Life Can Be Difficult

Sometimes life and its difficulties can come at you fast like being a hurdler jumping endless hurdles. Other times life can be like taking a nice pleasurably float trip down a river. The last six months has been a hurdle experience for me. Certainly not complaining or even whining but simply reporting this to encourage others that the light at the end of the tunnel is not always an oncoming train. Especially if you don't have to tackle problems all at one time and take them as they come.

The first 6 months of this year started out like a leisurely float trip down a gentle river. Then it all changed with a tick bite that turned out to be a tick with Lyme disease. After a few weeks of strong antibiotics and a subsequent blood test I was declared free of Lyme disease. Hurdle one cleared!

Then our beloved Sarah got sick and on July 29th went across that rainbow bridge to be in a place where she can run free and frolic in beautiful fields of grass. There is no pain like the passing of a loved canine companion but we pulled through that ordeal. Hurdle two cleared!!!

Then we received notice that the company I retired from had decided to no longer cover us retired employees under the group medical/dental plan. Panic!! When we finally got the phase out package we found it was actually quite fair and we are now on our own with that coverage. Hurdle  three cleared!!!

Then I was cutting down an aspen tree and due to a freak accident where another tree caught the falling tree and shot it back at me like a spear. It hit a tree behind me and rolled off its limbs and right at me. It caught me across the side and lower back which sent me to the emergency room and with a large area, very sore and bruised and colorful area on my low back. No bones broken, and I made a pretty normal recovery. Hurdle four cleared!!!!

Then Carol on her way into town had a flat tire in the middle of no where. Our insurance company provides towing coverage free so we called them. As it turns out it takes about two hours to get a tow truck and the coverage only covers up to 15 miles. We were 45 miles from our tire store so our part of the tow was $120.00 and two new tires brought the incident to $500.00, total and it took two trips into town over two days to complete the job.  Hurdle five cleared!!!!

Then more recently the back blade for the tractor broke and could not be repaired. A 75 mile trip one way to get a new blade and $440.00, later and we had a new blade. The blade is essential for removal of winter snow. Two weeks and almost $1,000. later we are back in business again. That much money out of a paltry retirement income is a big blow to us. Hurdle six cleared!!!!

Then yesterday while tidying up a stack of firewood I managed to step on a rusty nail that went through my boot into my foot. My tetanus vaccination is current so all I need to do is wait for the swelling to go down where I can get my boot on again and the pain to subside. Using Epsom salts soaks and antibiotic ointment and expect to recover in a few days. Hurdle seven cleared!!!!!

While recovering from the nail in the foot episode it finally dawned on us that we had also been ripped off when  we bought our new truck several years ago. When I hooked up the trailer the trucks tires kept sliding on the minimal snow. I realized that our truck with its 'off road' package did not have tires suited for snow and mud. I realized this after it slid sideways and the trailer connection hit the bumper and cut a 4" gash in the bumper.

We also noted last year that the battery didn't hold a charge and when we had it replaced discovered it was not a factory installed battery but a knock off. We were suspicious when we took the Jeep into the same dealer for air bag replacement and the factory re-call said it would take a minimum of 2-4 hours. They had the Jeep in for less than 15 minutes and as with other recalls said they were highly proficient and could do it faster than expected. Crooks, but we are moving on and cleared hurdle eight!!!

What is scary for us is that we still have some of 2017 left and we don't know how many more hurdles are waiting for us.... Come on 2018 - we are ready for a fresh start....