Wow, and I thought COVID years were bad!  After going through a very sad and depressing Christmas, we were hoping and praying that 2023 would give us some relief.  Unfortunately, that was not to be had! 

On the way back from Lee’s funeral, our Jeep started giving a warning light.  Joseph had it checked and it was something about the engine cooling system.  The Jeep dealers everywhere are booked way out into late February, so we took the car to a reputable repairman.  After $1000, it appeared to be OK, until it wasn’t. 

On January 16, we realized that some naughty person or persons had withdrawn a SIZEABLE amount of money from our Checking Account, Savings Account, Money Market Account, and Vacation Account.  Apparently, the new ITM’s (Interactive Teller Machines) have capabilities beyond my imagination and withdrawal limits up to $3,000!  A thief can access ALL you cash accounts using your Automobile loan account number (and goodness only knows how they have that!)  Is that not a hoot! Our little thief or band of thieves, accessed our accounts 35 times from January 10 – January 17 – when we finally got it stopped.  They used 4 different ITM locations in 4 different towns. 

Now, you would think that the credit union would have algorithms set up to realize that this is not our pattern of behavior! We have never used the ITMs in any of those other towns.  We never withdrew more than $500 every two or three weeks.   For goodness sakes, they shredded Joseph’s debit card while we were in Venice and said it had been reported stolen?!?!?!?  American Express wouldn’t accept a charge for a $59 flea bag hotel we tried to rent one night when we were caught on the highway at 3 AM and no place to stay.   The next morning when our AE was declined at a gas station, we called.  They told us that they knew we did not stay in places like that and thought that our card was either stolen or mined.  Now, if American Express has algorithms can tell all that – surely, the credit union could have prevented these incidents.

I must say, the credit union acted swiftly and we had been restored all our funds and fees within 3 days. However, we still had to worry about it happening again, we had to file police reports in Enterprise and Geneva, and for 3 days we had no access to our money.  STRESS and more STRESS.

While all this is unfolding, our truck decided that the back doors were tired of opening, so we had mechanical failure on both back doors at exactly the same time. I looked up the solution on YouTube;  Joseph ordered the parts.  It is never as easy as it ought to be, but Joseph is a genius.  He had to reconfigure some of the parts to make it work, but he did and now we have 4 functioning doors.  STRESS AND MORE STRESS

We were the chair couple for our Ballroom Dance Club this January.  We loaded up all our decorations and food into the pickup and headed to the Civic Center on January 23 prepared to decorate for “A Winter Wonderland.”  When we arrived, there were 100 cars there.  We thought, oops!  We only have 13 couples in the club.  Something must be wrong.  We called a friend and we were assured that the dance was the following Saturday evening.  Joseph had made a huge grilled chicken salad for the buffet line.  We called friends who were to come to the dance as our guests and invited ourselves over to their home for dinner and Mexican Train Dominoes.  Although they were guests, she had made a delicious fruit salad to take to the dance, so we had a feast and fun.  That one incident happened to be a happy incident, other than feeling like idiots. NOT TOO MUCH STRESS.

I had an appointment in Birmingham with a surgical specialist for the following Thursday.  We got in the newly repaired Jeep and headed north.  We got to Enterprise and the same warning light came on and the car was overheating about as hot as it can get without blowing up.  Joseph pulled over and parked.  We called a wrecker and a friend.  The friend took us home and we loaded our stuff into our tiny 2002 Lexus hardtop convertible that has a slow power steering leak.  The little car, Lexie, took us there and back just fine, thank you very much!  The wrecker towed the Jeep to the Jeep place to sit there until it can be repaired.    STRESS AND MORE STRESS.

When we got home from Birmingham,  I went about unpacking our things and noticed that the tile ceiling in our 16 month old bathroom had fallen to the floor!  It was broken into a ton of shards and would have seriously injured anyone who might have been in it!!  I guess that’s the good news for the year.  We have had significant complaints about this contractor, so we hope he gets here to repair it before we have to get REAL serious.  STRESS AND MORE STRESS

And the coup de gras for January.  We were at our monthly ballroom dance on the correct Saturday in January enjoying a delicious buffet when I bit down on a chicken bone sliver or something real sharp and it split my tooth to the gum.  It had an old filling, so I guess I was living on borrowed time.  Now, I have a choice of 2 implants at the tune of about 5K each, or a 4 crown bridge for about 2K (after insurance).  So, guess who will be cleaning a bridge for the rest of her life?  Can we take more stress?  Oh, yes!

