Our clothes washer broke down, so I looked up the classifieds in the paper to find someone to fix it...called the number on the first ad: no answer...called the number on the next one and the guy takes down all the info and says: Clason, that name sounds familiar...(we are the ONLY family with that last name in the whole country!)...He's the guy that used to fix my parents fridge and washer for years! (and, believe me, when we bought this one, the old one was the same that my parents had used all my childhood! the thing was over 20 years old!!)...he asked about my parents...

Ale is sick again...visit to the Dr.: $25, blood tests: $10.50 ...medicines (I couldn't get ALL of them): $19.41....(to get them all would have been about $50...)

The good news is: it's not dengue - she already had that and the second time around it turns hemorragic...
She has to stay home, in bed.... ((sigh))....she's going to be mad at missing the Children's Day party at school this Friday, especially since they were going to get to bring their favorite toy, and she had hers already picked out!...oh, well... I HAD to take out the Barbie outfits that I had bought her for Xmas (3X $1.50!), so she has more things to occupy her, and made a bunch of print outs for her to color and work on her letters and numbers at home...

gas prices are affecting everything! I had my weekly grocery shopping down to $40 and, yesterday, I spent $53...in a lot less food than usual! ...and rising!...I don't know what I'm going to do...the worse thing is, I predict not much long will pass before the nanny asks for a raise - which would be compeletely understandable and deserved....I just don't have the money to give her any more than I'm already paying her!...doing without her is really not an option, as I have a 4 year old daughter.... I'm a single mom and, so is my sister, so, basically, there's noone else to take care of the kid...and, leaving her in daycare is $10 more expensive than paying for the maid!....and it would mean I would HAVE to leave the office before 5 every day - not an option!... We have managed to bring the water bill down to $9 (used to be $20) and, are currently working on the electricity and phone bills...phone will be difficult, due my niece...electricity, the house is just SO DARK!...we have changed the lightbulbs that are used the most for energy saving ones - we hate the kind of light they give - and left "normal" lightbulbs only in our rooms and bathrooms - used from 7pm on...

Just when I felt I had actually worked out a budget, this really smashed it....Since I was spending $5/week on gas, I had budgeted $10 - providing for future increases....but, the problem is, with this increase, my weekly budget will probably be something more like $15...

Recent researches show that Salvadorans are consuming a lot less gas, but spending a lot more on it!...

Oh, well....back to the drawing board...

the freelance teacher thing...they are paying $5/hour, offering only 2 hours/week ON SATURDAY and the classes are not at their main offices....I'd have to re-shuffle DD's activities on Saturday and find someone to take her there, spend about $3 of gas/week to get there (at current prices!, what happens when it goes up?) and pay 10% income tax on those $10...so I'd end up getting about $6/week...not worth the trouble...there are easier, faster ways to make $6/week!

Well, I'll keep looking for other sources of income...and also of other ways to save...

the good news is, our enclosed neighborhood is finally being granted it's own little park, so that's a new place to go without spending $0.01 in gas (it's about 3 blocks from the house!!), enclosed in our neighborhood (i.e.: safe!!)....It's being inaugurated next Saturday, so I'll go check it out....maybe there'll be some benches or tables and space for a small pic-nic for DD and me and, hopefully, games for her... at no cost!! woo-hoo!!

The bad news is, gas increased by $0.82/gallon as of today!! I heard the rumors yesterday and went to fill up my car...the tank was halfway full, and it cost me $14 to fill it up!! (it used to be $12 when it was empty!!)...

The ugly news is: my sister's ex-husband is now claiming he has spent so much this year, he cannot afford to "help her" with my niece's tuition as he had promised...the guy is despicable!...he has no money for his daughter's school, yet he IS keeping his country club membership active - eventhough he's now going to live in the US, and will be using the facilities about 2 or 3 times a year, at most!...He's also keeping one of his cars here, to use when he comes to visit...talk about having your priorities wrong!...but, as I told my sister, what could you expect??...my sister had to pay $6,000 for medical bills from my niece's illness last year and all he did was say: Wow, the hospital sure charged you a lot!....AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGHHHHH!!!...

