This post is mostly for me. Go ahead and read it, if you are so inclined, but it's really an exercise for me.

Things are not that bad.

They are bad, sure, but not that bad. I need to remind myself that things could be so much worse.

The car is dead. We have a choice: we can either find $3000 in which to do the necessary repairs to the head gaskets, the brakes and the tires to get it back on the road (and be prepared to pay thousands more for the other things that should be fixed soon), or we can find $3000 to put towards a new vehicle (and be prepared to either put thousands into repairs or into some sort of payment plan). Or we can go without a car. More cost effective, sure. Except for the cabs we would inevitably use for grocery runs and the like, plus have you seen how expensive bus passes are these days?

Lisa's still on strike. We hoped it would be over by now but it's not. Now she has to find a job to supplement the strike pay she's collecting. And that's just to get our heads back over water. Neither one of us wants her to have to get a job - the picket line takes a lot out of her. Plus finding a job that either A) is flexible enough to let her keep striking, or B) is good enough to leave her current company over.

Luckily, the animals seem to be healthy. Samantha seems to have recovered from her seizure and hasn't had any more that we've seen. Idaho is eating again, which is a big relief. When guinea pigs stop eating, they generally just die. We've found a good home for the two piggie girls, so Lisa's asthma will back off.

We're totally broke. Every day is scraping pennies to make sure the mortgage is paid and the creditors are off our backs.

But I have to remember the good things. I've seen bloggers do these 'Today I'm Happy For...' lists, these little three or five item lists of things that are good in their lives every day. Maybe I should start doing that in 8-Track Mind. But I should start with a master list here.

• We have a roof over our head.


• We have food on our plates.


• We live in a good, friendly, low crime neighborhood.


• The house is in good shape. No major repairs expected for a few years.


• Our families are healthy. I have a brand-new nephew.


• We have good solid friends we can count on in a crisis.


• I'm currently working at a satisfying job. Lisa will be working again soon.


• We have complete medical and dental coverage.


• Our country is at peace.


• The streets are safe to walk down.


• Our quality of living is high.


• We can see the mountains just by looking west.


• After ten years together, we still find joy in seeing each other every morning.


• Even at our worst, we can still make each other laugh.

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