Yesterday my agent texted me that my check (!) had been sent on the 25th and should arrive in 7 to 10 days. I fired back, what happened to quick pay, which I signed up for as my preferred payment? Apparently, I was too late in turning in my title. Though I did transfer it to the glove box on the day the car was totaled, it wasn't there when the adjustor was there, and so wasn't officially turned in until the next day, when the car was towed away.

Well, I was very unhappy, expecting the money to come on Friday at best and next week at worst. Then I went and got my mail.... The check was there!

I'm still a little perturbed, since now I have to wait for the check to clear (I deposited it online). I also noticed that I did not get the towing reimbursement, but that may come from a different office. I'll call today.

With any luck, I can shop tomorrow -- except that it is Halloween, and my son will not be available to bus me, so maybe not.

I did not make the bus trip to the library yesterday. I thought I would try to finish reading my current book first. I didn't, but I'm a lot closer. I still have a few days.

I also need to make a trip to the senior center to pick up a debit card for discounted taxi/Uber service. I might as well wait till I have the new car, so I can take care of the wheel tax at the same time.

I checked on my variables yesterday, made a few corrections, and it is now 87%. Still under. I am going to have to be very careful in the next few months, because it's going to take time to rebuild my EF, some of which is going to go toward the new car.

No money yet. Yesterday I sent a text to the adjuster I was working with asking when, but he has not answered yet.

I have singled out two cars I want to look at, but if the money doesn't arrive promptly, they may be gone and I may have to start all over.

Meanwhile, it's a bit of a pain to be carless. Today I'm going to take the bus to the library again. I have a book to return and one to pick up.

Food is still holding up, and even though I am down to three dishwasher pods (one will be used today) I am still hopeful that I'll have a car before I have to go to Sam's. If I have to go to Sam's, I can take the bus, but it's a long, winding route.

ODS (Oregon Dear Son) texted last night that the offer came and the salary was higher than he expected. He was clearly pleased. He will start work right after Thanksgiving.

I went to GS1's Halloween concert last night, grabbing a ride with IDS (Illinois Dear Son). It was lots of fun; all the kids were in costume. Especially amusing was the T-Rex who played the tambourine. GS1 was dressed as Steve Harrington (Season 2) and wore his cool seventies' sunglasses through the whole performance. Couldn't believe he could see, but his violin bow was in sync with all the others, so obviously he could!

I had a good conversation with Florida DS, who will soon be Oregon DS. He is happy to have found a job with such a good company (Amazon), but now that he is looking at the logistics of making such a big move, he is a little freaked out. He does plan to go up by himself at first and live in temporary housing while he searches for a home for the family. He says that housing is more expensive there than in his current home. His MIL is hard at work looking for suitable places online -- she's really good at that -- she found the home they are living in now. He is also a little freaked out that he will be living so far north after living in the south for so long. The family will all have to get winter gear.

The good news is that he will get stock options in addition to retirement contributions, and the medical plan is very good.

I am just so relieved that I don't have to worry about him any more.

In my world, I had a quiet day yesterday. I made some French onion soup, to use up onions, and also cooked myself a meal of sauteed chicken, stewed tomatoes and boiled tiny potatoes. So good.

I am hopeful that the money for my car will be in my bank account today, but it is too early to look.

Well, I lost this entry twice due to being distracted!

Maybe it means there is not much to tell....

I spoke to XH yesterday and he said that FDS will definitely take the Amazon job when the offer is made. I looked up the area he will be moving to, and not only is it far away, but hard to get to! Not close to a major airport. And it's a three-day drive. Well, I will figure out some way to visit. BFF has a brother in Portland -- we may road trip together.

Disappointed I couldn't car shop this weekend, but I guess it was unrealistic to expect the money so fast.

Read my insurance policy and found I do not get replacement value, but actual cost value, which is the Edmunds/Blue Book value. That's in line.

I'm not excited about the cars that are available in my price range, but I trust I will find something when the money is in hand.

I exchanged emails with my agent yesterday, and it seems that the car (and title) will not be picked up until today. I suppose I will have to wait until Monday before any money appears in my bank account.

I looked at cars online yesterday and wrote down some good possibilities. We'll see if they're still available when I have the money.

I went to the library yesterday, and on the way home I decided to get off at the Walgreens stop to pick up a few groceries. To my surprise, there were police cars and fire engines all over the lot. It turned out that a woman about my age had jumped a barrier in her car and run over a man sitting on a bench! He was taken to the hospital in stable condition, and she was not charged (yet). Just goes to show that worse things could happen!

I paid $4 for the groceries. Would have been $8, but I had a $4 rewards balance. Variables are at 82%, with five days to go.

No particular plans for today. I suppose I could do housework ....

Allstate called yesterday morning with the verdict. My car is unrepairable; it is totaled. I thought that was probably the case, but I will admit I was hoping not.

