I am in the middle part of our graduated licensing program here, which means I had my Learner's license, then passed the road test to get a New Driver's license. I have had that for five years, and it expires on my birthday, so I booked the road test to get my final license, the one I will have for life. I booked it an hour from home because all the other offices were booked up, so I hit the freeway today after work. I knew I had a couple fines from the past month because I missed my previous appointments, and had the money ready. However, I found out I owe much more than I thought; about a grand more. The insurance company is charging me for 6 months on this car, when it was dead and sitting in another town. If I want to take the road test, I need to pay the full amount. If I want to renew my current restricted license, I need to pay the full amount, and that needs to be done before July. I am absolutely screwed. I cannot pay all that, which means I will lose my license, and we will lose our car.
For the past year, we have been planning a vacation (and by "we" I mean "my mom and her friend") to Alberta, to see Mom's best friend, Blanche. I haven't been looking forward to it for a few reasons:
- Montana's father and his family live there
- We are going to a lake and will be stuck there with no cell or internet service for 3 days, with Blanche, her daughter who has a new baby, and her son who is recently engaged. I was in love with him and had a breakdown. So between his love, and the baby, I will be a wreck and can't talk to anyone about it.
- We will be staying at Blanche's house for a couple days, which is where I lived when I met Montana's dad and got pregnant. It is very difficult for me to return to that place, so I will be hiding in the house.
All the kittens have successfully settled into their new homes with their smitten new owners--well, all but one. I kept a baby. I knew I would from the moment the kittens were born, and the one I wanted hadn't been taken. This kitten is so much like Lightning, my childhood cat, it's eerie. Lightning was the best pet anyone could have; he was loving, intelligent, and well behaved. I was immensely close to him--he was born in my closet when I was Montana's age, and we bonded immediately. He was my baby boy. He was stolen almost a decade ago, and I have never gotten over it, it absolutely shattered me. Anyway, the new kitten looks just like Lightning, and even has the same habit he did: Biting my chin when we cuddle. I named him after Lightning, with his middle name. This poor kitten is so lovable, I couldn't be happier; however, he has been sickly. For five weeks I have been back and forth to the vet, and an eye specialist. His left eye has swollen shut, and no medicine was working, even after seeing the only eye specialist in the entire province. He was lethargic and sleepy, and in pain. It has been heartbreaking to see my baby this way, which bonded me even closer to him, and cemented my need to keep him. The last few days it seems he is healing, but I am cautiously hopeful. There is a chance the infection was caused by kitty herpes, which means he will need medication, and he has had so much already in his short life. Due to the infection, he has been wearing a cone for a month, so I will call him Coney.
The Canucks did not win the Stanley Cup, I am sad to announce. They made it all the way to game 7 of the finals, against Boston, and in a depressing repeat of 1994, they choked. I was heartbroken. After the loss, in honor of '94, Vancouver rioted. 50 businesses were vandalized, police cars were overturned and blown up, people were hurt, and there were countless car fires. It was awful, and was the icing on the proverbial cake. Trying to move on..
Montana is almost finished fourth grade already, her last day is next week. I am quite saddened, she is growing so fast. She is doing very well, and I am proud of her. She is growing to be a sweet, thoughtful girl, and I couldn't be happier.
Work has been one big heap of stress this week. I have been trying to make some extra money for our trip, and went in last weekend. Tomorrow will be the eighth day in a row I've worked, and I am tired. When I went last weekend, I took Montana and Coney with me because I had stopped at the vet. Montana had a mug of milk, and Coney helped himself to a couple licks. Rather than dump it down the sink, I gave him the rest, and forgot to put it in the sink before leaving. The next day, I got a stern talking-to about giving work milk to my cat, and had to buy a new carton. Meanwhile, the princess of the office screws the company left and right, but sure, I'll bring in a $2.00 carton of milk. On top of that, I have been listening to the old lady of the office talk about how I, along with another worker, have been dumping my work on other people. What she means is, I have asked a co-worker to put away some of my mail while I am on vacation. She said it is my responsibility to find someone to take over for me, or come in on weekends. Check, and check. Mind your own business old lady! Today she made another snarky comment about my filing falling behind, and I said, as politely as I could, that someone else's job has been dumped on me on top of all my own work, and I can't do it all. She acted sympathetic after that, but I ignored her. I don't need someone gossiping about me and slandering me when I'm so close to burning out.
Thankfully, this weekend I am going camping with DM and all the kids. Montana and I leave around dinnertime tomorrow, and I will be leaving all my stress behind. I need the break, and hopefully I will come back with some kind of plan for finances and the trip. Something's gotta give, I just hope it happens soon.
