When It Rains, It Pours.

After a weekend of non-stop rain and gray skies, my spirits were already down. I need to see the sunshine every day. It is more than just a desire… it is a necessity for me to feel whole inside. So believe me when I tell you, I was totally unequipped to start my week all over again. This Monday in particular was tougher than usual to swallow.

I went to the bank early to deposit some money into my account. I panicked, after looking at my balance and realizing that the $400 cash I deposited on Saturday had not posted to my account. I asked the teller why this money wasn’t there. After looking up my account, she informed me that there was no record of any transaction on Saturday. WHAT the F***?!

Now, I’m not always so diligent about tracking my deposits and withdraws or even saving my receipts from my banking transactions. However, it happens to be the end of the month, when all my bills are due and every bit of money must be accounted for. So the sheer fact that $400 of my money is missing without a trace, after I placed it in the hands of a bank teller on Saturday is absolutely disturbing! I am appalled that this is even possible!

THANK GOODNESS I SAVED MY BANK RECEIPT! For all of you, please, PLEASE, let this be a lesson… ALWAYS SAVE YOUR BANK RECEIPTS! After calling my bank, they informed me that the only way to resolve this matter is to bring my receipt into the branch where I made the deposit. Heh… pain in the ass, since I have to WORK during banking hours. Meanwhile my account has been over-drafted, twice, since my bills were scheduled for automatic withdraw… so I am left to deal with the anxiety of mounting over-draft fees, for which the bank WILL take off, once I resolve this matter. This whole situation, is completely unnecessary, but believe it or not, has happened once before. Folks, let me repeat the lesson learned: ALWAYS SAVE YOUR BANK RECEIPTS!

So, Monday was already off to a bad start. I was exhausted from work and ridden with anxiety from my dealings with the bank. As I plodded home through the rain, I took a deep breath, realizing this would all be resolved in time. I tried to relax, as soon, I’d be in the comforts of my own home… only when I arrived, another surprise awaited. I walked into a disaster! At first I thought my apartment had been ransacked, as the floor was covered with debris, but as I looked up, I saw a gaping hole in my kitchen ceiling! A 3X5 foot section of water-logged plaster had collapsed onto my kitchen table and floor. My kitchen was covered in filth. I could hardly believe my luck! This was too much for one day… too much to deal with, when I hadn’t seen the sun.

A few days later, the sun has peaked out briefly, and so too have my spirits. My landlord has been very responsive to the situation. The roofers have already come out to make the proper structural repairs, and the contractor is on his way here today to assess the interior damage. As for the bank… we’ll take care of that situation today as well. After my first good night’s sleep in days, I am recovering, breathing… moving on. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when one stressful situation is compounded by another. Everything has a way of working itself out… I just need to remind myself of that in times of stress.