Well life is never quite around here

with the kids in town. Yesterday, we had a case of brakes that need replacing immediately. The child was amazed when its car failed to even get into the shop before they failed it for inspection. The child offered to take me around the block to see how the brakes performed. 1st brake as we approached the corner, CLUNK, not a squeak as the child described it, 2nd, 3rd 4th and reverse, CLUNK. I booked it into the garage immediately!

Later on, other child came down stairs, looking decidedly worse for wear. The child had been working all day, barely eaten and then taken their medications. Insisted on driving to the local pharmacy for something. On the way out hit the trash bin. What we didn't know and the child didn't know is that the child hit the next door neighbour's daughter's car and then drove off. Although the neighbours car is not badly damaged,(child's car more damaged) he was understandably not pleased with the child. Think we might have smooth the waters a bit but the child needs to go over an apologise.

3rd child didn't have any problems like that but does have a very best friend who is having problems, so my ear is for the listening, I hope.

Of course, most of these problems occur because they are students on a limited budget. The brakes weren't fixed because the child has no money at the moment. The child has spend over $700 on car fixtures already this month. Of course the reason its that high is because problems were ignore until the car literally broke down. The reason the problems were ignored because the child has rent and other living expenses to pay for that seem more urgent. Its balancing act and the child got it wrong this time.

Child 2 was tired because work is in a local DIY store so child is on feet all day in the hot humid weather that is TX. The child also has become a vegetarian in the last 12 months, so find it difficult in this land of carnivores to get decent vegetarian food. Add in medications and its a disaster in the making.

I know working or paying for their way is good for them in the long run but when things like this happen I feel bad. Hopefully today will be a good day for them.

I had moment of impulse (part 1)

which ruined my day and I still don't know how I feel about it.

It was the end of a unscheduled 24 hours.


Few things happened, none of them that big or out of the ordinary but combined made me edgy,angry and excited , not a good thing, in light of early afternoon.

Basically, my eldest daughter made me feel like a bad parent as we are finally terminating her car insurance payments paid by us, so she has to pay for her own insurance. She is beginning to panic because come August all our financial support will be gone and now she is wondering how she is going to live.

I am panicking because I know she has been walking with her head in the sand for so long that despite knowing that we would be stopping her allowance this year she hasn't done anything. It was going to be on her 22nd birthday but now August and she has still not figure out loans etc. Of course that makes me and Her Dad worry but we have say NO eventually, especially with Emily beginning University next year.


Anyway she managed to make me feel even more guilty with her 2nd call of the day, yesterday as she has got herself a job for the summer at IHOP. This will be on top her research work (not paid as per norm for intern work but will give her credits for her master apparently) and summer classes starting this week. ( which reminds me there must be fees to be paid but no notification from the University - why?)

That made me feel terrible as here am I, just slopping around the house and seemingly unable to get a job! Not that would make a difference because even if I had a job, we would be stopping her allowance, paying for a degree and 4 yrs of living expenses doesn't seem that bad. However, kids have a way of guilting you as most parents will agree. So that put me on edge and slightly angry but not explosively angry. Just normal parental frustration.

The other thing that had me on edge was the welfare of Angus, our dog. After being at the vets for a day and us waiting around for blood tests, it turns out he has a bacterial infection but nothing serious.

Excitement was caused by Emily, my youngest, nearly 18, getting her first car. Anxiety caused by the fact my little girl has a CAR! She was delighted of course, despite the fact she now owes us a considerable amount of money (well considerable to her). SHOCK because at the beginning of the day we hadn't planned on getting a car although I have been looking without success for a good month now. It seems decadent to have 5 cars amongst 5 people but what else are you do with no public transport and everyone going in different directions.

Disappointment at only losing 0.8lbs at weight watchers but pleased that I am now putting myself forward at weight watchers, giving anecdotal answers, knowing I should be more confident and outgoing to be more successful.
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on the 18th day of Advent

I wrapped presents, realised I have a lot of shopping to do, realised I don't have much time and my car needs to go back to be checked as its misfiring after a new drive belt was fitted last Friday. So today when I need the car, its being serviced! Oh well.

I also took these pictures as I walked around our small neighbourhood. Not many people have put up lights (including us) and I think that because we lived in a homeowners Association free neighbourhood. In our last rental, we weren't made to put up lights but the homeowners were made to feel guilty if they didn't get into the spirit of things. In our friends neighbourhood they actually get fined by HOA for not putting up lights and they have to be white, not multi-coloured.