The Sink Hole

 It's a freak out day. Kirk requests another progress payments and I look at the list on the quote, then add to it what else I need to pay for, and the amount is well over what I budgeted. About $30, 000. I go into stress mode while I'm teaching. Not fun but I'm nicer to the kids. More patient. Mid morning my sister, Nic, asks me to call and tells me Lionel won't get out of bed anymore. Tough. It feels like we're reaching the end of the line with him. She and Jill, his long term carer, think it's time to put him in a home. It seems like the inevitable has arrived. No-one lives forever and his needs are getting harder to meet at home. Nic has done her bit. I run a lunch time union meeting where the branch discuss upcoming papers for the union's annual conference. The issues are those we have discussed at Exec and it's interesting hearing my colleagues' take on them. I get some relief periods, the extra money will be a relief but I'm going to have to think how I'm going to get out of the sink hole. After school I go to the bank and the woman who has become my friend over years of going into the branch, something very few do these days, puts her head in her hand and tells me I'm maxed out. This I know. I was a bit nervous about transitioning to the next financial phase without this. I tell her I don't want to borrow anymore and will sort it out. I call the Teachers' Retirement Fund but can't take anymore out of here either. So I ring Nic. We've helped each other out over the years, well I've helped her out twice. She has some money sitting in the bank and will lend it. I'm immensely relieved. 

I pick up my lawn mower from Sharyn's garage. I tried to run over a metal clamp when the builders' boy put the fence up last year and left it in the grass. Martyns' Mowers look at it dubiously. I might be up for a new mower, It's one item I absolutely need. At home I check payments to Kirk. Second wave of relief. I've paid him $16,500 more than I thought. Due to Covid, the payments have gone awol from those on the quote. I'm still going to need extra though as the tiling has gone over, and I need to pay for finishing the floor- informal quote issue with the tilers. And I haven't got Lance's final tally yet. There's one or two other extras so I'm not out of the sink hole, or the woods, yet. But I do go to sleep knowing I'm going to be ok. Prolonged stress...not good for anyone's health.