & push of a few buttons. I took construction classes at a vocational center. I've done construction type work since I was Mikeal's age. Further, Brian's not completely ignorant of these things either, sure I understand that there's a lot not to like about "having" to do it, and I know he doesn't get a lot of time off from work, but these are all things that together we can actually do ourselves, if we make the time & just do it, instead of whining about it all being so "horrible".
Brian is an awesome father, wonderful husband, and a great provider. Yea, we're not living up to most people's standards, but once you get past the looks of all of it we're actually living better than so many people. I don't fear losing my house because some bank screwed me over, the payments aren't so high that if Brian was to lose his job that a job that only pays minimum wage wouldn't pay the bills, at least. The vehicles are paid off, so there is no worry about some repo man coming to take that while we're sleeping. We eat very well and where I do limit junk things there is no shortage of fresh fruits or veggies or anything really...the junk is only limited because I refuse to buy it because its junk.
It just really saddens me that Brian frequently states that he's a failure & is bummed out over what he envisions, when in fact he's absolutely not a failure & is honestly the furthest thing from a failure that I can see. I've tried telling him this, but he just puts me down for saying he really is great, then goes on about how horrible things are, etc, that I could/should do better than him. The thing he fails to realize is I had the opportunity to be married to a good man, who lived in a really nice house (today's market value $305K), has a really nice comfy job ($175K yearly), drives some nice fancy vehicles, the works...and I left him to date Brian, who when I met him didn't have a dime to his name & was laid up from a work injury, living at his friend's apartment, I care a great deal about the first guy, to this day even, but I wasn't really comfortable in our relationship to really honestly be able to tell him that I loved him, because I really didn't have the longing for him, or his things, especially not his things. Brian on the other hand drew me by my heart, and even after all the bullshit, heartache, ups & down I still loved him, I spent over a year not seeing his face, almost as long not even hearing his voice or knowing if he was dead or alive...every time I'd run across a picture of him or an email from him that long been "forgotten" I'd start crying, I'd never been like that with anyone...even my dad whom I was close to growing up, he passed away a little over two years ago from a heart attack, he was 45 years old, I don't have those same type of mourning/worry type feelings as I did when I didn't know about Brian's well being. I don't know if it is because I know my dad is dead, therefore nothing is effecting him or causing him pain, so I'm at peace with that or what, but Brian has been the only person I've ever felt this passionate about, this strongly, and that completely.
Brian, if you happen to read this, do know that you are not a failure. The children & I all love you very much and that most important detail won't change for anything...we can be sleeping under a bridge or in the White House, it wouldn't matter, we still love you, we still support you, and we're always going to be here for you, always.
As an after thought : Bring On the Rain, by JoDee Messina is a very fitting "theme" song for me...
Our main ongoing "crisis" is this house. Sadly around here there isn't a lot of houses, period, that shouldn't be condemned around here either for rent or in our price range to buy. This place isn't on the "should be condemned list" but its also not a "nice" house. It fits my basic qualifications of a good sound starter house, with potential to be added onto & fixed up very nicely. Brian on the other hand thinks he's failing us because we're not living in some 2000+sq ft house.
I have nothing against the fact that he wants to do better than how we're sitting now, in fact I think that's great, that means he's willing to work at improving and has goals. The bad part of that is he feels that this bigger & grander things are something that one should start with, as opposed to starting at the "bottom-rung" and working one's way up. He's only been working on going up this ladder for two years, I think he's doing great, truth be told.
Two years ago he was unemployed and living in my apartment, sleeping on my couch, now he's getting ready to celebrate two years with the same company (a feat he'd never accomplished due to medical issues & psycho family issues). We own, free & clear, two vehicles that are less than 7 years old. We are buying this house & it'll be paid off 100% in roughly 7 years. The house is well furnished. Bills are all paid & on time, every month (well insurance seems to end up falling late by 1-2 days more often than not because of his paydays, but still). We're never lacking any real necessity, yes things get a bit tight a few days before payday & I end up getting "creative" with meals and the like, but none of us have missed a single meal because of there being "no food". Kids both have good looking clothes that fit. There really is no room for us to complain about anything in any of those departments, IMO. Some negatives : We now live in the basic middle of nowhere, in Oklahoma, close to my family, next to a very, basically, impoverished town. The school system has gotten a LOT better in the last few years, but it seriously needs a LOT of help. Our house barely scrapes by with having roughly 1000 sq ft, one bathroom, two small bedrooms, small kitchen, tiny living room, etc.... We also have some annoying electrical issues & water well issues. Not to fail to mention the neighbors. Oh, and Brian has worked his way from making $7.25 an hr to $8.40 an hr, at 40(ish) hrs a week.
