Major Freak Out

I think this may be the longest post I have ever written.)

As you all know, I think you all know, Shawn was injured at work in April. HE was on work comp until July. He was laid off about two weeks ago.

We’ve applied for unemployment while he is out searching for a job.

We received an award letter but have no idea when we can expect the first check.

The good news is he has a job. The bad news is that he doesn’t have a start date. He’ll be working as a mechanic for a company that does contract work with the government, which is why there is no start date. He’ll repair the forestry department vehicles when they come in. Apparently they get beat up pretty bad. The current contract just ended, it had something to do with owls, and they are waiting for the new contract to come in.

We have a general idea of how much he’ll earn an hour. We’re praying it’ll be in the mid-range to help cover the cost of the 45 minute commute.

At least there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

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I’ve gained 20 pounds since May.

The last three weeks I’ve had horrible abdominal pain.

Friday it got so bad Shawn took me to the ER.

I had blood work and an x-ray. The x-ray showed nothing. The blood work showed elevated liver enzymes. My blood work was sent out for further testing and I was given a referral for a CT scan.

I am on a clear liquid diet. Even water and green tea make me bloat up like a blimp. I’ve tried eating Ramen and toast and it just gives me a stomach ache.

I’ve had to quit my job at the thrift shop. A job I really enjoyed.

I haven’t been able to take my pills since August 22. So on top of everything else I have some withdrawal symptoms going on.

I had my CT yesterday and a follow-up appointment on Tuesday the 6th. If I didn’t have Medi-Cal I’d really be in trouble.

As soon as I figure out what’s going on with my body I’m going back to work. I’m even going to apply at *shudder* WalMart.

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In May, Nancy, our land lady, came up and told us she wished she had never rented the house out, it’s too much of a hassle. In June she told us to move. Our rent was paid up until mid-July. We had already been looking and things were going slow. On June 18th she served us with an eviction notice stating to be out in three days. She served us herself, with a witness.

On August 17th, after talking with Nancy about when the house would be empty and clean we were served with papers saying we abandoned the property. Apparently she hadn’t actually seen us removing stuff from the house so she started the process the week before. The bad thing is that the day we showed up with a moving truck to get everything out she called the Sheriff to let them know we were there so they could serve us. Makes absolutely no sense to me, but that’s what she did.

There was no one to help us at the free clinic after our appointment on Thursday and they wouldn’t be available until the following Thursday. So Monday not knowing what else to do we filled out the paperwork accordingly and filed a counter-suit. We had been paying for a 3 bedroom with an office, but one bedroom and the office didn’t have windows and she told us we couldn’t use those rooms. We stored our stuff in them but never actually used them as what they were intended for. She had agreed to provide windows and Shawn would install them, it never happened.

So yesterday I receive a notice about a trial date at the old property. Ok, whatever. Then I get home and I have a notice saying there was still a discrepancy over the property. She was still saying we had abandoned the house. Luckily this paper had a phone number for the office that helped her fill out the papers. (None of the previous summons had a number for a lawyer or personal number to reach her.) I called and explained that the house was vacant and I had just done the final cleaning and the house key was where she left it, in the pantry on the hook. The lawyer said she’d call Nancy and see if she was willing to drop her case if we dropped ours and get back to me.

I prayed, hard.

I get a call from my friend saying that Nancy and some guy were walking through the house, but not to worry she had gone in and taken 107 photos for me. I worried and prayed harder.

Today I got a call from the lawyer. Nancy was there with her and had agreed to dismiss the case. I literally started bawling. We go in tomorrow to sign the papers for the dismissal.
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While that one relief was huge I am still super stressed and freaking out.

If we can’t come up with the rent by August 5th we forfeit our current lease that we signed on July 20th. Our new landlord is understanding and I don’t think she will penalize us for breaking the lease, but she has to make the mortgage payment on the house we are living in. No rent from us means no mortgage payment for her.

I love this house. I love being in Northern California. But we have some hard choices to make.

Our rent is $1350 for September and October, with payments of $675 due on the 5th and 20th. (In November it will drop to $850, because the deposit will be paid.)

Shawn will have an unemployment check coming sometime in the foreseeable future, we just don’t know when.

He should have a paying job soon. (I am lucky he has been here to take care of me, but he needs to go back to work.)

His unemployment will not be enough to pay the rent, but it’s over the allowable amount you can earn to get cash assistance. Luckily we will be receiving the maximum benefit amount for food stamps.

If we have to move back to Southern California we will be selling anything that doesn’t fit in the car, Jeep, or Clifford, and Clifford will be pretty full with Shawn’s toolbox.

If it comes to that I’m keeping my camera, computer, photos, a few keepsakes, and only the clothes that fit.

That reality is becoming more and more real right now, but I can do it. It’s gonna hurt. But I’ll survive.

I’m just not sure how to break it to the girls. How do you explain that they can only keep a few of their favorite things? I know they are just things but at 8 and 13 things matter more than when you’re an adult.

We are going to attempt a yard sale this weekend. We checked and we don’t need a permit. (Grace in small things.)

We’re hoping to get enough to pay the rent by selling some of Shawn’s power tools and my sewing machine and serger along with most of our movie collection and what ever I can find on short notice. Suki is already dragging stuff out to sell. She started crying when I told her I wouldn’t take photos of the items like I was everything else. She had a hard time understanding that I was going to put a few things up here in an effort to try to earn some money.

I don’t know what else to do. What I’m about to do is awkward. It makes me feel like a complete heel.

I guess I’m just going to have to dive in.

Amber brought out her guitar and amp:

The electric guitar is a Squier Strat by Fender.

The amp is a 40 watt Marshall G10 MKII.

It includes a tuner, a case, and Smashmouth Astro lounge sheet music. (I think that’s what it’s called.)

I have some collector’s plates:

And some dolls:

Shawn brought out some of his knife collection:

Some teacups:

And a Noritake 5-piece service for eight with a 5-piece hostess set:

Amber even offered up her fish. She was going to give it to Suki for her birthday but she said making rent s more important. She even emptied her piggy bank and added it to the “Christmas” jar. (I forgot to take a photo of it. She sent me this one with her phone before it was fired.):

If anyone is interested in baseball cards Shawn has 1987-1991 complete sets for Donn Russ, Donn Russ Leaf, Topps, Fleer, and Score. Plus some miscellaneous cards. (I can get more details, but my brain hurts and can’t process anymore tonight.)

If anyone is interested in anything please leave me a comment or email me at heather dot mcconnaughy at gmail dot com.

(Nothing is priced because I have no clue what I’m doing besides trying to make ends meet.)

Additional photos are in my Flickr set Firesale.