In which we discuss matters of the family.
Between the soft breeze, the warm sun and the happy, chattering baby, I think I can safely mark it as one of my favorite afternoons ever.
We’ve found a place for Rockford to stay while he’s working here in July, and while I’m still not terribly pleased that we’ll be spending the bulk of the month apart, I know he’ll get a lot of work done, Poppy and I will have fun at Grandpa’s and we’ll be able to put away a little more money for the move.
That was a very long sentence. Sorry about that.
We had a yard sale today with some of our friends. It went pretty well, but I’m afraid my friend Amy’s cow collection might have scared off some potential customers. What is one young lady doing with so much cow stuff, anyway? Despite the bovinity, the yard sale went pretty well.
And our landlord rented our apartment to someone who likes the colors in the living room and kitchen and doesn’t want us to repaint. Woo-hoo!
So.
Yesterday went from Little Inconvenience to Teeth-Gnashing Panic to Resigned Sadness in about a 4-hour period.
Inconvenience
My age was wrong on Poppy’s birth certificate, and we had to jump through great flaming hoops from here to the state capital to get it fixed. But get it fixed we did, and Rockford is going to submit an application for a baby passport this morning. (Baby passport! I hope it’s tiny and pink!)
Panic
After our fun afternoon in the dingy little state office, we returned to find a message from the university: “Hello! Your fellowship is over! No more money for you! Have a great day!” This was not expected. Not at all. And it was not good news. We were prepared to go a little while with no income, but we don’t have the funding to cover this. We went over our options. Sell an organ? Turn to a life of crime? Go to bed and cry? That’s what I wanted to do, but Rockford is far more proactive. Which leads us to …
Sadness
Rockford talked to his boss, who agreed to hire Rockford as a “consultant” until they wrap up the project he’s been working on. That will likely take until August. Our lease expires on July 1, and it would cost more for both of us to work and put Poppy in day care than it does for one of us to stay home. Hence: Rockford will be looking for a sublease or a kindly friend with a spare room for the month of July, and Poppy and I will be visiting family solo until he finishes.
I’m not crazy about this plan, but it’s a financial necessity. I hate money.