October came and went with some pretty significant unexpected negative life events. BUT, because we are debt-free, they really were just annoyances. Money that used to go to student loans was used to cover us this month, where needed. On top of that, we've had some identity theft issues. It's humorous, really, how quickly things can spiral out of control. I'm pretty sure that the Lord made me an optimist for this very reason, haha. So, here's a recap:
1. Oscar put a rock in his ear one day at school. Why the primary schools use pea gravel to cushion falls on the playground, I do not know. On Sunday morning, we were eating brunch and he announced that his ear hurt, that there was a rock in there. Say what? I looked, and sure enough, there it was, and it had been there for several days. So, we had to go to the doctor to have the rock removed. Thankfully they were able to flush it out. While this was not a great expense, it was the beginning of a expense snowball.
2. I got sick. I never get sick, so you know this had to be related to allergies. At the end of the school day one Monday, the world started darkening and closing in. I was feeling very woozy, so I made sure I was sitting on the floor. Eventually, the school nurse was called and she forbade me from driving (I wouldn't have anyway). She called Eli to come get me, and they put me in a wheelchair and wheeled me to the nurse's office. Of course, right when he showed up, I threw up. It was awesome. We picked up G and they took me to the urgent care office, where they told me what I already knew--inner ear issues. A steroid shot in the rear, a Z-pack, and some sudafed, and I was an almost better girl. Almost.
3. Eli's truck got broken into. I found out about this because I forgot to take my sudafed in the morning and I had to run home to take my meds. The police were already on my street inspecting vehicles, and when I came out, they asked me about the truck parked to the side of our house. It had been one of several vehicles on the street that had been hit. So, my quick trip home turned onto about an hour filling out the police report, etc.
4. We drove to Florida to visit friends, and someone backed into my van, hit-and-run on the street overnight. At first, it was a mystery, but we figured out that the car in the driveway opposite was the culprit. When the police officer came out, he also determined that that was the car that hit us, but none of the possible drivers would say that they were in the car. The owner of the car gave me the insurance info reluctantly, and I filed a claim. The insurance company found her liable, so they paid for my van to be fixed. The rental we got was a late model version of mine, and while it had leather seats and satellite radio, I just wasn't impressed--at least, not $30,000 impressed, which is about how much more it would have cost us to get a newer van.
5. There were multiple attempts by an unknown user to access my bank account online. I've had to have my accounts locked down and jump through security hoops to get that all under control. Sheesh.
6. Our sweet Coco (cat) needed to go to the vet and due to infections in his mouth had to have four teeth extracted. Holy cow are vet visits expensive! I'm pretty sure that after Coco dies, we will not be getting any more pets. But we will love this one as long as we can! Poor guy spent a day wobbling around, unable to walk. We locked him in the bathroom for his own safety. Thankfully he's back to being mostly himself. But, he's a little pushier. I was feeding Gladys the other day and he just climbed up on top of her, wanting to be the only one that I was holding, and I kept putting him down. He was very persistent. :)
So, lots of stuff in October and early November, but we have a lot to look forward to, as well. This month will bring a trip to visit DAVE in Nashville, a trip to see family and our last remaining grandparent between us. A good month to spend family time together, because December brings a pretty big chunk of time where Eli will be gone completing the advanced course up in Virginia. Pray for us! We'll update after we meet DAVE!
