I may be having one of those months... or years.
Maybe I could blame it on impending menopause. I hear that makes women grumpy. But I don't want to cop out. Even if I have raging hormones, I'm going to be responsible for my actions -- emails and telephone calls.
I could blame it on the college bills. If you don't live in the United States, you may not be aware of the cost of college. For most state schools, the bill is around $20,000 per year if a kid lives on campus.
My kids both go to private schools, but they provide grants and financial aid to get the cost down to about $20,000 each. That means $40,000 per year with two kids in school. That is bound to make anyone grumpy, right?
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| I was pretty grumpy here, but because I needed chocolate, not because of menopause or college bills. |
I appealed to one of the kids' colleges for more financial aid and the director responded that we should see how much we could get in parent loans first. I didn't even think about it so that I could write a measured response to her. I just fired back that of course, we could take out thousands of dollars in parent loans, but we weren't really willing to do that, and then I threatened that we really hoped our kid could continue to attend her college.
I didn't hear from her for 6 days and I felt pretty sheepish about my snippy (bitchy?) attitude.
Today, she emailed that we had an extra $1500 grant. See, $1500 for a college isn't that much. $1500 for us off a kid's college bill is huge.
So I got serious about our budget and looked for places to cut monthly costs. I decided we are spending too much on internet and cable TV services. I hate to change my email address, so I called Time Warner to see how much it would cost for Internet only. I hoped they might give us a better deal on internet and TV so I wouldn't have to deal with changing it. But I got sidetracked by a woman who said I couldn't change my service because I was in a contract with Time Warner.
"Wait!" I said. "My contract ended in March."
"But we sent you a letter and if you didn't reply then you entered into another contract," the woman said.
"I'm pretty sure that's not a binding contract," I said. "You can't have the opt-out or you enter a new contract."
And that was pretty much the end of me getting anything accomplished. I asked for a manager. I was shuffled from place to place. I made a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General's office to make sure others didn't get caught in the non opt-out contract.
But I never got my internet and cable TV bill lowered. I kind of backed myself into a corner where all I can do now is switch everything to another company.
Again, by the end of the day, I felt kind of bitchy.
Yesterday, before the humidity got too bad, I ran 6 miles. That helped me blow off some steam. Today, I only went 3 miles.
So far today, I haven't been mean to anyone, but I still have to go teach tonight. I'll try to shove the grump monster back in its place.
8 comments:
I bet that was a lot more fun to read than it was for you to go through. Menopause? Been there but your problemas aren't hormone related; what a lot of moolah! I probably mentioned before I'm ALMOST glad Russell droppped out of NYU!!
Well, I'd be bitchy with all that, too. I'm with Sim -- menopause doesn't necessarily make you bitchy but dealing with financial aid and any cable/internet company does. I'm sure you can get out of TW somehow-- just don't know how.
My cousin is in Ohio and she said she went out to walk the dog today and it was so steamy that she turned back as soon as she could. Up here in Michigan it is finally warming up -- but not humid. Yet.
I would say you have reasons to bitchy. Stress will do that to you. I have been to with two weeks of company. I can't wait until everyone is gone. I'm going to be a major bitch and limit visits to 3 or 4 days from now on. Good luck with that contract thing. I think I will face thousands of dollars on a "contract" that I walked out on when we moved here.
I don't think I'd be bitchy in your situation more like depressed with constant butterflies in my stomach! I'd probably cancel the cable and get my head chopped off by my hubby and that would solve all my problems! How can I worry with no head! :) Have a great weekend Paulita have a glass of vino with hubby and for one evening forget about it. It will be there the next day.
Go ahead and get your GRUMP ON Pauli. We're allowed.
I tried to run 6 miles this morning and ended up playing 6 and 2 in order to make it back home. Running thru 6 telephone poles and then I allowing myself to walk for 2.
I didn't think I would ever make it home.
But ... this too shall pass.
Hugs !
With two of our own in college, I understand every bit of why you can be grumpy! I just keep reminding myself that it's almost over - one more year. Since you have another one still in high school, my only words of support are to keep your eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. They will graduate eventually . . . won't they?
I would be more fed up than bitchy , if I had all that to pay for. My friends children hope to go to University here in the UK , and that cost a lot too, but the students get the loan and I think they start paying it back when they earn over a certain limit, , not 100% on this though. My boys did neither,, well the eldest went to college to study to be a Chef, that was free for me ,, accept travel ,, and other things but hardly anything ,, then he went into the Royal Air Force ,
Yikes!!! I would not recommend this to anybody, but our son and daughter-in-law got married right out of high school 10 years ago. Because they were married and poor (like dirt poor) they qualified for grants and student aid themselves. It worked for us. LOL They went thru college and grad school. Like I said, I would never recommend that, but the financial part of it, was great. that and they are still happily married.
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