On the flip side of that two years ago we were living in a brand new apartment, as in we were the first people to of ever lived in it, brand new. It was in a posh neighborhood, just outside of Austin, TX, inside the school district of one of the best districts in Texas. I went from making $7.00 an hr to making $10.25 in less than a year at the company I was working for, and was getting ready to be switched to a salaried position that started at $2500 a month, plus bonuses. The apartment was a little over 1100 sq ft..had two very large bedrooms, two full baths, two AWESOME walk-in closets, a large storage closet, a separate "closet" for the washer & dryer, small, but decent kitchen, with a dishwasher, breakfast bar, dining area, & HUGE living room, 11 ft ceilings, ceiling fans in each room, CH/A, city water, very close to everything, but tucked back in such a way that we didn't have much traffic in that area. The pool was (literally) right out our door, there was a playground at the other end of the complex, right next to Mikeal's best friend's apartment, a huge field type area between the pool & playground, with all the building in a O basically around the play areas so completely devoid of any possible danger from traffic. The negatives : our (one) car was on loan to us from a friend of Brian's while he was gone to Iraq. The rent was $300 more than what we're paying here each month. The bills were RIDICULOUS. The neighbors above us thought that from the hrs of 12am-5am was a great time to play basketball in the bedroom & living room. "Friends" were always needing some short time help & needed a place to crash for a while so they could get back on their feet...aka until I kicked them out. We were 600 miles from the closest family member. Then right after I got pregnant with Mikaila I started getting very sick & in SEVERE pain and was barely able to manage getting out of the fetal position, much less keep up the pace of working, on my feet, 50-80 hrs a week just to almost break even, falling further & further behind each month, especially after having mooching roommates, my dad dying, then gobs of medical expenses - Brian's scripts then were running roughly $1500 a month, plus about $400 a month in dr visits and blood work, plus my prenatal visits & ER visits, all at about the same time.
Then came the time that I could no longer keep up with it and so we packed up everything & moved in with my mom for a few months, then into one of the "slum, should be condemned" trailer houses, then into this place. Brian got off his medications & went to work here and we've worked our way up, rather quickly, IMO. We gave the car back to his friend, he bought an older truck that needed a lot of work, as well as a car that also needed a lot of work. We then sold the car, after my FIL gave us a minivan that he had nothing really invested in (he's a car dealer, of sorts) after the van was totaled we bought my current 02 car with the insurance payout, then with our income taxes he bought his 03 truck & sold the old one. Here in the next month or two we're likely going to be trading the car straight across for a minivan or his truck straight across for a quadcab that we can all ride in, instead of just two being able to ride in the truck, total...we won't know until my FIL comes out here.
Brian sees a lot of this as failure on his part. He grew up basically without knowing any real struggles, his parents weren't well off, but they were comfortable enough that they were able to make regular trips to Disney, Chicago (from Alabama) and the like, and so for him to be where he is now, with a family, a young family at that, he feels he's failing us because we aren't able to buy designer clothing, the house is what it is, etc.
On the other hand...I grew up dirt stinking poor. I was lucky if the hand-me-downs weren't *too* worn out, I got a new pair of shoes at the beginning of the school year, then again after the tax return check came in...they were always cheap shoes, never more than $10, if they were that "expensive". The house we lived in from the time I was 5 until I was 12 did not have an ounce of plumbing in it...my parents had been given the land by my grandparents, but the money to build the house ran out before the house was done, not enough money to have ea well dug, & just barely out of city limits for city water. The house was heated with a wood stove in the winter & cooled with a couple of box fans in the windows. It was a decent sized house, 3 bdrm, 2 (potential) baths, the works. Until I was 10 the walls were nothing more than some sheets between the bedrooms....sheetrock in the main living areas. We did have a bit of a farm, we raised & bred exotic birds, chickens, rabbits, goats, geese, ducks, pigs, and horses a few times, & sold down to nearly nothing quite often just so that food could be put on the table, for 4 kids....my mom was 24 when my baby brother was born, my dad 26. They struggled, but a lot could also be said that a lot of it they brought on themselves being young & unlearned about how to budget & the like & being overindulgent on some of their wants. But my dad also had a lot of health problems that kept him out of work more often than not as well, so I started stepping in to help out when I was 8. I'd spend my summers picking blueberries at a blueberry farm up the road, for $2 a gallon, eventually I started doing work at the day care that we'd go to so that mom & dad could get a decent discount there as well, I'd do dishes, scrub floors, help in the kitchen, & sit with the younger kids during their nap time or playtime, etc. Mom & Dad ended up selling the house because of "neighbor issues" (my uncle whom my mother DETESTS! moved right next to us, on his allotted property) and moved in with my dad's parents. My Papa was an OTR truck driver & my Granny was an amputee diabetic, so it made decent sense to move that direction so that someone was close to her while he was on the road, no other family lived close by at that time....they all moved into this area within a few years.
Things started going well again for them (mom & dad) and life was comfortable again. Eventually that started going to the crapper too because Granny & Papa moved into town after he was no longer able to drive truck due to an injury & her health was getting pretty bad, so it was best for them to sell their farm & move to the city. My dad still suffered with his health issues, when he was 32 he had his first major heart attack, in 16 years, (his first, only up til this time, was when he was 16) It was finally discovered that he had a pretty severe heart condition & was back to being in and out of work, as his health would allow. I went back to work, first babysitting & mowing lawns, then once I was licensed to drive I worked full time through high school, while taking vocational classes & college courses, to help support my parents & siblings.
