Updates and things...

So what have I been up to?

Not much...

Since February, I've been trying to get a new wheelchair and braces to be more mobile...

Yesterday I got confirmation that my wheelchair is being ordered....braces are still in the process with insurance.  YES....it takes that long to get the things we need if you have Medicare.

I'm still trying to find a job...I wish I could find something...anything to be productive.

I'm still trying to get a car.  I really, REALLY miss driving Uber/Lyft.   

I've got a new apartment after the fiasco at the last apartment.  

They just said they wanted ME gone....no money ordered no nothing...sooo.

NEW APARTMENT....

The Landlord made me buy my own ramp, and wants me to take it in when I'm not using it...but I'm not going to.  Then, the apartment was placed on facebook marketplace for $750 and he's charging us $800 per month.  This is partially because we're getting some help with rent for a couple months.

Why, you ask, do I not immediately file a complaint with Fair Housing?  Because, the landlord also put a clause in our lease that says I cannot file a complaint...which is illegal in itself, but, HEY, I'm trying to make this work.  (If anyone out there wants to help me with this, I'm open to suggestions...I really like this area and don't want to be evicted as soon as I've moved in)

Jacob and I have had our bumps, and a really big one in August that almost was the end of us, but we perservered.  And are still together.  

Oh yeah, I was hit by a car on Sept 19, my sisters birthday.  It was a hit and run, but we were able to find the driver...only to have him not have insurance.  He told the police he had insurance, however, it had lapsed.  My power chair has a bend frame from this and I now need a new one.  

Not only that, but I GOT A TICKET for using the street when a sidewalk was available!!! AVAILABLE DOES NOT MEAN ACCESSIBLE!!!  One end of the sidewalk was good and ADA compliant, however the other end was not, and the officer only looked at the one end.  I feel that this ticket, and the fact that the responding officer did not file a police report and didn't get the three witnesses information, is the reason that Bell County is NOT PROSECUTING the person that hit me, even though he admitted it.  So, I'm stuck trying to replace a power wheelchair. (And then there's the ambulance and emergency room bill.)  The ticket has since been dismissed because they actually looked up ADA laws and determined the sidewalk was inaccessible....YA THINK!!!!

Again....if anyone has suggestions...I'm all ears on this one.  We are thinking of starting a fundraiser for replacing the wheelchair, however, I have not had much luck with these in the past and am hesitant about this.  

We're thinking of trying TikTok to generate some income, with videos about how I do things and of course our crazy life together...we may start that soon.

Anyway...that's my life in the past couple months.  My goal is to start posting on my blog more and actually being present here because I really do miss this.  

Still Surviving and Trying to Get a Car

 So...I've been living...AND...

Trying like crazy to get a car!!!

How is that going you ask?  

Well...

There was a fundraiser created for me.

It started out great as people donated, but it's been stalled for around two weeks now and I'm really trying to get it going again.  

Here's the link if anyone is interested : 

http://spot.fund/pxwt7sc

I've also been volunteering at Killeen Creators which has been AMAZING!

I've met new people and started teaching a couple classes.  

I'm also involved with some of the office work and working on their Volunteer recognition!

Things with Jacob and I are good.  Like every relationship, we have our ups and downs...but overall things are good.  He works locally now, so we don't have to worry about getting him to Austin and that has been a big stress reducer.

Now, the reason I'm trying to get a car...is so I can drive Uber again and actually earn money!!!

I want to be self-sufficient and get off of social security.  But, in order to do that, I need to make money.

In the meantime, if you're in Killeen, come check me out where I volunteer at Killeen Creators

OR...

Those that know me, just call or come by my apartment.  Though lately I've not been home as much as I'm volunteering and really thriving there!

And, with that, I will leave you with one of my paintings that is going in the Community Garden at Killeen Creators

I hope you like it!! I really do!  

Almost Two Years

 So....where have I been for two years?

Living life, letting life live me. 

Learning, losing, hurting, again...Living life.

In these two years, I've yet again lost everything.  (My fault.)

But...

I. HAVE. GAINED. SO. MUCH. MORE.

More wisdom, more patience, more empathy, more friends.  

My ability to walk, such as it was is almost gone.  

We knew this was coming, but it still hurts when there is something that I used to easily do that I can't do anymore.  Or when I forget how it feels to do something, like just walk into a store...without worrying if my chair is going to fit.  

So...what has happened in these two years?

I got an apartment, lived there for an entire year!!! 

It wasn't for me, became homeless again...got another apartment, and because of harassment and a very dangerous living situation provided by the apartment manager, I left everything I owned and became homeless again.  (More on that story in a bit.)

I have had such loss these past two years.  Sometimes, I think it's more than I can handle...but I am surviving.

My dad died on June 4, 2021.  My lovely sister made it to where I couldn't be there when he died. (Gotta love family right?)

Nine days later, on June 13, 2021, my mom died.  Again, my lovely sister made it to where I couldn't be there when she died.  (Man...my family sux sometimes!)

