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These last couple of weeks have mostly consisted of managing our tax refund and putting it to use. This year M. and I got the biggest one we've ever had and I'm proud of the fact that we actually managed to use it almost entirely on things we planned on. We paid the property taxes on our cars and we were able to get our newest cat, Zinky Oreo Feet, her shots and get her spayed. We were also able to treat ourselves to a brand new 32" LCD television that we had been wanting for over a year now. That was a great feeling.
Unfortunately we couldn't do everything we wanted because crap got in the way. Late utilities needed paying and I had to unexpectedly fork over close to a hundred dollars to keep the garbage pickup service going. The waste disposal company around here is Deffenbaugh and I really hate them. They regularly miss our street so when the trash wasn't picked up one day I figured that was what had happened. No, it turns out they cut off our service because I hadn't paid them. The only reason I didn't pay them was because they never sent me a bill! Like every other complaint I've called them with, when I told them this they pretty much just blew it off. But of course since it's either them or nobody they don't have to provide good customer service.
Another unexpected expense hit last night when my computer monitor abruptly died altogether. I got the cheapest one I could and it's actually really nice: bigger and clearer than the one I had before. Still wish I hadn't had to spend that money. It prevents me from buying the thing I really wanted the most out of my refund, a new guitar. Or I should say a very specific kind of guitar that can only be found on the secondhand market these days. When I did get the refund money in hand, though, every single one that had been on the secondhand market up and disappeared. So I'm telling myself it was serendipity. I wasn't meant to buy it this time because I was going to need the money for other things. That eases the disappointment somewhat but the disappointment is still there.
Last but not least, today was a very big day. Today my wife graduated from massage therapy school. It's a big deal that she's done this and I am very, very proud of her. There was a really nice ceremony at the school followed by a party at one of her classmates' houses. I had not met anyone from her class before tonight and I'm really wishing I had because they are all really fun people. I felt like I fit in perfectly with all of them that I talked to and I almost never have that feeling at gatherings of this type. Everyone is really excited about being done and the career prospects it opens up. I have to admit the excitement is kind of contagious.
Back to work tomorrow but there's rehearsal in the evening to look forward to. So I leave my world of shiny new LCD screens behind and go to hopefully earn another good-sized refund for next year.
Unfortunately we couldn't do everything we wanted because crap got in the way. Late utilities needed paying and I had to unexpectedly fork over close to a hundred dollars to keep the garbage pickup service going. The waste disposal company around here is Deffenbaugh and I really hate them. They regularly miss our street so when the trash wasn't picked up one day I figured that was what had happened. No, it turns out they cut off our service because I hadn't paid them. The only reason I didn't pay them was because they never sent me a bill! Like every other complaint I've called them with, when I told them this they pretty much just blew it off. But of course since it's either them or nobody they don't have to provide good customer service.
Another unexpected expense hit last night when my computer monitor abruptly died altogether. I got the cheapest one I could and it's actually really nice: bigger and clearer than the one I had before. Still wish I hadn't had to spend that money. It prevents me from buying the thing I really wanted the most out of my refund, a new guitar. Or I should say a very specific kind of guitar that can only be found on the secondhand market these days. When I did get the refund money in hand, though, every single one that had been on the secondhand market up and disappeared. So I'm telling myself it was serendipity. I wasn't meant to buy it this time because I was going to need the money for other things. That eases the disappointment somewhat but the disappointment is still there.
Last but not least, today was a very big day. Today my wife graduated from massage therapy school. It's a big deal that she's done this and I am very, very proud of her. There was a really nice ceremony at the school followed by a party at one of her classmates' houses. I had not met anyone from her class before tonight and I'm really wishing I had because they are all really fun people. I felt like I fit in perfectly with all of them that I talked to and I almost never have that feeling at gatherings of this type. Everyone is really excited about being done and the career prospects it opens up. I have to admit the excitement is kind of contagious.
Back to work tomorrow but there's rehearsal in the evening to look forward to. So I leave my world of shiny new LCD screens behind and go to hopefully earn another good-sized refund for next year.