So to sum it up, I'm completely ABSOLUTELY aware of what "hard times" or "failing" is about. My parents "failed" because where they were making GOOD money they were also spending it faster than they were making it on gambling. Brian is NOT failing. He is honestly working his way up, we're staying out of debt doing it, our children are not suffering, I'm not suffering, I'm blissfully happy.
But because the electrical is something less than desirable in this house (I swear some complete idiot wired it) and to pay someone to come out professionally and basically redo it is going to cost roughly $4,000 (according to one estimate) he feels he's a failure...flip side of this, one of my cousins, who doesn't live far from here, is a certified electrician, I *might* be able to get him to do it for about half that price...and a VERY dear friend of mine here in town was an electrician in his former (un-retired) life and might just do it for the cost of materials and some good fried chicken. If worse comes to worse on all of that I know enough about wiring, etc that I'd crawl into the attic and do it myself...once the temps are back closer to the 60s, and take care of it for about $500, if that. I am NOT going to subject anyone into crawling up there before then, even the guy who said $4000, even if I had the money to hand to him today, I wouldn't do it, its too hot!
Another point of his "failure" in his eyes is our water well....again, another one of those COMPLETE idiot done jobs, it doesn't keep it's prime, so if you use "too much" water you have to mess with it to get it to prime back up and start pumping water into the house again. I've been doing a lot of research online about it and from what I've been able to find the only real issue with it there is a possible leak in one of the pipes, causing air to get into it & losing pressure that way, also the bladder for the well isn't set up properly, so there isn't enough good suction to keep the water in the bladder, OR/AND the pipe is too long for the above ground pump & it needs a submersible pump put on the bottom of the pipes in the well. To hire someone to come out and fix any/all these problems could run around $2000, including the price of the sub pump. But if we start, one step at a time & do it ourselves : moving the bladder to where it should be will *maybe* cost us $20. Pulling the pipe out to check for leaks & possibly replacing all of it & the foot valve *might* cost us $100...and if we do that we might as well put in a sub pump while the pipe is out, so one of those ranges from $200-$800 (not sure what kind I'd need). I can't see where a bit of an "inconvenience" once in a while is a failure on Brian's part....its something that can be fixed & if it wasn't going to be over 100* this weekend I'd in the very least get started with the moving of the bladder tank while he was off work & maybe even pull up the pipes to see if they are too long for the pump, or if maybe the foot valve needs to be replaced, & if that doesn't completely solve our problem we can deal with staying on our schedule of spacing showers, dishes, cleaning, filling the kiddie pool for another 6 months until we can buy the sub pump.
The septic...again, another one of those COMPLETE idiot jobs, they ran the lateral line at a bit of an up hill slope or they only ran 20 ft of line out so there isn't good drain for that & it puddles up a bit, that's going to cost me $3 per 10ft of line & a few hours outside with a shovel & pick. ...Again, another of those things that will have to wait until its not quite so hot outside.
Most of these things I could of already had done and taken care of had it not been for the fact that Brian does work a lot to provide for us & I've had a young infant to care for. Now that she's a toddler I have a bit more freedom of what I'm able to do & I'm more comfortable with asking someone to watch the kids for me for a few hours if I have to so that I can get this stuff done. But in Brian's eyes, he's a failure because his wife is planning on doing these things herself because, according to him, he can't afford to have someone come out and do it. He fails to realize that I grew-up doing these things. I've dug out a septic tank & lateral line. I've helped with wiring houses. I have a plethora of information at my fingertips with just the click of a mouse & push of a few buttons. I took construction classes at a vocational center. I've done construction type work since I was Mikeal's age. Further, Brian's not completely ignorant of these things either, sure I understand that there's a lot not to like about "having" to do it, and I know he doesn't get a lot of time off from work, but these are all things that together we can actually do ourselves, if we make the time & just do it, instead of whining about it all being so "horrible".
Brian is an awesome father, wonderful husband, and a great provider. Yea, we're not living up to most people's standards, but once you get past the looks of all of it we're actually living better than so many people. I don't fear losing my house because some bank screwed me over, the payments aren't so high that if Brian was to lose his job that a job that only pays minimum wage wouldn't pay the bills, at least. The vehicles are paid off, so there is no worry about some repo man coming to take that while we're sleeping. We eat very well and where I do limit junk things there is no shortage of fresh fruits or veggies or anything really...the junk is only limited because I refuse to buy it because its junk.
