Well, at least in my house, today you did a great thing! Thank you for extending the extension on the Unemployment payments. We will have a way to eat AND to have a warm house for the next 13 weeks.
Furnace totally went out on Tuesday--so we have had nights in the upper teens here in NW Ohio--and it's been damn cold in the house. Furnace motor is supposed to be installed this afternoon (keep your fingers crossed)--so maybe we will have heat throughout the whole house instead of just one room at a time. (I felt so "little house on the praire")
We were really struggling with how we were going to have the $$ to make all the bills and the furnace motor--but with a little robbing of Peter to pay Paul, we should be ok until the Unemployment kicks back in.
It would better if they would pay retroactively so we could get caught back up--but beggers cannot be choosers--we'll gladly take the government hand out at this point.
It bothers DH to have to take what he is considering "welfare" from Uncle Sam--but I told him, you have paid DEARLY in taxes for many a year (over 2 decades)--we don't live beyond our means and we are not having 20 kids and making welfare our way of life. Times are hard--but this too shall pass. Job hunting sucks and it's been over a year--depression sets in--but this too shall pass.
I hope Mr. Obama had a magic wand to fix the economy (I doubt it), or else many other people are going to be in my shoes in the coming months. He preached a platform of change--but I have seen nothing but the "Clinton Years" rear their ugly head so far. I wouldn't want to be in Obama's shoes...
Posting has been far and few between--so I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving-blessings to you and your families--just in case I don't post before then.
Peace
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
God seems to enjoy testing me.......
Ok God, I get it.....enough already ok?
1) Hubby still has no job--trying to make his own business work
2) Holidays are coming--I hate them
3) Bills are piling in with no money to pay them
4) Furnace guy informs us last night that the furnace motor is going--1 bearing is bad--the other is hanging on by a thread. Cost to fix? 100.00 just to give me the bad news.....$700 to replace the motor.
FUCK ME!
1) Hubby still has no job--trying to make his own business work
2) Holidays are coming--I hate them
3) Bills are piling in with no money to pay them
4) Furnace guy informs us last night that the furnace motor is going--1 bearing is bad--the other is hanging on by a thread. Cost to fix? 100.00 just to give me the bad news.....$700 to replace the motor.
FUCK ME!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Can't get a break....
THE LIST--the g-damn LIST!
They have already started calling for THE LIST. I figured I would have at least 3 more weeks of peace and quite. It's like everyone is trying to gang up on me at once!
MOTHER is still not speaking to me--but leaves a message on the machine for Baby Lurker--talking only to her and asking if she would like to go see a production of Peter Pan. Ending it with "Ask your parents if you can go and call Grandma back and let her know" Passive Agressive much woman? God help me.
Then the calls start coming in from THE SIL about what Baby Lurker wants for Christmas--then from the MIL, and she says to get the other SIL a LIST too. Christ on the Cross--if I survive until Thanksgiving it will be a miracle.
SPent 6 hours in a dark room last night trying to get rid of a migrane--so much fun. I think I am under way too much stress.
They have already started calling for THE LIST. I figured I would have at least 3 more weeks of peace and quite. It's like everyone is trying to gang up on me at once!
MOTHER is still not speaking to me--but leaves a message on the machine for Baby Lurker--talking only to her and asking if she would like to go see a production of Peter Pan. Ending it with "Ask your parents if you can go and call Grandma back and let her know" Passive Agressive much woman? God help me.
Then the calls start coming in from THE SIL about what Baby Lurker wants for Christmas--then from the MIL, and she says to get the other SIL a LIST too. Christ on the Cross--if I survive until Thanksgiving it will be a miracle.
SPent 6 hours in a dark room last night trying to get rid of a migrane--so much fun. I think I am under way too much stress.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Thanksgiving Part 2--Mothers and other frustrations
OK--so now that I have cracked on the out-laws (Cracked on? Christ--did I just time travel back to the late 80's or what?)
Anyheeew. MY FAMILY--not quite as full on crazy as the out-laws, but mildly insane just the same. My 2 brothers and sister all live far away from our birth place and our Mother (lucky bastards).
Now when we get together it's a pretty simple, modest affair. Mother hounds us endlessly beginning about August for the EXACT date/time/second that we would be available to do Thanksgiving at her house.
Side Bar: Dear Brother #1 lives in the Columbus area and Dear Sister has hauled her ass to the Indianapolis area--away from all family on both sides (how they got that sweet deal, I'll never know). Dear Baby Brother lives near his Out-laws in the Cleveland area. His MIL is a nurse and works odd holidays, so sometimes we take in his wife's family (a sister, a brother and the odd current date of the moment) as refugees for the holidays that the Mama has to work. They are a nice family and it all works out just fine.
But back to my MOTHER (say it with teenage angst--I still have issues). She is relentless in her need to control what cannot be controlled--especially in all areas that concern her grown adult children. We all have families of our own--and dammnit, would it kill her to let us have a holiday moment to ourselves? Yes, actually, I think it would.
