So This is 2011...

[aearwen2]

Sure looks a lot like 2010 to me...



Daughter Súl is down with a cold and stress-related "stuff" after a holiday season with her dad in the hospital and topped with her boss and his receptionist/office manager taking off for over a week, leaving her doing not only her own job, but that of the receptionist/office manager. She baby-sat their shih-tsu/lhasa apso until he chewed the weatherstripping off the bottom of her door and then set to gnawing away at the door jamb. Needless to say, "Chewie" (aptly named, dontcha think?) won't be staying with her very often anymore. In the meanwhile, however, she just needs to get thru today, and then she can let down and "be" sick for a couple of days. Wish I could help her, but I'm afraid I don't want her bugs at this time of year. So she gets love from afar at the moment.

Bank of America decided to start the year off by really screwing with my brother's head. When last we left this particular bad soap opera, they had granted him a trial modified mortgage after nearly foreclosing on him. Well, after they received but did not cash his December payment, and they were preparing to send in the January one, they notified him that they had decided to cancel the modified payments and were going to foreclose after all. Needless to say, that made Brother's mood sink faster than a lead weight in a fishpond. Sooooo... Next call, a few days later, was to the realtor, who told them the house was still tagged as in modified mortgage, and they couldn't start the short-sale process untill the bank removed that. Wife called B of A to do just that, and the guy she talked to asked, "Why? It's working, isn't it?"

Yea. We have a serious case of one hand not knowing what the other hand is doing.

Anyhoo, the story now is that the trial mortgage is still in effect, and Brother will re-deposit the funds for the December and January payments so they can be processed. And both he and I are sitting around, waiting for the next shoe to fall. He said he had three potential job opportunities, but they wouldn't be getting back to him until after the holidays. Haven't seen what's come of those either yet. Arizona economics are almost as gloomy as California, so while I want to see him finally find a job that will make life easier for him, I'm not holding my breath.

The fun comes with the fact that the Arizona State Attorney-General is suing B of A for mortgage fraud, and Brother is contemplating writing a letter to said ASAG, detailing the way B of A was jerking him around, despite making the mortgage requirements in full and on time. I'm also hoping that, when this is all over, he can sue the snot out of B of A himself for mental pain and anguish, because he has now been diagnosed officially with Chronic Depression and will be needing to see a psychiatrist for it. And, dammit, if he ends up offing himself, despite his promise to me to not do so (recognizing that such promises don't hold when one's mind isn't working right), I will sue those bastards!!

Back here in the California Boonies, Hubby is out of the hospital as of Christmas Eve, but is having a very hard time coming back from this latest set-back. I think depression may be a part of this one too, as he is currently uninsured and was when he was in the hospital. We have no idea what's going to happen to our finances in settling the hospital bill. He's applied for Medi-Cal, and it would be retroactive to the date of admission, but that isn't a sure thing. We have a teenie-tiny retirement fund that will probably be blown away. Universe protect us if either of us gets sick or injured again!!

One of the things I think that's bugging Hubby the most is that his infection has cost me my trip back to KY in September to attend ALEP 2. There is absolutely no way that I'm going to put my avocation and hobby ahead of keeping my family financial boat from sinking. I've sent an email to hopefully get my registration payment reimbursed, and I still have to make a couple of phone calls to people I was going to get the chance to visit who live on the other side of the country from me. I've considered pricing a month-long Amtrack pass, and just doing the visits without the con, but until we hear from Medi-Cal and the hospital, all plans are absolutely on hold.

I'm glad my folks aren't around to see Brother and me struggling like this. They did the best they could to set things up for us after they were gone; but all the planning in the world couldn't have foreseen the economic turn-down and the consequences. Hubby and I are lucky that there IS no mortgage on this house. It's paid for - all we gotta do is pay the taxes on it, which are currently at a fantastic rate due to the infamous California Proposition 13. Whoever inherits this place after us won't have that protection, unfortunately.



Is the year going to continue in this fashion? Will things ever even out so that we can take a breath and not worry about where the next one is coming from?

I guess we'll just have to see. :-p

Comments

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Geez, it certainly sounds as if the universe is stacked against you, and I can't think of any reason why. I'm so sorry about your trip to Kentucky, I know you were looking forward to it. But you are absolutely correct - family is everything and FAR more important.

I think your brother should write the ASAG with full details about his past year's issues with B of A. The more publicity he can get, the more people who know, the more likely it is that he'll be OK. It is the squeeky wheel that gets the grease and that will always be the case. So let him be that squeeky wheel. It will be to his benefit.

And speaking of your avocation and hobby, I just finished re-reading Light Fingers again. Such a delightful tale.

{{{{{ Aearwen }}}}}

- Erulisse (one L)

[aearwen2.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Erulisse. On the one hand, I suppose things could be worse. Brother could have lost the house completely or succeeded in his suicide attempt last year; Hubby could have been a whole lot sicker, or I could have had something happen to me... My story is no worse than some and infinitely better than others.

Never let it be said I'm not grateful for things being as good as they are. Our family, to date, does not feud, but actually gets along well enough that we genuinely enjoy doing things together. My kids are all relatively happy, healthy, financially afloat and in good places - even Squeek up in OR has a job and friends and a roof over his head. I ache, but whoever said getting old was a cakewalk? I live in one of the prettiest places on the continent, and I refuse to grouse about that at all. We've had no floods, no fires, no earthquakes... just plenty of rain.

However, comma... It just would be nice if, just once, "Happy New Year" were more than just a wish on a few fronts, eh?

Yea, I think I'll counsel Brother to write that letter to the ASAG. If nothing else, it will add his voice to a flood of voices, decrying the cavalier and unscrupulous way they like to do business. Another thing to be grateful for: I don't bank there. :-D

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry, hugs.

[galantha-nivala.livejournal.com]

There's got to be a lot of people out there who have been jerked around/are in the process of being jerked around by the banks. I wonder if there's a support group for them? Even if it's just them meeting at the local coffee shop or park. There's a bit of comfort in knowing your not alone. It's moral support, if nothing else.