I have been working on several ideas to make additional money...I have offered my translation services to my friends (they know I work, so they know that delivery times won't be the same as if I were working on it full time!)...I am knitting baby boots to sell as part of the $20 challenge...

Aside from that, and for money to be put to "regular" use (aka paying debts!), I'm working with my cousin to sell toys and we have also brought all my parents stuff out of storage to see what we are going to keep and what can be sold...(also, some things were broken, so we had to throw them away!)

The bad thing is, my car is heating up -again!...Now, I've decided not to invest $0.01 more in that...(I just spent $350 in May!!)...I'll carry 3 gallons of water around to cool/refill the radiator and that is it!... A frien of my cousin's, who is a mechanic, said some time ago that he might be interested in buying it for his daughters...so they learn how to drive...well, if he buys it, I'll sell it!...

There is an option to buy a used car (more debt, I know! I'm not happy about it!) ...but, honestly, public transport here is NOT an option...way too dangerous!...especially since I often leave the office after dark...

Well, we'll see what happens!

The bank did not authorize the loan to our buyer...the apt is back on the market! ((sigh)) ...I am praying that we get a new buyer soon, and that we get a better price for it... In the meantime, I'm fielding calls from creditors once again...((sigh)) ...DD is going to "preparatoria" in the fall, which is more expensive than Kindergarten (without being as expensive as a "real" school)...I am in serious need of cash...
my sister's health insurance has said that they will NOT cover the amount needed for her colon operation...the company has agreed to lend her the $1,600 at no interest but, they will discount $150/month from her salary!!...she could use the SSI hospital again, but, honestly, they have the best machines, but the most overworked doctors and nureses...it's not a place you want to go to have someone operate on you (they have a history of taking out the wrong kidney, amputating the wrong leg, leaving sponges and gauze inside of you and the like!)...going there for MRI's and CAT Scans is one thing, letting them open you up is a whole other one!!
We'll see what happens in the end!

Unbelievable! my car is heating up again!!...I refuse to take it back to the same workshop, so I guess I'll have to find a new one...problem is, God only knows how much they will charge...honest, if I'm going to start spending ~$200/month on repairs, I'm better off putting that money into an account and buying a new (used) car!....(needless to say, the ORIGINAL destination for that money was debt repayment!)...
the apartment still hasn't sold, no info on my income tax return - can't talk to a human being at the Ministry of Hacienda, and all the site and the voice mail say is: input, pending review...I filed those taxes on March 29th! you'd think I would have an answer by now! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
It is all soooo frustrating!!

I HATE IT!!! I'm sooooo mad at everybody at the moment...they think I'm a machine or something, they give me so much to do, and they don't mind if I say NO, they just give it to me anyway and pout and go talk to my boss about it!!...and, at home, with my sister unable to help, I'm practically the weekend maid!! I HATE IT!!!...on top of everything, there's never enough money...
To my normal workload, add the fact that my hard-drive "died" and had to be replaced...they managed to save most of it...except my .pst folders in OUtlook...where I happened to have a LOT of critical information!!...aaaaargh!!...lost forever, is what they tell me!!...so, now I have to scrape and ask for info that I used to have right at my fingertips!
I'm going nuts, I'm really, honestly, truly going nuts here!... I need a break...some kind of break...As it turns out, my level of satisfaction with my life, on a scale 5-10, with 5 being "sucks" and 10 being "perfect", it looks like this:

Family : 6 (DD "boosts" the score! so you can imagine!) With my sister sick, I'm chauffer, messenger, administrator, cook, maid and even provide moral support (who's giving ME moral support??)
Spiritual: 6 - have not had a prayer meeting/attended my praying workshop in ages!!
Work: -3....right now, I like my job, I just hate everyone around me!!
Physical: 6 - I'm not exercising, I'm not eating too well, I'm always tired...I try to get 3 meals a day, though, and remind myself to breathe often!
Financial: - do I REALLY need to score it?? or can you guess? -4 Creditors keep calling and things seem to be looking down, rather than up, lately!

