It started out as your every day normal sort of a Tuesday.
Took people to the bus (we made it!) and preschool, went on a few errands, and had quiet time.
During quiet time, I made a few phone calls to different repairmen on the other side of the country. Because the house that we still own in Arizona needs a new fence. There's about 38 feet of a dilapidated wooden fence on one side, and it's time to replace it.
Then I sent an email to my renter, Joe, telling him that a few guys would be coming by to look at the fence, so that they could give us a quote. I also asked if there was anything else that needed to be fixed.
He asked me for my phone number.
I gave it to him, again, and wondered if tile had cracked, or if the shower door needed replacing as well. I mentally went through my list, crossing out possible problems because they just didn't make any sense.
We had dinner, and baths.
DadGuy left for cub scouts, and I put the kids in bed.
When he came home, I left to go walking with a friend.
When I got home, the office light was on. "That's weird," I thought, because DadGuy would usually be sprawled on the couch, in the dark, watching the evening news on its lowest volume, hiding from any creepy crawly shortlings that had decided to wander the halls.
I unlocked the door, and DadGuy was talking on the phone... LOUDLY.
I came into the office and he said, "I gotta go. My wife is here," and he hung up.
Then he looked at me.
"Joe called. He won't be there for the fence guys because he moved out."
I didn't say anything.
"Yeah, he's gone and the house is 'all cleaned up'... I already canceled one payment, but he's gone so we don't have enough money to pay the mortgage payment on that house."
So, to recap. No renter = no rent money = can't pay that mortgage = crapcrapcrapcrap.
And now, as I'm sitting here, brainstorming ways for us to NOT have to go into foreclosure on that stupid house in this horrible economy, I'm coming up empty. I mean, do you know what homes are renting for there? You can get a brand new 5 bedroom house for $1000 a month. And, AND! there's about 5 million to choose from.
Seriously.
I just love how one phone call can change your life.
No really, it's awesome.
