Moving the goalposts
 

yesterday, i sucked it up and payed the deposit and USA registration fees for the boys' hockey and Hebe's Pay-to-Play fee for high school swimming. I shelled out $670 non-refundable. Last night I learned from the local news that the Board of Ed was righting and planning to increase the pay to play by at least $100 despite the season already being underway and people being financially committed...... And this morning I learn that apparently when the hockey board says

They must consider a 30% increase as "near" because that is the figure being circulated.

My groove is truly scorched and some people are going to get singed from the fall-out......

Man, that sucks big time, Monster.

I think that if they're going to increase the costs significantly, they should offer refunds.

Ok, so I emailed the hockey board and got confirmation that there is no big increase coming......

and then I heard today that that still wasn't the impression of most of the board.... and they are horrified the word "got out".....

and my "source" found the "there might be increases for some age groups as we increase ice time......" get-out clause.

the plot thinkens and the politics are getting nasty, i hear....

Let me just say this about that
 

The car needs a new timing belt AND new plugs and wires and snow tires as winter will be here pretty soon. To change the plugs, the engine needs to be pulled, because of that, Platinum spark plugs are installed with the attending cost associated with platinum.
The car is also suffering form an intermittent won't start problem that rectifies itself after 2-24 hours. Not always convenient when you are out and about, tolerable when you are in your own driveway. No one has any idea what causes this.

Figure it's going to be about $1,000 to do all the work.

No heat or hot water this morning. Go downstairs to reset the boiler switch and see a fairly respectable pool of water and a drip coming from the boiler. Nice. It needs a cleaning anyway, $150. but this leak looks like a big part needs to be replaced. Could be $500 or more.

Just took delivery of a 1/3 of a tank of oil. $356.

I realized we haven't paid the garage for the last repair they did, $336.

Goddamn kid lost his $50 climbing harness TWO HOURS after we bought it.

total in checking and savings: $96.

It's gonna be a fun week.

But look on the bright side - someone has topped up the tip mug and it's only the 24th.

(Thanks, generous tippers.)

oh dear lord feetz, you must've been bad in a former life. Two hours? Is there any chance you can find it?

WTF?

The only cars I've heard of where you need to pull the engine out to service it are a few varieties of Ferrari. I guess similar super-performance-damn-the-expense cars might be the same, but a guy with $96 in the bank probably doesn't have a Ferrari.

What are you driving?

mrsfeetz mad?

Dude, are you in some kind of deep mystical relationship with this car? It doesn't sound like she's worth the trouble.

Foot - I feels ya.

I had a similar run of expensive bad luck for a while (lasted from July to just about now)

You ever see that commercial where a big cyborg comes crashing down the street and the guys go, "there goes Dwayne's car....there goes Dwayne's house...there goes Dwayne. Man, that thing does not like Dwayne," - well, I felt like Dwayne.

hang in there, footsie. If it doesn't get worse it might get better.

thanks guys

2004 Hyundai Sonata.
175,000 miles. Problem free until now.

It wouldn't have many miles on it except for that one trip you took to the moon.

SHIT, FOOT.

The trip home really hammered me.