Groups of 3's

 They say bad luck happens in groups of 3's. Around here, we have had a couple of groups of 3's in the last month.

1. The toaster oven died. The prevous toaster oven was not that old; perhaps 6 or 7 years and was fairly expensive. Not the biggest tragedy but it is used on a constant basis. We don't have a regular toaster so our weekend breakfast toast depends on the toaster oven. Too this time of year and in the deep of summer, we try to keep the regular oven use to a minimum so as not to overheat the house (the woodstove keeps it toasty warm in winter), so we use the toaster oven for smaller item. This time I replaced it with a fairly cheap Kenmore toaster oven.
2. Both fillings fell out of a tooth and I went in to have it repaired. After drilling around in preparation of putting a crown on it, it was discovered that the root was marginally still alive, so I needed a root canal. The dentist doing the crown does not do root canals, last week I went to see the dentist that does the RC's (first time root canal - didn't want to rush it; plus, have to take time off work). While doing the root canal, there were complications and they had to take more X-rays. When they finally were able to get the right angel (I have a small mouth an the plates don't fit so they have to be hand held), the machine froze up. After re-booting, they had to go thru the whole rigamarole again to get the picture. The 2 hour root canal turned into an almost 3 hour ordeal.
3. WS has had a tooth bothering him lately. That has always meant root canal time for him. He goes in next week. .
4. WS's sled brokeand what he thought would be a cheap fix, turns out to be a rebuild of unknown quantity. Not the hugest tragedy in the world, but if we had known that it would break, we could have saved ourselves the registration fee becuase it certainly wasn't worh it for a whole 3 hours of riding this year!
5. While vacuuming yesterday, the hadle crashed into the glass of one of the stereo cabinets, making quite a big hole. There is some special order stuff.



6. While doing the taxes, I got online to look at a bank statement from last spring. I discovered that the last time I set up a transfer to pay the mortgage, I must have clicked on "weekly" instead of "once". The mortgage has been paid 5 times in 5 weeks (plus the extra $50 I add to it each month). The checking account was barely in positive numbers, so I transfered our savings into checking (the checking account requires a high balance or it triggers a service charge and quits paying interest - which is higher than the savings account interest). The good news is that we had enough in savings to cover the glut, and the next house payment isn't due until June.

7. This happened earlier in the year, but just now becomes important. The FSA card, at the beginning of the year, is now only good for use at drugstores (previously, it could be used at healthcare providers just like a credit card). This means that we must pay the dentist (at time of service) then get reimbursed at a later date. So, I will be postponing getting the crown put into place, instead of doing it next week. Postponing it one week will make a huge difference as far as timing for our cash flow.

As far as cash flow timing goes, WS needed new tires (badly), so he had a set put on Friday. We will also have to put oil in the tank next week. The good news is, that we have jobs and we are in good health. We are also fortunate enough to be in a position where this is not catastrophic, just stressfull and extremely inconvenient.

I'm hoping the last group of 3's ends up just mildly annoying!

Comments

[Cop Car]

Bogie--Another saying is, "When it rains, it pours!" I think you've had your downpour for the nonce.

I use a toaster oven more often than any other small appliance. You'r dad's toaster may still be gathering dust somewhere, but I think I talked him into giving it to the DAV a few years ago instead of having it take up space.

I'm on my 3rd, ever, toaster oven. My folks gave me a 6-slice GE that I loved. When it died, I replaced it with the 4-slice DeLonghi that I had bought Mom just a few months before she died. I loved that one, too, and it is now on the cabinet in the basement, rarely used, but it had slowed down to the point that I replaced it with a 4-slice Euro-Pro "Convection" oven (which means it has a fan in it). I like it because it curves out in the back so that it will accept enough pizza for re-heating to feed your dad and me (in the DeLonghi, I had to do his, then mine.)

At any rate...if you aren't already positive of it, make sure that your mortgage holder is counting your early payments as you respective monthly payments. If they put that money into "extra payments", they may still ding you for not paying your monthly. Sounds stupid, I know, but if it were me, I would check.

[bogie]

The first thing I did was check when the next payment is due, they say June. That is a lot better than "extra" payments, because then we would be in a world of hurt!

We are on our 3rd toaster oven; we had a small one, then the larger one that we could rotiserri a small chicken in (and had two racks}, now this one which is somewhere in between.

[buffy]

Good God! Downpour, heck! You've been visited by Niagara Falls! Lesser mortals than you might be tempted to pull the covers over your head and STAY IN BED! Especially over the dental stuff.

I hope things are perking up for the two of you.

[bogie]

Can't stay in bed - gotta SHOVEL!!!!

[Jay]

My toaster oven is just over 11 years old and going strong. I'd have to get one promptly, if not immediately, if it died. As it will. It's gotten slightly quirky, and the handle tried to fall off the door. On the other hand, it still looks almost new. I used it most when I lived in Quincy from 1999 to 2003, during part of which I had no working oven. I still have baking pans I bought that were made for a toaster oven.

[bogie]

Good to hear from you Jay!

I kept the cookie pans from the previous toaster oven, but the racks were too small (not wide enough) and we don't broil enough to have kept the broiling pan (the new one came with one).