Caught out there
One of the best break up songs ever. Although my post has nothing to do with a break up the chorus just signifies how I feel.
Two words: August sucked. Yes, I know I could have been more eloquent but seriously, that about sums up my August. Apparently it’s not just my August that took a first class trip into sucks-ville because those closest to me have had a pretty trying go of it as well. The only good thing I can say that happened this month was that the new Sire to the Henderson house hold was born (Hi Remi). He kinda cute. I don’t know if I like him yet but as long as he stays relaxed and breezy then we’ll get along just fine. Truth be told it’s kinda hard not to like him (don’t tell him I said that).
Where to begin? I have to say that first and foremost I thank God for always watching out for me (even if I don’t deserve it). He is the only way I was able to get through this month. I may not actively go to church but I do know which God I serve and Who watches over me.
It started fairly early in the month. On the 2nd I had to get the tags for my car renewed and before then I had to get the emissions test. No big deal except they were suppose to be renewed in July. I got busy and had no money so I rode dirty for 24 hours (not fun).
Thursday the 5th I get a text saying my biological mother was admitted to the emergency room because of chest pains. She was later released due to no insurance but they “think” she may have a heart murmur. I have no idea how she is since we don’t talk but according to the grapevine (i.e. my grandmother) she’s fine.
Thursday night/Friday morning I driving home from my 2nd job and my car starts to run hot (in my best confused Scooby voice; Eurrrgh?)
On Saturday the 7th I spent the greater part of the morning ( yes damn me the morning, like 7:30 in the am) at a car repair shop for said issue and spent $438 to get Maxine up and running properly (my car’s name is Maxine Elizabeth Wade she is an ’02 Nissan Sentra).
Sunday the 8th my grandmother calls me at 11pm to leave a message on my voicemail to tell me that she was in the emergency room. The message went something like this: “Hey it’s me. My heartbeat was beating faster than normal so Brother ( her younger brother she just happens to call “Brother”) took me to the emergency room at St. Mary’s. You don’t have to come I’ve been here for a couple of hours by myself and they’re keeping me over night, Brother left a while ago. Just letting you know, call you tomorrow (you see the “is she serious” look on my face, right?). So they kept her in the hospital and she was suppose to be out by the following Thursday. As my older cousin reminded me I am the only accessible grandchild so I needed to be there for nothing else than to represent on behalf of the other grandchildren ( did I mention she has like 24 grand kids. I think I’m like the 2nd or third)
So, on the 11th of August I take the morning off from my first job and go visit my grandma. Now since Monday morning she’s been fine. On the Wednesday before I get there her heart starts beating fast (literally, an *hour* before I get there). Needless to day she’s not leaving on Thursday the 12th as planned. I visit for a couple of hours play some Phase 10; it’s an awesome card game I highly recommend you pick it up. She won out game (she cheated) and I left around 2pm to go to work. I got some gas, and was driving to work. I called my boss to let him know I was on my way looked down at my phone to make sure it was disconnected ( I had an earpiece in ) and when I looked up the Chevy Impala that was in front of me hadn’t moved. I swerved to the left and slammed on my brakes but…. I still hit her car. I was/am fine. My airbags didn’t deploy, I had my seat belt on. If you were inside my car you would only see the hood come up a little. The damage to the older lady’s car was minimal. I hit the driver side bumper (from swerving to the left) but nothing else. Now once you got out of my car and looked at the front it looked like someone had taken the front of my car and face mooshed her.
Definition: Face-mooosh – when a person takes the palm of their hand and grab your whole face and pushes.
There were no fluids leaking and I was able to drive the car to work with no strange noises or shaking. While waiting for the police to show up I call my boss (again), my grandmother (whom I just left) and my best friend Raquita (she’s my emergency person), and the insurance company. Through my insurance I got a rental and they were picking up my car from work to assess the damage. That was not a pleasant interlude to my day. I hadn’t had an accident that was my fault since I was 18. The last accident I was in, that I was behind the wheel was when I was about 22 and it wasn’t my fault. So after being a bit shaken up I came to terms with the accident because they do happen. I was mentally prepared to have to pay a deductible, get Max fixed, and move on with my life. Is that what happened? (Thank you God for the curve balls, no flag) No, that isn’t what happened.
