(no subject)
Not the best of weeks so far. This being only Tuesday, my hopes are dimmed for the rest of the week. Only time will tell.
The car... she is dead. Just as mrs_ladybug and I arrived at BayFront Medical Center Sunday to visit tirephus, his girlfriend and their new daughter, our car died. We pulled into the parking lot, the car died, and we coasted into the nearest open spot. That day was a mixed bag of joy and sorrow. The kid's fine, and will be addicted to anime in no time, I'm sure. The car, however, is not so fine.
I've had it towed to a mechanic recommended to me by a coworker. Prognosis: $1700 and 4 1/2 days, minimum. I already have a $600 job to get done to replace the heather core. A '97 Chevy Cavalier in good condition is worth just over $2000. My car is not in good condition. Besides that, I don't have $1700. Go figure.
So, everything's chaos now. My big Thanksgiving trip, which included visiting the LA Ren Fest will probably not happen. My Dad and Granddad are currently doing their damndest to find a way for me to get a new (probably pre-owned) car, despite my shitty credit. I have no idea how I'm going to get myself and mrs_ladybug to work and school, respectively. This is, without exaggeration, the biggest financial disaster I've ever endured. Of course, it could be worse.
This little episode has spurred me into newfound responsiblity. As mrs_ladybug can attest to, I've grown more and more vigilant about our money lately. For some reason, perhaps my age, the reality of my situation has slowly been made clear to me. Now, however, the flood gates have broken. Unbeknownst to us (or, me, at least), we have been living beyond our means. We are spoiled. We eat out, have fun, and pamper ourselves, whilst my credit and outstanding bills languish. We spend hundreds of dollars a month on needless frivolity, for no good reason. So, painful as it may be, we are going to cut the fat. A lot. Dining out will be the rare, special treat it used to be. Comics, games, movies... all these things we've started to take for granted are going to be cut. In their place, our bills will be paid up, and my credit restored. End of story.
More as this story develops.
The car... she is dead. Just as mrs_ladybug and I arrived at BayFront Medical Center Sunday to visit tirephus, his girlfriend and their new daughter, our car died. We pulled into the parking lot, the car died, and we coasted into the nearest open spot. That day was a mixed bag of joy and sorrow. The kid's fine, and will be addicted to anime in no time, I'm sure. The car, however, is not so fine.
I've had it towed to a mechanic recommended to me by a coworker. Prognosis: $1700 and 4 1/2 days, minimum. I already have a $600 job to get done to replace the heather core. A '97 Chevy Cavalier in good condition is worth just over $2000. My car is not in good condition. Besides that, I don't have $1700. Go figure.
So, everything's chaos now. My big Thanksgiving trip, which included visiting the LA Ren Fest will probably not happen. My Dad and Granddad are currently doing their damndest to find a way for me to get a new (probably pre-owned) car, despite my shitty credit. I have no idea how I'm going to get myself and mrs_ladybug to work and school, respectively. This is, without exaggeration, the biggest financial disaster I've ever endured. Of course, it could be worse.
This little episode has spurred me into newfound responsiblity. As mrs_ladybug can attest to, I've grown more and more vigilant about our money lately. For some reason, perhaps my age, the reality of my situation has slowly been made clear to me. Now, however, the flood gates have broken. Unbeknownst to us (or, me, at least), we have been living beyond our means. We are spoiled. We eat out, have fun, and pamper ourselves, whilst my credit and outstanding bills languish. We spend hundreds of dollars a month on needless frivolity, for no good reason. So, painful as it may be, we are going to cut the fat. A lot. Dining out will be the rare, special treat it used to be. Comics, games, movies... all these things we've started to take for granted are going to be cut. In their place, our bills will be paid up, and my credit restored. End of story.
More as this story develops.