A Sick Feeling

Today has just been one of those days.

I decided to get busy with the homeschool planning, made up my forms and then emailed them to the old computer that is hooked up to the printer. I went downstairs, got the documents, turned on the printer and ... service error. Looked up the service error and wanted to cry.

Yes, my old HP LaserJet 4Plus that I bought new for a lot of money in 1995 has died. Oh, has he been a good friend to me. In my court reporting days, which is why I bought him, he printed hundreds of thousands of pages. In my "retirement" years, he has printed Cub Scout stuff, personal papers, genealogy, and most importantly, all our homeschool stuff.

A homeschooler simply cannot live without a printer. A good printer.

We have had a few inkjet printers over the years. They always die. I think we've had five or six in the last ten years. I always just printed without color on the LaserJet. The inkjet printers were so expensive to print with, the LaserJet was pennies.

So I must bite the bullet and get a new printer. Looking at Newegg is making my head spin. I want duplexing, I want wireless, I want color. Options are few. I sure didn't want to be spending any more money. Yet, I don't want to go frugal and regret it later. We each have a computer now, and the wireless, while not necessary, it's really at the top of our want list.

What with the car repair, the new printer, the appointment later this week finding out what the braces will cost...I just get a sick feeling in my gut. What's more, our fridge is making a lot of bad noises. Hubby never heard them, and maybe he thought I was crazy, but today at lunch he heard it and the look on his face made my stomach churn. It ain't pretty.

I just bought a new washer not long ago as the old one died, but I was able to pay cash. It is very hard to live without a credit card. I should have our car repair paid off this month, but darn it all, now here's another big bill for a printer. We do enough printing, that it really wouldn't pay to go cheap. Laser costs less to operate, it doesn't smear, and it's faster. Printing one of the workbooks from Rosetta Stone Spanish alone would eat up a inkjet cartridge--at least that's our experience, and I have two to print because I have to learn the Spanish, too.

UGH

The good news is that as my stress level rose, I did not have a panic attack, just a sick feeling. Also, I did not turn to food. Food isn't going to make me feel one bit better. I know if I were to walk to the fridge or cupboard and eat, it would indeed make me feel much worse. So I think I've made great strides in that area. In times gone by, I would be eating cookies now, and lots of 'em.

I shouldn't complain. Especially in these times, with people losing jobs, with the economy in the sh*thole like it is. We are very fortunate. I do count my blessings. We're healthy, we're safe. That doesn't mean that I can't get that sick feeling when I need to spend money, though. And I'm frustrated because I wanted to get school planned *now* and be done with it.

sigh