Feb 11, 2011

september thirteenth o' nine

dan and i bought a hyundai elantra yesterday. we were not planning on it, but we had to. we drove it right off the lot, and i had to drive it because it's stick shift and dan doesn't know how to drive stick shift. leave it to us to buy a car when dan can't even drive it.

but we love it.

i'm still trying to finish up m review. i think i can publish soon, but my work schedule has been picking up and i'm running out of days to spend at school working on it.

another thing taking up my time is dbt. (dialectical behavior therapy -of portland-). i attend twice a week, mondays in group therapy and fridays in individual therapy. this is a substantial time commitment (i have "homework" every week), as well as a large financial commitment. luckily, my state coverage through omip takes the edge off.

but the edge still isn't enough. it's a chunk of change.

we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on the 4th, and last thursday i surprised dan by taking him to a bed and breakfast at abbey road farm, outside carlton. it was a much needed day-cation for us. we never had a honeymoon (other than staying in motels and driving across the country to live in oregon) and we have never done something for ourselves as simple as 1 night in a nice bed and breakfast. oh my gosh, did we love it. we wandered around the farm and watched the animals...pet the goats, talked to the sheep and llamas, and listened to the crazy coos of some crazy chickens. after dusk, we sat on a deck overlooking the country with 3 fellow suitemates (visiting from atlanta), and opened a bottle of champagne while talking and taking glimpses of the milky way.

it was the calm before the storm. on friday, our car crapped out. this is the 3rd time in 4 months and we realized that we can't keep taking it into the dealership to get fixed. it's an 02 hybrid, which toyota has just informed us has defaults that require (free) maintenance. only we don't qualify for this because we put over 150,000 miles on that thing. unsure whether the car would start for us again, we headed to a smattering of dealerships in beaverton yesterday and came home with the elantra.

this situation seems to be the straw that broke my camel's back. i'm dealing with a lot of stress with work, m, dbt, selling the condo and planning a move, and the general catastrophe of money. the sell/move situation has become increasingly complicated by the fact that dan has been replaced at work and the clock is ticking on our usual income. what lies ahead for him in illinois? we have no idea. and we haven't the faintest clue how we will make enough to survive monthly payments (a new car payment included) and get me affordable health insurance.

i wish there was a life manual where you open to the right page and find a bullet note that tells you what to do when you have absolutely no idea how to proceed with the way life's road is winding along. i know that this is nothing new. i realize everyone feels this way at one point or another. i know this too shall pass.

it is the wait that i have to keep thinking is strengthening.

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