Daaaaaaamn

What week it has been.

We had a meeting with our "comfort advisor" one week ago today, and figured out we needed to just replace everything. Basically, gut the system and start over. We knew this day was coming, we were just hoping we could put it off a little longer - though, I suppose almost 10 years is quite long enough. Either way, we signed up to replace the outside unit, the furnace, replace & add on ductwork, add insulation, and put on solar screens. Yowsa, right? The crappy part about this decision (besides finding out how much the total cost would be) was the earliest appointment they had to begin this long process was today, one week after we were deciding all this at my kitchen table. Let me tell you, it's been a very, very long & hot week. And not hot in a good way.

"When it rains, it pours" they say and daaaaamn, that could not have been more true since I wrote last. After we squared away our plan for replacing our entire A/C system, my car decided to die two days later. And when I say die, I mean it literally cut out on me while I was mid-motion on Burnet Rd. I had to coast over into the center lane, and turn into The Domain to get out of the flow of traffic. It wouldn't take a jump, so I had to have the thing towed back to my house, in Round Rock, which was such a splendid way to spend a Friday night.

Of course, I had to get my period this day, as well. Figures.

We spent all weekend testing out the battery, poking at it, prodding at it, to finally come to the realization that my alternator had gone out. Not a cheap fix! And, naturally, my alternator has to be located in one of those impossibletoreach places under my hood, so I just *knew* a garage would end up raping me on labor charges. The alternator itself is nearly $200.00 for my make & model, so I cringed and whimpered every time I thought about dropping it off somewhere. The guy I talked to at the shop even asked me, "don't you have a buddy that can put it in for you?". Luckily, we found exactly that. Aaron went over to our car-knowledgeable neighbor Bill-Dave (we call him that because we didn't know if his name was Bill or Dave for the first few years we lived here), asked him for his help, and he was happy to help out. Hooray - we finally caught a break! After a long, boring, boiling-in-our-house weekend driving Aaron to & from work, and a miserable Memorial Day consisting of the same, Aaron & Bill-Dave conquered my car's woes on Tuesday morning. Helpful neighbors ROCK.

To put the cherry on top of "hell week", Sunday night (aka - the 8th day in a row of sweating in our house) our DVD player decided to die, as well. (Not to mention my stove dying before our "hell week" came to fruition!) On Sunday, I think Aaron came frighteningly close to hurling that DVD player out the window. Honestly, I was ready to fling myself off a curb into oncoming neighborhood traffic, but knowing my luck, I wouldn't actually end my suffering. I'd only add to it by being maimed and grossly disfigured. Without insurance, no less. Then, I'd end up having to pay for all the medical bills that came as a result of my pathetic suicide attempt. Thankfully, Aaron and I both have more sense then to act on our impulses.

I'm sad to report that Aaron came up with a solution to our financial worries, and made the ultimate sacrifice. He sold his Casita. Our beloved little camper that we just drove out to west Texas in March now belongs to a delightfully enthusiastic chap from San Marcos named Heath. I tried to talk Aaron out of this decision from the start, but he insisted it only made sense, then finally convinced me to jump on board. As you know, we booked & committed ourselves to a cruise only mere weeks before everything in our life decided to die, blow up, or break down. Well, Aaron didn't want to sacrifice the vacation we'd all had our hearts set on, and instead, said we should sell the camper & use the profit to pay off our cruise. What a guy. I know this broke his heart a little more than he is letting on, but I hope he knows how much I respect him for this big, mature decision. We put the camper on craigslist and within two hours, had about a dozen people contact us to come see it. Heath was number 4, and was very excited to buy it, so it was a done deal. He should be coming to pick it up tomorrow, which will be very bittersweet, for all of us. Even Z was sad we were selling it, but he knows Daddy will get something bigger and better down the line. A good life lesson for him in this - you gotta do what you gotta do, even when you don't wanna do it.

So, it'll be a relief to pay off the remaining amount owed on our fabulous cruise, and then we can focus on paying off this A/C renovation. We'll be camper-less, but we'll be cool, comfortable, and well-traveled in exchange. Nice. Do you guys understand the magnitude of this new A/C system?! For the first time, since we moved in 9 years ago, we'll have affordable electricity bills and we won't be sweating. No more 82 degrees-is-as-good-as-it-gets in August and September. No more having to find other places to go, like the library and HEB, just to escape the stifling heat in our own living room. My A/C unit will actually SHUT OFF between the months of June and October. Amazing! It's like hitting the lottery.

A big, giant thank you & sloppy kiss to my husband, John, Kristi, Bill-Dave, Ken, Dad, Becca, Mary, and anyone else who helped me through that wildly shitty week. I'm so glad it's over, and we've moved on to better things this week. The A/C was replaced today, and we've got cold air swirling around us as I type. Heavenly. The company will be back out here June 13 to deal with the ductwork, add more insulation, and put on our solar screens. 2104 Stirrup will be the most energy-efficient bitch on the block. Just call me Greenie.

Things I'm grateful for today:

1. A/C, obviously.
2. Friends, family, and neighbors.
3. A/C, again.

Peace, A/C, and pastries to you all.