Saturday, January 27, 2007

Life just gets suckier and suckier.

Okay, so we moved out of the apartment on 12th, and into the mobile home. Just as we are finishing things up, the manager and a police officer come over. I guess the guy has been scamming people, stole a van from his work place, left it at Spirit Mountain, and stole a car from there. And we are NOT able to stay there more than that first night. SO ... We called Carol and are going to stay with her for a little while. I'm looking for some place else to live, and will go up to my parents if all else fails. So ... the guy scammed us of $200, and left us homeless, knowing we have a child, in January.

Things have got to get better sooner or later, don't you think? I can't see how it could get much worse.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Fear and anger related to housing. [Updated]

Well, we have been denied once again. Manny said that it's the same as before. But didn't have the information on the company that gave him this report. He told me he would call as soon as he gets into the office, but he also told me on Monday that he would call me that afternoon and didn't. So I'll wait until this afternoon and call the office and find out. [Update: He never called, and when I called they just said they would have him call when he got in. I'm beginning to think that there wasn't a new background check and he just wants us out. It seems stupid to me, to decide not to rent to us for no real reason, because now they have to pay people to paint, clean, and repair this place. Plus they have at least one other unit that is empty and has been for about a month.] Would you press the issue, it the reasons they state are the reasons they denied us are illegal? How far would you go? Press to stay? Sue them? I'm finally standing up for myself and my family, but I don't want to take it to ridiculous lengths. Know what I mean?

So anyway, I'm not sure what is going to happen as far as our living arrangements go. I still can't get a hold of the Mobile Home Guy, I don't know if he's changed his mind, or what. I guess I'll just have to figure out if the key I have works and if it does we will just rent a truck and get out of here. I really don't want to move there, it's small and in a 55 and older park. They guy we will be living with is 55, and I guess there are situations where under 55's can move in with an over 55 so ... but still I think it will put too much stress on things. But at least it's a place for us to be until we can find someplace else.

Oh, and David is screwing us over as well. He told the landlords that he will be out by Wednesday and just called to have the electric and gas turned off by Monday. It wouldn't have made one bit of difference to him to just let things go until the end of the month. So we don't even have until the end of the month like we thought before. If he hadn't given his notice when he did we might have gotten this apartment, and now he is forcing us out a week earlier than we had to be otherwise. I was planning on giving him some money toward paying the bills and so he could have cash on the trip, but I guess I'll need every penny for moving and stuff. I guess you can't trust anyone any more. [Update: David says that he just didn't think when he gave his notice and when he told them he would be out. He said that he thought they would give us until the end of the month even though the deal was we could be here as until David left. Either this boy is stupid or thinks I am. He has gotten free rent for 2 months, and seems worried about how big the gas and electric bills will be, that's why he called and told them Monday for a cut off. So I guess if you cut everything in half and subtracted what we already paid David owes us about $300. Not that we are ever going to see it, even if we asked him for it. Which we won't.]

So, I'm afraid that we will be homeless soon, angry that just when I thought things would work out for us this kind of thing has to happen, hurt that David doesn't care enough to think about us and waited just a little bit, and pissed off that the Salem Apartments are such asses. [Update: Snowanna is going to drive me over to check the key today. I should know tonight what's going on there at least.] [Update 2: The key fits, so we will be moving in there Monday or Tuesday. I'd rather stay here, but at least we will have someplace to stay for awhile.]

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Rant about People and their judgements.

Why is it that people tend to think they know what is best for others? One son thinks the other should be doing "so much more" with his life. If he is happy, and those who are in his life are happy, why does it matter if he could do more? Right now I'm happy being a Stay-at-home-Mom, yes I have a BS degree and COULD be working somewhere, but if we can pay the bills, and are happy, why should I? Why would it matter to anyone else besides those directly affected?

If every conversation you have with someone involves them jumping down your throat over their perception of your feelings, wouldn't you tend to start to feel defensive around them? That person might feel that you were not very nice, because you react defensively and sometimes with anger to their constant prodding. What do people think they will achieve by picking on one little thing someone said, or did? Get over it already! Oh, and if people seem to think you are attacking them or accusing them of things, and it isn't just one person or it's more than one time, you might want to examine the way you say what you say.