They will give me $6,552, plus, when I buy a new car, they will reimburse me for taxes (maximum of $705), and transfer fees of $135. But all I will have in hand to buy is the $6,552. That will not buy much. It definitely will not replace the car I had.

I have $3,000 to spare in savings. Plus, based on my last car-buying experience, I can charge $2,000 and pay the balance in cash, and thus avoid financing. (I don't want to finance, because a car payment would put me right back in the misery I experienced in gap year.)

So, my buying power is a maximum of $11,552, which puts me in a better range of vehicles. I did some looking online yesterday, but didn't find anything that excited me. I don't have the money yet anyway, so I can't do anything.

I had to go to the repair shop and clean out my car, which was not easy. I had to take the train there because DIL was working frantically on the biggest event of her company's year, and thus unavailable. I filled two IKEA bags. I also had to shoulder a heavy foldable chair, that at least had a strap, but it was still hard to manage. I took the stuff home on the train. It was an exhausting walk home (about six blocks).

I really didn't have a lot of junk in my car, though it sounds like it! I had a big bag of snacks for the boys, some emergency car supplies, a blanket, a bleacher chair (in addition to the folding chair), an umbrella, and the small stuff like the transponder, baseball hat, phone holder, headphones, sunglasses and contents of the glove box.

Because I neglected to bring my title I had to go back a second time. This time I took the bus, which was much easier. It was actually a direct route to where I had to go, though there were a lot of stops. I was kind of glad to learn how to take the bus and where it would go. (I'll take it to the library today.) Both the train and bus are free for me; it is a senior benefit.

By the time I got home the second time, I was beat, but it was time to take care of the boys. I went over there to wait for them to walk home from school, but to my surprise DS was there! He was getting ready for the event, and hung around for about an hour, waiting for his ride. He ordered pizza for us, and I was grateful, because I didn't feel like cooking after my big day.

I was sprung around 10 pm. Came home and slept like a log.

So, the money hasn't hit my bank account yet. I'll keep checking throughout the day. My understanding was that it would be immediate, but maybe it won't happen until the agent has his hands on the title, which is sitting in my wrecked car now.

After all that, I can honestly report it was a no-spend day!

Nothing from the insurance company yesterday, so I'm assuming they have not yet looked at the car.

I'm going to babysit the boys this evening, but I do not have to take them to music lessons, which are cancelled. I assume that is because DS & DIL need the car for their event. I'm going to walk over there after school, give the boys dinner, supervise homework, and put them to bed. They have asked for sliders for dinner. I don't have any ground beef, but I'll take over some chicken (along with small rolls) and hope that will be acceptable! If not, DIL informs me there will be leftover spaghetti and meatballs. Hmmm, maybe I can turn the meatballs into sliders!

But the bigger news is that my Florida son got word that Amazon will make an offer in the next 48 hours! Of the three interviews, I think this is the one he wanted least, since it would mean a move to a small, rather isolated town in Oregon. I can't name it because the residents don't know Amazon is there. It is a division of Amazon which is developing their drone product.

I know he is hoping he will get offers from the other two, but I am sure he will accept the sure thing.

I started transcribing my mother's diary again yesterday. I don't know why I left off from it for so long. I guess because I see sadness creeping in, but it's not like I can change the past! I certainly do know that she was unhappy in her marriage, though she stuck it out till the end.

I had to contact the second seller from Amazon again about the discount she offered me for keeping the underwear (which arrived in the wrong color). She said it had not "gone through." I got a text from Amazon last night that a $3.80 credit is coming. It's not a lot, but I'm glad I didn't just let it go.

Not much to report. I had several calls from the insurance company yesterday. The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing, because they are asking questions I've already answered. Mainly, they are trying to go after the other party to pay for repairs, and they will have to get that information from the police report. When I joined the scene, the driver was in handcuffs and yelling at the police, so I was hardly going to go up to her and say, "Hi, could I have your name and insurance information?"

No inspection has been done yet. I sent in the towing charge, but they told me I won't be reimbursed until the inspection is done. They will reimburse me for that and the $500 deductible at the same time. (Or whatever I get if the car is totaled.)

I did a load of laundry yesterday and I'll do one today. Variables are at 81%. Eight days to go.

I still have plenty of food on hand, but I'm out of creamer, on top of being low on dishwasher pods. If DIL loans me her car tomorrow, I will make a quick stop for those two items. As well as a stop at the library, because a book is due on Friday and it cannot be renewed (there's a hold on it).

Yesterday I got a ride to the towing company, and when I walked in, I had to pay $255, which seems outrageous to me, but insurance has said that I will be reimbursed. Then I asked them to tow my car to the repair shop. I don't know if I'll get charged again! I've been watching my Visa account to see if a second charge pops up. Anyway, the car is there, waiting for an Allstate agent to come and inspect it.

