Mom paid her repairman, but we'll have to wait until next month to buy the wall paper and paint for her kitchen. At least those items should be economical, because I can do the wallpapering and painting myself. The cabinets need to be refinished too, and she can probably afford the varnish stripper and polyurethane to refinish them next month also.
For my last Christmas present, I treated myself to having my refrigerator/freezer repaired. I bought the compressor last summer, while I was working, for $160.00, $10.00 over cost. I didn't have the money over Christmas to fix it, but I robbed Peter to pay Paul, and that's why I'm so far behind on my Cilco bill. Mom's repairman installed the compressor and switches for $150.00. It sounds like he made money, but he didn't, because he made seven trips to my house and three trips locally at a cost in gas of $5.00 a trip, plus one hour traveling time each trip. The parts, not including the already purchased compressor, were $20.00. He spent roughly twenty hours working on it, not including traveling time. In other words, he ended up at about $2.50 and hour. It needs further attention though, because it shocks me when I touch it with wet hands.
I had been living without my big refrigerator/freezer since July 1982, when it conked out . No one who has always had a big refrigerator/freezer could possibly understand what it is to live without one, especially for one and a half years. A fortune is spent on buying ice cubes, storing food in the summer is impossible. I wound up spending another fortune in gas going to and from the grocers and restaurants for ice. In the winter, it wasn't quite as bad because I could put perishables outside to freeze, but unfortunately, everything outside freezes quickly. Food stamps don't do much good inside a non-working frig or inside a miniature refrigerator either. I had a very small frig in the garage, but it was totally inadequate.
For years I have desperately needed a bathrobe, but in comparison to a refrigerator, I could live without a bathrobe, slippers, PJs, bras and panties for the rest of my life. My poor patched, holey, frayed bathrobe, with no rear-end left in it to patch, will just have to wait another year.
In the last year and one-half, everything has needed some kind of repair: stove, washer, dryer, dishwasher, bathtub, bath shower walls, bathroom sink, kitchen sink, toilet seat, floor, cabinets, walls, bed , furniture, garage and pool. I am amazed that on the little amount of money I have made, everything is in pretty good shape now. My utility bills are even reasonable in comparison to other peoples, because I now have tinfoil walls, and it seems to radiate heat in the winter or maybe just stops drafts, even if it does sound kinky. In 1982 I was working three part-time jobs, so that explains where I got the money to fix almost everything. I had enough money to remodel everything I wanted to remodel, and assumed that I would have enough money to finish everything, but then, I got laid-off from two part-time jobs within two months, and ended up with one part-time job in the summer.
From then on, it's been rob Peter to pay Paul and it's had to be utilities this year. I have an appointment with HEAP on February 28th, and I know with my income, that I will qualify for the assistance.
