Snow, Bitches, and School

Tonight and Monday we are supposed to get snow.  I think it is going to be a Snowmageddon!

The Colts are out and that sucks but I donned my most favorite trusty blue hoodie (thanks KK and angel hips!) today to show my support for my team.  We did great especially with all the injuries we had.  I think #10 should be run out on rails and never heard from again.  Granted that one play shouldn't have cost them the game BUT........... argh.

I was supposed to go see The Birth of Impressionism on this past Friday but made the fatal mistake of checking the mail before we were supposed to leave.  We got a letter that threw our theory that 2011 was going to be so much better out the window.  A letter that infuriated me so that it ruined my evening.  No Frist Center for me.  That event was rescheduled to 01/14/2011.

We got a letter from the TX state Attorney General office stating that Hubby was behind in paying child support by the tune of $1086.08.  Color us surprised since his child support is payroll deducted and has been since August of 2006.  When I called the lovely people at the Attorney General's office to explain this to them I was told that it is Hubby's responsibility to make sure the payments got to them and that there were "too many times to count" when he was in arrearage and that if she were to give me the specifics that the call "would never end" and that she would gladly send me a list of transactions and I needed to compare them and get back with her.  In the meantime the state has already taken actions with his employer to have this arrearage situation fixed by pulling more from his check- effective immediately.  When asked why we weren't notified sooner....perhaps after the first time they didn't get any money or the full amount I was told that the "system isn't designed that way" and that it is up to either the custodial or non-custodial parent to let the state know if the amounts weren't being received.  So, naturally, my next question was: "So, you're telling me that SHE said she wasn't getting the money?" and the response I got was "No.  That isn't at all what I said."  So, if the state is some uninvolved 3rd party who doesn't have any record of if/when/how much was received and they don't have a system that can catch late or missing payments and it is up to the NCP or the CP to tell them if there is a problem and WE didn't know so we didn't call.......who else is left to report a problem?  By the process of elimination it has to be her.

This upsets me greatly because this reaffirms the fact that all she has to do is cry wolf and the state runs to her aid and we are presumably guilty until we prove otherwise.  In the beginning of this crazy mess she did this, too.  She went to the state in 2006 and claimed that Hubby hadn't paid her for the first 2 years they were divorced.  They opened up a child support case and send a letter to garnish his wages for this past due support.  She failed to mention that she had done this and we were blindsided by a nice letter from the Attorney General.  We went to mediation and pulled 6 years of cancelled checks, bank records, etc that proved not only had he paid her from day one as per the divorce decree he had in fact, OVERPAID her voluntarily.  To the tune of $5,000.  This was then considered a "gift" and the child support was set to up come out automatically.

Now, apparently, she has gone back to the state and said she was underpaid/not paid on "several occasions" since 2006.  But not once did she mention this to us.  So, yet again, we are forced to prove that we are doing everything we are supposed to do.  I pulled 4 years of pay stubs and found 3 total occasions in which she didn't get the full amount she was supposed to.   She is supposed to get $287.65 every paycheck.  On three occasions between May 2010-Aug 2010 she only got $203.88.  Leaving us a total of $240.00 behind.  Far less than this $1086.08 that the state has come up with.   Oh, and let me mention some interesting facts about those three occasions.  

Hubby got sick on May 2, 2010 and did not return to work until September 6, 2010.  He was out on STD that entire time.  All 3 occasions occurred during that time.  All 3 occasions that she received $203.88 the total amount of the check that was deposited into our account to live on was $104.80.  She received almost DOUBLE the amount we got to live on for 2 weeks in child support.  But I'm sure this does nothing but vindicate her story in the eyes of the state and Hubby is confirmed as a deadbeat.  I don't begrudge giving her the damn $240.00 but what I do not appreciate is the lackluster attitude of the state of TX and being harassed by a woman that has time and time again been proven to be a liar -via the state.

Tomorrow I am due to be at the employer so we can get an affidavit and documents together to prove that payments were made and try and get this straightened out and make sure she gets her $240.00.  The youngest is 13 and I hope that this doesn't happen again because I am already on very thin ice with my patience towards her.  I have had to restrain myself from calling, texting, or emailing her because I do value my relationship with the kids.  I can not wait until the youngest turns 18.....I'll be on the news that day. Count on it.

In happier news, school starts Thursday and I am excited and nervous.  This is going to be a tough semester but I will be glad to have something that keeps me out of the smokebox and occupied mentally.  I am not looking forward to buying the books but such is life.

It seems I might have been on some people's NY resolution lists and that is disappointing but perhaps it is time for a whole new chapter?