What is goin' on?
More fall-out from the 'Affleck Effect."
We had a yard sale the weekend of Sept. 13th.
It drained me of everything I'm made of.
Physically.
Emotionally.
Mentally.
For $500.
We split it up after costs were deducted.
$100 each- my Sweet Baboo sat outside with me in the hot-heat all day each day to help me.
He also brought music to play.
Since he's considered family, now, he gets an even take.
2of4 got a new bed with her take.
My son and I pooled ours to get the car fixed- which he and 3of4's boyfriend did, so I didn't have to pay for labor, just parts.
Soooooo... I decided to do the costumes for the kids to wear at the Comic-con.
While working on a Nightswatch cape, the air went out.
Keep in mind we already blew the $500 we got from the yard sale.
The cost of AC repair was $650.
And when the tech came inside the house to set the thermostat- he smelled gas.
So, he called CPS.
CPS sent an ogre sized guy that went trampling around the house knocking everything over, did meter tests, and shut off the gas.
No more heater and no more hot water- until we get the leak fixed.
I had a break down as soon as he left.
First off- I had no money.
Second- I was a shell of a person skulking around trying to make costumes.
Third- they only send the largest, careless men to trample through people's houses to do any repair work.
Fourth- I already felt like my strength and energy was taken from me- until this whole situation was completed- I felt like my entire life was taken from me.
I called several companies to get estimates.
Some didn't return my calls until way after that first weekend of cold showers.
And then, the nights were getting colder.
Into the 50's.
My body was going through too much.
Especially when the estimates were coming in at $6,000.
$8,000.
$9,500.
Without clean-up or wall hole repairs.
I called my Sweet Baboo and cried to no end.
He told me not to worry.
He would take care of the cost- no matter what it was.
And I cried even more.
I told the kids.
They cried, too.
Well, fortunately, I called a neighbor who is a licensed plumber.
He's small time- just him and his partner, so we had to wait for his convenience.
So- more and more cold showers.
And waking up to colder mornings with stiff, achy joints.
He and his partner did come over and work several days, all day long.
There was leak after leak after leak, he told me.
They replaced all the lines.
We're waiting for the inspector today.
Then, hopefully, I call CPS and get my hot water and heater back.
And I'm only being charged $3,000.
And they cleaned up.
And will repair the holes in the walls and ceiling.
It's not over, yet.
But it almost is....
I can't wait to sleep again.
Take a nice, hot shower and go to sleep.
Oh- and the trade off for my Sweet Baboo for paying the total bill until I pay him back in small increments is he gets to come over and watch 'Breaking Bad' on our Netflix.
But everything had been such a nightmare- I wondered why?
WHY?
(As I do on many an occasion.)
And I can only come up with the Affleck-effect.
Ever since he was announced to the Batman role- things have gone to shit.
But also- when vacuuming the 3 inch dust layer behind my dresser, (they had to cut holes in my bedroom walls and ceiling) I saw that the lamp cord was halfway out of the socket, even though the lamp was clearly turned on and lit.
But sitting on top of the plug was one of those token coin things you get at arcades.
Just a slim fraction more and it would have been on the prongs- the prongs halfway plugged into the socket.
Yeah....
God did all this to me to keep us from being burned to the ground.
With the gas leaking, an electric short and spark like that would have created-
-instant death.
And I never would have noticed or been cleaning up there unless I HAD to.
Which proves my theory- God has everything in hand.
Cold showers or no- I have no reason to complain.
But I do anyway.