Catching Up

Here is some of the things going on with me.....

Two days before Christmas, the timing belt on my car decided to break on my way home after working a 10 hour day. Thankfully, I was only about a mile from home. A tow truck was called and delivered the car to a repair shop. Of course, they were closed the entire week of Christmas up to January 2nd. So it was towed to another local shop that opened the Wednesday after Christmas. It is uncertain if the pistons were warped or not when it broke. So now, once that is replaced and the engine back together, they will be checked to see if they were damaged and need to be repaired. I've been driving my mother's car and my sister's, which I picked up on Christmas day and drove back. Alternating back and forth if my mother doesn't need to go anywhere. So far, the big Yukon of my sister's has cost me $85 in gas for about 4 days of driving. My mother's has cost me $35 and I had filled my car up with $37 in gas, plus the two towing charges of $100. Guess where my overtime earnings went?

Also on Christmas day, I left early from my sister's since I had to be at work at 645 am for the first of 3 more 10 hour days at work. My mother fell down the basement stairs, missing the last 6 steps and landing hard on her right shoulder. She is bruised and in an arm sling for a separated shoulder bone. Thankfully, nothing is broken, but the bruises are almost neon yellow they are so bad. She hit the corner of the stairs pretty bad. A few inches higher she would have broken a rib or two, a couple lower, she would have broken her hip. She has been in some pain with the shoulder and tries to rest as much as possible. Nothing but time will heal that.

Obviously, I didn't make it to the Midnight Mass with Tommy after my car died. I hated to miss it but just couldn't make it without transportation. Maybe next year. I did go to the service with my mother after getting up at 330 am to go to the gym and working a 10 hour day. Somehow, I managed to stay awake through the hour and half service without falling asleep.

My favorite cousin lost her husband Wednesday night to lung cancer. After surgery and chemo treatments, he was released into Hospice care Monday. She is handling it well so far. I'm sure it will sink in after a few days. I remember their wedding as a youngster. It was the first I ever attended. Funeral arrangements haven't been made yet. I hope I can make it depending on my schedule at work.

Since September, I've been without running water at home. The leak I had was bad enough to run the water bill up over $400. Even with me turning the water on and off as needed, it was just too high to pay. I haven't told my mother, nor will I anytime soon, especially with the car repair looming and her property taxes due. The side benefit of  joining the gym is showers and toilets. Other times, a friend of mine since middle school, that is local, has given me the key to his house to use whenever I need to. Bless his heart. He has no idea how much that helps. I fill gallon jugs for water for Izzy to drink. I do laundry at my mother's when  I get the chance. I fibbed and told her my washer wasn't working. I bring the damp clothes home to dry as to not run her power bill up. It's more of an inconvenience than anything. It requires planning but manageable.

I had planned on using my overtime to finally get my jewelry out of the pawn shop. Guess that isn't gonna happen......

So now y'all up to speed......