It just really saddens me that Brian frequently states that he's a failure & is bummed out over what he envisions, when in fact he's absolutely not a failure & is honestly the furthest thing from a failure that I can see. I've tried telling him this, but he just puts me down for saying he really is great, then goes on about how horrible things are, etc, that I could/should do better than him. The thing he fails to realize is I had the opportunity to be married to a good man, who lived in a really nice house (today's market value $305K), has a really nice comfy job ($175K yearly), drives some nice fancy vehicles, the works...and I left him to date Brian, who when I met him didn't have a dime to his name & was laid up from a work injury, living at his friend's apartment, I care a great deal about the first guy, to this day even, but I wasn't really comfortable in our relationship to really honestly be able to tell him that I loved him, because I really didn't have the longing for him, or his things, especially not his things. Brian on the other hand drew me by my heart, and even after all the bullshit, heartache, ups & down I still loved him, I spent over a year not seeing his face, almost as long not even hearing his voice or knowing if he was dead or alive...every time I'd run across a picture of him or an email from him that long been "forgotten" I'd start crying, I'd never been like that with anyone...even my dad whom I was close to growing up, he passed away a little over two years ago from a heart attack, he was 45 years old, I don't have those same type of mourning/worry type feelings as I did when I didn't know about Brian's well being. I don't know if it is because I know my dad is dead, therefore nothing is effecting him or causing him pain, so I'm at peace with that or what, but Brian has been the only person I've ever felt this passionate about, this strongly, and that completely.
Brian, if you happen to read this, do know that you are not a failure. The children & I all love you very much and that most important detail won't change for anything...we can be sleeping under a bridge or in the White House, it wouldn't matter, we still love you, we still support you, and we're always going to be here for you, always.
As an after thought : Bring On the Rain, by JoDee Messina is a very fitting "theme" song for me...
Friday, June 19, 2009
New Puppy (yes, again, I know)
Her name is Ratchet. ..... She's not quite 6 weeks old yet. 
However she is already eating solid foods & Fred feels that it's best to start her a bit younger with our family so that she learns that the cats, dog, & children are all her family & not dangers. He's been raising & training well mannered pits for a number of years so I'm trusting his judgment on this matter, regardless of how I feel about it being early for her to be away from her own momma. .... Piston keeps trying to get her to nurse off of her though, which has been a bit interesting.
She is a full blooded Pit Bull, of the same line as "Petey" from Little Rascals.
Our landlord is the owner of the mother & father, who are both some of the biggest (big) babies I know. Even though they were adults & she was nursing a litter of puppies when I first met them they have always been very friendly & lovable, even to Mikaila who loves nothing more than to "torment" furbabies. 
LL's husband "pawned" her off on Brian this morning, who left it up to me to say no..knowing full well that I have a really hard time saying no once they're in my sight, especially on the property already. 
Now this new addition puts me up to 6 critters who are "potty training". GREAT things so far about Ratchet is she's already gotten the hang of letting us know she needs to go & will obediently follow me across the yard ...but does her business in my flower bed right by the porch . So far the rest of the potty training critters are hit & miss. Mikaila has been a total of 16 hours with no accident (that includes overnight, as she went to bed at 11pm, in a dry diaper, took that diaper off & threw it out of the crib at sometime during the night & was still dry when she got up, been dry all day, going 4 times on the potty!!!) However all of the kittens seem to be scared of the litter box, choosing to do their business on plastic mats, plastic bags, or pieces of paper that happen to be in the floor.... 
..... She's not quite 6 weeks old yet. However she is already eating solid foods & Fred feels that it's best to start her a bit younger with our family so that she learns that the cats, dog, & children are all her family & not dangers. He's been raising & training well mannered pits for a number of years so I'm trusting his judgment on this matter, regardless of how I feel about it being early for her to be away from her own momma. .... Piston keeps trying to get her to nurse off of her though, which has been a bit interesting.She is a full blooded Pit Bull, of the same line as "Petey" from Little Rascals.
Our landlord is the owner of the mother & father, who are both some of the biggest (big) babies I know. Even though they were adults & she was nursing a litter of puppies when I first met them they have always been very friendly & lovable, even to Mikaila who loves nothing more than to "torment" furbabies. LL's husband "pawned" her off on Brian this morning, who left it up to me to say no..knowing full well that I have a really hard time saying no once they're in my sight, especially on the property already. Now this new addition puts me up to 6 critters who are "potty training". GREAT things so far about Ratchet is she's already gotten the hang of letting us know she needs to go & will obediently follow me across the yard ...but does her business in my flower bed right by the porch . So far the rest of the potty training critters are hit & miss. Mikaila has been a total of 16 hours with no accident (that includes overnight, as she went to bed at 11pm, in a dry diaper, took that diaper off & threw it out of the crib at sometime during the night & was still dry when she got up, been dry all day, going 4 times on the potty!!!) However all of the kittens seem to be scared of the litter box, choosing to do their business on plastic mats, plastic bags, or pieces of paper that happen to be in the floor....
Fun in the Sun!
Today was a good day! I went out and picked up my stepbrother from his truck earlier (he's an over the road truck driver and had time to spare) and despite the bright sun and extreme 100* temps, we had a great time hanging out and letting the kids play!
We first stopped below Pensacola Dam, at Little Blue State Park to take pictures of the water rushing out of one of the spillways.
Mikeal posing on a log in front of the spillway
Another Pose
Mikeal just before I pushed him into the water -- he enjoyed it.
