Finally - a break from the usual...

It’s been an unusual week. Brian got a nice surprise at work last week when he was given a pair of tickets to the Blue Jacket game for Friday. We hadn’t been to a game in almost two seasons. It’s not that we wouldn’t like to go, but it is just too out of our budget to even consider. Also, all our “connections” for free tickets dried up. So we eagerly accepted them and miraculously I found a sitter at the last minute. We had a good time and the Jackets beat the much better San Jose Sharks in a shut out 3-0. It was cool to see a team that we don’t often get to see, and a nice surprise to see the slumping Jackets win.

Another big surprise was that we got both our tax refunds Friday too! Ah sweet money! It is such a rare thing in my life to see 4 digits to the left of the decimal point in my bank ledger. I just like to open my check book sometimes and look at it. :o) Of course it won’t stay that way forever. In fact, I spent most of my day today paying off our bills. I hated to subtract all that money, but it is a nice feeling to know we are finally free of collection calls and disconnection notices. For a few short months we will be able to breathe a bit easier.

We celebrated by taking the kids to lunch and then we all went swimming at the indoor pool in Dublin. Brandon finally felt brave enough to try out the big slide…and I finally felt brave enough to let him. He did fine and didn’t freak out at the bottom where there is a pretty strong current. After the first time he was hooked and probably went down the slide about 15 more times before we left. LOL It was a big weekend for him. He mastered the big slide and lost another tooth (which he swallowed!). The tooth fairy still paid him a visit though.

Thanks to a President’s Day sell, my headache over the kids sharing our second TV is finally over. We bought a 13” color TV for $35 at HH Gregg! I never have to listen to another screaming fit about whose turn it is to have the TV in their room again! :o) Brian even remembered that we had an old but still working VCR in the basement, so both kids have the same things. It’s probably the best $35 we ever spent.

My Dad sent the kids some money for Valentine’s Day and even spoke to them on the phone. It was a miracle! Dad hadn’t seen or spoken to them since Christmas. I was happy for the kids. They were happy about the cash. :o)

I also received some much unexpected good news. I have been offered a contract by Equality Ohio to make all the legislative appointments for their annual Lobby Day in May. I did this for free last year…but this year I asked them to consider some sort of small reimbursement for my time (which is substantial) working on this project. They actually agreed! I was impressed by their offer and it even comes with a bonus if I can get every senator and congressperson to agree to meet on lobby day. I only missed getting 100% last year by 5 people. I’ll go down there in person if I have too this year. (It’s a nice sized bonus!) So yea for me! I feel this is a great opportunity to get my foot in the door there. For the time being though, I feel so happy and confident about myself. I’m glad I stood up for myself and asked for what was fair – thanks go out to Jess for the pep talk!

I think the best surprise of the week though was when I woke up on Sunday morning; my husband was actually in a good mood! He was lovey-dovey and sweet toward me all day. I don’t know if the stress from being dirt poor had lifted off his shoulders or what. I didn’t really care why – I just enjoyed it.

The only bad news this week is about that impending court case I have hanging over me regarding the collection agency who is asking me to pay for a debt that isn’t mine. No – that hasn’t gone away. I contacted a lawyer friend of mine who gave me some advice and helped me craft a letter to the agency’s lawyer. Well, I sent it out a few weeks back and never heard from them. I honestly started to feel hopeful that they were going to leave me alone. Yesterday however my daughter found a business card in our front screen door from a deputy who is employed by the Sheriff’s office (civil division). Since our family is of the law abiding nature, the only thing I can think is he was here to serve me papers for the court hearing. My stomach ties itself in a knot every time I think about this situation. I guess I’ll just have to deal with whatever comes. I was just having such a good week that I should have known that something bad was coming along too.

Well, I’m off to my daughter’s school. She and her classmates made mini I-Movies about the famous Ohioans they did a report about and tonight is the grand premiere. Ah to be in fourth grade again.

A new “saga” entry will be uploaded by the weekend.
Take care all!

The over-hyped independent film I watched this week so you wouldn’t have to waste an hour and a half your life, like I did: “Friends with Money” This film is packed with big names – like Jennifer Aniston - but don’t be fooled; it is a depressing and uninspired waste of time. Boo hoo! Everyone in our life has lots of money (and we have to decide how to spend it all)…but of course there is one single, pot-smoking friend who is working as a maid just to get by. The film seriously has no point. I felt zero empathy for any of the characters except for maybe the put upon (maybe gay) husband of a complete bitch who has decided not to wash her hair anymore, because what’s the point since it will be dirty again tomorrow. The only laugh out loud funny and “real” moment in the film comes when Aniston’s character (the poor girl) goes to about 10 different Lacome cosmetic counters to get the free sample of their face cream because she can’t afford to pay $75 for a real jar of the stuff. Done that – been there! The film ends very suddenly – but not quick enough if you ask me. If you want to watch a movie about a bunch of whining, aging Baby Boomers with issues, just rent The Big Chill – you’ll thank me later.

The TV mini-series you should be watching: “The State Within” which is airing on BBC America. They already showed the first two-parts of this stylish, James Bond-worthy series about a British Ambassador (Jason Isaacs) in America who is caught up in a power struggle between his own country and the US when a passenger plane heading to England explodes after take-off from Dulles Airport. It turns out that the possible bomber was a British Muslim, causing the VA Governor to start arresting all Muslim British-born citizens thanks to the Patriot Act. The cloak and dagger series also showcases the talented Sharon Gless as the ballsy, in your face US Secretary of Defense. There are lots of “which side is this guy on” twists and I always enjoy watching stuff on BBC America – which has a different set of standards about profanity and so forth than here in the US. The final installment airs this Saturday evening at 9PM, but I’m sure they will show re-runs so keep an eye out. You won’t be disappointed.