Friday, October 3, 2008

Ramblings of a (temporarily) Single Parent

It's day 3 of my longest stretch of single-parenting in recent memory. I've got 4 more days to go, but I'm feeling good. Better than the last stretch, which is strange since there seem to be more forces working against me this time.

Our other car is in the shop. Our poor, 11-year-old Honda Civic has officially hit the point where the work that it needs done costs more than what the car is worth. So basically, we're having it fixed to the point where we can drive it home and then hoping to find some extra money somewhere to make it functional again. The biggest bummer about this is the financial kick-me-when-I'm-down aspect. Just as I think maybe, just maybe we'll scrounge up the money to pay our property taxes by the 15th, BAM, ridiculous car expenses. 

Aside from the money stress, being down a car doesn't matter much this time around since the teenager has successfully gotten himself banned from borrowing our car. It's probably actually better that the car isn't here, taunting us...because believe me, I want him to drive. Or, more accurately, I don't want to drive him. I've got enough to worry about without chauffeuring a licensed driver around. At least since it's still nice out, he can bike most places. When winter comes, it will be a whole new hell, I imagine. 

Other than all that, things seem alright. Maybe stressing over money has actually distracted me from dwelling on the overwhelmedness (I'm making that a word) single-parenting brings. But you know what the side effect of financial stress is? Travel planning. Without fail, when we get into tight money situations, my mind wanders off to planning some crazy trip that we can't afford. I (usually) don't book these trips, I just research them and lament the fact that we are not millionaires. I'm sure it's unhealthy, but it's better than binge drinking, right? 

I mean, can I help it if Leonard Cohen is only touring in Europe? I think flying to Paris to see the icon in concert is totally justifiable...what if he were to die before I ever got to see him? Carpe diem! Yes, this is how the rationalization goes...good thing we're not using our credit cards anymore. 

No comments: