the good, the bad, and the ugly

GOOD:  So doing taxes last night, because of changes to the tax code, we get the largest refund we've ever received -- it includes an EIC, which we've never qualified for.

BAD:  So our new car that we bought last month?  It just happens to be a Toyota Corolla recall - with possible "uncontrollable acceleration".  Now that's just bad luck, right?  The first time that we EVER decide to make the leap with a new car . . . and we decided on the Corolla over the Sentra because of safety of all things . . . the ABS, the traction control, the electronic braking systems, etc. Goes to figure we get a safety recall - huh?

UGLY: We've been trying to get our house ready to put on the market.  Unofficially it's kind of For Sale By Owner (for now).  So we've been trying to get it showroom ready when I walk into our house after a long days work last night at 6:30 pm.  And . . . what is that smell?  Why does it smell like a sewer?  Oh . . . I see my toilet has been overflowing for the last 10 hours undetected.  The good news?  the nasty water didn't flood our main floor (saving my hardwood).  The bad news? it didn't because the heating vent on the floor provided the drain for the day.  And I didn't notice until two hours later and I hear water dripping downstairs.  Yep, paint sagging off the walls, etc. etc.  So a call is into our home insurance company - we're just waiting for a visit from the assessor.  But I'd call it pretty ugly that after our clean up job we had to choose last night between having the heat on with the awful smell, or no heat and no smell.  Sigh.  I'm not resting until I have those heating ducts replaced!!