Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Where Life Buries Me

So I don't know what I did to tick off the cosmos, but apparently it was a doozy. So I apologize first to the cosmos. My bad. I won't do it again. At least I will try not to, though it would help a lot if you'd just tell me what it was...

Perhaps it is a correction for the good stuff that has happened lately, and in that case I will just suck it up and take it... but not until I've complained a bit, so NOW I will apologize to YIBUS, lovely readers... this is just going to be a grand whine.



Summer Schedule SNAFU

So at work our ADMIN is leaving. She gave notice on the 7th and so we are hiring. The TROUBLE is we need to hire (did I complain about this already? Feels like I may have, but I don't see blog evidence) and then TRAIN... and TRAINING requires PRESENCE of somebody BESIDES said new hiree. I REALLY REALLY hope this doesn't put the kaibash on my Mondays off this summer, but for at least the month of June, I suspect it might. (Have I SAID how sad this makes me? To think I might not get my long weekends when I wanted them SO BADLY)

[not to mention I've gone over 85 resumes in the last 48 hours]


And then there is the DAMN CAR.

By DAMN CAR, I mean only car.

But it was unavoidable. Ann Arbor seems to be experiencing a Car Goblin.[or perhaps it is a Gremlin or a Grindylow]

I was just thinking we were headed for financial stability and then last Wednesday hubby called me... flat tire... bad enough we had to replace both front ones... rear ones will need it by fall... A single credit card had room for said tires...

And THEN... the ignition has been gripping the key rather unforgivingly... won't let go without five minutes of wiggle, and finally today, it not only wouldn't let go, but wouldn't TURN... no turn... no turn OVER...

Another reason pants are evil
Now this is compounded by the fact I just mentioned that at the moment, there are NO credit cards with room for large car repairs... hubby SHOULD have gotten first check Friday, but hubby missed part of the numbers he was supposed to get them for direct deposit (and this is only a check for 3 days anyway) so there was much scrambling... We worked it out, other than the no car for three days part...

[this just in... check CAME... but it is missing the mileage reimbursement, so it helps, but is not sufficient]

So hubby talked to our neighbor who has two cars and she said “SURE, you can borrow my second one for a few days!” (YAY) but when hubby tried, her emergency break is stuck ON. And so another neighbor offered a RIDE, but her Gadget-ometer is gone (so her car drives but she has no clue how much gas, speed, or miles she's got...)... Jean, the fabulous neighbor, even had the goblin creep into her HOUSE and straighten a part of her door that should remain bent, so now her door won't open... THEN fabulous neighbor went to her FIRST car... clutch is gone... no warning (though her SO managed to fix the ONE... still, she has no second car anymore...  GAH!  What is it with these freaking car demons!?


Any of you having goblins interfering with your lives?

And then of course the life stress has make itself known on my writing schedule... but there is bright news, too.

GRANT uploaded and looks good before deadline.
And I've managed to make progress still, so because I was ahead, I am still ahead...



What Ales Me
is 67% complete



33504 / 50000 words written

22 comments:

Christine Murray said...

My husband and I are under a lot of financial pressure. Every time we think that we're through the woods and are financially secure, something happens. Currently, his pay check is late by three weeks. Juggling doesn't begin to cover it.

It's really stressful, and we're working as much as we can, but it's like we never get a break. So I can completely understand where you're coming from. You're right to vent though, sometimes you need to get it out.

Ted Cross said...

I wish I had billions of dollars. I would send you some. Not a lot, but some! Sorry about your goblin troubles. I had them packed away in my dragon mountain, but I suspect some of them ran away when my heroes passed through.

Unknown said...

Gremlins? Please! Mine are just as nasty as yours and I am totally convinced it is not our fault. They do this every year about this time. Remember it is almost mid summer night, so expect mischievous fairies as well. My advice is to put out a little shiny gift for them and they will go away. Either that, or just stomp on them....LOL!

Crystal Pistol said...

I hope things get better for you soon. Man, that's a lot of sucky stuff to deal with. This too shall pass, right? (Man, I hate when people say stuff like "this too shall pass" when I'm having a public tantrum!) :)

Have a happy day, friend.

Old Kitty said...

Oh those bad bad bad goblins need to be stripped NAKED and flogged!!

Hang on in there Tart!!!!! Hopefully the goblins will get bored and go off elsewhere - bad goblins! :-(

Take care
x

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

What a mess! I kind of winced at the resume reading part...ugh. And not being able to drive anywhere? So sorry about that, too!

I think you need to get a series accepted post-haste! Hope agents will make that happen quickly and get some extra cash flowing... :)

Hart Johnson said...

Christine, so sorry you're under it too! And you're right--it is that horrible 'never getting a break' thing--each time you think you do, something sucks it up twice over.

Ted-blasted heroes! Get your dragon back on track... wait... And I hear you... I'd totally love to have the leeway to help my friends out. Someday... when I'm JK Rowling, right?

Siv-HA! Mid Summer's Eve mischief! Now that makes sense! *looks for shiny things*

Crystal-oh, I need to hear some of that sometimes... it WILL... I'd just like it to pass NOW. teehee

Jenny-now flogging isn't a bad idea! And naked is NEVER bad. Maybe we can combine your recommendation with Siv's and strip them naked and send them off with shiny things... Naked people with new toys are HAPPY and stop PESTERING...

Elizabeth--yeah, lots of stuff in the pot--I DO hope some of it comes through soon. And the car thing IS a huge hassle. Ann Arbor just isn't big enough to be well 'bussed' (though we do have one) and the grocery stores are all inconveniently far.