Then there was February.   We thought things might run smoother, but alas, not to be.  The first day of February we had a conference call concerning the custodianship of our youngest grandson, since both his parents are gone.  Hopefully, it won’t be a big issue, but the way things are going in our lives right now, who knows.

We got a call from our oldest grandson who is buying a  house – his first.  He called for advice from Gramp and Bunnie (that’s me.)  He didn’t know it, but I had purchased U. S. Savings Bonds for him from the time he was born until I retired – about 10 years.  I told him about it and offered to send them to him for help on the down payment, closing costs, etc.  He was thrilled.  He needed it right away, so I sent it Registered US Mail to the tune of almost $30 with a 2 day expected delivery.  Day after day went by—no mail.  The pouch was languishing in the Nashville Post Office for 5 days!!  I went to the Chancellor PO, they couldn’t help me, but referred me to the specialist in Enterprise.  I went there on Tuesday – a week after mailing, and he said the package had finally moved from Nashvillle toward the delivery location.  They got it 10 days after mailing it for 2 day delivery!  But at least they got it!

Joseph was scheduled for a knee replacement on February 8.   Our Jeep was still in the shop and would be for days.  We were going to use the little car to get to the hospital.  We loaded it up and got in and the battery was stone cold dead.    Out we got and loaded everything in the old truck.  I hate driving that thing.  It has no back-up camera and no Bluetooth.  I guess I am spoiled, but I am OLD, too.  I need these things to help me out.  I got him to the hospital on time, barely, and just prayed that they did not amputate the wrong knee or have a serial killer murdering psychopath on temp duty in anesthesia.  Thank God, everything went smoothly and he got the correct knee, complete with Dr Lett’s initials to make sure.

Surgery day 2- while I was on my way to the hospital, I received 5 phone calls.  Additionally, I had stopped by Chick Filet to get a salad to have for lunch at the hospital.  I was trying to place my order and drive through the pick-up line performing the “zipper” maneuver while I got two calls from him, telling me he was getting out soon and one telling me it was NOW!  A couple of calls from friends checking up on him, and one from my sister. It is very difficult to find my phone in the bottom of my purse, answer it and think, all while driving a strange, old- fashioned vehicle in a zipper drive thru line.  I’m SO over multi-tasking at my age, especially under those circumstances.

Surgery was Wednesday, he got out of recovery and he was out the hospital door at 11 AM the following day! I guess that pretty soon, this procedure will be outpatient surgery! They will use that drive through for lots more action!

He could ride in neither the truck nor Lexie after the surgery, even if Lexie had been running.   If we can just get him home, maybe the Jeep will be repaired before he feels like going out.  Thank goodness for my sweet sister who has a beautiful new Hyundai SUV and has offered to bring him home to me!  OOPS, the leg room between the seat and the door opening is very short and Joseph has very long legs.  Our minister came up just as he was bending his leg much further than he wanted to in order to get in the car and I am sure that his language is the reason she wanted to have a word of prayer right there in the drive through at the hospital.

A few hours after Joseph got out of the hospital, our Jeep was repaired (to the tune of $2200 replacing the same , -but correct – parts that had been installed by the “reputable” mechanic,)  and our nephew got us a new battery for Lexie and installed it.  We now have three working vehicles. 

Joseph is recovering well and his tenacious spirit is a great aid to his physical therapy.  I just know he will be up at dancing before we know it. 

One good thing did happen in January.  I joined Weight Watchers with a friend.  I have lost about 15 pounds.  Joseph is our cook and he loves cookbooks.  He has dived into this thing head first and is counting my points as he selects and prepares our meals.  I am so blessed to have this wonderful man in my life.  Now, if we can just get him well enough to cook, again.  That, however, has not been a problem so far.  Friends and Church friends have brought food for every day.  It is delicious and so wonderfully thoughtful of everyone to do it.

February is looking up.  Maybe March will be even better.