2009! What a Difference the Date Makes!

I have gunning toward 2009 forEVER now, it seems.  Nothing could be a better idea; let's change the year and hopefully, in return, change the streams of bad luck that were not only bombarding myself and my family in torrential distress, but also those surrounding me.  Everywhere I turned, it seemed as though something about the otherwise harmless numbers "2008" simply had it in for anyone and everyone within my territorial bubble.  2009 just could NOT have come fast enough...

And now it is here.  Maybe it was the mental preparations, or the simple determination that, OH no, 2009 would NOT be as terrible as the past year had been... but so far, so good.  Even the APPROACH to the new year was lighter and happier than the previous, say, 360 days.  Even though we have all been relishing in the distinct difference surrounding our personal situations now as compared to a month ago or so, I am catching myself feeling like a dog who has been kicked one too many times - even when in good hands, any sudden movement quickly causes a severe flinch and duck response while waiting for that constant abuse to sneak its way in from just beyond my peripheral view.

The last Monday of the year, Ralph got not one but THREE envelopes in the mail from the Department of Unemployment Security.  Hmm.  Since we had been waiting on pins and needles for over three months while fighting out the appeal process regarding his denial of unemployment payment, I decided that, hell!  He could kick my ass about opening his mail later that day - three envelopes (two of which were identical) from this specific place warranted me intervening on the sealed envelopes in my hand.

After opening the first one, I got almost adrenaline sick... the appeal process had FINALLY gone through, and I was staring at a *great* deal of money.  Well, it was a large sum to *us*, especially considering that we were completely incomeless for a good, solid two months, anyways.  Needless to say, I was on the phone calling Ralph at work within minutes, leaving him a voicemail about how he needed to call me NOW when he didn't pick up.  Heh.

And just a few days previous to this?  My mom got a bit of a chunk from the school district (seeing as though she is *officially* on unpaid leave until her disability CRAP goes through) after they re-calculated her salary according to contract and the exact number of days across the year that she worked.  WhatEVER the reasoning, though - didn't matter much around here!  All it meant was that she actually had a bit more money again, something that was a BIG sigh of relief - especially since she, too, was extremely stressed due to Ralph's job loss and the financial implications that trounced on top of my entire family because of all that junk.

We were able to catch up with the car payments.  We found ourselves able to actually buy Greyson some pretty kick-ass Christmas gifts (even if it WAS after Christmas *officially*).  He actually still has one BIG one coming via the friendly UPS man sometime within the next few weeks.  We have been able to purchase tickets for the three of us to go see Metallica later this month (without the "extra" money, there is NO WAY we could have afforded it - and by golly, I was BENT that I thought I would have to wait even MORE time beyond the 10 years that it has been since I have seen them in concert last!).

In general, things just plain haven't seemed as dire as they did less than a month ago.  We were even able to have a *good* New Year's Eve together, as a family, for the first time since Ralph and I have been together - all because he didn't have a NYE show for the FIRST time in four years, and the fact that WOW!  We could actually relax a little and enjoy ourselves and the company of others without first having to worry about whether or not we'd even be able to afford the gas to not only drive TO Chicago, but home again later that night.  We took Greyson along with us to spend time with "the BAND" outside of an actual "work"-type setting, where everyone could just kick back and play music and not have to worry about what impact it was having on, say, the income of the night.  Greyson got to sing his little Metalhead heart out to some crankin' Iron Maiden and Judas Priest tunes (though I have to openly admit that he knows and loves Iron Maiden MUCH more than Priest... SO much so that I'm thinking I may have to stage an intervention for the child).  All in all, everyone had a blast, and it was nice to be able to just get out and have a night without worries.

I've also been enjoying the little stretch of "vacation" that I have had from school... though it ends Wednesday evening already.  I made it out of last term carrying a 4.0 GPA, but next in line are courses in Criminal Investigations as well as Criminal Law (and might I add that my Criminal Law textbook?  DIRE.  lol  The thing is PACKED front to back with case after case, scenario after scenario... who would have thought that I'd be going into the field of LAW in any respect anyways?!?).  I've revelled in knowing that I didn't have an essay waiting to pounce on me lurking around the corner, or an interview that I had to complete, or a proposal that didn't need finalization creeping up on me.  As much as I honestly *love* being back in school, a bit of breathing room was definitely needed after returning from such a long, unexpected stray from my secondary education!

While things have been easier, I can't say that it's all been a walk in the park.  I have been sick pretty much since Thanksgiving, with a little bit of let-up between two MASSIVE colds, the first of which turned into walking pneumonia.  Ralph had his dose of this latest bug, and Greyson is still wrangling with his own little mutation of it, as well.  Luckily, he has started rebounding enough that I didn't have to take him into the doctor... there really wasn't anything that I was sure they would be able to do differently than I have already been doing in regards to him being sick.  Fluids, Delsym, and some lovely Triaminic... pretty much all it's taken.  That, and him sleeping for *14 hours straight* a couple nights ago... BOY, I didn't see THAT one coming!  I think that's a feat that's only been accomplished *maybe* twice before...  even with him giving up on naps, he still generally only gets around 10-11 hours a night.

The cold weather is NO friend to my fibromyalgia, and I have been discharged from physical therapy, seeing as though progress had definitely plateaued.  Nothing but surgery will eliminate the herniation issues in my back, but I *did* get x-ray confirmation, at least, that there isn't anything structurally "off" going on in my neck... well, other than an extra cervical vertebra.  Nice!  LOL

I've also been having a... WOMAN problem.  Heh.  Not that it's ANYTHING to laugh about.  See, now with the birth control pills I am on, I should only have to deal with Aunt Flo visiting me once every three months... fabulous, right?  NOT when she shows up six weeks early and hangs out for... let's see, it's been *17 days* now?!?!?!?  OHHHH yeah.  She and I are NOT on good terms anymore.  I'm starting to think that I'm gonna be dealing with her nonsense all the way through to the end of this friggin' pill pack.  Which would mean a good, oh, MONTH long fiesta?  SO need to get my ass into the doctor on that ALONE... not to mention the fact that the medication I take to make me sleep is no longer working as it should, and I need to transfer the management of my insomnia into the hands of one of my other doctors now that I am no longer going to the Pain Clinic.  Whew.  Too much medical crap to deal with... like always.  At least I have insurance to deal with all the behind-the-scenes nonsense that would otherwise come out of it all!

So, that's the last... um... TIME SINCE I BLOGGED LAST in a nutshell.  While SO many things have at least a touch of a silver lining, some still just haven't changed.  The good part of that is that with the medical stuff?  It's pretty much to a point where no news is GOOD news, so the fact that I'm not typing this from a hospital bed somewhere post-op is a breath of fresh air.

How has 2009 been treating you?!?!  I've missed everyone!!!