Bad luck before Christmas

[Canuck Don]

Not trying to start up a discussion thing here , unless you want to add some experience of yours.
How things happen sometimes makes me wonder . for example.
4 days ago my daughter said she smelled gas when she got out of her car. I went and looked..It was a gas line leak.I took to garage.they called me latter and asked me to come down.. Only 2 blocks away..I went there..He said the ball joints were so bad , and one seized up solid that the tires were ready to fall off. They were bad. Well .lucky that the gas line broke... because she could have been driving on the highway and one or the other tire could have fallen off.
I was shaken seeing this.. I remember when I was ambulance attendant...We got an accident call..We got there and Mother, Father,,,3 small kids dead...There tire fell off at 60 MPH. In the 60's ,, no seat belts. It was a mess.
Well for that..
To replace ball joints. gas line,, brakes . $1050.00
Then I see the front tires were not good... So 3 days latter... Snow tires $200.00
This morning ....furnace blower motor would not shut off at all. I called the furnace man , I deal with..
New shut off switch and house call labour $160.00 plus thermostat not good... I put in , $49.00
So 2 weeks till Christmas and $1459.00 spent out of my budget... I got no choice but to be scrooge this Christmas. What next in store for Don here before the new year comes.
If anyone has had experiences this year or past... Put it down if you like to.
Thanks for takeing the time to read this. Picture below . Left pic. me before Christmas, middle pic. me at Christmas , and right pic. me after Christmas when the bills come in.
.

[Scott Dolan]

Most of that sounds like really good luck.

[clinthopson]

If she had good insurance, a gas fire would have been a good option.

Shit always happens in bunches.

[Canuck Don]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Most of that sounds like really good luck.

It was good luck that the gas line broke.. and if something would have happened to daughter Kelly , I would not live it down. My point was , that the not planned expenses so close to Christmas , I didn't like..but her safety is worth more than the dollar sign.

[hornplayer]

I thought it sounded like good luck, too... all things considered.

This seems to me to be a Christmas to hold your family and loved ones near, and hang onto your cash instead of buying gifts. Times are not as tough yet as they're going to get, and everybody needs to get over it for now.

We need to be thankful for what we've GOT, instead of buying 52-inch plasma tvs, etc.....

[tippy]

The woman I sit next to at work, her father died at this time last year and it is really deep with her right now I can tell.

[Canuck Don]

Originally Posted by tippy

The woman I sit next to at work, her father died at this time last year and it is really deep with her right now I can tell.

I can relate to that tippy... My best friend in the world who I knew from grade 1 and introduced me to my Wife got killed Dec. 12, 1965 by a drunk driver.. He had 4 month old daughter plus my Dad passed away a few years ago. Dec. 26 . so around this time I reflect on them two.

[tippy]

Originally Posted by hornplayer

I thought it sounded like good luck, too... all things considered.

This seems to me to be a Christmas to hold your family and loved ones near, and hang onto your cash instead of buying gifts. Times are not as tough yet as they're going to get, and everybody needs to get over it for now.

We need to be thankful for what we've GOT, instead of buying 52-inch plasma tvs, etc.....

Every year in Grand Central Station they hold a fairly large Christmas boutique of artists/craftsmen that lasts most of the month. This year I think there are lot of really fine artists and cool stuff and normally these are the kind of perfect special gifts I like to give people if I can match something to someone but even though I think the prices are deliberately more modest this year, it is still more than I and I imagine a lot of other people can afford and it makes me feel bad for these people who have produced some fine gifts. There is just not money for such items.

Also at lunch today I saw an ad on the side of the bus for 1-800-flowers and they were promoting a cupcake shaped flower arrangement and I just thought who is going to want throw some money away on mums in a strange shape.

The people living off money of luxury goods and services must really be feeling it. (But that is not to say that people living off regular good and services aren't hurting too.)

[jesus marion joseph]

Glad to hear about a tragedy averted, Don. Don't sweat the Scrooge thing, everbody's hurting this year.

[Monte Smith]

I'll tell you who is going to have some bad luck on Christmas, my sister. I phoned her to ask what she wanted and she said, "nothing, nothing, nothing," while insisting on a complete wish list from me and my whole family. Nothing, huh? Well, I got her The Clapper.

[Gordon B]

I read a yahoo story earlier this week about a guy who bowled a 300. He accepted congratulations from a few people and then while shaking another hand, suffered a fatal heart attack.

[tippy]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

I'll tell you who is going to have some bad luck on Christmas, my sister. I phoned her to ask what she wanted and she said, "nothing, nothing, nothing," while insisting on a complete wish list from me and my whole family. Nothing, huh? Well, I got her The Clapper.

Beats the clap.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by tippy

Beats the clap.

Something I would hope not to give to my sister. We're from Virginia, not West Virginia.

[tippy]

[withdrawn for being in poor taste] It’s all good, M.

[Ron Thorne]

I can relate to unexpected expenditures, Don. My wife and I recently (2 weeks ago) bought our car back after learning that much more extensive work than we originally planned was necessary, for safety reasons. Instead of $1200-1500, it was more than 3 times that amount. But, it was far less than buying another car, even a used one in such condition, and we're driving in safety.

I'm glad that Kelly is much safer now, as are you and your wife, I'm sure.



Merry Christmas, you ol' Canuck, you~

[patricia]

Glad you're OK Don. That was a close call.
Christmas isn't only about gifts, but family and friends. You still are with your family and there are still all of us out here.
MERRY CHRISTMAS in advance.

[Canuck Don]

In regard to my first thread... I'm not really a scrooge at all.. In fact just the opposite. I'm on disability pension the last 10 years. It's not like when I was working with good wages. Now I have to budget very wisely so when I said I will be a scrooge this Christmas it meant that with that car and furnace unexpected expenses , it really messed my Christmas budget all to hell... Everyone will get there presents and such all 35 of them including Miranda our cat.All presents are bought long ago for all . The only person left is my old 87 year old Ma who is in extended care at the hospital the last year. What do you buy an 87 year old who is bedridden . My present to her is just to go there , kiss and hug her merry Christmas and sit by the bed for a couple of hrs and just spend time with her talking about the past and present. Well got to go... Miranda is looking up at me meowing... ( feed me, feed meeeeeow ) You can see she is a female.... ( wants to be catered to all the time and not ignored. )
Thanks Lady Patricia and Ron for the advanced Merry Christmas , ditto back to you and yours.