Things have calmed down a lot since I posted this update about our combination of life stresses. We still have bumps and hurdles to cross, but our attitudes improve each step along the way.
The Referee spent this weekend tackling the kitchen sink that had a leaky drain that would not remove so he could replace it. I will not rant about how long this sink has been leaking, or the water damage that has been done to the cabinet below it, due to ignoring the problem for too long. Instead, I will celebrate that The Referee finally grew so frustrated with it that he called in a friend from church to help him demolish the drain. The friend has tools to cut through the part, so it could be removed. Demolition must be fun, because the guys were laughing throughout the process. Tough jobs always seem more fun with church friends. The Referee's attitude was dramatically improved and he was able to replace the drain with ease. I am amazed that a kitchen sink part that only costs $5 was causing us so much grief for so long. The leak is fixed and the sink looks great now.
An added bonus is that The Referee was able to find the flooring edges he needed to improve the look of the seam where the dining room and kitchen floors meet. He fixed that up over the weekend too, making our kitchen project look that much better.
The Referee was able to get his car to start. He had to get under it and kick the gas tank area, where the new fuel pump is located. That was the mechanic's strange advice, but it worked. It started running again. A few days later, it started over heating. Poor little car. It is about to turn 11 years old. It has been a good car, but I was really hoping it would hold on a little longer. It looks like we are going to have to get started on our car replacement savings now, because it does not look like that car will last until we are completely out of debt. So far, refilling the coolent every couple weeks is helping the overheating. There is a leak, but its true location is not yet known.
So far, we are keeping up with the incoming medical bills. The medical insurance company continues to send us error-filled benefits summaries. We continue to call and remind them that our contract with them has an out-of-pocket-maximum, and they are assigning more financial responsibility to us than they should. The calls are being tracked, so hopefully the right person will actually follow through and fix the error soon.
Jersey #4 did great with her dental work. Jersey #3 should do well too. I had a dental cleaning appointment with no further treatment needs, so dental stresses are reducing.
The announcement for which company won the contract has been delayed again. Now, it looks like news will arrive in two weeks. The Referee thinks his subcontract is covered through September, so he has a job until then at least. At this point, we are assuming that no news is good news, as long as the paychecks continue to arrive. Even if his current company does not win the contract, the company who does win may pick him up as an employee, so it could all work out smooth in the end. Time will tell. Now that Jersey #2's heart surgery is over, we do not carry the same stress we had before. We have more flexibility now.
The dog is still coughing. Poor old dog. Her arthritis is worsening too. She really has trouble with stiffness when she tries to get up to stand after laying down a while. She still enjoys pursuing dropped foods at each meal and snack, so she naps close to the dining room table most of the time. I plan to follow up more on her cough when it is time for her annual shots next month. At this point, I don't expect things to improve much. She turns 12 in October, which is a remarkable age for a bigger dog.
To add to our previous challenges, we received a letter from our state saying we may owe more taxes from 2007. Thankfully, there is an amnesty program running right now, so if it turns out we do owe the taxes, we may get out of the penalty fees and interest charges. The irritating part is that we knew that tax year was going to be complicated, so we paid H&R Block to file our taxes. We also paid to have their "Peace of Mind" service plan, where they would battle the IRS if there was an audit. Sure enough, every call I have made to them has been a bust. First, the call was dropped mid-way through. Second, the next rep claimed that the first rep was giving erroneous information. She told me to call a local office. The local office did not answer their phone during their business hours, and did not return my call after I left a message. I called again 2 days later and was told that they do not cover the specific state taxes, because they know nothing about that. Um, they suddenly knew enough to claim they did not cover it.....so why did they not know enough to advise us at the time? It all sounds fishy. The Referee looked up the info on their website, which claims they do cover such services. So, someone is lying. Many times over. It is all so frustrating. But, it is not the end of the world. If we owe the taxes, we will pay them. And, we will continue to pursue the H&R Block claim to see if their program really will reimburse us like it originally advertised. But, I think I will think twice before using their services in the future.
So, right now, the budget is tight, but maintaining our expenses. All of the appliances are currently working, and both vehicles are running. The water leak is fixed. The flooring is fixed. The Referee continues to be paid for his work. We have a home. We have our health. We have a great circle of friends and family. We have plenty of ways to serve at church and in our community. The new school year started. New activities are ramping up.
