Yesterday was the day and it was crazy. I still had $204.94 owed on the loan and as of a few days ago, I didn't know what to do. I know I could have posted here and asked for one last final push for help but since I hadn't been posting regularly, it didn't feel right.

So here's what happened: Since late August, I started working an extra part-time job in addition to being a student, my regular part-time job with my school, being a mom and a grad student. It was too much. That, on top of the moving and a ton of problems with the new apartment including no hot water (we still don't have hot water most of the time as of today!) ... I got sick. Too much stress, not enough sleep, constant running around, things suffer. I didn't give up. I kept doing everything but I was in a daze most of the time. And I didn't get a paycheck from that extra part-time job until December (end of the semester). I thought to myself, that's ok ... as long as it's here by Dec. 14, no problem. I can pay the loan off.

Well, last week I went to check on the status of the check and there was a mishap. The check request had not gone in! I panicked. But I was able to get the paperwork fixed last Friday and I was told I would probably get the check before Christmas. My heart sank. I didn't know what I was going to do. Again, I knew I could have come here and told everyone what was going on, but I felt bad about that. I made extra money myself to pay off the loan ... I just needed to get paid.

So, I thought I'd take out a cash advance on a credit card (man, I've juggled credit cards this semester like crazy) and then pay it back with interest when the check came in.

But some sort of miracle happened.

The woman at the business office where I was to get paid took my check request in early Monday morning (Dec. 12) and a weird series of events occurred that caused the people in the office to process the check that very day! I got an email close to 5 pm saying it was ready for me.

I almost fainted.

Things had worked out! It was there! I just...I just couldn't believe it. It was as if someone was looking out for me and knew all that had gone wrong the last 6 months and decided to make things right.

I picked up the check Wednesday morning (Dec. 14), cashed it and put it in my bank. Then I called the place and had the loan balance paid out of my checking account.

It was done.

I still get emotional when I think about all this...all the things that have happened in the last 6 months. But it all worked out...Wampi is alive and doing great...I met so many amazing people from this blog...even though a horrible person threw Wampi off the roof, I realized that many good things still happen. Most people are good and want to help others and the world around them. It makes me wonder if my actions someday will be able to help someone as profoundly as everyone here has helped me.

Thank you again, all of you. You have reaffirmed my belief to "never give up." Even when people were calling me stupid and telling me to "put Wampi down, you can't afford his surgery". I know I did the only thing I could do -- the right thing -- to save his life.

p.s. - I finish with school and work tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 16) so my life will quiet back to normal for the holiday break. I'll be a mom writing my dissertation at home and hopefully putting up lots of photos of Wampi that are still on the camera. I didn't even have time to download them. One thing at a time. One thing at a time. =)

Well, I'm back. I've had a rough time lately and during the past few days I decided that I really needed to start writing again. I've felt guilty for not posting but I've had so many things piled onto me (health, home, & money problems) in the last few months that I think I just snapped and withdrew. I am so touched that people have emailed me and and asked how I'm doing. I'm going to write back to everyone, but I'll have to do it day by day ... I can only do so much each day ... it's not enough really by my old standards, but it will have to do.

And I saw there were some more donations ... I just about cried when I saw that. Here I am with all these problems overwhelming me, I stop posting and updating about Wampi, and yet, still some people care enough to donate to help me pay off the last bit of the loan. I'm in awe. It's part of what made me realize that in this hard time of mine I should come back and write here ... it comforted me so much during the summer after Wampi's "accident" ... and it can comfort me now when I feel like the world is crushing me.

Wampi is doing so great. His fur is super fluffy and he's really built upper body strength. He can pull himself up onto everything using his front paws. He still can't jump but it doesn't stop him. Total mice caught since mid-September: 5.

More tomorrow. And thanks again to all of you for being so supportive. It means so much to me during this difficult time.