Rough Holiday, as always

The trip to CA was a bust IMHO. Went there to see family. Family busy trying to make money and thus we barely saw them. It rained almost the entire time and it was warmer when it was raining than after the storm left. Not everything was bad. It's just painful to hemorrhage cash somewhere and feel like all of the visiting could have taken place in a concentrated 48h visit, instead of a week. So now we are poor again.
Senior Jefe flew on his Dad's frequent flyer miles, and Continental's ticket prices were too high, so I ended up on a different airline. I got back to BIGU land 4h before him, in the hopes of finding somewhere to grab some food for us as the fridge was cleaned out before we left and for sure nothing would be open at 2130 when he got in. Walked out to the parking lot and the car had broken down. The check engine light was on and the car sounded like a diesel and not a gas engine. Had to have it towed to the dealership, who was closed (being Christmas). I ended up waiting at the airport for hubs so we could rent a car, since I live over an hour from the airport and by the time the car got towed, if I left I would have had to turn right around and come get him.
His flight came in late. He insisted on checking the car out, so we ended up driving out to the dealership. He assessed that yep, it's broken. Duh. We drove home, ate some tortilla chips that should have gone stale in the past week they have been sitting open on the counter, but somehow hadn't. Or maybe we just pretended they didn't. It was all we had eaten that day. Then we fell into bed around 0230 and were back up at 0700 to go pick up my lab keys at my friend's house an hour away, go grocery shopping and then take care of my experiment. At least people did babysit it while I was gone like they said. This makes me feel a little better about life and humanity.
Then we were off to tackle the laundry room. The linoleum is 15 yrs old and when we removed the W/D before I left we found the linoleum had been scraped up under the W/D. We sold the W/D to make way for new ones that work consistently and they are being delivered on the 29th, so we had to get a move on. So off to Home Depot (15% mildiscount) and we bought stuff to take up the old floor and new flooring, as well as paint and fixtures. We might as well. Out the door for under $200.
Under the linoleum was wet. We thought maybe there was something wrong with the slab, or a broken pipe in the slab. I am shocked by the lack of corroborating evidence of either of these and do a moisture test. We're ok. So I think maybe they laid the original floor before the slab degassed entirely or water from the washer leaked under the cracked linoleum when we removed it. Either way, the floor is still dry now. So we took up all the glue, which melted the second we added any water to it (not even hot water). We think whomever laid the floor used improper materials to start. And then we put two coats on the walls. Then bed at 0130.
Today we were up at 0700 to call the dealership about the car. Apparently ever Audi in the 2 state area has broken down, or that's how it feels. They don't know when they can look at the car. Will I be carless when Senior Jefe leaves later this week? IDK. So now we are waiting to find out when they can/will do a diagnostic. I am peeved, but I am over a barrel.
Speaking of over a barrel, while I have been writing this, I got a call from Home Depot. Apparently, the W/D I ordered over a month ago isn't available for delivery this week. Lucky me. So now I will have gone over a month without being able to do laundry. I could have done laundry in CA, if they had told me before today. So, I spoke with a manager and she gave me $50 to go do laundry at the laundromat. I will probably take it to the ecofriendly drycleaner/laundromat.  I suppose the good news is I have paid for 1 of the 2 extended warranties I bought with the W/D (since I sold my old set for $100). But in the meantime I am over a barrel there too. Hopefully, I can get Senior Jefe out the door before the big storm whallops us on TH, otherwise I will have to figure out how to get him to the airport and be here to receive the W/D at the same time. Joy! or maybe just Oy!
I know I am very lucky. I got to see Senior Jefe this year...lots of times. This has been a great boon to us. I passed my oral exams, also a great blessing. I have the ability to fix the disaster in the laundry room and get a working washer and dryer, which is also a blessing. I have the ability to rent a car short term until my car gets fixed or until I can get a diagnosis and try to get Audi to let me take a loaner...
Oh god, gimme a break. Senior Jefe decided to call Audi just now. Okay, so for the grand total of $235...(including the car rental), we have found that the car got a bad tank of gas, causing the engine to misfire. So the bled out the tank and refilled it and put an additive in there to clean it out. Fuck me. What a waste of money!
Merry Fucking Christmas to me.
I am just exhausted and irritated and frustrated. I know so many people are getting by with much less right now. I know I have nothing to complain about. I am sorry for complaining.
We did make our annual food bank and toys for tots contributions. We fed the homeless and I did all I could before I walked out the door to go to CA to make this Christmas a little better for those less fortunate. It's a drop in the bucket. I know that too.
I am grateful things aren't as bad as they used to be. I am just frustrated that I get so little time with Senior Jefe and it always seems to be spent fighting fires instead of just getting to relax. You know?