UPDATE: WE'RE THERE! ALL DONE!!!!!
Got your attention? Ha! It's not the pants that bring me here today, although a new used pair would help. FrugalGranny is one of those Kossacks who is always around when someone else needs help. She and her hubby are the real deal - great people who found each other later in life and have nested happily in their little apartment in San Francisco, despite having to survive endless months of unemployment.
I first bonded with FrugalGranny when their cherished Burmese, the Boober, was fighting cancer, and I cheered them on when they joined GUS and gave up smoking together. I worried about them during the long months of unemployment, and rejoiced when Mr. FG got a job. When I learned that FG's husband is risking life and limb just to get to work every day, I knew we had to help. These words really got to me:
I had to wait half my life to find my husband and I don't want to lose him to something as stupid as bald tires.
Trouble never travels alone, it seems, and those bald tires were soon joined by dental problems and, yes, the end of her last pair of pants. Here, I'll let FrugalGranny tell you herself over the fold.
Heck and Darn. I can't believe this. I'm supposed to be helping others, not asking for help. But here I am.
In April of 2010 my husband was laid off. We survived only because we had no debts, with the exception of a dental bill. We barely managed, but we survived. Hubby finally found work again in 2011. We've been doing ok and have been able to work at paying off the dental bill. However, his job requires a 70 mi. round trip commute. Given his schedule and location, commute by rail isn't an option. When I went out to get something out of the trunk the other day, I noticed the tires. It worries me a lot. To be honest, they scare the crap outa me. They aren't quite bald, but they're very close. The freeway (101) is a pothole mess and the tires are getting dangerous. Sigh
That was bad enough. Today, while eating lunch, I had a crown break. There's no pain involved, but as I'm short a tooth or two, every crown or tooth counts. My wonderful dentist can do the work, but I already owe him money and I don't want to owe him more. I'm not looking to get him paid off. He's taking payments and he's happy with that. I just want to pay for the crown and avoid making the debt worse.
And now for the comedy relief. They say stuff happens in threes. It does. I was in my kitchen cleaning, when my posterior suddenly felt cold. Hmmmmmm, curious. I went off to investigate and found that my pants had decided that my patoot needed air conditioning. Thus, I blew out the arse of my last pair of pants. Let the joking commence. The pants are the least of my worries. I can replace those for $20 or less. I don't call myself FrugalGranny for nothing.
The breakdown is $1200 for dental and $300 for the tires. Ouch! To be honest, the tires are the most important. The rest can wait a while if necessary. I had to wait half my life to find my husband and I don't want to lose him to something as stupid as bald tires.
Sigh.
And now a word from HomoGenius:
Frugal Granny and Mr. Granny have been mainstays of the SF Kossacks for years. When I was still living there, they were also my lifeline to civilization--one of the few things that kept me grounded in the real world. They are fun, funny, warmhearted people and Mr. Granny has a life story that is quite amazing. Like so many of us in this economy, they are living on the edge. Their needs are simple because they live life for people, not things. And if FG says they are in dire straits, that means they really are. Please help my friends. I'm paying it forward (and don't you dare try and tell me not to). Thanks to Nurse Kelley (you da bomb!) and everyone who contributes or just encourages.
GOAL: $1,500
HOW TO DONATE: FrugalGranny's PayPal account is scathac1961@yahoo.com
[Many/most fees can be avoided by selecting Send Money → Personal → Gift]
Or you can contact either of us for a mailing address.
Any contribution, large or small, will help. If you can't contribute, please rec this diary so more people will see it. Recs are good contributions!
UPDATE by FrugalGranny - The total is at $880, but it's so fast that I'm not sure that Paypal has caught up yet. I'm so grateful to all of you. The tires are going on tomorrow.
UPDATE LOL My pant size is a 12. I gained some weight when I quit smoking, but I won't complain. I spent too many years underweight to care about being a few lbs over.