Ever wonder why I never speak of a significant other?? Well, I don't have one and, at the moment, it seems like I will never have one...why? 1.I'm always working, so unless they start hiring some grown-ups, there's no chance (believe me, the age difference and mind-set difference is abysmal!)...plus, it'd have to be someone that likes children...2. I look like sh*t at the moment..yes, I always look tired, my hair is a mess (no time/energy/money to actually do something about it) ...and, no, I can't go out...it's too expensive for me right now....even if I go to "free" events, I have to pay childcare after 9:00pm, so...

The scores might change tomorrow, but, today, I hate my life!!

when it rains, it pours...how does that saying go?...the latest news is that my sister has been diagnosed with neurocystercircosis (sp??)...basically, an illness that is endemic in our countries which you can get from eating pork or from eating raw veggies that have not been hygienically (sp?) handled...the eggs of a parasite enter your body and make their way to your stomach (cysstercircosis) and, if untreated, will make their way to your brain (hence the neuro....)....they have caught it at an early stage (so we ARE lucky, after all!) ...they are affecting her motor skills...((shudder)) she's lost fine motor skills on her whole right side...so they are giving her medicine to kill off those things and are doing a series of CAT-scans...luckily, all that is covered under the Social Security medical thing...plus, they have the best equipment anyway...but, it means she has to go on disability for 30 days..and, that means that the company she works for is not obliged to pay her salary (by law), and that she will have to collect it from the social security....now, there would be no problem with this, except, the SS does NOT recognize any salaries above $690/month....so, eventhough she makes more than that, she's only entitled to $690 from the SS (minus income tax and pension fund discounts!!)...she'll get ~$400 max!!
...I already told her she'll have to pick the most important expenses vs the most urgent ones, and, pay the important ones...(my niece's school, my nephew's re-hab center fees, food..)...even if that means calls from creditors!!
In the meantime, I'm in charge of the house/children (not paying for it, but overseeing it as the sole adult in our "clan"!)....waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!

I don't know....today I feel very discouraged...I seem to be putting a lot of effort into this frugality thing, and into paying debts, and it somehow feels like I make no progress...I still can't get to the point where my accounts are current, so I keep paying hundreds of Dollars and yet the debt diminishes at ridiculously slow rates (like $5 or $10 per card per month)...I know things won't get better until I manage to bring everything up to date, because past-due interest is eating away at anything I pay...I wish I could just tell the collectors to drop dead and rot in hell...but, they are only doing their job...I wish I could tell the cc companies to drop dead and rot in hell but: a) they cannot "drop dead"...they're companies...and b) it IS my own fault!! ....I don't regret it, because none of THIS debt is for sumptuous or luxury items...all this was incurred while trying to give my parents a decent living -not even the lifestyle to which they were accostumed, just decent - so I don't regret it...but it really scares me, because I have seen and suffered what happens when you don't save for the future...and I don't want Ale to have to go through what I went through with my parents...but, the way things are right now (not enough money to even pay debts, let alone for saving for the future!)...that's where we are headed...and it really worries me...ties my stomach up in knots and makes me want to cry....and, every time I seem to be making some progress (next month I will have $50 "more" when I finally pay for a small personal loan here at work), something happens that throws me back into the hole, like my car breaking down TWICE in the same month...or, the latest one: my sis is sick and needs surgery...that'll be about $1,200 which she doesn't have... ....a lot of my friends counsel me to stay out of it, if she doesn't have it, it's HER problem...but, the way we were raised, if someone in your immediate family has a problem, the FAMILY has a problem and everyone should pitch in to help...it is extremely difficult to go against something like this...so, I have discussed it with my sister and, if she can't get the $1,200 as a loan from her company, I will end up re-financing that debt ($500) to help her and she will be the one paying the installments...you'd think this won't affect me, but it does, because I had planned to re-finance the debt in October, when they give you "school loans", because I could get $700 (instead of $500) without a co-signer...which I would have applied towards cc debt...(these loans have a much lower interest rate....although the time to repay is shorter...which means you pay more or less the same...but get out in less time and end up paying less)...I HATE it when things like these happen...Some days, I wish I could just win the lottery or something...

