The sun will come out...

What a difference a day makes.

First, ex has a friend (frat buddy) in very high places who is sure he can get ex out of the call up. He thinks that someone is dicking with ex, the circumstances being shady, ex being so far out of the loop, and it being for just shy of what he needs for retirement. Ex can think of an argument between two generals that he got mixed up in recently at work and wouldn't put it past one of them to rig it. Buddy asked if he wanted the orders to go away or if he wanted to be called up long enough to earn retirement. Guess which one ex chose. Humph. I'll never get that retirement I earned with my blood, sweat, and tears. I'd rather he be alive, which is better than a few years ago when I just wanted his life insurance money.

Second, ex finally got paid a portion of his consulting job's pay, something he is doing with this frat buddy, and he can finally pay some bills, to include about a third of the sizable amount he owes me, which I haven't mentioned before.

Third, I live in a state requiring vehicular inspection and registration. When I got my service done at the dealership a few weeks ago, they pulled me aside about my car needing inspecting in December. I knew. Then she said it would fail because the glass on a fog light is broken, although the light works. She said it'd be $325, but she'd get me a discount; ahh, they're so kind at the dealership. I said I'd use the discount if I needed, but the inspection place I go is so lax, the fog light passed last year and it will again this year. And so it did today. I once went there with a new car, the guy rolled his eyes, did nothing to the car, and wrote my passing grade. Saved us both some time.

So the government didn't screw me and in some little way I screwed the government. All in all, passing marks for the day so far.