Creepy Query Girl said...

I actually forgot to blog on monday. Flippin forgot. to. blog. That is how crapped out my life is right now. Part of it is that hubby changed jobs and is AROUND much more often and seems to have a knack for finding things we HAVE to do over the weekend and during week nights which is cutting into my writing and blogging time dearly.

Anonymous said...

Oh, man, Hart. I feel for you. Really, really, really feel for you. The public whine does not need an apology in the least, imo. I just hope things get better for you.

We've had car goblins in CT, too. :( June's been a bang up month in general for us and it really sucks hearing that seems to be the consensus for many folks out there.

Talli Roland said...

Eeeeek! That doesn't sound good, Hart - I'll send some positive vibes your way.

Jan Morrison said...

Yes. Yes I can relate to this. We have no money. I'm waiting for a bunch from my dad's estate but it is almost all spoken for. Yesterday, the man went to the lawyer as the small-claims court case he fought - he lost. The completely lying bastard rip-off artist won - completely. That means we're down $26 thou. Which we don't have. The man's lawyer said it is really hard to appeal small claim's court judgements. Why? Because the courts don't want to be clogged up with such small change. For f@#$$%^&*'s sake. Small change - this will ruin us. I can't sleep - I am awake all night trying to think how to either exterminate the slimeball, the judge, the courts, or myself. I told the man to fight the slimeball in court BECAUSE there is no way anyone could look at the facts and not say the man was in the right. Ha.
OK - sorry about that. I can't do it on my own blog because my step-mother might read it and I couldn't bear it. So sorry.
You did ask.
My car is falling apart. I don't like buying cars - its stoopid.
I adore you and we both have to remember what is important. And we know what that is.

Carol Kilgore said...

My houseguests are still here.
But I do have transportation - knock on wood.
And I finished my synopsis.

Cruella Collett said...

I have two easy solutions for you. To problem one: hire me. I'm looking for a job, you're looking for someone to hire, and you already know I endorse naked fun even at the workplace. Easy-peasy!

Problem two: since I now will be working in Ann Arbor, I also have to live there. I move in with you! I pay rent = financial relief! We already know I sleep fine in your basement. Easy-peasy times two!

Ah... I wish.... Seriously, though, I hear you on having stupid real life issues interfering with writing. BOY do I hear you. I have learned this week, though, that melt-downs are not so bad - melt-throughs are what we should be *really* worried about (Japan haz them...). Gambare!

Liz said...

let me know if you need a ride somewhere Tart, for heaven's sake....and I am in the "downward dog" part of karma as far as writing goes I can tell you---lots of great ideas, one VERY hot new project, no time to work on them....no time at all!
Love
Wench

Catherine Stine said...

Yeah, my fifteen year-old Subaru is running on hope. My son will be borrowing it for a week's trip to New England, and I'm praying it still runs when he gets back.

Hart Johnson said...

Katie--nuts how big a time suck those hubbies and their IDEAS can be, eh? teehee

Kimberly, so sorry you are in it, too!

Talli-thank you! We can totally use those vibes!

Jan-oh, hon, how HORRIBLE! That really stinks to have the con man win! And we DO know what's important. Sending hugs to you!!!

Carol-houseguest can be so stressful... erm... if they are family, anyway. My friend houseguests are always enjoyable... Well done on the synopsis!!!

Mari-Oh, if only! That would be perfect! It would solve everything! (except you'd be stuck living in Michigan... but we'd have fun, so that would balance it a lot)

Liz-thanks so much for the ride offer! I will definitely keep that in mind if we get super stuck. Hopefully we get our car back tomorrow (provided they accept limbs as payment and all)

Catherine-those road trips can be hard on the cars! Ours is 13 years old, so you are doing GREAT with 15! Hope it makes it!

Helena said...

My heartfelt sympathies because car trouble is so often hugely expensive and the timing is never right. When my old, funky Toyota Tercel died I ended up without a car for six weeks before a friend of a friend sold her little red used fart car. But I live in the city and take the bus to work anyway, at least. Of course it'll take me a couple years to pay off this car and I've already had to put several hundred into it. I can't imagine having a family like you and no functioning wheels. And the neighbors' cars are funked up? Evil goblins are surely about.

CA Heaven said...

It's always a big hazzle when the admin quits, and nobody knows the system that the admin had full control on. At least in the beginning it's a big hazzle. It turns out that things work OK even without an admin, after a while. We haven't had any for years. Or, actually I've heard we have one, but she's sitting in a different city, and I don't know who she is, or which city she's in, but in a miraculous way things kind of seam to work anyway >:)

Cold As Heaven

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Damn! Would you like to borrow my bicycle, Hart? I'm not using it.

Johanna Garth said...

Sorry about the resumes, goblins and car problems. I can so relate. My husband's beater truck just blew a gasket. I thought that was just an expression but it turns out it's something that actually happens to cars (and people when they get mad). I think it's going to be expensive to fix but now I can console myself with the knowledge I don't have to read resumes. Hope things turn around for you soon!

Vicki Tremper said...

You are having a seriously sucky month. So sorry and I hope it improves soon enough for you to enjoy 3-day weekends with plenty of time for writing.

Hang in there! Great adversity leads to...um, great...character-building!

Arlee Bird said...

Well, as they say, "When it rains it's just like Morton's Salt" or something like that. I know how those things go--I've been having a bit of stuff in my life too. Fortunately, you guys still have your jobs. If I send you my resume, can I work from home here in L.A.?
Things will get better for all of us--I think.


Lee
Tossing It Out