Monday, August 24, 2009

This year is weird.

Where to begin...

I've been living in my grandmother's house for a little over two years now. When I moved in she told me she'd keep all the bills in her name because she had plans to sell the place. I was essentially house sitting for her, and I would send her a check once a month for all of the utilities (electricity, gas, trash, property taxes, lot fees, rental insurance, etc). Bills were anywhere from $250 to $400 a month. A year goes by, with little problems. I mow the lawn, and do any repairs necessary on the property out of my own pocket. I repainted two bedrooms, and she took $70 off of my rent. The paint and supplies costed more than that.

I get into a car accident last summer and essentially lose my job. During that summer while I was recovering, I repainted the master suite. This costed about the same as the other two rooms, but this time I was not reimbursed. I started school again at UTD, found a part time job at Bath and Body Works in November, and blew through my savings because I wasn't able to find a full time job. I started culinary school in November, and added to my debt (which really has nothing to do with this). During all of this, I get a lawyer and begin a lawsuit to pay for my medical expenses and punitive damages (including lost wages).

Each month, my grandmother would call me with the monthly bill. The first year we would talk about once a week, just to see how things were. Then it went to every other week, and now it's only to tell me how much I owe her.

The last time she visited, in November, pretty much started this whole downward spiral. We were talking, and then she started the next part of the conversation with: "Now, don't tell your mother this, I don't want to upset her..." She asked me to buy the mobile home I live in. With the land, she wanted $53,000 for it. We had, just before this, been discussing the situation with my lawyer and my expectations for the settlement. I was like, wow, um, okay. Let me think about that. I didn't want to come right out and say no, but that was my first thought. Not only is that a ridiculous price, but I don't want to spend part of my life living in Lake Dallas, and I especially don't want to live in a mobile home for that duration. I didn't tell my mom, mainly because I didn't want to deal with it at that time. We never really mentioned it again. I told Mom about it in March because I was stressed about money and she wanted to know why.

January comes around, and I have absolutely no money, and am working about 7 hours a month at BBW. I spent all my Christmas and birthday money on bills and paying utilities to her. I am stressed out. I wait it out a bit longer and get my tax refund money. I'm okay for another month or so. March comes around. I'm completely out of money again. I think this is the time that Dad loans me money. I'm okay for a few weeks. I eventually cash in my 401k from JCPenney and can breathe for a bit. I start working about 7 hours a week instead of month and am able to pay for a few things on my own.

June hits. I have no money and I don't want to ask anyone again for money. Stevie lost his job, so Mom can't help. Lauren (my bff) does everything she can to help me, and finds me a job. I start the 30th. I can't pay Grandma right away, but send her a check for about $100 because that's all I have. I get paid again on July 15th, but it's only for one days work, and my check at BBW is less that I thought. I send her what I can. July 31st rolls around and all my bills are due at the end of the month, so all I can send her is about $100 again.

Let me backtrack a bit...

Grandma's house is on the edge of the Tennessee River, which is steadily eroding. In April or May, it gets so bad that she has to move her house. So, she puts herself into a hotel, and awaits the moving of her house back some feet from the river edge. This takes forever. Every time she called me, she reminded me that she was in a hotel and how much it was costing her (not in actual dollars though) and on and on... July rolls around and it's still not done. By this time, her company is apparently not getting any business, and so she is low on income, much like myself.

So, that might be enough backstory...

The last few times she called me, she made it sound like I needed to pay her immediately so she could pay for her hotel. It didn't matter that I didn't have enough money for groceries or anything and that all of my money was going to her. It didn't matter that I was getting further into debt paying for gas to get to school because I was close to overdrawing every month. All that mattered was that her house still wasn't moved yet and it was costing her all of this money and.... She forgot Stevie's birthday and said she'd send him a card after Mom reminded her. He's yet to receive it (his birthday was 7/3). She never talks to my brother on the phone, and never asks about him. She was all aflutter because my uncle and cousin were coming to visit and the house still wasn't ready for them.

Yeah, anyway...I borrow money from Josh to pay my credit card bills because all of the money I had for anything ever went to her. She called me about a week and a half ago and said that I owed her $700 and I needed to do something about it immediately or find some way to do it. She said she was being patient, but her company isn't doing any business right now and they're still trying to pay for this house. There felt like there was an implied "or else" in there.

She called while I was at school. She always calls when I'm at school.

I burst into tears, of course. What else can I do? I go to school 25 hours a week. I work 20 hours a week at one job, and 7 to 16 hours a week at another job. Am I supposed to get a third job? Should I sell plasma?
I cancelled my internet. My air conditioning was already broken, so I keep that off and just run one fan. I spend a lot of time out of my house because it's so hot. I eat everything in my pantry so I don't buy groceries. I spend a lot of time with Josh for food and so I don't die of heat exhaustion. It's August...

I called my momma. I forwarded her the voicemail Grandma had left me. Mom was livid and called her. Mom and I decided that I needed to move out, right away, because there was nothing left for me to do. I'm supposed to be out by the end of the month. Mom told her to not call me again, and any communication should be by mail or through her.

The next day I get a call from Grandma while I'm at school. She's all sad and doesn't understand why I'm moving out, and that's not what she said, but I need to find some way to pay her now.

Then I get a letter. Mom gets a copy of it too, and tells me to toss it before I read it. So I do. I wish I had kept it, but, oh well.

