Who else is ending the year badly?

Alfie · #1 12-31-2007, 10:57 AM

Grrh.. got a credit card bill today which showed that my old insurance company had renewed my policy on a house I no longer live in, leaving me £170 out of pocket. Grrh!

I also recieved in the post a replacement Allparts pickguard, but the holes for the pickups are way too small, as is the neck slot and the screw holes are in totally different places from my old Squier p bass one. Grrh!

And to top it off, instead of grabbing the can of lacquer to finish off the pedal I spent ages decorating, I grabbed a can of solid green paint. Bum.

Here's to a fantastic 2008!

SpankyPants · #2 12-31-2007, 11:16 AM

Cheers!

louieeadg · #3 12-31-2007, 11:31 AM

And in other news...

1,000,000 kids just died.

txbasschik · #4 12-31-2007, 11:44 AM

I'm broke. Hubby's on reduced hours. I will be going back to the temp agencies next week. Can't take anything permanent because I will be my mother's caregiver come March. No money to do anything for New Year's. Wanted to have a house jam, but everyone's too freakin' paranoid to come over. The cops are out in force tonight, and they will pull you over just for looking like you might be having fun.

Can't even afford firecrackers, gorramit.

Everyone I know is hurting this year. No one has any money for anything extra. Everyone had a very truncated Christmas, and even with all the scrimping, no one can pay their bills right now. Everyone's either out of work, or they don't have enough work.

I'm not even making gig money. Our singer won't do any gigs, and won't let us have a 2nd project so we can get some. We don't even have a gig section on our MySpace anymore. Its pathetic.

Get this! My husband played a venue that we have also played. We mentioned that his wife has played there, and the manager says, "Yeah. We don't book them anymore. The drummer and I had a falling out. I won't say more."

Well...this is news to me!!! So, we lose one of our most lucrative venues, and no one says a frakkin' word to me about it. I have to find out second-hand.

I have a bottle of cheap wine. I'll be getting drunk on it tonight. Happy Possum Day 2008. We'll be living like hillbillies this coming year, so I figure we ought to call it Possum Day from now on.

Cherie

meev992 · #5 12-31-2007, 11:48 AM

now i feel bummed out

RWP · #6 12-31-2007, 11:50 AM

Me too! This is not going to be a good thread. Hope you guys/gals have a better 08!!

louieeadg · #7 12-31-2007, 11:50 AM

Cherie, that sucks. Atleast you have the wine...hillbillies have more fun anyway.

txbasschik · #8 12-31-2007, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meev992

now i feel bummed out

Well, we can always have roast possum.

I guess I need to get off my butt and go fix some black-eyed peas and ham. They're supposed to bring prosperity in the New Year if you eat them the first meal of New Year's Day.

I need to fix a REALLY BIG POT!!!

Cherie

Diggler · #9 12-31-2007, 11:50 AM

I have a killer cold right now. I was excited when I got up that my nose cleared up until I found out it all drained into my ears and they feel plugged.

Oh well, a few more hours before we leave for the New Year's gig... the money will make me feel better.

txbasschik · #10 12-31-2007, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louieeadg

Cherie, that sucks. Atleast you have the wine...hillbillies have more fun anyway.

Thank God for the local vinyards! They're cheap, and they're actually good.

Here's a toast to the French!!! Without them, their 18th century priests trying to proselityze in Texas, and the Great French Grape Blight, I wouldn't have cheap, good Texas cabernet to drink! (Less than $4 for a bottle, and its lovely.)

I've turned to my Granny's housekeeping and food preparation methods. Everything from scratch, 'cept bread. Its cheaper. Been making a lot of cornbread and biscuits, so we don't use as much store-bought bread. Re-use every bit of stock, grease, and bone, either for making something else, or for making pet food. Hang the clothes on the line, not dry them in the drier...saves money. Use vinegar and baking soda for cleaning...cheaper, and just as good as store-bought cleaners. Add decorative, home-made patchwork hems to my daughter's too-short jeans, rather than buy new ones. Patch all the jeans, and mend clothes rather than buy new. Grow my own herbs, salad and pot greens, so we stay healthy. I'm quitting the ciggies, too. It will save us a lot of money! My mother-in-law gave us all AmEx gift cards for Christmas, and I used mine on patches and gum.

I'm glad I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. I wouldn't know how to do some of these things if they hadn't taught me. Learned a lot from those people who survived The Great Depression, and its coming in real handy.

You know, we take a lot of things for granted that are really just conveniences. I'm tring to eliminate as many of those small conveniences as possible. They cost money, and many can be supplanted by old-fashioned methods that cost little to nothing.

