Deal or No Deal

Well, I spent today talking to the Banker. No, Howie Mandell wasn't around. And this guy was much nicer than the dude in silhouette on that show seems to be. Which is good, because sitting across the desk from someone that you're requesting large sums of money from can be pretty intimidating. Yes, I'm finally taking the plunge and seeing about buying a house.


Well, first let me back up a bit. The day started at 3:00 a.m. when I was suddenly awakened by an unbelievable pain in my foot, much like what I would imagine being hit suddenly by a sledgehammer in your sleep would feel like. Yeah....Gout. Daggone it.


This pain is almost unbearable at times. Really, I think I'd rather have a kidney stone. So the rest of the night was a lot of moaning, groaning and pill taking. Can you overdose on Alleve and Ibuprofen? (Don't answer that.)


Soon it's work time...I somehow stumble around and get ready. The drive in is horrible because gout foot does not like to be left in a dangling down position. And it's not easy to drive with one leg propped up on the dashboard, particularly when it's your left leg and you're doing the driving. But I finally get there and stagger around the office until 2:00 when I give it up and head out.


Heading back home, I stop at mom's to pick up the family-friendly-community crutches that Adam and I just keep passing back and forth between each other. If we ever both break/sprain/tear ligaments in/get gout in our lower extremities at the same time, I don't know what we'll do. Then it's off to the bank.


The institution I'm heading to is in downtown Mansfield on the square. This is an area of largely one way streets. Which is extremely scary for me, because I know if I get in the wrong lane and drive past the square I'm probably sunk because I'll never find my way out again. So, since I couldn't determine which of the 30 buildings around there was the bank, I just keep circling the square. (That's a weird statement... "circle" a "square"?) Finally I find the place I need, but all of the parking spaces are marked "No Parking...Police Order". Wow, that's not good. So I have to call up to the bank and ask them where I'm supposed to leave my car, and they send me to another lot. Whew...so far, so good.


Now to the ordeal of walking around the block on crutches while trying to balance a purse on my paper thin shoulders which REFUSE to support the weight of a purse, even on a good day. (Thank you Granny Brown for that gene!) I just kept thinking if somebody wanted to jump me and take my belongings it wouldn't be that difficult at this point. So I'm devising a plan to whack them with a crutch if needed when a "gentleman" sitting on the corner asks me if I can give him some money when I come out of the bank. Hope he didn't get his hopes too up on that one.


Into the bank I hobble. Perhaps they'll take pity on my plight and give me a good deal, you think? (Yeah, not holding my breath) So, I sit there and concentrate on trying not to scream in pain while I'm talking to Mr. Banker as he takes me through the whole 187 questions and 309 papers that have to be filled out. I think I might have given my firstborn away somewhere in that whole ordeal. And.......now I leave it in God's hands and wait to see what happens.

To be continued.....