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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Abundance of Inserts + raccoons + ceiling down

over 150 newspaper coupon inserts

same stack, different angle

These are two different inserts, so there is no way I could use all the few that I wanted. These stacks were much straighter when I received them. See the strap? That strap was around part of these, just like they came from a printer.

I gave many of these away. People responded mostly positively. One guy said he did not want any. Then, he looked over my shoulder and acted sort of funny. He stammered and said, "Maybe you should ask her." His wife said to him, "NEVER turn down coupons." She took the three inserts and said to me, "I will meet you here next Saturday night."

Somehow, I made a mistake and sent coupons to people who did not say they wanted them. Maybe I did not send to people who wanted them. Sorry for the goof. At least it cost no one but me!

I have faced five stressful days with another raccoon breaking through the ceiling, frightening me, and then I spent a cold, frightening night in the den with no sleep. I dared not go to bed. She fell through the ceiling but caught herself and climbed back up.

Just a little update here: When the raccoon broke through and the ceiling section fell, I screamed a long, very loud, and shrill scream. I was terrified the raccoon would attack me or go to some corner and hide and be here living with me. If anyone had been awake at 1:30 am, I could have been heard. Thankfully, no one called the police.

Than Charlie came to help, was very abusive talking, yelling about how he was fixing it. yelling about my not having what he needed. I figured he would tell me what he needed and I would purchase it. He said he had screws and brought 2 inch sheet rock screws instead of the 3-4 inch screws I said he needed.

THEN, he wandered over to a man working next door and was bumming screws from him. I have told him to quit bothering neighbors of mine. So, that was a big fight. People, I know the people on this street, and I will not be imposing myself on them.  Besides, before you know it, Charlie has crossed all sorts of boundaries with other people.

I offered to sew up his ripped work coat that had stuffing falling out. He threw the coat at me and told me to fix it now and quit watching him. Really, you have to watch him! He did not put the ceiling piece back straight, just screwed it up crooked where more insulation and dust and dirt can sift out. So, I offered but did not say I was going to mend it right now.

He yelled because I dropped the only two needles I had. They slipped out of the package, something that has never happened to me before. It could be all the yelling at me. at that point, I did not get up and go get the other three packages of needles in the other room. The two needles slid down the side of the chair where I will have to move the chair and slid into a lot of coupons. Sooo, it will be an ordeal to get them.

The ceiling is 7 ft here in the den even though the ceiling is 10 ft in the original house. Charlie is about 5' 8" and refused to use a ladder or even a foot stool. So, he could not really reach the ceiling but insisted he could. That made the job harder and made him complain. He could barely push on the drill and left three screws just barely in the ceiling because he said it was really hard wood. So, he yelled lots about how hard it was, too hard for him, and getting a foot closer would be of no use.

At Walmart, I paid $0.53 for a properly colored scrap that I knew I did not have in order to mend his coat and make it look nice. Before he left, he demanded the scrap and we argued about that. He is a man that makes you take stands. Otherwise, he pushes harder next time.

All last week I was fighting a sore throat and sinus problems, but the  stress threw me over into a worse condition. So, it is freezing. I am walking in snow to get to the hens, and feverish with an earache and sore throat.

No, I cannot afford to fix the ceiling properly. No, the raccoon cannot be closed out unless the ceiling comes down. This is a complicated, many times altered old house. I know there is no way to keep them out except at great cost and reconstruction. Not going to happen. Do not suggest getting help from a church. They do not care.

I just heard the weather. Trees to the west in MS are losing limbs to icy rain. And, it is headed this direction! UGH. The weather is 34F and will drop tomorrow afternoon, so we could lose power to falling limbs. I hope not.

Your turn
Have you ever been given sooo many inserts? How is the weather where you are? And, include your vague location. Have you ever had a friend that you felt you had to always push back to keep him or her from running right over you?



 

21 comments:

  1. I hope things start to go your way soon. And I too would have dropped needles if I had been shouted at. And might have shouted back - which would have done no-one any good.
    As you know, we are still hot. Too hot. And dry. Trees are dropping their leaves - and I hope they survive.
    Stay warm, stay safe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had looked up as I took out the package of needles. Distracted by his half ass work and yelling at me caused me to lose them. Yes, I yelled back at him.

