Yesterday was St Patrick's day, which would usually be fun and cause for a little celebration at least, but I wish we'd just skipped yesterday altogether. Oh no one died, but it was still a bad day for a lot of people.
First of all, when I checked emails, I found out 3 co-workers had been laid off from my team. This is the team that I thought was untouchable. We've never had layoffs. People have left due to personal reasons like any job, but never a group of 3 due to "budgetry reasons". So, that left a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach all day. In fact I nearly had a panic attack and had to go outside and calm down. It just really shook me up.
Then I realized the water had been turned off because I completely forgot to pay it, so that cost me a reconnect fee. Got that paid and back on. Then a collection agency here in town that we pay a payment to weekly for an old hospital bill called about a payment I didn't make last week. I should have made it the Monday I was in Maryville, but forgot when I got back to town. Then it totally left my mind. I told them we'd be in to pay that afternoon, but it shook me too, because I realized I'm slipping again, forgetting things, not spending money well etc.
Then I realized we didn't have the cash in the bank to pay the collection agency after I had to pay the extra to get the water back on. Already this was coming back to bite me in the ass. The turn around usually isn't that quick. So, I realized Christopher would need to renew the personal loan we were one payment away from paying off... again. God, will we ever truly be out of debt?
He came home from work later than expected, we had to run to the high school to get Rhiannon at 4:15, then had to go get Zoe from chorus practice by 4:30, then had to get his loan renewed, then get to the bank to cash it and to the collection agency before 5 when they closed. I drove like a bat out of hell.
To make matters worse, after we picked up Rhiannon, Christopher noticed he'd gotten an email from the college saying we were missing key forms for her financial aid with a website to go to. So Rhi took the phone and looked it up and then found the really bad news. Even with the HOPE scholarship and grants and student loans that will add up to around 20k by the time she graduates, she'll still owe about 5k out of pocket. We can't afford that, even in monthly payments. She broke down right there, started crying and ranting. Her boyfriend said he'd come over right away, but we didn't have time to take her home. We had to get those other errands done, plus go to the hardware store to exchange the toilet flange that was the wrong size and pick up sugar and spaghetti sauce for dinner. We did get the loan renewed and to the bank and got to the agency just as they were closing, but he got the pmt made. Meanwhile she just kept screaming to take her home. The only way that 45 minutes could have been more stressful was if the car broke down. Thank GOD for big favors.
Later, at home when I got to work, I found out one dear friend and co worker was basically screwed due to the amount of money the new insurance was taking out of her paycheck. For some reason she says it was not clear when she agreed to it, but now she's stuck with taking home $700 less a month than last year, and doesn't know how she'll make mortgage payments.
And another friend and co worker had her husband go to another town to work to make more money and stayed with his brother, but he called and said he didn't want to come home to her and their two kids and he has her wallet and car. I really hope he sees more clearly today in the light of day. Surely he wouldn't throw away what he has at home.
Needless to say, the bathroom didn't even get touched yesterday, and it likely won't be today either. Rhiannon was sick at school and the nurse called to have her picked up. Christopher left work to go get her, and now I have to take the car so I can get Zoe to a school play we didn't know about til the last minute, which means I'll get to work late and then have to leave early for lunch to go get Christopher when he gets off work... the day after layoffs.. great!
I THINK tomorrow is a day free from drama and stuff to do. *knock on wood*
First of all, when I checked emails, I found out 3 co-workers had been laid off from my team. This is the team that I thought was untouchable. We've never had layoffs. People have left due to personal reasons like any job, but never a group of 3 due to "budgetry reasons". So, that left a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach all day. In fact I nearly had a panic attack and had to go outside and calm down. It just really shook me up.
Then I realized the water had been turned off because I completely forgot to pay it, so that cost me a reconnect fee. Got that paid and back on. Then a collection agency here in town that we pay a payment to weekly for an old hospital bill called about a payment I didn't make last week. I should have made it the Monday I was in Maryville, but forgot when I got back to town. Then it totally left my mind. I told them we'd be in to pay that afternoon, but it shook me too, because I realized I'm slipping again, forgetting things, not spending money well etc.
Then I realized we didn't have the cash in the bank to pay the collection agency after I had to pay the extra to get the water back on. Already this was coming back to bite me in the ass. The turn around usually isn't that quick. So, I realized Christopher would need to renew the personal loan we were one payment away from paying off... again. God, will we ever truly be out of debt?
He came home from work later than expected, we had to run to the high school to get Rhiannon at 4:15, then had to go get Zoe from chorus practice by 4:30, then had to get his loan renewed, then get to the bank to cash it and to the collection agency before 5 when they closed. I drove like a bat out of hell.
To make matters worse, after we picked up Rhiannon, Christopher noticed he'd gotten an email from the college saying we were missing key forms for her financial aid with a website to go to. So Rhi took the phone and looked it up and then found the really bad news. Even with the HOPE scholarship and grants and student loans that will add up to around 20k by the time she graduates, she'll still owe about 5k out of pocket. We can't afford that, even in monthly payments. She broke down right there, started crying and ranting. Her boyfriend said he'd come over right away, but we didn't have time to take her home. We had to get those other errands done, plus go to the hardware store to exchange the toilet flange that was the wrong size and pick up sugar and spaghetti sauce for dinner. We did get the loan renewed and to the bank and got to the agency just as they were closing, but he got the pmt made. Meanwhile she just kept screaming to take her home. The only way that 45 minutes could have been more stressful was if the car broke down. Thank GOD for big favors.
Later, at home when I got to work, I found out one dear friend and co worker was basically screwed due to the amount of money the new insurance was taking out of her paycheck. For some reason she says it was not clear when she agreed to it, but now she's stuck with taking home $700 less a month than last year, and doesn't know how she'll make mortgage payments.
And another friend and co worker had her husband go to another town to work to make more money and stayed with his brother, but he called and said he didn't want to come home to her and their two kids and he has her wallet and car. I really hope he sees more clearly today in the light of day. Surely he wouldn't throw away what he has at home.
Needless to say, the bathroom didn't even get touched yesterday, and it likely won't be today either. Rhiannon was sick at school and the nurse called to have her picked up. Christopher left work to go get her, and now I have to take the car so I can get Zoe to a school play we didn't know about til the last minute, which means I'll get to work late and then have to leave early for lunch to go get Christopher when he gets off work... the day after layoffs.. great!
I THINK tomorrow is a day free from drama and stuff to do. *knock on wood*