Each one of us is seperately hounded so that she can make HER plans for the holidays. RUE THE DAY that one part of the puzzle doesn't comply with her wishes--and since I am the person who lives closest to her, I am the one who suffers the most. (Yes DB#1, I know you had to basically put out fire that would have burnt down the surrounding neighbors homes last month---but it doesn't make up for the daily crazy I put up with for her).
I get an update almost daily about who is going where, and doing what and why so and so cannot make it or why so and so SHOULD make it, but doesn't want to blah blah blah.
I have said that she should just pick a day, tell eveyone what day, and those who RSVP will be coming, those who don't won't be coming and to LET IT REST!! We all live in different places, we all have different lives--LET IT BE WOMAN.
This year, the stars have all aligned and EVERYONE is coming on Friday. We have been given our part of the food to bring--all is right in the world correct???
NO
I get a call the other night...from the MOTHER...asking me about the plans for Christmas. I tell her that the plans are the same freaking plans we have had for the last 20 years. She's all --oh, I though they might have changed things? I say "Why in the hell would they have changed things?--and why in the hell are you now badgering me about Chistmas--can't we just get thru Thanksgiving first????"
Some how I am now a bitch and she's not talking to me. So, if anyone has room at their house on Thanksgiving, I will be making Whipped Chive potatos, Dinner rolls and Cranberry/Orange salad and would be happy to bring them to YOUR house.....
Anyheeew. MY FAMILY--not quite as full on crazy as the out-laws, but mildly insane just the same. My 2 brothers and sister all live far away from our birth place and our Mother (lucky bastards).
Now when we get together it's a pretty simple, modest affair. Mother hounds us endlessly beginning about August for the EXACT date/time/second that we would be available to do Thanksgiving at her house.
Side Bar: Dear Brother #1 lives in the Columbus area and Dear Sister has hauled her ass to the Indianapolis area--away from all family on both sides (how they got that sweet deal, I'll never know). Dear Baby Brother lives near his Out-laws in the Cleveland area. His MIL is a nurse and works odd holidays, so sometimes we take in his wife's family (a sister, a brother and the odd current date of the moment) as refugees for the holidays that the Mama has to work. They are a nice family and it all works out just fine.
But back to my MOTHER (say it with teenage angst--I still have issues). She is relentless in her need to control what cannot be controlled--especially in all areas that concern her grown adult children. We all have families of our own--and dammnit, would it kill her to let us have a holiday moment to ourselves? Yes, actually, I think it would.
Each one of us is seperately hounded so that she can make HER plans for the holidays. RUE THE DAY that one part of the puzzle doesn't comply with her wishes--and since I am the person who lives closest to her, I am the one who suffers the most. (Yes DB#1, I know you had to basically put out fire that would have burnt down the surrounding neighbors homes last month---but it doesn't make up for the daily crazy I put up with for her).
I get an update almost daily about who is going where, and doing what and why so and so cannot make it or why so and so SHOULD make it, but doesn't want to blah blah blah.
I have said that she should just pick a day, tell eveyone what day, and those who RSVP will be coming, those who don't won't be coming and to LET IT REST!! We all live in different places, we all have different lives--LET IT BE WOMAN.
This year, the stars have all aligned and EVERYONE is coming on Friday. We have been given our part of the food to bring--all is right in the world correct???
NO
I get a call the other night...from the MOTHER...asking me about the plans for Christmas. I tell her that the plans are the same freaking plans we have had for the last 20 years. She's all --oh, I though they might have changed things? I say "Why in the hell would they have changed things?--and why in the hell are you now badgering me about Chistmas--can't we just get thru Thanksgiving first????"
Some how I am now a bitch and she's not talking to me. So, if anyone has room at their house on Thanksgiving, I will be making Whipped Chive potatos, Dinner rolls and Cranberry/Orange salad and would be happy to bring them to YOUR house.....
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Holidays and other frustrations
Kelley at Kelly's Case de Chaos got me thinking about the up coming holidays and to be honest I DREAD this time of year.
Nothing about the holidays makes me really happy. My only joy is seeing my daughter's anticipation of the season and her waking up on Christmas morning filled with excitement and joy.
The rest of the time can just suck it!
Since these will be long drawn out sob stories, I'll do them little by little--We begin with Thanksgiving at the Out-laws:
For the last 20 years (20 years--holy shit) we have spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws. This means too much food and me sitting in a corner high on the annual overdose of allergiy meds just so I can function (barely) in a house filled with 4 cats. (I am horribly allergic to cats--when the first cat they had died, I felt nothing but relief--but then MIL brought home 2 cats from the farm in Indy and then took in 2 more cats when Grandma passed away. I secretly think she took great joy in adding to my misery).
I do not enjoy Thanksgiving one bit because I still end up miserable--and spend the next week recovering from it--people who don't have severe allergies just don't get how much it affects people who do. It's horrible--even high on meds, my chest tightens up, I lose my voice, I sneeze, the eyes water, the nose runs--IT SUCKS. I made it thru ok when there was just one cat--but 4 is too much for me to handle. I cannot even ask her to put the cats in a back bedroom--because according to her--that is CRUEL. But fuck what it does to me right?
