Saturday, February 20, 2016

My Two Biggest Expenses: Pets and Autos

Another long week and I am glad that it is over.  It is too bad that these days are so busy and stressful but there is an end in sight even if it is years away.  On Wednesday, I took my dog to work with me and then to his vet appointment.  The vet says he needs some teeth extracted so there's another appointment for next week.  As usual, he growled and barked at everyone.

There's a dog under my desk!
After the vet appointment, I stopped by the house to fill up the water bottles, check the mail, and water the plants.  I grabbed my nephew's suit coat and shirt for his choir festival this weekend but he ended up getting a cold and deciding not to attend.  He stayed home from school on Thursday.  That's the first time he felt bad enough to stay home.  He was back to school on Friday and I didn't catch this cold, which is surprising.  Maybe it was the same cold I had 2 weeks ago, although, I thought I caught it from him.

On the way to work on Thursday, I heard some strange scratching noises coming from the right side front.  When I tried to turn at my off ramp, the power steering was completely gone.  I drove straight to the mechanic but they said they were full for the day.  They offered to fill up my power steering fluid and maybe that would temporarily fix the problem but when the technician looked in the reservoir it was full.  Then he looked over where I heard the noises coming from and said that the power steering belt was broken.  Ah, that would explain the total lack of power steering.  They decided that they could fit me in since it was a relatively easy fix.  $155 later and I got my car back at the end of the day.

After work on Friday, I put up more snake deterring wire mesh on the mobile home fence before we loaded up the car and went to the house.  We are going to stay at the house all week which seems like a mini-vacation.  It would be better if I didn't have to work.  I'll have to get up early to take my nephew to school and he will have to stay after school in the library (working on homework, I'm sure) until I can pick him up at 5:30.  It's a short week because we have Rodeo Break here in Tucson.  The kids get Thursday and Friday off when the rodeo comes to town every February.  There's a parade and everything.  I've never been but then I don't get any days off for the rodeo.

Today was the first day in a long time that I didn't have to drive anywhere.  I almost went to a plant exchange but decided that I should spend my time cleaning up my garden plots instead of collecting new plants and perhaps spending more money.  Besides, anything I plant now will just die when the weather gets hot.  Next year when we are living at the house full time again, I can plant a garden.

6 comments:

Lizzie@her MFW Homeworld said...

I have got confused. Are you living out on your land and next year at the house in the town? or am I getting it backwards?
Cant believe your nephew wasnt in your list of biggest expenses :)

Daizy said...

We are out at the property until the end of the school year in May but still come back to the house on weekends and no school days. This week we are at the house because he is leaving on Wednesday for a school trip. I'll have to drive an extra 20 minutes to shuttle him to and fro school. Next year will be full time at the house if all goes well. I should have said my top 2 expenses for the week. The nephew is relatively inexpensive this week since we paid for his school trip back in January.

Kim said...

The house that you stay at, is this your first house or the 2nd house you bought? If it's the second one, do you still rent out the first? I've read all your posts, but I guess I've forgotten a bit.

That pup pic is cute as a button!

Abigail @ipickuppennies said...

Eesh, that a lot of expenses. I remember when my cat had to have some teeth out. We got quoted more than $1,000 because they needed to put her under. We ended up going with a Banfield Wellness Plan. It was less than $350, and a dental cleaning (complete with anesthesia) was included. We paid about $70 for the actual extractions. It was quite a relief.

I cannot tell you how much I hope the wire does, in fact, deter snakes for you.

Daizy said...

I know, it is confusing. The first house is rented out. The second house is the one we stay at on weekends and holidays and the one I plan to sell after my nephew goes to college.

Daizy said...

I know, I could get it done cheaper without dental xrays but I am hoping the xrays will make it possible to fix all of his teeth problems so that be doesn't have to have this done again. Probably just a fantasy.