Overwhelmed

I don't know what's been up with me the last couple of days. I just haven't wanted to do anything. At all. I have lists a mile long, and just don't have the initiative to do anything on them. At all. I hate when I get like this.

It's not like I haven't been sleeping - I actually slept for close to 10 hours the other night (first time in months that I've done that). But maybe I am just worn out. Trying to do everything that I need and want to do leads to very little sleep on a regular basis.

And then it never fails that whenever I do get on a roll and start getting things done, something else comes up that I have to do right then and there. Like when I'm in the process of cleaning up the kitchen - and making progress - and I open up the fridge and a kamikaze egg flies out of the eggholder on the door and plunges to an untimely death on my already-hideous kitchen floor. Of course, the boys had a field day with that one, because I didn't get it cleaned up right that minute, and they had to point it out to me repeatedly for the next 5 minutes until I did get it done. I love those boys, but sheesh - give me a minute to finish doing what I was doing, will ya? It's not like a little egg is going to make the floor any uglier.

But the day itself hasn't been all that bad. I got an email from the electric company this afternoon, informing me that my bill was ready for viewing. I logged into my account, fully expecting to see a $200+ bill because of the brutal heat that we've had lately, but instead I was very pleasantly surprised.

See, when you are habitually late paying your bill, as I was before I moved into this house because of the financial disaster that I was in, they charge a healthy deposit in order to set up new service. Or, better yet, if you're in good standing with no deposit, but then you screw up and start paying your bill late, they just tack the deposit onto your bill and take it from you mid-stream, which is what happened to me. Anyway, after you get your act together and start paying your bill on time again (I think you have to make 9 out of 12 payments on time or something like that) you get your deposit back. This was a pleasant surprise!

Also today, I got a call from a collection agency. I know - not generally a good thing. But, there are still several outstanding bills floating around that I haven't been able to deal with yet. The bills were a direct result of my second marriage - credit cards that yes, were in my name, but were run up because the money that we did have was used for *ahem* other things (pretty sure that the sales of Jack Daniels and Jim Beam were increasing at the same time as the balances on these bills were going up - you do the math). Anyway, I've been slowly getting old bills taken care of (including paying back taxes that should not have been my responsibility) and this particular one was actually sitting on my desk to address today. But, the agency called me, I talked to the lady, set up a payment arrangement, and it will be paid off in the next 10 months, max.

Bit by bit, baby step by baby step, I'm clearing up these things. They're not huge by any stretch of the imagination, but with each one, I feel as though I'm putting the past behind me and getting back on track. It's taken a long time, and I'm not out of the financial hole yet, but at least I'm getting there. I paid the taxes (pissed me off, but I did it), paid off his medical bills that were left behind, I've been working on one credit card already, starting on the other credit card, and then next on the list is getting the bill from our joint checking account paid - that one happened thanks to him draining the account after we had split up and I already had bills scheduled to be paid from that account. I know, I should have closed the account, but I didn't, blah blah blah. But I think that after those are paid, it'll all be done and over with.

Anyway....I didn't really intend for this to be a rant about my finances, but sometimes that happens.

Back to the whole Being Overwhelmed thing.

I was going through my calendar today trying to figure out what I have to do and when. We have so many things going on over the next few months - parties that I'm supposed to attend, a few charity functions, school functions, 2 craft shows....the list goes on and on, and doesn't even include Boy Scouts for Jared (no schedule yet) or the girls' basketball schedules. Then the holidays will be coming, and it's just going to keep getting worse. I feel like all I'm ever doing is running around like the proverbial headless chicken, and I don't see any relief in sight.

But, this too shall pass. What doesn't kill me.....whatever.

Ok, I think I'm done ranting. For now.