Then after dinner we are forced to provide THE LIST. THE LIST my friends is a LIST of things we all want for Christmas--stuff we do not need, nor really want, but a LIST MUST BE PROVIDED. Last year, hubby had just lost his job--so we said we would NOT be providing a list, nor would we be purchasing for the adults. The niece and nephew would recieve a gift--but not the GROWN ADULTS WHO CAN BUY THEIR OWN SHIT--ahem.
We asked that we not be given anything as we were all set. They could buy something for DD if they wanted too--but nothing CRAZY. OH MY SHIT--they lost their minds. Not a one of them could understand WHY we had to cut back--jeezsus chrimeny people--your brother HAS NO JOB! We need a roof over our heads and food on the table--I don't need another crappy sweater that I hate and is not my taste.
You have to understand that these people do not really see or talk to each other thru out the year--the only time they "show love" is thru the purchase of THINGS. I swear to you--if I'm lying, I'm dying--it has NEVER taken less than 4 hours to open Christmas gifts at the outlaws. And this was before there were small children.
Spending $200 PER PERSON was not unheard of--and it was EXPECTED. DH has his parents, 1 brother and 2 sisters and all of their spouses--and it was expected that all people would receive a multitude of gifts from every person. This foolishness happened the weekend before Christmas because the parents went to Indy to celebrate with J's family. They could not even be around the family for the actual holiday--but we have to spend over $1000 on people just to "show how much" they mean to us.
It was fun at first--I never lived in a family who did that kind of thing--my parents said "The baby Jesus only got 3 presents--why do you think you deserve anything more than that?" So 3 presents it was--plus what ever we got from Grandparents and Uncles.
I had never seen so many gifts in one place. But--like everything in excess, the novelty wore off and I began to dread it. The hunting for gifts, the wasted money the foolishness and greed. One Thanksgiving, I tried to say--hey, lets draw names amonst the adult children and keep this under control--I was called everything but a human by a sister-in-law.
I was told by her to shut up and deal with it.
And the holiday was ruined for me after that.
To Be Continued..........
Nothing about the holidays makes me really happy. My only joy is seeing my daughter's anticipation of the season and her waking up on Christmas morning filled with excitement and joy.
The rest of the time can just suck it!
Since these will be long drawn out sob stories, I'll do them little by little--We begin with Thanksgiving at the Out-laws:
For the last 20 years (20 years--holy shit) we have spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws. This means too much food and me sitting in a corner high on the annual overdose of allergiy meds just so I can function (barely) in a house filled with 4 cats. (I am horribly allergic to cats--when the first cat they had died, I felt nothing but relief--but then MIL brought home 2 cats from the farm in Indy and then took in 2 more cats when Grandma passed away. I secretly think she took great joy in adding to my misery).
I do not enjoy Thanksgiving one bit because I still end up miserable--and spend the next week recovering from it--people who don't have severe allergies just don't get how much it affects people who do. It's horrible--even high on meds, my chest tightens up, I lose my voice, I sneeze, the eyes water, the nose runs--IT SUCKS. I made it thru ok when there was just one cat--but 4 is too much for me to handle. I cannot even ask her to put the cats in a back bedroom--because according to her--that is CRUEL. But fuck what it does to me right?
Then after dinner we are forced to provide THE LIST. THE LIST my friends is a LIST of things we all want for Christmas--stuff we do not need, nor really want, but a LIST MUST BE PROVIDED. Last year, hubby had just lost his job--so we said we would NOT be providing a list, nor would we be purchasing for the adults. The niece and nephew would recieve a gift--but not the GROWN ADULTS WHO CAN BUY THEIR OWN SHIT--ahem.
We asked that we not be given anything as we were all set. They could buy something for DD if they wanted too--but nothing CRAZY. OH MY SHIT--they lost their minds. Not a one of them could understand WHY we had to cut back--jeezsus chrimeny people--your brother HAS NO JOB! We need a roof over our heads and food on the table--I don't need another crappy sweater that I hate and is not my taste.
You have to understand that these people do not really see or talk to each other thru out the year--the only time they "show love" is thru the purchase of THINGS. I swear to you--if I'm lying, I'm dying--it has NEVER taken less than 4 hours to open Christmas gifts at the outlaws. And this was before there were small children.
Spending $200 PER PERSON was not unheard of--and it was EXPECTED. DH has his parents, 1 brother and 2 sisters and all of their spouses--and it was expected that all people would receive a multitude of gifts from every person. This foolishness happened the weekend before Christmas because the parents went to Indy to celebrate with J's family. They could not even be around the family for the actual holiday--but we have to spend over $1000 on people just to "show how much" they mean to us.
It was fun at first--I never lived in a family who did that kind of thing--my parents said "The baby Jesus only got 3 presents--why do you think you deserve anything more than that?" So 3 presents it was--plus what ever we got from Grandparents and Uncles.
I had never seen so many gifts in one place. But--like everything in excess, the novelty wore off and I began to dread it. The hunting for gifts, the wasted money the foolishness and greed. One Thanksgiving, I tried to say--hey, lets draw names amonst the adult children and keep this under control--I was called everything but a human by a sister-in-law.
I was told by her to shut up and deal with it.
And the holiday was ruined for me after that.
To Be Continued..........
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