I uploaded my resume at Dell...they are looking for an assistant to the recruiters...they are paying between $1,200 and $1,900/ month....I'm currently making $800/ month....so it WOULD make a difference (not a huge one, though, because income tax varies according to how much you earn, so right now I pay about $200/ month, and at those salaries I'd probably pay between $400-$500 per month)...but, still, at $1,200 I'd get to keep about $800, whereas now I get to keep ~$600....Please send good vibes my way!!....I could ask for a raise here but, they do warn you up front when they hire you not to ask - I know that my boss, personally, thinks this policy to be total crap, and maybe he could do something, but, still, they probably wouldn't let him give me more than 10% (policy is a maximum of 5%) and that would only put me in the next earning bracket for tax purposes, which means my effective raise would be about $20/month! (after taxes)....((sigh))

Why does life have to be so difficult!
Yesterday, we were watching a movie and Ale asked about what had become of a woman who had just had a child, and I said: she left with her husband
- TOGETHER? why'd they leave together??
- er, that's what husbands are for...
- how come you don't have a husband? You DON'T have one, do you?
-Er, no, I don't, you see...
-Oh, I see, I bet it takes money to have a husband!
-well, no. Not necessarily
-Then why don't you have one? what does it take?
-Baby, if I knew, I'd HAVE one!!

This motherhood thing just keeps getting more and more difficult!! ((sigh))

She asked yesterday why I hadn't included a tin of Nesquick for her milk (she likes plain milk, but loves it with Nesquick, either chocolate or strawberry)...so I said I hadn't been able to find it at the store...which is not true, I just forgot I had promised to buy a small one...so I went to the supermarket downstairs today and actually looked for it!...it took me a while to find it, they keep it in the lowest shelf (I'm guessing this is not one of their fastest-moving products here, being a "commercial" district...most people shop for small things, mostly for lunch...) ...Anyway, I found it, and brought my tin to the cashier and, after I paid for it, she gave me another one!! (I had bought a strawberry one, and she gave me a chocolate one! yipeee!!...) so, I saved $1.08 and DD has 2 tins instead of one!!
If it weren't for the stupid car breaking down (again!), this would have been a great week for savings!! ((sigh))

Money is going to be tight next month, too...Sis has to be operated on, and it has to be done this week....it's minor, to be done at the Dr's office, but, still, it will cost $800....and her insurance only covers 70% of it...and she has to pay in full first, and then process a reimbursement, so we need to get the money and then wait about 3 weeks to get it back...she's asked her company for a loan, they would get the insurance money in 3 weeks, and she would pay the rest out of her salary in installments...but they still haven't said anything, so we are trying to work on alternate solutions...

Just when I thought I'd be able to pay a little more on my credit cards, the car had to break down....I hate it!!...every time I think things will get better, I get slammed with something like this!!...
oh, well....((sigh))...yesterday, I went and dropped off the documents for re-financing one of my debts (they called and offered it, they KNOW I can't pay, so they are willing to bundle all their debt into one, at a lower interest rate, just to get their money back....I hope this goes through!)
Also yesterday, I got a phone call from another cc company, they are offering to consider my accounts "current" (as opposed to past due) if I can make consecutive payments in the next two months (I have been paying them every other month!, so that I can pay for other debts...kinda keep everything in the 30-60 day past due range)...
we'll see how it goes...I just wish the apartment would finally sell, that would really make a difference!!