Then when we got to my mom's we found out that my sister was on her way over with her 2 year old son. She wanted to "get away from her husband for the evening and drink some (a LOT)". All fine and well, I suppose, except I cannot see how any self-respecting person can decide to bring her child along for one of her drinking expeditions, granted around family, decide to get drunk, and then proceed to announce that she's going to be spending the night there, completely ignoring the fact that her step-brother already has claim to the bed, and then neglects to keep an eye on her child, regardless of how many other adults are there & already watching their own children (namely, me). But the topping on that cake was when I was explaining to Mikeal that Uncle Bradley was going to be sleeping in the bed, Ryan was going to be sleeping in the playpen, and that Aunt Sammy was going to be sleeping on the couch, thus making the house a bit crowded for him to spend the night as well, my sister proceeds to vehemently interject with her fact that "she & Ryan will be sleeping in the bed".!
My step-dad came up with the idea that since the kids were already playing in the sprinkler to get one of the rolls of plastic out of the shed & make a slip-n-slide for them! The kids had a BALL! Including Mikaila who didn't quite grasp the concept of sliding but did her damnedest to do so anyways. She'd lay down on the plastic and would proceed to scoot herself on her belly down the plastic. It was cute! Quite HOT outside, but the kids had a blast and that's what matters!
My step-dad came up with the idea that since the kids were already playing in the sprinkler to get one of the rolls of plastic out of the shed & make a slip-n-slide for them! The kids had a BALL! Including Mikaila who didn't quite grasp the concept of sliding but did her damnedest to do so anyways. She'd lay down on the plastic and would proceed to scoot herself on her belly down the plastic. It was cute! Quite HOT outside, but the kids had a blast and that's what matters!
Later we turned off the water, about dark, and in an effort to contain the younger two for a minute we let them play in Grandma's car. LOL
The day ended on a decent note, even with us "kids" (who were there) posing for a picture together. L-R : Myself, Bradley, and Samantha My "size 2" sister, 2 1/2 years after the birth of her son and the invention of her Little Debbie Graveyard
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Mean Ol' Neighbor Lady, Am I
So back in March the 16year old broke into our house while we were gone & stole quite a bit from our house.
We made a deal with him that he'd come over and do work for us over the summer so that he knew what $3000 worth of things actually takes to get. His parents aren't going to teach him respect & hard work, someone has to...this was in leiu of us pressing charges against him.
I have only seen him twice since school let out. He's done a whole total of 6 hours of work that I'd give him credit for...basically just 3 hrs of actual work...half-assed work at that.
He came over a few minutes ago. And I expressed to him my displeasure with him. He had come over just to "hang out", I suppose. He gave no reason other than a shoulder shrug when I asked him about what he was over here.
I simply told him in that case he needs to go back home. He stole from us. He then lied to us about going to be coming over to do work, and I was very disappointed and displeased with him and that was all I had to say.
He started to give me excuses that he wasn't home all weekend. I then countered with telling him that there was still a Mon-Fri and if he was going to work it was 40 hrs a week for 12 weeks as per the original agreement.
He left out of here slamming my door behind himself as he stated he'd be over tomorrow.
Oh I am not a very happy...not happy AT ALL!
We made a deal with him that he'd come over and do work for us over the summer so that he knew what $3000 worth of things actually takes to get. His parents aren't going to teach him respect & hard work, someone has to...this was in leiu of us pressing charges against him.
I have only seen him twice since school let out. He's done a whole total of 6 hours of work that I'd give him credit for...basically just 3 hrs of actual work...half-assed work at that.
He came over a few minutes ago. And I expressed to him my displeasure with him. He had come over just to "hang out", I suppose. He gave no reason other than a shoulder shrug when I asked him about what he was over here.
I simply told him in that case he needs to go back home. He stole from us. He then lied to us about going to be coming over to do work, and I was very disappointed and displeased with him and that was all I had to say.
He started to give me excuses that he wasn't home all weekend. I then countered with telling him that there was still a Mon-Fri and if he was going to work it was 40 hrs a week for 12 weeks as per the original agreement.
He left out of here slamming my door behind himself as he stated he'd be over tomorrow.
Oh I am not a very happy...not happy AT ALL!
Strawberry Jam!
I've been wanting to get into canning & preserving & all that, seeing as I do have quite the garden going right now & if I'm able to do something with what I'm growing that's going to save me money down the road I might as well, right. Well. Not too keen on if I'm saving any money this year, but can see the potential for it to pay off in years to come.
I had a small stock pile of frozen strawberries in the freezer. I mean, hell, if you're able to get 8 lbs of strawberries for $5 you might as well get while the getting is good, right.
So I finally got all the supplies I would need to make some jelly. Canning utensils - jar tongs, headspace measuring tool, air bubble releaser, magnet on a stick to lift the hot lids out of the water, canning jars, & pectin. So far so good. I had the pan that I was going to be doing the water canning in, so I was set.
Then with all this laid out in front of me I realized I really had no idea as to what I was doing. My aunt does a lot of her own canning. My grandpa makes a LOT of jelly every year, but alas, I've never been there to witness any of this. So I went into this project exhausted and blind.