Cherie

IconBasser · #11 12-31-2007, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diggler

Oh well, a few more hours before we leave for the New Year's gig... the money will make me feel better.

heh, money makes everyone feel better!

jrthebassguy · #12 12-31-2007, 12:04 PM

I'm sick as crap..my throat feels like death. Probably strep throat or pharyngitis, but in comparison to some of you I guess it isn't really that bad.

txbasschik · #13 12-31-2007, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diggler

I have a killer cold right now. I was excited when I got up that my nose cleared up until I found out it all drained into my ears and they feel plugged.

Oh well, a few more hours before we leave for the New Year's gig... the money will make me feel better.

Ancient Chinese Head-Un-Plugging Tea...

A ginseng teabag
A spoonful of honey
Crushed ginger root
Crushed garlic
Cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce
Lemon juice

Combine them all in the hot tea. Hold your nose, and drink. Tastes awful...but all that junk will run out of your head.

Feel better! {{{{{{{{{{{HUGS!}}}}}}}}}}}

Cherie

txbasschik · #14 12-31-2007, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrthebassguy

I'm sick as crap..my throat feels like death. Probably strep throat or pharyngitis, but in comparison to some of you I guess it isn't really that bad.

I heard on the news the other day that plain old honey is better for your throat than those over-the-counter things. If you have some, take a spoonfull a couple times a day. Its good for you, too!

{{{{{{{{{{{{{[HUGS!!!}}}}}}}}}}}}] Get better soon!

Cherie

IconBasser · #15 12-31-2007, 12:08 PM

Diggler:

go buy some AirBorne. Seriously, that stuff clears up colds so fast!

forget buying stuff like Claritan or any of those other snake-oil symptom medicines.

This stuff is an awsome immune system booster, I always have a supply of it on me.

MJ5150 · #16 12-31-2007, 12:22 PM

C'mon brudda....that's nothing to be complaining about.

-Mike

Valerus · #17 12-31-2007, 01:15 PM

I'm starting to get sick, but that's not holding me back!

Oxblood · #18 12-31-2007, 01:25 PM

Well, the only bad thing that's happened to me recently is I think a bug crawled into my ear last night. Not even kidding.

Valerus · #19 12-31-2007, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oxblood

Well, the only bad thing that's happened to me recently is I think a bug crawled into my ear last night. Not even kidding.

dude, I had to kill two spiders in my room yesterday!!
agh, little creepers walking around...

MysticMichael · #20 12-31-2007, 02:11 PM

Well, I don't mean to upstage anybody, but...

Last January while doing some heavy lifting at home, I herniated a disk in my lower back. It was massive enough to shut off all signal to my peripheral nerve column - thus completely paralyzing my right leg. During the course of that day, I unintentionally aggravated some pre-existing spinal stenosis in my lower spine that I didn't even know I had - thus partially paralyzing my left leg as well!

By the time I got myself to hospital, I found that I needed major surgery. I received a spinal decompression & fusion procedure - in which the surgeons completely reconstructed about 12 inches of my lower spine - including removal of three disks, insertion of steel rods - the works.

I spent the next four months in hospital - from February 5 to June 3 - spending about 21 hours a day either in bed or in a wheelchair, receiving regular physical & occupational therapy to enable me to regain the ability to eventually walk again. I've been home for nearly seven months now, and as of a few weeks ago, have finally ditched the walker for good, and use the crutches now only when I go out. Hopefully within the next couple months, I'll be able to transition to a cane only, and eventually won't need any assisted walking devices.

After battling my landlord in court for several months throughout the summer and early fall, by the grace of God (literally) I was able to avoid getting evicted, and have been able to avoid having my utilities turned off. The contract job I picked up in August came just in the nick of time. But when it came to an unexpected and premature conclusion in late October (due to reasons beyond my control), it put me back in the hole. I'm behind on rent for the month of December, and January is upon me.

Nevertheless, lest anyone think I am complaining - I'm not. Fact is, things could have turned out so much worse for me - and they haven't.

For one thing, my surgeons are amazed that I've recuperated as well and as quickly as I have. Though they'd never say it to me, it's clear that they expected me to be confined to the wheelchair for the rest of my life.

For another thing, I've been blessed with moral support & financial assistance from friends, family, my church and community groups when I needed them most. I've already got a good 90% of my life back, and all indications are that I'll ultimately be back completely - though it could easily take another year or more before the nerve damage is completely regenerated and the paralysis is totally gone. Compared with all of that, a little temporary unemployment and financial hardship is a small thing...

I guess the old wisdom is true: You really appreciate what you have when it's been taken away - then you get it back. And no matter how bad you may have it, somebody else is even worse off.

For all of you who went through hard times in 2007, here's to a much better & brighter 2008 for all of you...

MM