Today, the nanny came home crying...her 15 year old daughter dropped off her grand-daughter (yes, she had a baby at 14!) at her home and left, supposedly "for good", and said that, if she (the nanny) didn't take the baby, she (daughter) would just give it away to someone else....I just got a phone call, it was the nanny, the daughter came back and said she regrets having left the baby...I told her to keep her at home for today and tell her to wait until I got there. I will try to talk to her...she's just a kid, and she got wooed by this creep - who, of course, has a new girlfriend now! - who even took her to his home and everything....he painted the "ever after" story in such rosy tones...now, of course, he kicked her out of the house....to think she left school (she was doing really well, and wanted to become a nurse) for this guy, makes me sick!....If she stays, nanny will have to take care of her AND the baby....as if she didn't have enough problems trying to raise her other 2 daughters!! (ages 17 and 10)...

so...since my nephew crashed my cousin's car, I let her use mine in the meantime...Part of me said not to do it, maily because HE should have seen how difficult life can be here without a car...but, my cousin is self-employed...she has a small catering/ independent sales business....it is REALLY difficult for her (and dangerous!) to carry her food/merchandise in buses...Why would it have been important (for me) that my nephew had a hard time?? He's 15, and he took my cousin's car without permission...
So, this is another reason I was having second thoughts: I firmly believe he's starting to get involved in drugs...I firmly believe he took his mom's car to go out with some friends to get high...I certainly don't want him taking MY car...
Now, my cousin's car is supposed to be ready tomorrow, so I have insisted that I get it back today (no way I will let my car "sleep" at her house on a Friday!! he might want to "borrow" it...)...
Well, now my car is overheating!!! ...why? Well, I'm not blaming my cousin per se, it's just that she drives more in one day than I do in two weeks...since she has had my car the whole week....it's like saying my car has aged about 2 months in 4 days!!....I KNOW the car would eventually have had this problem...(it HAS happened before...I just don't know how to say it in English) but...probably not until June or so....
So, I KNOW I'm asking for my car back tonight...but, when will I REALLY get it back? (e.g I know it will "sleep" at home tonight, but, instead of driving DD to church and swim lessons tomorrow, I'll most probably end up taking the car to the workshop...and, I somehow don't think I'll get it back tomorrow!!...((sigh)) ....)

aaarghhh!!! ....so, this guy calls me today, and he says they are very worried about my payments (or, rather, lack therof!)...I explaiined to him: call me on the 15th, I don't know how much money I will have available...and he says: "don't you know how much you earn?, most of us have at least an idea..."....And I said: "Yeeees, but, I don't know how I will be using it, or if anything will be discounted directly from my account, so I don't know how much I will have available for your company...sorry if you don't like to hear that, but it is the truth!"...so, he says: "either way, we would like to get a committment from you as to how much you are going to pay!"...."I told you already: I don't know"..."still, you should make a committment..." "BYE!"...This is one of the main reasons why I want the apartment sold, so I can pay all overdue debt and be FREE of this phone calls!!...they are very draining!!....Hopefully, I will manage to have the money by the end of April/beginning of May....so that I will at least only have "current" debts by the start of June!!....I need more money!!!
Dear God, if you are listening: send me a nice fat translation work THAT PAYS!! (last month I had a huge translation, but it was for the office, so it was for "free" - meaning no extra money aside from my normal salary, for which I am grateful, eventhough it is less than what I was making at my previous job!!)

aaaarrrgh!! I could kick myself!!...DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY, when I was making sure all the lights were turned off before going to bed, I realized that a faucet was open...I went to close it and, oh, surprise, it didn't!!!...so, I have a leaky faucet!! $$$$$$$$....I made a mental note to call the plumber, but, I FORGOT!!! (how stupid can one get!!)...so, that thing has been leaking!! $$$$$$$$ (yes, I know how to turn the water off for the whole house; No, I didn't do it...mainly, because there are huge cockroaches there!!...yuck!!!....I don't have a problem turning it off during the day, when they just scurry away when I open the trap door because they hate the light, but....doing it at night!!...no way, I'm not THAT brave....((shuddder))....
Anyway, have called the plumber and let the nanny know they will be coming!!...Hopefully, by tonight, the leak will be gone!! $$$$$$$$$ (I have also asked them to check other things, but this is the main one!)