I studied & read the directions more times & MUCH for throughouly than I normally read any directions, until I was sure I was ready to do this.
Mashed up the strawberries.
Heated the jars & lids in hot water.
Then added the pectin, some apple juice, & sugar to the strawberries while boiling them.
Once it was done boiling I picked my jars up out of the water, funneled in the strawberry jam (to-be).
Set both jars back into the boiling water with the lids in place.
10 minues later I took them out of the water.
Set them on the coutner.
And waited.
I was rather a bit skeptical & anxious about it as it appeared to look like mashed strawberries...and that's it..and wasn't too sure if the lids had actually sealed.
12-24 hours later you should be able to know if the jam did well.
This morning when I got up I checked on them. They were sealed! YAY! I slightly turned the jar, to see if they'd set. The jam was set!! YAYAYAY!!!!
Now I have two jars of homemade, by me, strawberry jam sitting on my counter.... I'm kinda sad about the thought of opening one of them up to see just how well I did. LOL They look so pretty sitting there on my counter.... I didn't use the exact right size jars & think that my strawberry measurement was a little short, but nonetheless, here they are! I can't believe out RED they turned out, they're so pretty!
I had a small stock pile of frozen strawberries in the freezer. I mean, hell, if you're able to get 8 lbs of strawberries for $5 you might as well get while the getting is good, right.
So I finally got all the supplies I would need to make some jelly. Canning utensils - jar tongs, headspace measuring tool, air bubble releaser, magnet on a stick to lift the hot lids out of the water, canning jars, & pectin. So far so good. I had the pan that I was going to be doing the water canning in, so I was set.
Then with all this laid out in front of me I realized I really had no idea as to what I was doing. My aunt does a lot of her own canning. My grandpa makes a LOT of jelly every year, but alas, I've never been there to witness any of this. So I went into this project exhausted and blind.
I studied & read the directions more times & MUCH for throughouly than I normally read any directions, until I was sure I was ready to do this.
Mashed up the strawberries.
Heated the jars & lids in hot water.
Then added the pectin, some apple juice, & sugar to the strawberries while boiling them.
Once it was done boiling I picked my jars up out of the water, funneled in the strawberry jam (to-be).
Set both jars back into the boiling water with the lids in place.
10 minues later I took them out of the water.
Set them on the coutner.
And waited.
I was rather a bit skeptical & anxious about it as it appeared to look like mashed strawberries...and that's it..and wasn't too sure if the lids had actually sealed.
12-24 hours later you should be able to know if the jam did well.
This morning when I got up I checked on them. They were sealed! YAY! I slightly turned the jar, to see if they'd set. The jam was set!! YAYAYAY!!!!
Now I have two jars of homemade, by me, strawberry jam sitting on my counter.... I'm kinda sad about the thought of opening one of them up to see just how well I did. LOL They look so pretty sitting there on my counter.... I didn't use the exact right size jars & think that my strawberry measurement was a little short, but nonetheless, here they are! I can't believe out RED they turned out, they're so pretty!
Aww....I have no sympathy. honestly.
So back in March of 2005 my ex was ordered to start paying child support.
In May of 2005 he screwed up his probation & went back to jail.
In November of 2008 he got back out, when his sentence was up.
I received a CS payment in Jan & Feb of 2009, equal to the amounts due those months.
I talked to my CS caseworker last week and she believes that they're able to run a felony warrant out for him as the current amount owed is close to $10,000 and he hasn't made a payment or is even reported as working anywhere since Feb.
So I imagine that *if* an officer is able to track him down he'll be going back to jail no later than August of 2009. If an officer isn't able to track him down & serve him with the papers, because he's moved or anything along those lines he'll definitely be going back to jail for violating Megan's Law that states sex offenders are to have their residential locations updated & accurate.
I'm most positive that he's working, and likely working for the same guy he's always worked for in that area. Only thing about that is that guy might not realize that he's a sex offender...or maybe he does and doesn't care...but that'd mean my ex is working with children between the ages of 12-15, without other adult supervision. So another strike against him. That or he's working for his brother, painting houses. Or for any other number of people he knows out there. That I have no doubt about. They're all thieves who owe thousands in child support, or have cheated the system out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the like.
Now, I'm not terribly worried about the money. I have been doing this since September of 2003 without a dime of assistance from anyone and am getting along quite beautifully as it is. However that almost $300 a month can go a long way towards my renovation projects and extra activities.
This coming week I'll find out if they're able to run the felony warrant for him to be picked up. I do know that there is a warrant out for him already for failing to appear before the courts, a warrant for non-payment, his driver's license has been suspended, and all that goes into just missing payments and not appearing before the judge. Felony warrant implies that they're going to go pick him up.
I feel quite smug about all this. He brought all this upon himself and it's nice to see him start to "pay for it" so to speak.
In May of 2005 he screwed up his probation & went back to jail.
In November of 2008 he got back out, when his sentence was up.
I received a CS payment in Jan & Feb of 2009, equal to the amounts due those months.
