It’s been a good year since I asked my ex to leave. The divorce isn’t final yet, but it’s coming along, and I’m able to look back at the year and see some significant changes that have happened:
The house is…well, at least a bit more organized and clean. Believe me, this is a process that could take some time, so I’m pretty impressed with what the kids and I have managed to do so far.
Family life is much nicer. Our home is still in chaos a good percentage of the time, but it’s a happy chaos–the kids are playing, music is being made, and I can do things in one room without having to keep an ear cocked for impending disaster in another. No one is walking on eggshells anymore; the kids and I are visibly more at ease in our home. AND I’m spending much less time on the computer, which is a good thing.
Love life is fine and dandy. Todd33rpm, man o’ my dreams, has somehow magically adapted to life amongst the savages, and pretty much takes all the wackiness in stride. A family like this one–four kids, lots of pets, wacky woman–is a lot to take on, imo…He’s a bigger man than I am, that’s for sure.
Heh. Well, you know what I mean.
Finances…well, finances were going pretty well, until I took my van in today to get a new tie rod. I just got new tires and new brakes a couple of months ago, but the tie rod required waiting until I had a bit of cash on hand. A couple hundred should cover it, I reckoned.
And it would have, except that I also need new bushings. And you can’t just hop over to WalMart and buy new bushings, you have to order them from the Dealer, and you have to buy the whole assembly, not just the little part you need.
Oh, and I needed a new tire to replace the OTHER new tire that was ruined by the bad tie rod and resulting misalignment.
So: $55 for the tire. $313 for the new tie rod. That I can manage, just barely.
But get this: **$490 **for the new bushings.
Ouch. Ouchouch OUCH. I can so NOT afford this right now. $490 is more than the poetfamily’s grocery budget for a month!
But still, I am a year away from the unhappiest time in my life, and lack of…well, half a thousand bucks…is not going to get me down. I have a bunch of stuff that needs to go to auction, so I’ll get that sent out, and another bunch of stuff that needs to be ebayed, so I’ll get on that, and…hmmmm. Cut the grocery budget to about a third or less of what I’d normally spend…cut allowances completely…try to put off what utilities I can…cut the gas bill as much as possible.
Hmmm. I might be able to pull it off. And besides, I’m free! and happy! and healthy again, for the first time in years.
I guess I’ll quit my bitchin’ and go look at my budget. 
