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This is a funny old world. For the last several months, we've had a boarder, a person who was once the love interest of the woman next door (I'd call her a lady but she isn't). He isn't exactly on the same socioeconomic rung as we are and doesn't possess much in the way of thinking apparatus. But he's a nice enough little dude and we didn't want him to be out on the street. Plus, we needed the money for the rent-I was the breadwinner in the family before I got sick.
D-- got herself assigned as my caregiver and is on a course to renew her nursing license. That takes money too, and she's looking for gainful employment above and beyond the small stipend the patient care brings in. I applied for Social Security benefits, and we've been awaiting the result of that for some time.
The boarder, in the meantime, has been working as a dishwasher and occasional prep cook at the local branch of a national chain. He tried out on grill but didn't make the cut, so they cut his hours. It doesn't help that he's a smartass, and immature beyond his years, something that D-- reminds him of periodically. I've had to give him a couple of choice lectures when he performed acts which will in the future be known as "Jimmys" for the extreme lack of forethought. I hate being the cop.
He wasn't happy here, we weren't happy with him, but we dealt with it. Tuesday morning he comes in from wherever he had been, while D-- is out getting the mail, and announces to me that he's moving. In five days. I had kind of anticipated this as he had packed his clothes in two gym bags that had made mysterious appearances overnight.
So far so good, yes?
D-- comes in with the mail. A shutoff notice from the power company, the same from the telephone/cable/internet. A couple other things. I open the shutoff notices and flash them so that the boarder understands exactly what pickle we're in when I tell him I'd be happy to see the back of him. No more drama, no more stress from that end, no more stupid. Just the scrambling to pay the bills.
The phone rings. It's the caseworker from Social Security, with the news that I've been approved for benefits, starting at the end of this month. We have enough on hand to pay the electric and the phone, if we skip the rent this month. I'll have to go speak to the property manager, give him a copy of the ss assignment when I get the hardcopy, and wait til he's done fuming about the month's rent and understands the situation.
SS Disability amounts to a bit more than we absolutely need to maintain our existence. That gets us a three-year window to work in, to go to school, whatever we need to do to get our lives in order.
The boarder is leaving, so we can work out a schedule that works and not have any outside influences. He's trying to hear what's going on with my phone call, while I'm communicating the salient information to Denise by telepathy, eyebrow wiggling, and that sort of auditory shorthand one has after living with another for an extended period. I don't want him to know my business.
Then the great part. The SS worker explains that I also qualified for 120 days of Supplementary Security Income-which will be deposited into my account in 7-10 days from the date of the conversation.
That means I don't have to have the conversation with the property manager, and in addition I'll have enough left after paying the back rent to buy a cheap automobile, pay for the insurance, etc. D-- gets the caregiver money for another 90 days. After that, we'll need something to replace those funds. It'll be easier by far to get her a job if she doesn't have to take the bus. I can take her to work, pick her up, and in the meantime be househusband, take care of the animals, make the food, all of that, and have time to write/play, take classes, etc.
I've spent the last two days on the phone trying to arrange grants to get back to school in the fall term. Community College for brushup and gradepoint, and then maybe the U of A, right down the street. This year seems unlikely as the term just started, but all signs are go for next year. We'll just have to see where we are financially and emotionally before I commit-she doesn't like Tucson very much and would like to move on. I'd stay but I've moved for her before-we'll settle for somewhere in California, so she can have her seasons and I can have my desert sun.
I just feel like the weight of the world has dropped from my shoulders, and am redoubling my efforts at rehab. The boarder left yesterday, two days ahead of schedule.
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Originally Posted by Eluixa
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