On the 12th I was informed that my car was a total loss and they were going to pay it off. Apparently I must have blacked out because I have no idea how I got through the rest of Thursday. The total damage to my car was $4400. The value of my car, after they assessed the damaged was $4500. The payoff for my car was $3900. Which left me with two jobs, no car, and no idea what to do.
Good news insert: They released my grandma on Sunday the 15th. She’s had a pace maker for a long while but had to have surgery because one of her heart valves was 80% clogged. She’s doing better.
Another bit of good news that I mentioned earlier; on Thursday August 19th Jeremiah Hasan Rodney Henderson was born. 7lbs, 6 oz, and 20 inches long.
So from August 13th – August 31st I have been looking for a car. The problem that I keep running into is that: 1) I don’t have good credit. I don’t have super bad credit but the credit I do have isn’t all that great. 2) I don’t have a deposit. Again, I was ready for the deductible but not ready (SO not ready) or prepared to have to by a new car. 3) I don’t have a co-signer. Which I’m not all that torn up about because I’m 33 I shouldn’t have to have one or need to ask for one. The first place I went to, the guy was nice and genuinely wanted to help. However when he called me back after getting my info he wanted a down payment of $2000 to $2500.Which I politely told him I could do if I didn’t buy food or paid any of my other bills for three weeks. Raquita and I took a trip to IL and let me say those wankers can go suck an egg. They were rude and dismissive and didn’t listen or act like they wanted to listen to anything I had to say before they had my credit report in their hand; so we left. I tried to go through the husband of a friend of Raquita’s but that didn’t work either. Because they also wanted a deposit that I didn’t have. In the mean time I’ve having to catch the bus and imposing on my post preggers friend to pick me up and drop me off at ungodly hours to and from work. Have I mentioned she had a C-section and she shouldn’t be doing any of this stuff (ya know, like “driving”)? I tried to get the car companies I already contacted to lend me the car while I pay them in manageable increments because I ended up having to rent a car. Not a favorable solution and it wasn’t helping me with the whole “saving money for a car deposit” thing but friends give you ugly truths (at least mine do) and Raquita made me see that I had no choice. So I rented a car for two weeks.
Good news insert: My grand mother’s birthday was on the 26th. On the 27th I took her to F15teen a really good restaurant close to downtown. And it was restaurant week so it wasn’t as expensive at it would have been. Yay me. She had a really good time and I got to see my Nana.
Shameless plug: http://www.15stl.com/
So we come to the 31st (or the 1st by the time I get to post this entry). On the advice of Raquita’s dad I went to a smaller dealer ship ( in North county, Lord save me) and with lots of prayer and the mercy of God I was able to get approved for an ’08 Mazda 3. Now I am brand loyal and will always be a Nissan girl (may the Nissan gods forgive me for the Mazda) and I was able to work out an agreement to pay a $1000 deposit in increments (which, by the way the bigger places weren’t willing to do) and I now have a new car.
There are a few simple rules with cars me. All cars are female and have names. It took me weeks after I got the Sentra to find out her name was Maxine Elizabeth. I tried to call her different names but she didn’t like them. When I went to put gas in her one day she just told me what it was. Now the Mazda was a little quicker. I tried some names (even a couple of male names; that didn’t go over well) but on the drive to work she told me her name; Genevieve Rouge (insert French accent here). Vivi for short.
As for the other unfortunate things that happened this month. They are not my stories to tell. I will continue to keep those people I hold close to me in prayer. May their memories be long, their grief short, and the results of all test come out in their favor.
Sidebar: I know this post is long however I have a deeper respect and understanding how the Fox TV series 24 could last as long as it has. And that was just a day per series. ( I have no idea where that random thought came from)
