The Many Many Many Setbacks

First of all, news for the day....

2nd and 3rd showings complete.  

So, we had the one on Thursday 2/29/24, which was a nope.  Then I had another one Friday 3/1/24, no answer yet.   We had one this morning (Saturday 3/2/24), no conclusion.  And we have one tomorrow, Sunday 3/3/24.

We clean, spit polish, shine, hide stuff, and put stuff away at each turn.  Kinda sucks but we know we have to go through this.  

Poor Kitty did OK in his new kennel.  We put a towel in it for him.  He seemed less upset.  Maybe too, because he can see out, and because Bryan was with us, unlike the first two showings.

The Set Backs

We had Covid the first time in June/July of 2022. 

Around November of 2022, Bryan, in the midst of his bouts with covid and his arthritis flaring up again big time after years of being somewhat dormant, got sent to a rheumatologist.  She ran some tests and found that Bryan had a form of tuberculosis.  We were like, ARE YOU (F-ING) KIDDING ME?  He must have picked it up in the grocery store somehow.  This began a series of treatments and doctor visits to the Front Range (not an easy task because the traffic is hell, and there’s only 3 ways to go.  See our reasons for moving post in the future!  hahaha).  He had to have 9 months of a treatment, sort of like chemotherapy, in which he could change NOTHING in his health regimen, which meant he had to keep his health insurance.  Therefore, no move. 

I of course had my heart failure in early 2023.  This set me at being able to work maybe 3 hours per day, and not every day.  I could no longer jump in early, hit it hard all day into the night, and get a lot of work done.  Work has to be strategic now, with a lot of rest periods, and a lot of putting off things I can’t do, waiting for someone else who can lift, reach, and jump in wherever I am lacking.   

While I was recuperating from my heart issue in Maine, Bryan came down with RSV.  Great.  

Bryan broke his foot in like, May, and walked around on it until the 4th of July, then went to the doctor, at which time they said it was broken, all the way across.  He could walk on it, but it would not heal.  He had to have ultrasound treatments every day.   He could barely work, so his packing ability went to *crap*.  He is still healing even now. 

Meanwhile, we were both looking for jobs.  We had applications out all over the place.  Bryan even had a couple interviews in Wisconsin and Nebraska, but nothing panned out.  I had interviews online, but I didn't get anywhere.  Hundreds of jobs.  I had as many as 20 applications out per week.  Nothing.   

Then, on October 31, 2023, Bryan fell at work and messed up his knee.  Of course, he had to report it as Worker’s Comp.  I almost think it would have been better to not report it, based on what we went through as a result of reporting it.  But it was obvious that Bryan could not work at the pace he had been working; long hours on his feet, climbing ladders, squatting down to the low shelves, et all.  He was completely off work for like, 2 weeks, then went back for 4 hours per day.  Shortly after Christmas, they cleared him to work 6-8 hours.  Technically now, he’s still on comp, because he has not been fully released yet. 

Getting set up for comp was a crazy chore.  He was required to hand in records of EVERY doctor appointment for the last 5 years, if you can believe that *crap*, among a bunch of other things.  Then, once he was signed up, they refused to pay, based on little documentation issues, boxes that needed checked, and silly little disqualifying issues.  And his comp representative would not ever return his calls or emails.  Finally last week, 2/21, we got part of the comp payment, almost 4 months after the injury. 

Meanwhile, Bryan took vacation.  He had 2 weeks stored up, and then his work anniversary came up and he used 3 weeks of vacation for the following year.  So, he had 5 weeks back to back.  There were also 3 personal days he had to use up by the end of his work year.  But of course, Kroger jacked him around.  Other people were taking their personally days, but he was told he could not.  He had to wrangle the office personnel to get that taken care of.  Then they gave him grief about his vacation.  So, we went all that time on comp with out any paycheck whatsoever, and thereafter, Kroger could not get his pay correct for the vacation.  No paycheck/short paycheck for him from Halloween on until February 1, approximately. 

I was lucky.  Joe let me do seasonal job-attached unemployment.  So I have a small weekly paycheck that will last through March.  After that, I can reapply for unemployment....I hope.  I hate being in limbo like this!     

So we could not pack effectively, or look for jobs in our new location effectively, and our savings was dwindling away while Kroger and their Worker's Comp jerked us around. 

But we are doing ok now.  Our health is somewhat better.  Bryan's physical injuries are getting better.  We've had help from the FAM.  We have received most of the Workers Comp we are owed.  We are still trying to wrangle Kroger about the vacation pay, but that will come, we think.  We got a decent tax return.  And we still have some savings.  So, this will happen, and hopefully, we are done with setbacks!