Uplifting Summer

This past week has been the only bit of summer that I'll have, and let me tell you, tons of things happened so far.

As I've mentioned here about the lost dog, he's still with us. We got him scanned and he has no chip nor have any owners shown up. It appears that he'll be ours offically very soon. We're planning to get him neutered next week and go from there. We still haven't come up with a name although I'm cheating and calling him Tesla a few times. My dad seems pretty interested in naming the dog using an adjective that describes him. I find this to be a disgraceful name to such an awesome dog. He still sleeps with me every night and we've noticed that he wines any time my brother or I leave the house. We have some training to do still. I'll be getting my camera back tomorrow, then I can start sharing photos of him.

Next, I have talked about moving out for quite some time, and that I'm on a waiting list to move into my most desired townhouse. Just last week I finally got down to my last resort of asking my brother if he would be interested in being my roommate if I got into the place. He's interested and never thought I would ask. I've literally ran out of choices and I rather not live with a stranger. So that's relieved me a little, but the catch is my brother needs to get a real job, a steady consistent job that he keeps for awhile. That's the only way this will work out. This has provided a boost for him so far. But then just a few days ago I got the call. Mine, along with the 17 others on the waiting list were notified for an opening. The other catch was, this particular apartment had to be moved into by this Monday in order to get the lower rental price [there's two prices, the lower one is only allotted to a certain percentage of units and is available when someone has moved out or out of that price range into the higher price]. And when I say lower price, it's quite cheap, a place I could barely afford on my own however. So, in a rush I turned in all my paperwork within that day just to claim it, but waited on putting down a deposit to officially claim the place until I have talked to my father about it. My dad was gone all day so this made me really anxious. My brother also applied to a very potential job that day upon my demands. I respect my dad's opinions highly and my choices will ultimately involve him one way or another.

He finally came home and we talked. I finally told my dad flat out what my main reasons for moving were. One, to be out on my own, of course. Second, so my dad is a step closer to getting out of the house he despises so much. This became one of the best conversations we've ever had because I finally found out that my dad does not hate our house as much as I thought. But he is stressed about the money and work that needs to be put into it. Most importantly, I found out he actually doesn't want me, us, to go. He mentioned that he has felt in the past that he wanted us to get out, but now it's changed a little. It's a bit to get into but basically it helps him more currently if we are around. Also my dad is awaiting a substantial amount of inheritance from his mother's estate since she died. I wasn't aware of this. This money will essentially help him do the fix-ups that the house needs and he'll go from there. With the house market prices going up, we may be able to sell it later and actually get money back instead of walking away with nothing. There are a lot of choices my dad has to make about his future soon. Thus the consistency in our lives must stay the same until the money and time comes. This is relatively good news and I feel much better knowing that my dad doesn't want me out, it relieves the guilt I constantly feel being there. And finally, I am predicting that all the work I'll be doing this summer will allow me to make more money that I can finally save up for moving out the right way. He does not want to see me move out and a few months down the road I can no longer afford it. My dad has "made a lot of rash choices" in his life and the last thing he wants is for his kids to do the same. I can respect that, and I do.

My summer work has been pretty much all planned out. Starting next week, I'll be working my pretty ass off. Mornings will be reserved for babysitting a teenage boy with cerebral palsy. Afternoons will be respite care for my cousins autistic twins. Every other weekend or so will be with the teenage boy. Every now and then I'll do dreadlock services. Come July I may be doing some summer school substituting, but I haven't accepted that position yet. They filled all the positions for summer school and asked if I was interested in subbing instead. The mother of the teenage boy was trying to get me to be her son's aid for summer school, since we're both in the same school district, but now that I can't she wants to find out if I can still accompany him and she'll pay me herself. If this works, it will be a good thing, otherwise I will be missing those hours because he'll be in summer school and I cannot work afternoons due to the respite job. I'll find out soon.

My car still isn't fixed and that's where a chunk of my money is awaiting to go to. My father and I have managed to get on a better track on figuring out what's wrong, but still, money is limited. Plus, I have to get all new tires. Money, problems, money, money, problems. Ugh.

All in all, I feel better about this summer. I just need to enjoy this weekend.