Turns out there are "restrictions" for the use of the cards....they told us: you can only use them on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays...that's the reason we went yesterday...otherwise, I would have waited until TODAY, which is 1/2 off ticket day!!...what they DIDN'T tell us was that they are only valid for some movies (those marked "promotion"...of course, neither Robots nor Son of Mask were "promotion" movies, and, having made DD all excited about it, I just couldn't turn back!...) ... I know I should have said something to the manager, but, honestly, I have no way of proving the guys didn't tell us over the phone, so I'll talk to J. instead, when he comes back from holidays (his family owns the movie theater chain, and he's always asking for feedback!...and I just know I can ask HIM for 2 free tickets for Disney's upcoming Hephelump movie and he'll give them to me to make up for the bad experience!)

So, that's $8.00 I spent yesterday! (movies, soda and a bag of popcorn and a bag of M&M's which I "smuggled" into the theater! - they cost me about $1.00 at the supermarket, whereas I would have paid almost $4 on them if bought at the movies!)

We'll see how the rest of the week goes!

Mom had to be admitted to the hospital last week. It shows how broke we are that we put her in a public hospital...so awful...visiting hours are 12-2 and 5-7 only....this is the worst news of the week, of course, but, to top it off, my car wouldn't start this morning...the battery is new, and the lights, blinker, windshield wipers, alarm and horn were working, so it might be the starter...or some other bug in the electrical system....I have friends that are mechanics, but none is a specialist in electrical systems, so I'd rather not risk frying in my car...I have to get a pro!...
the hotel did not want our tamales...
AND, the lesser of all evils plaguing me, our shower broke (we can use the children's bathroom), and the light in the children's bathroom went off (the lightbulb "died", but then, it is STUCK in there...we can't remove it to install a new one!...)
I want a new life!

well, we couldn't get one on loan...we checked with various churches and charities and, also with friends...my sister found one at $80....she's on her way to get it now...
I had to give her the last $60 for that, so now we don't even have enough for groceries this weekend...It'll have to wait until Monday (which is payday)...and I know Mom is going to give me grief over not bringing her anything this weekend (no juices, no sodas, no candy...) It is so hard, sometimes...this doesn't make things any easier when trying to explain to DD that WE have no money for sodas, and juices and candy....and then she sees me take money out of my pocket to pay for this stuff for Mom...I have told her many times, this is HER money...but, does DD really understand??
I hope so!

The arrangement we made when we sold my parents' farm (before the bank could seize it!) was for monthly installments...the second year would bring less than the first...starting February....starting today....
I need a break!
I'm praying for my old apt to sell...only two things could bring an instant substantial change in my finances right now: the sale of the apt, or my Mother's death....so I'm praying for the apt to sell!!....
I also answered a job ad for a position that sounded really nice...but, who knows, they might pay the same as here...or even less!....

I couldn't meet my goal for lunch budget this week...I spent $4.31, not $4.....I guess $5 was a much more realistic budget...still, I'll keep trying, maybe I-ll manage next week!!

I can't believe it! my sister left a bundle (literally) of money she needed to pay for my niece's school ($480) in her purse, and it somehow fell out and the puppy got to it...we found the puppy in the garden, munching happily at the plastic cover my sister had used for the money....and found only 20 $20 bills...or $400...
I really doubt the puppy ate the money, because there should at least be tiny bits of paper, shouldn't there? ....anyway...we have to be more careful (after all, you really can't blame a puppy for behaving like a puppy...and we all know this puppy is addicted to paper!)...I'm sad for my sister, but, there's really nothing I can do about it...and, in any case, at first she thought she might have lost it at the mall, so finding $400 is better than $0, right??

