Nov 19, 2017 13:25
And I need to complain, or narrate, or think, so here I am.
It's been a year, and it's not done with me yet.
1. Early November last year, the water heater died and drained all over the floor. I had to buy a new water heater (the old one was over 12 years old), and insurance covered the drying and new vinyl in the kitchen. They'd've paid for replacing the carpet in the spare bedroom, but
2. December, I took in a roomer, the week after Thanksgiving. Randy, a 60+ gay man, just needed a place to live and didn't care about padding under the dingy carpet, and I needed the money.
3. Flooring in kitchen finally replaced, and
4. Dishwasher died. Had to buy a new one in March.
4. Also, March, replaced A/C and furnace, using the rent money to cover the payments, planning to pay it off b the end of the year.
5. Late March, my ex developed liver cancer and was in ICU. Two of our sons live out of state so it was on me and the son who lives in town to drive back and forth to visit him and try to deal with things. The old man who was sharing the house was doing what he could, but he had no legal standing. Neither did I, of course, but I was moral support.
6. Ceiling fan in bedroom died and had to be replaced. Can't sleep in Georgia without a ceiling fan.
7. April and May, visiting ex in hospital. He was finally released to his home, because he refused to go to the one rehab facility who would take him. Living (sorta) in a dump, with the old man who's on full time oxygen.
Oh, and his stepson (son of wife #3), who he said he'd adopted 20 years ago? Ex broke the news to him On His Death Bed that he'd never gotten around to it. Sorry!
8. May 13, ex died in bed. Funeral arrangements must be made. None of the 4 sons had the money for cremation, so I put it on my credit card. Oldest was going to make the service arrangements, but he's out of town and hard to get hold of, so I ended up doing the planning of what psalms and all with the priest who was a buddy of ex's (for 40 or 50 years). Was told by life insurance company that Wife #3 was the beneficiary, and that ex had said no alternates, that the money should go straight to his estate. Did I mention there was no will? You guessed that, didn't you?
Service at end of May
9. About then, I started seeing small bugs in my kitchen. German cockroaches! Small and born pregnant, and horrible to get rid of. Start scheduling exterminator, who says will take 3 months! with bi weekly visits.
10. June, text roomer, who I hadn't see in a couple of days, on Friday. Wake up Saturday, realizing that he hadn't answered and he always answered. Text again, saying if I don't hear, I'm coming in. I didn't hear. Went him, and he was cold in bed -- died in his sleep.
Mutual friends helped clear his stuff out. No belongings, no kin, no will. Pauper grave.
11. July and August, exterminator return a few more times, but don't do anything but randomly spray. Bugs still marching.
12. Two root canals. Supposed to be covered by Medicare, but today, I see apparently not!
13. November, exterminator realizes I've refused to pay. I say, still have roaches. Send manager out. They've infested my refrigerator, stove, and microwave. I have to junk those appliances and have the kitchen and laundry deep cleaned. Yesterday, the junk people took them, Tuesday is the cleaning.
I've beat up the credit I do have, and am exhausted. Today, I have to take EVERYTHING out of the kitchen, so it can be cleaned.
I want to down size, but this is not how I'd thought to do it.
The last year I had with this much stuff happening was the year I turned 40. I turned 65 in February, and I hope it's another 25 before another like this, and I'll be dead and miss it.
Just needed to document it all.
#3