Sub-human vermin...

You know that nasty ring you sometimes get around the basin of your toilet bowl when you’ve neglected to clean it in a timely manner? Well, bill collectors rank even lower than that in my book. Yes, dear readers – I must beg you to indulged me with a rant today. National City Bank has hired ruthless, heartless, soulless beings formerly known as human to man/woman their phones. You see despite our best intentions, we have fallen behind on our bills.

With the expense of the fall season (school supplies, fees, clothes) and the untimely seasonal holidays to prepare for ($20 a pop for a Halloween costume these days), we always seem to flounder at this time of the year. It hasn’t helped that we just moved and our rent is now slightly higher, that Brandon was diagnosed with a very expensive disease and that we have 3 birthdays in three consecutive months to deal with either. At any rate, we have been stretching every last penny just to make it to the next check (sometimes we make it, other times not so much) and then we start over again. As soon as we get paid, we are broke again from paying our bills. Often it comes down to pay a bill or feed the kids – sorry AT&T.

It is a vicious cycle that makes me want to cry. So it doesn’t help matters when one of our creditors calls us 3-5 times a day. Yes, you read that right. They call this house 3-5 times a day! What do they think? That between 9 AM and 10:30 AM, I’ve managed to win the lottery and NOW I’ll pay up! Or that it is a good thing that they decided to phone me that 5th time because I was just lying about not having the money those other 4 times. Fucking bastards call us as early as 8 AM and as late as 8 PM. I cringe every time the phone rings. What part of we don’t get paid again until Oct. 2nd do they not comprehend? Short of selling body fluids or strapping a mattress to my back, we just can’t pay this bill until then (and honestly we can’t afford to pay it then either because of rent…but that is another story and another headache to deal with next week). Argh!!!!!!!!!!

OK…I’m sorry. I know there are people with worst problems. I am trying to keep things in perspective. It just makes me really mad. I’m a good person who doesn’t live beyond my means. I put off a lot when it comes to what I want – like haircuts, new shoes and even new socks! When I get to go out – you know, that one blue moon – it is usually to a free event or one that I’ve managed to win free tickets too. So why can’t I get out of this nightmare?

You know, the truth is that something good happened to me this week. My mother surprised me by buying us a “new” car (a teal/blue Chevy Cavalier). Now don’t get too excited…it was a $300 car that is 14 years old. But, it is MY $300 car and it runs. That is all I need to really know. The inside of thing was really gross. The owner before me must have never cleaned it. Judging by the amount of leaves and debris in the back seat, I wonder if they often forgot to roll up the windows too. The previous owner had a huge white husky and there were HANDFULS of dog hair everywhere. Eeek! It took forever but yesterday I scrubbed it out and vacuumed it 4 times. I bought an air freshener at Target, which helped too. I finally ran the thing through a car wash and slapped on some bumper stickers to make it feel more like me. I’m actually happy with the end results. It looks pretty good now and it has a CD player. Sweet! :o)

So now I am no longer homebound. That alone is enough to celebrate. It took my Mom all of 12 hours to mention that Wal-mart was hiring in my area - subtle. Yes, I’ll be looking for part-time work now.

Well, enough of me. I’ll write again soon. Take care everyone!

I'm Still Standing...

Good afternoon dear readers...have you been to Cafe Press lately? They have a ton of hilarious Halloween related tees and so forth...I enjoyed the one to your left in particular, so I thought I'd share it. Halloween is really my all time favorite holiday - well, at least until Christmas rolls around. :o) It has become so trendy to go all out with decorations and so forth. I've even seen some Halloween related commericals this year. The Meijers one is a hoot. We decorated our new place this past weekend. I really enjoyed just being home on a Sunday afternoon for a change, instead of running around like an idiot trying to catch up on chores. The weather was nice and the kids played football in the back yard with some neighborhood boys. I hope to maybe get some pictures posted soon.

I really must apologize to my readers. I know my posts are far and few these days, but I haven't forgotten you are out there (or at least I hope you are still out there!). I finally got the energy to try to locate a new WIFI hotspot in the house with NO luck...so I bit the bullet and paid off the phone bill this week. Next week I plan on ordering the Ameritech/Yahoo package and that will mean I will be able to post regularly again. So hang in there - I'm nearly back!

So Brandon is doing fine. His glucose numbers are up and down (mainly down) and we keep adjusting his insulin. He has figured out a low number means CARB SNACKS - aka the yummy stuff he could eat before - so he is always hoping he is low. He isn't stupid...but that is not how I'd like him to view his lows. We will need to figure out something. This will be our first Halloween with Diabetes. We are letting him go out for a short period and then he and I will pass out candy at home, while the hubby walks around with big sister. The JDRF (Juvenille Diabetes Research Foundation) is having a Fall Party on 11/5 and the kids can turn in their candy for prizes and toys! Brandon is looking forward to that for sure. He has a big doctor's appointment this Thursday at Children's Hospital...not sure what will happen, but I'm sure it will involve him getting poked and prodded. :o)

On other news, my husband's father died 2 weekends back. It was unexpected. We have had no contact with the man in 10 years - and for good reason - but it was a shock to learn he passed. We decided that we should attend his funeral, but I have to say I would have liked not too. It meant dealing with two-faced relations and seeing people I would rather not. Brian's Aunt Bev was really the only person who seemed to care about Brian and his family (that would be us). She knows how terrible his father treated us and she really reached out to help us. I thank her for her kindness.

The eulogies were a laugh. A caring family man - a doting grandfather - an intelligent man of the world... HA! He was a selfish, unfeeling ass. He turned his back on Brian, his two grandkids and had no problem looking down on everyone he came across. What mattered to him was money and arrogance. I know, don't speak ill of the dead. Whatever! I wish I had not been brought up with any type of manners - I would have gotten up there and told it like it was and most everyone there would have agreed with me I think. I am just glad it is over with now...people can finally stop baggering us about a reconciliation. He is really gone now and we can move forward.

Has anyone been watching the new NBC show "Heroes"? I really love it! It is no surprise seeing how I am a huge sci-fi/fantasy geek and gaming guru. It really reminds me of the game I am currently playing in called Aberrant. It is essentially the same storyline. An ordinary person become extrordinary - my character, Ben, can control machines and computers with his mind and can dominate others into doing his will. I am thinking of adding indestructibility (like Claire on Heroes) to my list of abilities because it is too damn cool! LOL I've been enjoying the game - having fun. It is a nice distraction from real life.

Well, I know I waxed poetic about the Fox show, "Vanished" -which starred QAF alum Gale Harold - but anyone who has been watching it knows that Gale's character was killed on the last epsiode! (Click here to read TV Guide's Why Gale Harold Vanished article.) So...you can consider me a vanished viewer! It really wasn't that great of a show - I just wanted to see Gale once a week. Sigh! I'll miss those biceps! At least I have QAF on tape to help me through the dark nights. LOL

Well, it is time for me to head back home. The kids will be getting off the bus soon. Keep reading! I'll post again soon.