while vacuuming...

a couple of weeks ago I received a check in the mail for $845.00 from my bank. My first thought was that it had to be a mistake. So I called, knowing that if I cashed the check it would most definitely prove to be a mistake.

My bank person referred me to a letter I vaguely remembered receiving weeks previous regarding my escrow account. She said they were required by law to return any money over a certain amount. I said, but are you sure everything got paid that was supposed to, like my home owners insurance and my taxes? She assured my everything had been paid and I was free to cash the check.

I made out the deposit slip. And for a few minutes I dreamed a tiny dream. I imagined a new vacuum that actually worked properly, without help. I imagined filling up on K1 (kerosene for the monitor heater). I imagined some nice stocking stuffers for the son. I even called my mom in Florida to tell her I was definitely coming to visit after the holidays which made her very happy since she wasn’t able to come visit me this summer after breaking her hip. It was a lovely little dream.

Then I opened the next piece of mail. It was from Patriot Insurance Company which said my homeowners insurance was about to be cancelled for non-payment. The amount due was $621.00. Hmm.

I called the bank back and after a few more happy phone calls it was determined that, oops, the homeowners insurance WASN’T paid after all and I should bring the check back to the bank. You can probably imagine what I said after hanging up.

Today, while my son was vacuuming, the hose got clogged again. I came to help, unwinding the duct tape from where I had cut through to unclog the hose previously (trust me, I tried a lot of other things involving long wire objects before I resorted to actually cutting the hose). As expected, there was a big hairball preventing suckage. I pulled it out and made some comment about the joys of being poor* and then inquired, “Do you think we could sell that as a reality show? I mean, they make reality shows about just about everything else these days.”

My son looked at me and said, “Why would they make a show about real life?”

I re-applied duct tape, which has to be among my top ten favorite inventions. My son says it’s like the Force; it has a dark side, a light side, and it holds everything together.

*Compared to the majority of human beings on this planet I am actually quite wealthy. Compared the majority of Americans I am not. I basically live paycheck to paycheck. I do, however, own my own house, small as it may be, and I have a son I can be be proud of. For that, I am extraordinarily grateful.