Sleep, blessed sleep

I had really intended pictures today but the day has been another long one and I have much housework to do yet in anticipation of being gone most of the week ahead.

I did get sleep, Ailsa.  Blessed sleep.  And I feel much better although I'm a bit peeved at Zach's Oral Communication teacher.  He failed to communicate the criteria for the test and 2/3 of the class failed it.  There were only two grades:  A & F.  I know I have to let him take care of this as he's an adult now, but I can still be pretty upset.  This teacher has been non-communicative and unavailable for consult, hasn't been prepared for the lesson and now this.  Zach is going to see about transferring to another class.  This is a young man with a 3.9 average and looking at flunking this class, along with 2/3 of the rest of them.  All this man seems to do is brag about the other classes he teaches and read from the book.  Not much else.

Whew...rant over.

As of now we are in super duper tightwad mode.  All dishes by hand and no more using the dryer.  No more junk food and no more eating out.  I just got the gas bill for the car and truck and it's almost double what it has been this summer.  No way can we afford $500 a month for transportation costs.  We just can't catch a break.  Ever.

Fortunately I've got lots of yarn to hold me over so I can make do with what I've got even if it's not very nice yarn.  I've got a lot of things made that I can give as Christmas gifts so I don't need to worry about that.  And I can drop the thermostat down another couple of degrees to 58 when the weather turns.  Not completely comfortable but tolerable.  And there's nothing like cozying up under the blankets while I knit and watch television.

I would cancel cable again but they just offered me a package for 2 years that would include telephone that is cheaper than what we're paying now for our cable, internet and telephone so I'm going to take them up on it.  We have to have the internet for Zach's school and the tv part is less than $30 a month so I think we can afford that.  The other option is to cancel the tv part and not be able to watch anything.  We get terrible reception here even with a powered antenna.

But I'm going to let the dr know tomorrow that I'm not running into her office 4 times a year for her to talk to me about my medications anymore and she can make do with one blood test a year.  I was going in 4 times a year for that as well.  And my insurance doesn't pay much anymore.

I don't know what to do about my mammogram though.  That will be close to $400 and that comes off the deductible and the hospital won't take payments longer than 3 months and I don't have that.  So it's either put it on the credit card or wait until next summer.  Because we have insurance we don't qualify for any of the free mammograms out there.  Catch 22, huh?

Bitter much?

Well, off to clean out the fridge and cook supper.  

TTFN