In less than two weeks, I lost my whole world.  And I still haven't recovered from that.  I don't think I ever will.  

I wandered around for a while, homeless again.  This was before the second apartment.  And, started on a journey that is continuing to this day.  

When I got that second apartment, things were good.  Then they fired the office staff and brought someone else in.  That's when things got really bad.  I endeded up getting threatened and harassed so much that I walked away from everything I own for my own safety.  Packed up what I could, and left to live on the streets.

The next day, I spent some time at the library...where I saw this guy sitting there reading on his phone.  The head of the library helped me out by calling one of the accessibility coordinators for the City of Killeen, who immediately came to see me.  Then, she helped me file charges against the maintenance person at my apartments who was threatning me.  Then this wonderful lady helped me get into the homeless shelter in Killeen, Friends in Crisis.  (I can not express enough thanks and gratitude for them.)

I was told to be there at 1:00 PM, and since I had no car, I wheeled over there from the library, which was only a couple of blocks.  There, I knocked on the door and was told I had to wait until 3:00 PM when they let everyone in and then they would do my intake.  To my utter surprise, that very same gentleman came walking up and got in line.  And, he started talking to me...with something along the lines of "weren't you at the library earlier?"   This started the path to something that I had been scared of for the past seven years since I divorced my husband.  

That wonderful man is now my boyfriend.  He now works at Tesla in Austin, and he treats me so wonderfully that I wonder if this is a dream.  

We moved in together.  If you know me, you know that I follow my gut feelings, and my gut said this person, named Jacob, was there for me.  At first, I kept telling him that I didn't want a relationship...after all I had been on my own for SEVEN YEARS!! I was fine on my own.  

But...I wasn't.  I never knew that it could feel this good to be in a relationship.  That this is what happiness is like.  This is a new experience for both of us.  We both arrived at the shelter so broken.  We're both learning how to have a healthy relationship...but we're doing it.  

Nowhere To Go

 So....I had a place. 

I paid my rent every month, as agreed.

Landlord was happy with me...until the day before Thanksgiving.  

This started the Friday before, November 20, 2020.

I got a call from my landlord, BJ, saying to be home between 4pm-5pm to have someone come look at the floors in the back rooms that I have not been allowed to use.  I rushed home, and no one came by...he came by Saturday, at 5:30pm.  Stayed about 5 minutes. and told the landlord the information.  I immediately get a call from BJ saying I need to put my stuff (the entire house) in storage by WEDNESDAY (yes the day before Thanksgiving) and he would pay for the storage and a hotel for me.  (Keeping in mind, this is how he got rid of the last tenant...paid for a hotel for him and led him to believe he was coming back!!) 

I notified him that, in trying to save him money, I could move the stuff into the rooms not being worked on, he said no, he is doing the whole house...which the contractor already said he was only doing the back room and the living room.  Fast forward through the weekend, where numerous calls and texts were made to get the information for the storage and hotel, which were not answered by BJ or his wife.

Tuesday night...

BJ calls me and demands that I put my stuff outside IN THE RAIN!!! He said he didn't care about my property and that he wanted it out.  He then proceeded to get angry at me because I refused, and told me to be out by the 30th.  He also threatened that he would move my stuff out himself.  

Wednesday...

The contractor came and called BJ because I hadn't moved any of my stuff.  The contractor and I then made a deal, I would move the stuff in the living room into the middle bedroom that I wasn't allowed to use while he was working on it...he was happy and I was happy.  Until BJ threatened my belongings, AGAIN.  Then I said that's it...i'm not moving a thing anymore.

BJ's wife then leaves work and comes to my house, says that I need to move my stuff out onto the front yard, that was muddy and wet.  I said no, you cannot make me do this.  She threatened to call the police...I saved her the hassle, and called them myself.

Police come, and tell her that she cannot do that.

All off a sudden, I'm late on rent (I have cashapp receipts to show I paid rent), I haven't paid a deposit (there was never a mention of deposit), and I didn't pay the water or gas (which I paid water when requested because it was in landlords name and the gas was divided between me and the previous tenant, which I paid my half in cash), and I damaged the property because there was a window broken by the previous tenant (the landlord knew this and told me I still had to pay for it).  

The police told them they would have to evict me, and she asked them about turning off the water, because I supposedly haven't paid the water (again cashapp records).  

So...this is the immediate problem...however, there is also the problem of NO HEAT.  I have repeatedly asked the landlord to provide heat and turn the furnace on because I don't know how.  I have text messages where they have said no.

I was provided three space heaters, however, within minutes of plugging one of them in, the power to the front half of my trailer (the only part I'm allowed to use) blew and I no longer have power in my trailer.  The back two rooms still have power, but now I'm staying in a trailer with no heat and no electricity.  

On top of all this, Petunia (my van) is a little on the sicky side and needs a new transmission and tie rod ends.  I am working on getting the money to get her fixed, which is going to be about $3k.  

So, this is the situation as it stands...I'm backed up against a wall but I will somehow survive this.