Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Constantly striving to do the right thing. That's the motto of our insurance company. They say nothing of the time frame in which they will strive to do the right thing. In our case, they've been striving for 371 days.

Today, day number 371, they had a little slip up. They informed our 'living solutions' agent that they would no longer be paying our extended living expenses. This was not what we expected per previous conversations, but...

SURPRISE!

The living solutions leasing company called to say they will be out to pick up their items tomorrow. I was rendered momentarily speechless. Their items consist of our beds, table, refrigerator, towels, iron, bedding, sofas, TVs, end tables, dressers, dishes, silverware, and lamps.

True, I have purchased all of those items now but they are all packed, or in storage at various furniture and mattress warehouses. There is no possible way we can get them here by tomorrow. Our best option is to pay out-of-pocket at our expense to keep the furniture- $1,700 for another month- and then try to work with the insurance company to reimburse us for the expense. It's that, or sleep on the floor tomorrow night and put the milk in an ice chest.

Since they've held up our construction process multiple times while their agents failed to cut checks, failed to release the proper amounts, demanded additional inspections while the work ground to a halt, and of course took excessive vacations, I'm sure they will strive to do the right thing here.

Pft.

But hey, that was not the end of surprises in our day. No, no.

You know that moment in the shower when you have soap all over your face? That moment when your temporarily blind while you rinse your face? That moment just before you reach for the towel so you can see again? That moment was the precise moment that I fell through the shower floor today.

Surprise!

Yep. I heard a big crack and then instantly I was thrown off balance in my temporary soap-blindness as I suddenly plunged a few inches below the level of the shower floor. For the love of all things! What is it with us and rental house showers?!

But wait...

There's more!

A month or so ago (we've lost all ability to keep track of anything except the number of days we've lived out of our home) the Big Guy took Tuna to her very last orthopedic appointment. Or so we thought. Our two-year love affair with the orthopedic clinic had come to an end. At that appointment, the surgeon mentioned that she might have this additional issue somewhere down the line and he scribbled the name of the condition and a surgeon who could fix it on her last x-ray.

Fast forward to this week. Tuna injured her knee last week and needed to see a different orthopedic doctor and while she was there this week, she discussed the current tenderness and pain she is feeling in her previously broken hip. This doctor repeated the name of the new condition and suggested scheduling for surgery when she was ready. She insisted she was not anywhere near ready and did not intend to have another surgery.

Surprise!

She was so wrong. She is ready now. Turns out that hip is really hurting pretty bad and she stayed home from school today which is really unusual for her. After much discussion, she has agreed that the surgery should be scheduled as soon as she is back from her big marching band trip mid-October.  We are hoping some serious medications can buy us a few more weeks to get our house finished and get her through the last of the season's marching competitions.

Our little SCFE with her slipped capital femoral epiphysis is now our little FIA with a femoroacetabular impingement. FIA just doesn't have the same ring as SCFE (skiffy). It will no doubt be a household word for us though as we add it to her list of surgeries. We're going to need to attach additional sheets of paper to her school health forms next year just to get it all listed.

I'm wondering if those handicap grab bars come in oil-rubbed bronze to match our new bathroom?

Well...surprise, surprise, surprise. Another setback with the insurance company. Another issue with the shower in a rental house. Another surgery.

Deja vu. It's like living in Groundhog Day.