So, to begin. Back in 2002 hubby moved from Irving to my home in FW to take care of me because I needed full-time, around the clock care due to bone infection crawling up from my right foot into my leg. I had been in/out of hospitals for about a year and was home on Home Health Care. He gave up his job in Dallas and moved to FW. that was in February. In April he had a new job as chief accountant for a company not far from our house. The first day he went to work he had a head-on collision with a van immediately in front of his new office. It totataled his Kia, but thanks to the air bag he suffered only cracked ribs and broken glasses.
Since he had been living on what $$ he had since he gave up the Dallas job, he didn't have the funds to buy another car (insurance didn't quite pay off the Kia, much less leave funds to buy another one). Although I had just built the new house and had also financed a new PT Cruiser for myself, I agreed to finance a car for Ken. (We were getting married in May.) Ken and I loved the new VW Beetles, so we went to Hiley VW in Arlington and chose a pretty blue Bug, loaded with all the features of the time. We loved that little car - went everywhere in it - even drove it to Colorado Springs in 2003.
In 2004 we decided to buy a Dodge Ram 2500 pick up because we were going to buy a travel trailer. This put us with three vehicles. I had a daughter who was driving her old Ford Escort to work in North Dallas and we were so scared of her breaking down driving back and forth. We decided to let her drive the PT Cruiser. But we needed to have some work done on the PT before we let her drive it so we took her the VW in the interim. One thing led to another and the VW never returned to us. Ken ended up trading in the PT Cruiser for a 2004 Ford Escape, plain vanilla. That VW became a major bone of contention for us thru the years. Ken loved that car, and he would almost cry whenever he would see it.
Move forward to Saturday night, March 17, 2012. Ken had gone to bed, and as he and I have done for a very long time, I began to look for a VW Beetle, preowned, low miles. Couldn't find one via Craigslist. Just for grins I checked out Carmax. By golly! There it was! A 2007 VW Beetle, formerly owned by a couple in Temple, Texas, with mileage less than 22,000!!! I immediately sent Ken an email he would see the next morning. When I woke up on Sunday he was excited to the nth degree! Do you think? Maybe? I told him to clean out the Ford (now 8 years old, has issues), and to call them first thing on Monday morning. By the time I awoke on Monday he had already talked to them, knew where it was, and was waiting for me.
It never occurred to us that we could actually get this car. Our financial situation has been pretty dire since 2009. But, as I told Ken, you never know if you don't ask. And I had another plan up my sleeve. So we drove to Carmax in Arlington to meet with the person Ken had spoken with. When I saw her I immediately told her that I didn't think we could qualify and I didn't want to see the car until we looked at financial arrangements. So we went to her office, we told her our story, she took it from there. Rhonda (sales lady) ran the credit check, and surprisingly it came back as approved - because I have been doing business with Capital One for so long. The amount was a bit high, with higher percent interest than I wanted. So, she had the Ford Escape appraised, it came back at twice what we expected, and then I shocked Ken when I told her I also had $$ to go with the Ford as downpayment. (As the guardian for Ken's disability funds, I put $$ away every month from his check.) With the finances arranged, we said we were ready to see the car. I could see Ken's face light up the instant he saw it. Same blue he had chosen originally, moon roof, automatic, loaded with same and more features. I didn't go for the test ride with him, this was going to be his, not mine. I could tell when he came back from the test drive that he was one happy boy. We told Rhonda to write it up.
Ken kept thanking me for the car, but I told him I didn't do it, he did. It was his Ford traded in, and it was his money that had been put away. My only part in it was to put his money away so that he didn't spend it. So, this is Ken's new ride:
So, Monday was a great day.
On Tuesday afternoon I got to spend some hours with friend Denise looking at and playing with doggie clothes (my female Maltese wears doggies clothes a lot). had a great time - always learn something from this incredible lady.
That evening I started feeling horrible -- strep throat, couldn't breathe, coughing, chills/fever. It got worse. To top it off, Ken had done something to his back, was screaming in pain, could hardly move. We made it thru the night but I was too sick to help Ken. I sent him by himself to the local "doc in the box" clinic up the street. They would not see him because they do not accept Medicare. So, I sent him to the ER at Harris Southwest. I was afraid he had kidney stone, appendicitis, or? They did blood work, did a CT scan; determined he has spine problem. He called his neurologist, Dr. Siadati. They wanted him to have a MRI. Took 'til Sat. morning to get MRI scheduled. Now Siadati will be out of town this next week, Ken is still screaming ever time he moves. He has had about all he can take. Right now he has gone to bed with a muscle relaxer. I'm hoping that helps. We are supposed to call his doc's nurse in the morning. Hopefully Ken will be seen by another doc in their office. This has to be addressed SOON.
In the middle of this chaos, and even feeling sicker than sick, I managed to complete a quilt block for contribution to a hug quilt for a fellow member of the NE Texas TOGA (Treadle On Group). I did a Disappearing 4 patch following the instructions at http://andiejohnsonsews.blogspot.com/2011/03/disapperaing-4-patch-tutorial.html. I followed it exactly, but it did not come out at 8.5 inches - came out at 8 instead. I tried it again, same thing. So, I made a third block using 6" blocks as the first 4 squares and then cut it down to 8.5". Sick of it by now I put a label on it and mailed it.
I also managed to complete a new doggie dress for Luci. It was obvious I wasn't feeling well. I originally made buttonholes instead of putting on velcor, but the buttonholes came out horrible. I ended up covering the buttonholes with velcro and finishing the dang thing. So now she has a reversible jean dress to wear to such places as Canton and to the park.
I'm feeling a little better today. I managed to take a shower/shampoo my hair this morning. That took about all the strength I had. I need to clean house, so hoping I can do that tomorrow. Will depend on Ken's situation.
'til next time - God bless anyone who reads this; and as always a note to my children and grandchildren that I love and miss all of you.
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