I talked to my CS caseworker last week and she believes that they're able to run a felony warrant out for him as the current amount owed is close to $10,000 and he hasn't made a payment or is even reported as working anywhere since Feb.
So I imagine that *if* an officer is able to track him down he'll be going back to jail no later than August of 2009. If an officer isn't able to track him down & serve him with the papers, because he's moved or anything along those lines he'll definitely be going back to jail for violating Megan's Law that states sex offenders are to have their residential locations updated & accurate.
I'm most positive that he's working, and likely working for the same guy he's always worked for in that area. Only thing about that is that guy might not realize that he's a sex offender...or maybe he does and doesn't care...but that'd mean my ex is working with children between the ages of 12-15, without other adult supervision. So another strike against him. That or he's working for his brother, painting houses. Or for any other number of people he knows out there. That I have no doubt about. They're all thieves who owe thousands in child support, or have cheated the system out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the like.
Now, I'm not terribly worried about the money. I have been doing this since September of 2003 without a dime of assistance from anyone and am getting along quite beautifully as it is. However that almost $300 a month can go a long way towards my renovation projects and extra activities.
This coming week I'll find out if they're able to run the felony warrant for him to be picked up. I do know that there is a warrant out for him already for failing to appear before the courts, a warrant for non-payment, his driver's license has been suspended, and all that goes into just missing payments and not appearing before the judge. Felony warrant implies that they're going to go pick him up.
I feel quite smug about all this. He brought all this upon himself and it's nice to see him start to "pay for it" so to speak.
It was bound to happen.
My little under the bed toe snatchers have now progressed to curtain climbing.
Getting started :
She's getting up there :
Just a little higher :
Really getting up there now :
And she dropped back :
And aren't my children just the sweetest!
Getting started :
She's getting up there :
Just a little higher :
Really getting up there now :
And she dropped back :
And aren't my children just the sweetest!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Wonderful Weekend.
And when I REALLY started to think that was at about 3am...
All morning Friday we dealt with severe storms, with funnel clouds being spotted in town, with a direct path of intent down the highway here in front of the house. So of course I had to pull all the crap out of the floor of my closet..blah blah blah...just to sit here and nothing outside of rain appear. That finally cleared out in the late afternoon & so I had to put all that crap back into the floor of my closet. ...fun times, but basically boring.
Later in the evening, around 11 my mom & stepdad came out to hang out for a few, we'd bought a 6 pack, the kids were both asleep, seemed like a good idea, at the time. My stepdad has had some issues with his blood pressure lately, not to mention he's still on crutches, despite having his cast taken off last week. Well, as we were sitting out on the porch he started to just pour sweat & got very light headed & went to stand up & get some air and passed out ...scared the piss out of me, he did recover after a few minutes & was much better this morning after he got some sleep, but I'm still going to have a talk with him about taking his medications properly & cutting WAY back on his drinking or hopefully cutting it completely out....I found out later that "he didn't have much to drink", prior to coming out, just only maybe a 12 pk .
During all that Mikaila woke up...
And just as I was getting her to start settling down enough to go back to sleep I hear the tell tale thump thump thump of someone trying to go down the road with a completely flat tire. And then they catch sight of my lights being on and go to pull in the driveway. Only problem with that is the drive way was still another 20ft down the way, so they drove straight through my yard. Its 1am, on a Friday night, of course they're drunk...around here anyways. I go out to see what the deal is...they need to borrow a jack. and OMG! The stench of alcohol was
I hand them my jack & walk back inside to let Brian know what's up and see if he'd mind getting up & trying to put Mikaila back down & call the sheriff's dept....I am not going to let these folks drive to wherever they're going smelling like they smelled. I go back out to check on the progress...gal, who's the one driving is standing there, has no clue how to change a tire... 
nothing new there... And the dude is trying his DAMNEDEST to loosen the lugnuts & then jack the vehicle up to change the tire. He was at it for almost 30 minutes. Now keep in mind it'd rained most of the day VERY hard...and I have swamp for yard. Dude passes FLAT OUT in a mud puddle. 
Gal gets him up & out of the way & I change out their tire for them. Only problem is they're driving a smaller SUV...and the "spare" is a donut that goes on maybe a small two door car. And trying to drive off was completely impossible, having the wrong size of wheel & tire on many newer vehicles locks them up tight & they won't go. Its now 2 
and no one from the sheriff's dept had come out yet & they have no cell phone, so I let her call her grandma, who lives roughly an hour away, to come get them...they offered to pay me to take them home, but Brian was adamant that I not, besides the fact they lived almost an hr away still. I get back in, call the sheriff's dept again, and we wait...and wait...and wait. Finally the cops show..at almost 3. They determine that the gal isn't drunk, or at least shows no signs that she's intoxicated, they definitely peg the guy as drunk, so they sat out in my driveway until the grandma showed. 
They go on their way.
I get up this morning and I have yet again forgotten to get coffee filters.
The couple from early this morning showed up this afternoon, turns out the gal just had a baby 10 days ago, and he'd been at the babysitter's all night. It took the guy maybe 20 minutes to get it changed out and they were gone again.