We continue to ride along the ups and downs in life...
The Referee spent this weekend tackling the kitchen sink that had a leaky drain that would not remove so he could replace it. I will not rant about how long this sink has been leaking, or the water damage that has been done to the cabinet below it, due to ignoring the problem for too long. Instead, I will celebrate that The Referee finally grew so frustrated with it that he called in a friend from church to help him demolish the drain. The friend has tools to cut through the part, so it could be removed. Demolition must be fun, because the guys were laughing throughout the process. Tough jobs always seem more fun with church friends. The Referee's attitude was dramatically improved and he was able to replace the drain with ease. I am amazed that a kitchen sink part that only costs $5 was causing us so much grief for so long. The leak is fixed and the sink looks great now.
An added bonus is that The Referee was able to find the flooring edges he needed to improve the look of the seam where the dining room and kitchen floors meet. He fixed that up over the weekend too, making our kitchen project look that much better.
The Referee was able to get his car to start. He had to get under it and kick the gas tank area, where the new fuel pump is located. That was the mechanic's strange advice, but it worked. It started running again. A few days later, it started over heating. Poor little car. It is about to turn 11 years old. It has been a good car, but I was really hoping it would hold on a little longer. It looks like we are going to have to get started on our car replacement savings now, because it does not look like that car will last until we are completely out of debt. So far, refilling the coolent every couple weeks is helping the overheating. There is a leak, but its true location is not yet known.
So far, we are keeping up with the incoming medical bills. The medical insurance company continues to send us error-filled benefits summaries. We continue to call and remind them that our contract with them has an out-of-pocket-maximum, and they are assigning more financial responsibility to us than they should. The calls are being tracked, so hopefully the right person will actually follow through and fix the error soon.
Jersey #4 did great with her dental work. Jersey #3 should do well too. I had a dental cleaning appointment with no further treatment needs, so dental stresses are reducing.
The announcement for which company won the contract has been delayed again. Now, it looks like news will arrive in two weeks. The Referee thinks his subcontract is covered through September, so he has a job until then at least. At this point, we are assuming that no news is good news, as long as the paychecks continue to arrive. Even if his current company does not win the contract, the company who does win may pick him up as an employee, so it could all work out smooth in the end. Time will tell. Now that Jersey #2's heart surgery is over, we do not carry the same stress we had before. We have more flexibility now.
The dog is still coughing. Poor old dog. Her arthritis is worsening too. She really has trouble with stiffness when she tries to get up to stand after laying down a while. She still enjoys pursuing dropped foods at each meal and snack, so she naps close to the dining room table most of the time. I plan to follow up more on her cough when it is time for her annual shots next month. At this point, I don't expect things to improve much. She turns 12 in October, which is a remarkable age for a bigger dog.
To add to our previous challenges, we received a letter from our state saying we may owe more taxes from 2007. Thankfully, there is an amnesty program running right now, so if it turns out we do owe the taxes, we may get out of the penalty fees and interest charges. The irritating part is that we knew that tax year was going to be complicated, so we paid H&R Block to file our taxes. We also paid to have their "Peace of Mind" service plan, where they would battle the IRS if there was an audit. Sure enough, every call I have made to them has been a bust. First, the call was dropped mid-way through. Second, the next rep claimed that the first rep was giving erroneous information. She told me to call a local office. The local office did not answer their phone during their business hours, and did not return my call after I left a message. I called again 2 days later and was told that they do not cover the specific state taxes, because they know nothing about that. Um, they suddenly knew enough to claim they did not cover it.....so why did they not know enough to advise us at the time? It all sounds fishy. The Referee looked up the info on their website, which claims they do cover such services. So, someone is lying. Many times over. It is all so frustrating. But, it is not the end of the world. If we owe the taxes, we will pay them. And, we will continue to pursue the H&R Block claim to see if their program really will reimburse us like it originally advertised. But, I think I will think twice before using their services in the future.
So, right now, the budget is tight, but maintaining our expenses. All of the appliances are currently working, and both vehicles are running. The water leak is fixed. The flooring is fixed. The Referee continues to be paid for his work. We have a home. We have our health. We have a great circle of friends and family. We have plenty of ways to serve at church and in our community. The new school year started. New activities are ramping up.
We continue to ride along the ups and downs in life...
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