Trash

We are not a stereotypical household in some respects.  I live in a house with four males and yet I am typically the one who takes out the trash.  This is what makes Husband's arm-breaking accident all the more tragic - he was taking the trash to the curb because I was out of town on my one business trip of the year. 

Inside the house, when the trash in the kitchen fills up, it is typically myself or Husband who takes it to the garage.  With Husband's current injury, however, he is not able to lift the bag out of the can and so the task has primarily fallen on me.  However, Iago, I think is feeling somewhat guilty about the small fortune we will be spending on his teeth.  Yesterday, as we were leaving the house, he pointed out the kitchen trash bag that he had emptied and taken to the garage.

"I didn't know where to put this."  So he had placed it on the floor in the garage.  Next to the empty trash can. 

"Um, inside the empty trash can right next to it would be fine." 

"Oh. .. I didn't know if that's what that was for and I didn't want to put it there if it wasn't supposed to be there,"  he says.

It's TRASH.  Of course it goes in the empty trash can.  I didn't think that needed explaining!  But these are the details we have to outline.  I will take the positive that he recognized that the trash was full and took it to the garage rather than creating his own trash bag hanging from a chair in the kitchen.  That is a step in the right direction.

Dental Work

After months of nagging from Iago to Husband, I finally took over and scheduled Iago's appointment with the new dentist.  It was yesterday.  Apparently, Iago has serious dental issues.  To the tune of $6,500 AFTER dental insurance (which caps at $1200/year maximum).  Today, he's getting one crown and with yesterday's appointment that's $1,000 gone.  There goes my 10th anniversary trip with Husband.  Oh well.

After today, he'll still need 3 more crowns and 4 more cavities filled.  Oh, and did I mention that he has acid reflux that has pretty much eaten away at his top teeth to where he practically has no enamel left.  So we have to get him to the doctor to take care of the reflux.  He also has a deviated septum with "complete blockage" on one side.  Don't know what that means, but they recommended an Ear, Nose, & Throat doc (if his primary care doctor agrees and refers him).  And he might have sleep apnea.  This is when he chooses to mention that he's been thinking he's been having night terrors for some time.  Husband later tells me that he's been asking to see the doc for some time, too, because of the night terrors, but didn't want me to know.  But since Husband NEVER schedules the doctor appointments, how the hell does Iago think he's going to get to the doctor??? 

And part of me is pissed off because he's not my kid, he's my brother-in-law.  And now I'm not going to be able to afford an anniversary trip with my husband (which we both need for some reconnecting time) and we're going to be worried about money because we can't afford the $6,500 in dental work, much less the accompanying medical bills that are going to hit.  This sucks.  I don't have the time/energy/etc. to get a second job.  Oh, and I'll have to put off having my car checked out - though I think it needs some serious work, too.

Couch pillows

Should not be used for sitting on top of because the office chair is uncomfortable.  Or squished behind your back when you think you have pulled something.  These are my decorative couch pillows.  I'm sick of them looking like flattened pancakes!  As soon as I get them plump again, I find someone using them in the office chair or the dining room chairs.  Then they get covered with food.  Yuck!  Someday I'll have nice things, right?  But I'll be too old and senile to enjoy it.

Fraud alerts

On July 4th, I received a call to my cell phone from a 1-877 number.  I don't answer when I don't know the number.  I listened to the voicemail that was left for me and the only bit I could get was ". . . card ending in XXXX.  Call us immediately at 1-877-XXX-XXXX."  Okay, so the first set of X's was the last four digits of my credit card.  With all the scams out there, I NEVER call the number left on my voice mail and call the number on my card instead.

The nice lady at customer service tells me, "No, there's no fraud alert on your card."  So I assume scam.  After all, who would be calling me on July 4th.

Two hours later, I get another call.  This time I pick up.  Now they want me to "verify my identity" by giving them my name and zip code.  No way.  Again I call the credit card company using the number on the back of the card.  Good thing we don't do anything special on the 4th except enjoy our air conditioning!

"Ma'am, there's a fraud alert on your card.  Let me transfer you to that department."  And yes, there was a fraud alert because I used my card for 2 transactions - one for my glasses/contacts and one for Iago's glasses.  After I confirm that, yes indeed, I spent $466 and then charged another $130, we had to go through my remaining transactions.  Poor woman had to follow my sad life - following my doctor's appointment, we spent:

• $6.30 at Starbucks for a Venti Toffee Nut Nonfat Chai
• $30+ at Roosters for lunch before we tried to go to the pool only to find it had closed 15 minutes before.
• $18.99 at CVS for Bug Spray and Propel to take with us to see the fireworks
• $25+ the next day for lunch at City BBQ (Vince brought it home).

I did mention my life was banal?  The lady confirmed 3 times, "So these charges are indeed yours?"  Sadly, yes.  "We have removed the fraud alert from your account."  Thank you.  "Enjoy the rest of your weekend."  I'll try. . .but your quiet commentary leads me to think you're sad for me if this is all there is on a holiday weekend.