To say 2008 came out the gate kicking our asses would be an understatement. Hell, the latter half of our 2007 wasn’t all that great. Sure, there were good times, and laughs, but there was a cloud hanging over us that we still can’t shake.
And it’s related to money. Specifically, the money we’re paying to keep our house. The bank that holds our mortgage is a joke. They refuse to renegotiate as long as you can make your payments. That makes sense, I suppose. They get their money, to hell with the rest of your expenses and credit score. Since before October of last year we knew our payment was going up. So we did the Lending Tree thing. And we had some offers, but nothing concrete came of it. Our debt ratio is too high or we live in an area that we can afford based on our income (our house is one of four on our side of the street that seems to be worth anything - the rest of the community looks like white trash) or there just isn’t a program in place that can help us.
A couple months ago, Shawn called me out of the blue to ‘follow up’ based on information he received from Lending Tree. I’ve never spoken to this man before, nor dealt with his company. In less than 48 hours after a few conversations he had with Renee, we were in a completely different situation. There was actually hope. Paperwork and documents were sent to him and numbers were crunched. He came back to us with a mortgage payment that would actually leave us with a few bucks at the end of each month. It was amazing.
But the underwriters wanted certain things paid off. With money we didn’t have. Because, after all, if we did I don’t think we’d be in the shape we’re in. So many calls to family members were made. And those that could help came through with flying colors. Retirement money has been loaned out (that 1099 I’m getting in January is gonna royally suck) and Peter was robbed to pay Paul. Last week, we were right at the level we needed to be and Shawn’s boss was going to fast track everything and push it along.
And today is the day. The underwriters have given the loan agreement to Shawn’s managers and now we’re waiting. And it’s killing us. It’s one of those ‘hope for the best, anticipate the worst’ scenarios. A few weeks ago Renee was looking into pet friendly apartments. We were starting to think that in a few years, we can end up with something nice if we lost the house to foreclosure. But seriously, considering what we make how is losing our home an option? Is it really easier for a bank to foreclose on a house, with all the paperwork involved, than it is to work something out with the people that live there and have been making payments?
We should have an answer in the next couple hours.
And I wish it was only the house situation we were facing. Because of that, however, the holidays were a very solemn time for us. No decorations were put up (as commented on by our neighbors (think Christmas with the Cranks)) nor were gifts exchanged. Actually, that’s not entirely true. I gave Renee and Meyer Lemon tree and she bought me the Blade Runner collection in the funky briefcase. Nikki was taken from us far, far too early back in February. My grandmother owed the government a shit ton of money because her accountant did not send her a form she needed to sign. My brother is facing some problems at work. Cripes, if we’re being tested I hope the payoff is fucking worth it.
I know we’re not alone. Everyone has problems in some way, shape, or form. We’re not the only ones facing foreclosure (Shawn has a client that calls him daily and the woman is often in tears). We’re not the only ones with money problems. But it’s just so goddamn frustrating.
I’ve accepted the fact that 2008 is the year I do not attend conventions. In the grand scheme of things, that’s a ‘no big whoop’. But what stings in this instance is that it’s the only time I see my friends that are scattered about. But, that’s what email is for, right? I suppose the podcast is a release for me. And before anyone chimes in with “it can’t be as bad as you say if you can buy comics” let me say that we’ve cut back on a lot things. Unfortunately, my work schedule means I can’t work a part time job during the week. But the weekends are a different story and that process has started. But getting back to Marvel Noise, this is one reason I started the Marvel Tales segment. Aside from the fact that I have a lot of comics from the 80s, I’m not buying comic books right now. When I talk about a recent issue it’s because I’ve borrowed the comic or it’s an advance review. There is virtually no cost to me to produce Marvel Noise. And I’m pretty sure it shows. So the reason for the donate button on the Marvel Noise page is to not only make the show better, but also to give me and Renee a little help. Thanks to the wonderful Pat Loika, he has offered his talents to anyone that donates at least five dollars. And t-shirts are being designed for those that want to be stylish after being charitable. I wrestled with the idea of even asking, but I was told by a few friends that I shouldn’t close this door without checking. So there ya go.
In any case, this post is something that’s been in the drafting stage for awhile. Today, with an answer looming closer it seemed a good day to finish it.
Christ, this was depressing.
Thanks for reading. I need a drink.
We were finally able to break in Renee’s membership to the 