I had my DIL take me to the repair shop so I could get things signed and squared away. I was hopeful that the inspection would take place that day, but they laughed and said I would be lucky if it got done by Friday.

So I took the train home, which involved a short walk to and from the stations. It was the first time I used my ride-free card on that line, and it was simple -- all I had to do was show the conductor my card. I'll probably use it a lot more now that I know that.

I will probably borrow DIL's car on Thursday to take the boys to music lessons. I'm also going to take them out for dinner and keep them until midnight or so. DIL has a big event at work, a must-do thing, that she and DS will both attend.

Meanwhile, I just wait for news on the car.

I'm doing good on provisions. The only thing I may run out of (so far) is dishwasher pods, but if I do, I can always wash dishes by hand. And I can probably get them at Walgreens, which is within walking distance.

I got inspired yesterday to thoroughly clean the fish tank. I took out the ornaments and all the gravel I could get and scrubbed and bathed them in hot water, and I scrubbed the sides of the tank. I really wore myself out! I'm trying to fight black algae. I guess my algae eater, who died this summer, was taking care of that. I don't want to get another one -- I'm basically just waiting for the remaining 6 fish to die, so I can get out of the aquarium business. From what I have read, the black algae will probably return, but next time, I now know I should take the fish out and turn the heat up high in the tank for a half-hour. That sounds a lot easier.

I have a few minutes while I wait for DIL to pick me up. She is going to take me to the towing company, where I have to sign a release and arrange to have my car towed to a repair shop. From there, I hope to hitch a ride with the tow truck and get someone from Allstate to come and look at the car.

I called Allstate yesterday and opened a claim. Insurance from the other driver will cover, including the $500 deductible, if repair is the best route to go. They will reimburse me for the towing cost.

I will hang out at the repair shop until I determine whether or not an Allstate agent will come out today. I'll take the train home, as there is a station very close by.

I hope to get as much as possible done today, as this is going to be a long, drawn-out process, whether the car is repaired or replaced.

In other news, my Florida son is having his third of three different interviews today. Really hoping that one of them will result in an offer.

Thanks to all who expressed concern! I'll get through this -- it's only property, after all!!

I got a call at 3 am this morning. I didn't recognize the number, so didn't answer, but then it started ringing again. I answered this time, and it was the police.

It turned out that an impaired driver smashed into two cars that were parked on the street. One of them was mine. The trunk is completely smashed in. The car has been towed away. I will try calling insurance today, but I don't think I will actually reach anyone until Monday.

I have a bad feeling about this. It's a 2010 Honda Civic and I bought it for $10K. I think it may be totaled, especially if the frame has been bent. I don't know what they'll give me if it's totaled, but I suspect it won't be $10K. I only have $3900 in savings to put toward a replacement.

And I'm going to be without wheels for a while. Luckily, I am well-stocked with food and don't really have to go anywhere. I've let DS know that I probably won't be available for music lessons this week.

I'm kind of stunned, but I am thankful that it was only this. When the police started out the phone conversation with "There's been an accident..." my heart was in my mouth.

Yesterday I received my fall order from OTC-Essentials. For free I got: bladder pads, aloe wipes, a digital thermometer, cotton balls, Loratadine, Dairy Aid, and stool softeners. This program saves me a lot of money.

I also paid my mortgage, putting an extra $50 on it. It was money that was sitting in my credit union savings account -- I thought it would be better to put it on the mortgage. I am shooting to get my mortgage balance below $60K.

I did find a live phone number for a family member for my cousin, and she was able to contact her and have a conversation about her ex's passing. Hopefully, this young lady will be able to contact other family members and spread the news, and let my cousin off the hook. My cousin was so delighted, and sent me a big thank you. It was really gratifying to be able to do that.

Today is supposed to be a lovely day, so I'm going to take a walk -- sometime -- when I get dressed. I'm also going to go through the fridge and make a plan to use up stuff. Just the kind of day I like.

Well, phooey, I just deleted my entry while trying to copy it!

So here's the shorter version. I tried to pay my wheel tax (resident vehicle tax) this morning, but even though I got verified that I was eligible for the senior discount, the system wasn't showing it yet. So I have to go back.

The process took so long that I was starving for lunch, and I made a rash decision to go through the McDonalds window. Spent $9, and now I wish I hadn't.

I'm doing some free research for my cousin -- her ex died, and she's trying to inform some distant relatives, but has outdated addresses and phone numbers. I'm doing my best, but without access to the databases I used when I working, I am not finding much.

I'm heading to my grandson's last flag football game tonight, and it will be the last game of any kind until baseball starts again next spring. He is not playing basketball this year.

Winter is coming! It is getting dark so early now, and a chill is in the air. I'm dreading it.