It's okay to be honest, but you don't have to be mean. And if you want honesty don't get upset when people tell you things you didn't want to know. No one is perfect, no parent can learn everything in just a few short years. When both parents love a child with every fiber of their being, and their love for each other is just as great, and it's obvious to those watching, don't judge them based on looks, attitude toward others, or beliefs/feelings. A strong, stable, loving family is a rare thing these days, let them be.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Another Housing Update

Well, we have a second chance. Manny, the supervisor at Salem Apartments, came by yesterday and said that he would run our applications again with a company that will do it all with "social security numbers". I guess that some how this company can do things that other company can't. Because it's my understanding that some of the databases don't use Social Security numbers, some are name searches, some are names plus birth date, and some do use Social Security numbers. For example the Evictions data base is a last name search. Most Credit searches are Social Security number searches. So we will see what comes up. He also says that the company will give him a "Yes" or a "No" as to whether or not to rent to us. Something else other screening companies don't do. He told us that if it comes back a "No" that we can stay until the first of the month.

I still haven't heard from the Mobile Home Guy. I don't know if he cheated us or if he got in an accident. So ... we are still in the apartment, I want to stay here, Howard wants to go to the mobile home, Aidan just wants things to calm down and for his parents to stop stressing.

Oh, and it's snowing again!

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Our housing woes, revisited.

Several things have happened around here since my last post. David decided to move in with his sister. She is in Michigan or someplace like that. So he gave his 30 day notice, which then prompted the folks at Salem Apartments to call and tell us to be out by Monday.

I talked to Cheryl, the person on the paper saying why we were denied, about it all I made sure to mention that it's illegal to hold dropped and dismissed charges against us, and that I have an almost 4 year old son to take care of. She said that it seems strange that David was leaving at this time, so I explained that he hadn't had a job in a few months and so decided that he needed to be with family. She mentioned that there were a lot of hits on my last name in the eviction database. I reminded her that none of them had my name on them. She agreed but then asked "How do I know that you weren't using another name?" I asked her how did she know I didn't use another last name. She agreed that she couldn't know, and put that aside, I think. She said that things just seemed strange. So I asked her if she would have accepted our application if she had looked at the background check close enough to notice that thing were dropped or dismissed, and if she had looked that the eviction records the way they are intended to be used. She said that she didn't know, but she would talk to her boss about it.

Howard found someone who has a 2 bedroom mobile home he wants to share, and we worked things out to move over there, but the man has been unreachable since 6:30 last night, it's 10:30 AM now. I'm hoping that he had some delays and then went out last night. He was going to pick us up so we could stay there last night, but didn't call. Howard is worried because I paid for the first months rent already. (It's only $200.) So now I'm sitting here wondering where we will be living in a couple of days, worried that I lost $200, and worried that Aidan and I will have to go to Hood River and Howard will end up sleeping in a tent or something and freezing to death.

I guess the need for me to worry and stress hasn't been filled up yet, even though I feel like it's over flowing now. You would think that things would have to start getting better sooner or later wouldn't you? If we move today I won't have Internet for a few days, so I won't be able to let you know about it for a few days, maybe even a week. But if we don't ... I'll probably be back on to let you know what's happening.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Update

Well, we decided to fight things. We have a letter from the manager with all three adults names on it asking when we would be able to pay the rent. Indicating that she knew we were living here, and paying the rent. It might give us a little more time to get things figured out. I'm also trying to find out what they used against us to deny us this apartment. I called the office, they told me to call the company they used to gather the information from. When I called them, they told me that there were some credit things and some things from Howards past, but that they couldn't tell me what the actual thing was because they don't give advice or anything they just give the background check to the landlords. So I called the Management office back and asked them, the person I talked to wasn't the one who decided it so she is sending me the report and the name of the person who did make the decision. I'll probably get it tomorrow or Thursday, then I'll call and talk to that person and find out exactly why. If it's anything from Howards past, those things are over 10 years old and the charges were dismissed or dropped. So they shouldn't be used against him. Best case senario - we get to stay here. Worse case - we get a few more days to figure things out and then have to move. So either way, I'm feeling less stressed. I'm going to call the Housing Authority and see if they have any emergancy housing, because I'm fairly sure that we are going to have to move anyway.

