Minuet’s Law

Minuet’s Law:

Anything I own, or touch, WILL breakdown.

Corollary: The cost of the item is inversely proportional to the amount of cash available.

Silly me, I thought actually working would mean I could pay my bills. Instead the education department has decided in their wisdom that somehow I could earn 25000 in 8 weeks (2 of which were holidays for which I don’t earn income) and taxed me at 48% on most of my pays (although not all of them, which really confuses me).

I’ve worked 5 weeks, had a couple of weeks off, worked 5 weeks had 2 weeks enforced unemployment, and on Monday I start another 5 week stint 40 minutes drive away.

In the first break of employment, the toilet cistern and shower taps had to be replaced in the flat and then the tenant managed to clog the sewer drain on a public holiday.

In the holidays, with no income coming in, the fridge in the flat died, and the paint I was using in the kitchen turned out to be a dud meaning I had to spend $160 on new paint. The I got hit with 2 quarters of power bills 10 days apart (why I didn’t get one in March I have no idea).

Then, a week into term I’m offered more work, and my car dies (completely and irrevocably), so I have to rent a car until I can get a tax return done or find some other money.

Plus, despite all sorts of mucking around and trying different arrangements my open fire place still smokes badly anytime the wind picks up, and I’m almost out of wood again. Do I buy more wood (the idea was to reduce electrical heating bills) and put up with the smoke or do I hire someone else to cut the chimney open and rebuild the top in an effort to stop the backdraft, or do I install a woodheater in the fireplace – $1200-3500….

Meanwhile, thanks to a friend’s husband (who is not only a wonderful person, but can saw in a straight line) a few things have changed around here (and once again my house looks like a cyclone hit it).

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