The passing of a great man...

Tonight I got a call that I have been expecting, and dreading. During my second marriage I was blessed with some really cool grandparents. We played Euchre and Spades every weekend, and I had a knack for ticking Grandpa off... I either trumped his trick, or lead trump... or something equally maddening.

Easter Sunday about 15 years ago, Grandma left us after working all night to cook dinner. It was a really hard day. Tonight, they are together again. Grandpa went to join his wife of 50 years, 3 months, and 3 days after a relatively brief separation.

Rest well, Nelson Wogoman. Till we meet again.

I have had enough!

Okay, another rant. Every year about fall I call a "Professional" out to look at my furance and heating system. Every year they tell me the same thing. "We can install a brand new one for $40,000 that would be more energy efficient." But since I can't get a loan for a quarter without 9 cosigners and a $500 down payment... that just won't happen. But they assure me that my equipment is in perfect working order, even though it was installed in the 1950's. No problem, right? WRONG! EVERY YEAR, in the coldest part of winter, the furnace shuts down for one reason or another. This year, after being assured once again that this furnace was just peachy, we have found that the burner coils are rusted clean thru, and are leaking gas into the house. LOVELY! Not only could my family and I DIED, but all my animals, too. We could have blown up, due to the fact that we were supplementing our heat with the fireplace... which still won't heat the whole house, although it does help a bit. NOW we have only 3 space heaters to keep all the humans and birds warm... while the dogs and cats huddle together and get along as best as they can. I have had it with Indiana winters. I have had it with liars and cheats who tell me everything is fine in the hopes that I will come up with $4000 in the dead of winter to get something fixed that they could have fixed for less in the fall. I am also tired of everyone telling me how WONDERFUL this new stimulas package is... how we can all be weatherized and "go green" because of it. Bull is all I can say. The only ones who will get "weatherized" and have their homes become "green living homes" are those lucky enough to have credit. I, for one, do not have that. Who is going to pay for this? I can't. I am paying most of the household income to the utility companies, and even more to the crooked mortgage company. Remember that last bailout that was supposed to have gotten us all a new look at our mortgages? Not one person facing forclosure is going to be able to sell, cause the banks, even though they got tons of money, are lowering the mortgage amount to reflect current housing values. So, until someone hands me a real economic stimulas of CASH, not a "tax credit" I will be able to do nothing but beg for a warm, dry, place to live. What good is a tax credit do for those who can't afford to get done what will get a credit? If you have no taxable income in the first place, how can a credit do you any good? Someone please revive common sense before I lose my mind.