The kids haven't been too
today, which has been a relief! But I've gotten a wild hair today and I don't quite think I have many unturned corners left to clean out & organize now. Which is great, but exhausting at the same time.
I'm hoping the rest of the weekend stays this mellow, I've had enough excitement!
....
I definitely need a nap. However I am not going to be able to. Friend of ours called, she & her husband are going to come out later, after Brian's off work, and hang out for a few. Nothing wrong with that, except I have a bunch of stuff that I need to sort through that I just threw into laundry baskets to "get to later" & my kitchen is still a bit less than desirable.
And I set a bowl of strawberries out of the freezer so I can make some jelly, going to try my hand at strawberry & apple jelly.
But I'm so tired & that only creates more mess for me to have to clean up.
I was going to take a nap while Mikaila was napping, but Mikeal insisted on wanting to play Chinese Checkers, so I beat him at a few games of that.
I really really tried to help him, I really did. And three phone calls, so no nap for me.
All morning Friday we dealt with severe storms, with funnel clouds being spotted in town, with a direct path of intent down the highway here in front of the house. So of course I had to pull all the crap out of the floor of my closet..blah blah blah...just to sit here and nothing outside of rain appear. That finally cleared out in the late afternoon & so I had to put all that crap back into the floor of my closet. ...fun times, but basically boring.
Later in the evening, around 11 my mom & stepdad came out to hang out for a few, we'd bought a 6 pack, the kids were both asleep, seemed like a good idea, at the time. My stepdad has had some issues with his blood pressure lately, not to mention he's still on crutches, despite having his cast taken off last week. Well, as we were sitting out on the porch he started to just pour sweat & got very light headed & went to stand up & get some air and passed out ...scared the piss out of me, he did recover after a few minutes & was much better this morning after he got some sleep, but I'm still going to have a talk with him about taking his medications properly & cutting WAY back on his drinking or hopefully cutting it completely out....I found out later that "he didn't have much to drink", prior to coming out, just only maybe a 12 pk
.During all that Mikaila woke up...
And just as I was getting her to start settling down enough to go back to sleep I hear the tell tale thump thump thump of someone trying to go down the road with a completely flat tire. And then they catch sight of my lights being on and go to pull in the driveway. Only problem with that is the drive way was still another 20ft down the way, so they drove straight through my yard. Its 1am, on a Friday night, of course they're drunk...around here anyways. I go out to see what the deal is...they need to borrow a jack. and OMG! The stench of alcohol was
I hand them my jack & walk back inside to let Brian know what's up and see if he'd mind getting up & trying to put Mikaila back down & call the sheriff's dept....I am not going to let these folks drive to wherever they're going smelling like they smelled. I go back out to check on the progress...gal, who's the one driving is standing there, has no clue how to change a tire... nothing new there... And the dude is trying his DAMNEDEST to loosen the lugnuts & then jack the vehicle up to change the tire. He was at it for almost 30 minutes. Now keep in mind it'd rained most of the day VERY hard...and I have swamp for yard. Dude passes FLAT OUT in a mud puddle. Gal gets him up & out of the way & I change out their tire for them. Only problem is they're driving a smaller SUV...and the "spare" is a donut that goes on maybe a small two door car. And trying to drive off was completely impossible, having the wrong size of wheel & tire on many newer vehicles locks them up tight & they won't go. Its now 2 and no one from the sheriff's dept had come out yet & they have no cell phone, so I let her call her grandma, who lives roughly an hour away, to come get them...they offered to pay me to take them home, but Brian was adamant that I not, besides the fact they lived almost an hr away still. I get back in, call the sheriff's dept again, and we wait...and wait...and wait. Finally the cops show..at almost 3. They determine that the gal isn't drunk, or at least shows no signs that she's intoxicated, they definitely peg the guy as drunk, so they sat out in my driveway until the grandma showed. They go on their way.I get up this morning and I have yet again forgotten to get coffee filters.
The couple from early this morning showed up this afternoon, turns out the gal just had a baby 10 days ago, and he'd been at the babysitter's all night. It took the guy maybe 20 minutes to get it changed out and they were gone again.
The kids haven't been too
today, which has been a relief! But I've gotten a wild hair today and I don't quite think I have many unturned corners left to clean out & organize now. Which is great, but exhausting at the same time.I'm hoping the rest of the weekend stays this mellow, I've had enough excitement!
....
I definitely need a nap. However I am not going to be able to. Friend of ours called, she & her husband are going to come out later, after Brian's off work, and hang out for a few. Nothing wrong with that, except I have a bunch of stuff that I need to sort through that I just threw into laundry baskets to "get to later" & my kitchen is still a bit less than desirable.
And I set a bowl of strawberries out of the freezer so I can make some jelly, going to try my hand at strawberry & apple jelly.
But I'm so tired & that only creates more mess for me to have to clean up. I was going to take a nap while Mikaila was napping, but Mikeal insisted on wanting to play Chinese Checkers, so I beat him at a few games of that.
I really really tried to help him, I really did. And three phone calls, so no nap for me.
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