I'm so tired, I didn't sleep well last night. I'll have to go to bed early tonight.

It seems that every time things finally start going well for us, there's another problem that screws it all up. (sigh) Keep good thoughts for us, keep your fingers crossed, pray for us, or whatever you do, we need all the help we can get right now.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Bad day

So much bad stuff happens to us these days it's hard to decide what to do next. Our application for this apartment was denied. I'll have to call tomorrow and find out exactly why. The manager said that it was bad credit, when she talked to David. And now, as of this afternoon, we have a 24 hour notice to leave this apartment. Because we have been here for longer than the 14 days he can have guests. We probably won't be out until the week end, unless my Dad and figure a way to get all our stuff up to Hood River. There are only 2 big things to worry about, the kitchen table and Aidan's bed. They both come apart fairly easily, but the chairs ... may be harder. Other than that it's all just clothing and blankets, and Aidan's toys.

So I don't know what we are going to do. David has to find someone else to help pay the rent. (It's late due to the fact that David doesn't have a job yet, and we had some bills that HAD to be paid with the last paycheck and they wouldn't take a partial payment until the 12th.) So even though we could probably push things until the end of the month, David has probably found someone to pay the rent who will want to move in as soon as possible. Is it so much to ask that my family be allowed to be together? Is it so hard for people to understand that we are finally getting our feet back under us, we have bad credit because of the time we spent without any real work. We are trying to clear that up, but it takes time. I want to scream and cry and hit something. I want to hold my son close to my heart, and watch him with his Father. What am I going to do?

On top of all that, Howard and Aidan were getting on the bus, through the back door, when the bus driver shut the doors. The doors caught Aidans head between them. He has a small bump and a large red area on his forehead where one of the doors squeezed his head. I think he is okay, but I worry. One more worry, one more emotion to deal with.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Feeling better, Sleep, and Aidan's school.

I am feeling better today. Hopefully this time I really am getting better. Howard seems to have caught it though. He, however, gets over these things quicker than I do. And it seems that he usually gets a milder case than I get as well. Which is good, because he is a horrible patient. LOL

I need to figure out how to get Aidan back on a regular sleep schedule. I don't want to listen to the screaming that he will do if I just set a time and put him down. Besides that, we have neighbors and I'd rather not put them through that either. He's loud enough on a regular basis already. He seems to think he should stay up as late a possible. Sometimes falling asleep as late as 1 or 2 AM. He gets up no later than 9, usually it's around 7, but sometimes as early as 4. He will usually sleep at least 4 hours, but has been known to sleep for as much as 12 hours. I think that children his age are supposed to get something like 12 to 13 hours every day. I'd like it if he would sleep 8 to 8.

Monday I'll be calling a couple of Pre-schools about their programs. I want to get him started as soon as possible. Then I need to look for a job and find daycare. I'm looking forward to it, on the one hand, but afraid of it on the other. It's been a while since I worked full time for someone else. When I worked for Jimmy it was really more like working for myself. I want to work, to get out of the house and do something more interesting than watching TV all day. But I'm worried that I won't be up to it. I'll have to spend a few pay checks getting cloths and shoes for work. Depending on where I work of course. Anyway, Aidan will be in Pre-school 2 days a week for 2 hours, and will have speech separately. We will have to work out the speech portion depending on the school I choose and their schedule, Aidan might stay at the school for extra time, go for another day, or go to the office over on Pringle for that portion of it. I know he will love it. He love school, at least he did the 2 days he got to go in Hood River, he loves daycare as well, that lasted for a couple of months in Hood River. So I know that he will do well there, I'll just have to get a job so he can go to daycare. LOL

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Sick and getting worse.

I haven't felt this horrible in years. Nothing I do for this stupid head cold seems to work. All I want to do is sleep, but since Howard has to leave for work at 1 PM, and Aidan won't go to bed until around 9PM I have to stay awake. The hardest part is the ear ache, because it causes his shrieks of delight to feel like knives of pain shooting through my ears into my head. The good news is, I think Howard is finally coming to understand that I AM really sick. He will have tomorrow off so maybe he will be able to take care of Aidan and let me sleep. I don't know though, he will be pretty tired himself.