Update

I have to say, I cannot wait until this black cloud that's been hanging over me is way far away. Finances have been extremely tight lately, to the point where I sold half of my silver jewelry last week just to make it till payday, and tomorrow I will try to pawn my wedding and engagement rings so that I can make it till the next payday. Hoping they'll give me $500, and then hoping the interest isn't exorbitant so that I can pay it back in a month.

Y is mad at me because I won't buy him a $20 video game "cheat," and he couldn't understand why I said I don't have the money, when we had to take his dog to the emergency vet last night and that cost me $292.15. On the trip home he said, "You, lie. You tell me you have no money and you pay $292 for Michael today!" I tried to have a discussion about priorities and keeping money around for emergencies, and the fact that I won't be able to pay the electric or cell phone bills on time because of that little injury (a snip of less than an inch clean through his ear lobe that would not stop bleeding for 8 hours and required 6 stitches). Maybe the little brat has learned not to try and sneak through that tiny hole in the fence again! Yeah, the one I can't afford to fix because I need to buy two hundred feet of horse fence and re-do that half of the fence. Yes, horse fence, because a 120lb lab, 64lb pit mix and 48lb boxer mix can literally rip up the goat fence, and knock over the cattle fence. Brats. They're all male, too. (Can you tell I'm PMS'ing it?)

Last Saturday I ran out of gas, because I was worried that the last $30 I had in my pocket would not be enough to buy the food we needed until Monday. After Ford so graciously sent someone with a free gallon of gas, I had to put $10 in the tank just to ensure we got home, bought $15 worth of groceries and kept $5 in my pocket "just in case." Then, on Sunday, someone hit my car while it was unoccupied in the church parking lot. Luckily he is a stand-up guy and stuck around to give me his insurance information so I won't be stuck with a $500 deductible. At least it was a learning session with Y. I brought him outside and showed him what happens when you don't look over your shoulder while backing up your vehicle. Probably gonna cost the poor guy $3000 to fix both cars.

At least we had a good time at K's birthday party! And, we had a great discussion, started by Y, about lots of cool, feel-good type of stuff on the drive over and back. He wanted to know if I was happier the first time he came to visit or the second time. I told him, "The third time." He said this time didn't count and asked his question again. So, I told him I was happier the second time because I knew I would be seeing him again very soon. He said he was happier the second time, too. He said he didn't want to leave the first time. He was very sad then. "Me, too," I told him. He also asked about how we even knew we could host him at all? And he was surprised to know that we did not know all of the other parents prior to hosting him the first time. He thinks that's kind of neat that we got new friends, too. I even told him about the newspaper article that I read in the Tomball Tribune that started this whole process. I should ask them if I can get a copy of that article.

Y also wanted to know if I wanted to adopt more children. That really came out of left field! I told him I would love to have adopted his friend Kolya, and he enthusiastically said, "Yes! He would be good brother!" I seriously wish I had $25k and that Ukraine would allow single parent adoptions again. So, in that light, I told him maybe not Ukraine again (and Y said, "Because no husband?"), but maybe other kids here in the USA some day. He seems okay with that.

Gotta go sign out and go home now.

Natalie
TX