((sigh)) as if we needed any more money problems!!

I got a call from the Home today...saying Mom wants some more juice boxes...I delivered 9 of them on Monday...I told them sorry, make a list and I'll call Friday to get it and bring the stuff on Saturday when I go visit...Mom has never been mindful of the fact that we don't have the time (she never "worked"...she helped my Dad with the store some times, but, mostly, she went to her sewing group...she can't see that getting out early from work everyday or just skipping an hour or two in the afternoon can cause you real trouble!)...plus, I HATE going to the supermarket...plus it is EXPENSIVE to go to the supermarket more than once a week...(see previous post)...plus, it is extra fuel to go there...and it's not like I'm swimming in money right now - I would think that's rather obvious!!...
I know that, even if I buy stuff in bulk and bring it over, she'd still be making them call me in the middle of the week...because it's not about the stuff...it's about the attention...Mom cannot live unless she takes center stage...she's always done that...I'm guessing she's telling them how rotten I am even as I type!! ....
In case you're wondering: no, our relationship was NEVER good...

well, this one was more encouraging...basically, if I pay $7 today, I'll be ok with them...to bring the account up to date would be $33...might as well be $300, I can't pinch $33 right now...but, $7.00 is doable...
The real estate guy showed up today and already took the documents he needs to put the house up for sale...says he'll be in touch (he'd better, or else I'll be in touch!!...)
sis is sick today, the Dr. says she's gotta stay home for 3 days...it's her lungs and throat...she asked me to go to the supermarket and buy her some lemons and honey...I wish I could say that I managed to go in and buy ONLY the lemons and honey...but I bought a can of dog food....((sigh))...good thing I had only brought a $5 bill ....

I hate these phone calls...basically, they always treat you like you are some kind of criminal that doesn't WANT to pay...I have been making partial payments, and I understand they haven't covered the minimum payments, but, it's the best I can do (other than just hand over my whole paycheck, which still wouldn't bring the accounts up-to-date!)....
I need to sell the apartment....the real estate broker was supposed to call me last week...he didn't, so I called him yesterday...he was out and still hasn't called me...this infuriates me!!...and, of course, tells me just how much enthusiam he will have trying to sell the apartment!!....and the woman that was so interested in the apartment and was submitting her papers for the loan still hasn't called, either...you'd think she'd have the decency to say: sorry, I didn't get the loan and can't buy the apartment from you (if that is the case!)...
Oh, well, not much I can do but pray and keep offering the apartment!

I know there isn't such a word, but, believe me, that's what Mom is "un-frugal" as can be....she's been in the Home for 8 days, and, not counting clothes and other stuff she needed to get into the place (we hadn't gone to get her stuff at the old house yet), just in snacks and candies and other treats (meals are included in the price she pays per month), I've already spent $29 (of her own money)...and this is that I bring stuff in limited quantities...I do not want to imagine how she spent when there was noone to put a stop to what she was doing (she loves buying in bulk...even perishables!!...you can't imagine how much food we threw away!!)....on potato chips, fruit juice, candies, tamales, crackers, sardines and deviled ham...now she wants pastries and other stuff...
I know it's her money, and that's why I buy these things which for me and my child are luxuries (and which I never bought in large amounts anyway, as they are not good for my daughter...or me!), but, still, it hurts me that she can be so oblivious to our living standards....she wants to live the high life like she did when she was young and the family was rolling in money....she doesn't care if that means we end up pennyless....(because, after her money is gone, guess who'll end up supporting her??...the way we did when she didn't have income for 2 years.....I have had people say to me: so? it's her problem, don't make it yours....and, believe me, if she were younger, I might go along with it...but, she's 80...she has no insurance, no savings, no nothing...only my sister and me....my half-siblings? they were my father's children, and we haven't heard from them since we sent them copies of the invoices for the funeral expenses - which they requested we send them)...