All of a sudden it seems that everything is one way or the other & often both at the same time!

Good: The car is back up to snuff
Bad: I don’t have any money for gas for extra trips & am even sweating the extra drive to work on my mandatory overtime day.

Good: My mortgage payment is going down about 20 bucks per month due to the escrow I’m finally building.
Bad: They’re reassessing the tax rate for the county I live in & my mortgage (because taxes are figured into the payment) could go up a whole lot next year.

Good: A friend is getting out (at least part way) of  a difficult situation
Bad: I might have to help with the moving

Good: We haven’t heard from the ex in months, except for the child support, which comes through the state not direct from him.
Bad: We’ll probably hear from him soon & it will probably involve pressure to send the kids to OR for a week or two in the summer.

Good: I have to admit 2 weeks with out the two of them yelling, screaming & fist fighting, in which I could work a ton of overtime & save for our vacation to MA (about the only way I’ll be able to pull it off at all this year) sounds pretty good right now.
Bad: The idea of coming home every night, regardless of how late I work overtime, watching the news, eating dinner & going to bed without talking to anyone but the cats sounds horrendously lonely & sad.

Good: or at least, realistic: The above scenario is going to happen sooner rather than later, whether I like it or not, mr 9, my youngest is of course 9.
Bad: They’re all so grown up & don’t need me that much any longer anyway, soon they’ll be out with friends, on school trips etc & I’ll be here alone with the cats anyway.

Good: I often yearn for peace & quiet, respite from the chaos I mentioned above & in which to take a long hot bath & soak without people coming in to use the toilet or just chat because they figure you’re not busy anyway.
Bad: What if the ex won’t give them back? I can’t afford a lawyer to fight to get them back.

Good: Spring is coming
Bad: Not fast enough it’s not- possible snow here tonight!

Good: Ms 19 is happy because she has her “best friend” (I hear that alot, pardon my jadedness) here for the weekend.
Bad: They are so giggly & loud.

Good: The martinet of a director at my work is gone
Bad: Lord knows what they may bring in the door next

Good: We have 3 cats & I haven’t seen a mouse all winter.
Bad: The 3 cats are scavengers, think they’re always starving in spite of being well fed, healthy sized kitties, are always knocking over the trash to look for  goodies & no one’s plate is safe if their back is turned.

Good: My once yearly raise will be in my first paycheck in March
Bad: I have to change my withholding when my pay goes up, because for the first time ever I owe taxes this year (only $28. but if it weren’t for the child tax credit, {I now make too much for EIC too} I would owe a lot)

Good: A family friend gave mr 9 & ms 12 $2. each
Bad: Now they want to go to the store.

Gotta Go.