That brings me to this week, more or less. I'm moving out. I get my storage unit today (Monday) and move in to my new place tomorrow. Oh, the thing is, I didn't have a place or any idea of where I was going to move to. Luckily, I have an awesome stepfamily, and am moving to Plano. I'm moving in with Stevie's brother's wife's cousin and her family. I'll have one room for about $100/month. Anyway...


Everything is getting to be okay, except for one thing. I have to get rid of my kitties. And I'm avoiding thinking about it because I really don't want to, but I don't have a choice.

Does anyone want two kitties? They aren't fixed or declawed, but I'd give them to anyone with their bowls and food and litter box... They were both born outside. Minerva is fiesty but will be petted, and Virginia is a sweety. She loves to be petted. Minerva is a silver tabby mutt, and Virginia is a calico. They are both about 2 years old.

Monday, July 13, 2009

How does using the revolving door help with going green? Is it because of cooling costs?

Saturday, May 2, 2009

So I set up mobile posting. I dont know if that will help with my actual rate of posting but it cant hurt it!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Small Things

I was tagged by Nicole. So, do I take this literally or figuratively? ;)

My kitties are very petite, almost anorexic. It made me laugh earlier to hear them attack the windows because they saw something outside they needed.

I love talking to my BFF about the most random things. This is why we are friends. We can rant about the same things (like boys and bras), and then interrupt each other with something completely random. :) Like we were talking about her new job, and then she interrupts herself by saying: I like how the things in style are micro skirts and maxi dresses (which, btw, I now have two of, and I love love love this style).

Mini M&M's are awesome.

Having my toenails painted a random color. I'm about to paint them royal blue.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

14 things

Bah, now that Quyen has done it, I have to. :P

14 things I love....

1. Lightning. I absolutely love thunderstorms, and watching lightning is amazing. The sheer power is just...

2. The Sims. I remember when the first generation came out, and not having any interest in it (much like my experience with Harry Potter...). Then I get to college and my roommate played it. I would sit and watch her for hours. Then I put it on my computer, then I bought my own copy, then The Sims 2 came out and that was probably my favorite present for my 21st birthday. And now, The Sims 3 comes out this year. YAY!

3. Reading. I love books, though I hate libraries.

4. Cooking. Which is why I'm in culinary school. ;)

5. Kitties. I don't care what they look like, though I prefer the ones with hair. The ones without don't look like kitties.

6. School supplies. Omg, I have waxed lyrical on this before. Many times. August is my favorite month because of the school supplies aisle at Wal-Mart. I can literally spend hours just staring at the notebooks, pens, binders, post-its, folders, calenders/dayplanners, etc. Just thinking about it has me drooling...

7. Fit flops. Not your average flip flops, though I love those in general.

8. Crocs. So, I probably should have just done one number for shoes, but I need to stretch my list out, so hey! I have purple ones, not to mention 3 other styles, but I want orange and green ones too.

9. Board games. Especially the ones I played as a child.

10. Eliptical trainers. If I have to go to a gym, I expect enough of these that I can get on one immediately. I love them, because I hate running, and this burns more calories than a bike or stairstepper.

11. Candles. Or just things that make my house smell good in general.

12. Social networking sites. I am addicted. Right now, my site of choice is facebook, but that's only because so many people I know are just now getting started with it. I have about 6 or 7 of them, though I don't check them all the time. Just facebook, about 6 times a day. It's ridiculous, I know.

13. Body products. Shampoos, makeup, body washes, bubble baths, curling irons, fingernail polish....all that good stuff.

14. I had a good one for this number, but I've forgotten it. So, I'll have to think about it. Friends are good. Chocolate is good. Sitting around doing nothing is good.... ;)

Sunday, February 1, 2009

another lolcat

Tagged!

Here are the tag rules:
1. Go to where you store your digital photo folders. Open the 4th folder.
2. Go to the 4th picture and post it.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag an additional 4 people.

Apparently I was tagged and didn't realize it. And as I only have the people who have already done this as watchers, I shall refrain from tagging.
Yes, it's sideways. I'm too lazy to change it. This is Jonathan. He is doing dishes. Which is why I took the picture. It's dated June 14th, 2004, but I disagree with that. This is at his apartment in Plano, which he didn't have until 2006-2007. So.... I'm going to find a different picture.
This is from Valentine's Day 2007. It's Jonathan, again. The cookie cake says Happy V-Day Sugar Buns. XD
Let's see if I have a non-Jono picture. Geez, you'd think we'd dated for almost 7 years or something...

This is a picture from UTD. The skies are pretty...I was in Jonathan's car, waiting for him outside the ATEC building...probably around the time he graduated. Hmm....this is getting ridiculous.

Aww.....this is my baby! This is Minerva, the night I got her. Look how big her belly is! Isn't she a cute little thing? She was so curious.... *sniffles* Oh how my baby has grown!

Now I'm just going to post random pictures because it's fun. :)
This is my BFF Lauren and I on her birthday this summer. We had just gotten facials, pedicures, and our hair did. :) It was so much fun! Neither of us has had a haircut since then, though....
Last picture. This is Minerva sometime in the fall. She's all big and freaked out because Adam brought his dog over so we could see what my kitties would do. Virginia immediately took off running and hid in the bathroom behind the toilet. Minerva freaked out and knocked all sorts of stuff over, finally settling on the piano and hissing as fiercly as she could, her back ridged up and her tail all huge. :) She's still my baby...