So I've e-mailed the Evil Ex and turned down her request for more money. In spite of the fact that she lives with a guy who makes "very good money" and will take "very very good" (her words) care of her and the girls, I guess she'll still be mad that I'm not upping my monthly support amount to $7** from $6** to support her propensity for indulging in the most expensive ventures possible (in this case, horseback riding lessons, which she enrolled the kids in without asking me). I checked with the lawyer who drew up the agreement originally and he confirmed that I am in the right on this.

And like I've said before, isn't $6** enough for this anyway?

Besides, I'd like to have a choice as to where some of the money spent on the kids goes. Pinky and I are hoping to maybe get occasional lessons for them in Montreal -- art for Eldest, and piano for Littlest. I'm not sure I can afford that either though...

Now I wait for her angry response, I guess. Oh, and she probably won't be very pleased that in the same message, I informed her that she's responsible for prescription amounts that aren't covered by my insurance plan, unless they exceed $100, in which case I pay a portion...

Man, this is all such a hassle. Word of advice: if things aren't going well in your marriage, think long and hard about splitting up with your spouse if you have kids that you want to stay close to. The courts do nothing to ensure that both parents stay in their children's lives, they only make sure the non-custodial parent pays through the nose. What they *should* be doing is putting in place laws that require both parents stay actively involved with, and in close proximity to, their children in case of a split. *Sigh*

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Hey, I got a raise a few weeks ago. That's the first time in over 2 years this has happened. In fact, my salary had been getting progressively smaller over that time period, so this is a big trend reversal. Not that it adds up to much, but it helps, and makes me feel like I'm of some use around here.

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So I sat down two weeks ago and practiced guitar at home for a good 5 hours, and ever since I've had a nagging pain in my hand. It gets worse each time I play and is very worrisome. I may have to take a break from playing for a bit in order to get things back to normal, thus creating yet another progress delay in all things musical. Argh.

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More on money: I've been scrounging around, cashing in on socked away investments, billing for services rendered, trying to keep afloat until the end of the year, when I can stop paying the lawyer off. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage, but I guess it's going to be a tough winter. Hopefully the Celtic trio can start doing some paying gigs at some point... hopefully the car won't need any big repairs... hopefully I'll get a tax refund... hopefully my fairy godmother will show up and give me a happy ending… *sigh*

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