Life's Ups and Downs

It's a new world out there. It's seems for every upswing, there is a downfall. Dh got a new long-term job, but it calls for a new high-quality cordless drill. Cha-ching. It used to be cheaper to buy rebuilt batteries for these cordless units than to buy a new drill. Not anymore.

Dh's pickup goes in for repairs, and $500 later the gas tank falls apart, just after the top half of our new (used) carpet cleaning machine he's hauling in it blows off into the middle of the highway. (Dh rescued it before any damage was done to the floor machine. The pickup he limped back to the mechanic who yesterday finished replacing the fuel pump.)

The shimmy in my car turns out not to be unbalanced tires, but a ruined drive shaft. But we were blessed. Not only because the problem was discovered before the drive train fell out from under the car on the road, but also because the mechanic neighbor down the street who alerted us to the problem knew where he could get his hands on a drive shaft from a same-model vehicle recently junked. Otherwise, we couldn't have even ordered the part. They are next to impossible to find.

We filled two of the three empty rental units this week; I'm not sure what the down side of that will be. Estimated taxes, rising landlord insurance packages, and vehicle tags coming due, I'm sure. Not to mention groceries.