      I wish you had some of this rain that is falling to help your trees...lol. I do hope they survive.

      Delete
  2. Linda I am sending you a big hug and lots of prayers. I would have poked him in the ass with the needles! We are prepping for snow and ice here to but I am worried about you with the roof. I wish there was someway I could help

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. J,

      Thanks. I should have.
      I am sort of confused as to what the weather will be. It will be cold and wet, but don't know if it will be cold enough for ice on trees or if the precipitation will be snow. ???

      Hopefully, neither of us will have weather that causes a loss of electricity.

      Delete
    2. exactly what I was thinking - I know where those needles would have been!

      Delete
  3. I wished I lived closer. 1. My boys and I fake care of th.e racoon-permanently.
    2. We'd fix your ceiling, the right way. My husband hates half assed repairs. I hope your day today goes better.
    The weather in the South has been crazy this year. I'm worried what spring will be like.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michelle,
      If the roof were repaired and a hole under the bottom of the house, the repairs would not come here!

      I had a friend who has since moved away, that through marriage, his divorce and dating and remarriage was faithful to do any repair to the best of his ability and then be sorry something was not perfect. He would buy the part if I could not afford it and let me pay it back in a week. He prided himself in his work.

      Exbf has no tools, no skills, and no experience, so half-ass would not be because he did not care. If I explain how to do something and walk away, he does better...lol. Another piece of the ceiling is going to fall because the raccoon is digging at it.

      Spring is a mystery!

      Delete
  4. gosh just found your blog a few days ago. so sorry that jerk yelled at you and so sorry you had to fight to stand your ground. hope he did the repair good enough and you can toss all his hurtful words aside. :-( and I thought I had a crappy day yesterday -nothing like yours thank goodness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was crappy. This day is better--63 degrees.

      Delete
  5. The weather here is lovely. Today they are calling for temps in the mid 80s. I wish I could send a little warm weather your way.

    I'm not sure that Charlie is a true friend.

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  6. racoons do not like the smell of ammonia. we had racoons (a mamma and her many babies) living in our chimney. no one would get rid of them. someone told me to take cotton balls, saturate them with ammonia and get a fan and gently blow the smell up the chimney. mamma and her babies moved out that night and never came back.
    try it. doesn't cost much. blow the ammonia fumes up towards your ceiling.

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  7. I do wish you would get rid of this charlie forever. Is there a Project Now near you?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, my. You're having a time of it. It's chilly and rainy here in Florida. I wish Habitat for Humanity would make needed repairs instead of just building new houses, but I guess no one can be all things to all people. If I have to push back at people, then I get them out of my life. I can't take the stress after years of a horrible marriage.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janie,
      You are quite right. I don't do what he wants when he wants it like I did years ago. If he wants me to write a paragraph, I am not home, cannot get into email, cooking, eating, have a headache, in yard tending chickens/painting/sitting. There was a time when I would stop whatever I was doing and just do it to help him. Now, not so much. He will not help me with my computer even though he can build computers, install and work on software, and wire Redstone Arsenal for wireless. The only thing he will do for me is "blow away" my computer, destroy my blog and will not be a real help.

      I agree the stress of years of marriage takes it toll on the body. Besides, we are older.

      Delete
  9. What is it with these "men"? Men don't treat women like that, they knock themselves out to help a woman in need. Being treated badly is not what you should expect.
    Are you sure Habitat only builds new? I think my cousin was working with an organization that did repairs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patti,
      He speaks of "using and abusing" women he meets who are downtrodden when he wants to be intimate! So, get your cousin in touch with me if you will. Thanks.

      Delete
  10. I am a different Patti....I think Charlie may be either mentally ill or have a health condition that keeps him aggravated. I am so sorry he was awful. I would have definitely yelled back. I have a bipolar husband, so I know what it can be like.
    I am so sorry about your ceiling and roof and everything. We have some needed repairs that are put off due to finances, but nothing so serious...plus we are in So Cal, so the weather is never too awful.
    Take care.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He does have problems! My problems were not so bad in the beginning. Yes, it would be easier in CA. It is now Sunday after Valentines Day and the stress he inflected is still wearing on me. Thanks.

      Delete

Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.