Things
had really turned around. My birthday had been a hit, I was looking
good, I had a small, but nice, apartment, I was working in a job I liked
and was making money. Yes I was still having problems with my car and
charging the repairs just as I was charging the dental work being done
but I was paying cash for almost everything else which certainly was a
change. The only fly in the ointment was the day I was called down to
the office and was informed that my rent had gone up over $100 a month and
that I owed $999 for November to March!  I don't know what I said or
did but after talking to Janice, who was in charge of apartment
residents at the time, I was able to get that debt down in half plus
I told her since my rent is based on what I make I would have to submit
my income each month so I don't end up owing so much money at one time.
It drove me crazy that the more I worked the more money I made
andthemore rent I had to pay. I was paying an extra $100 a month just to
work.

One
thing though that was to my advantage is that after you have lived here
for a year you could put your name on a list for a larger 1 bedroom
apartment for when it became available.  It would take 4 years but I
have now lived in the larger apartment for 9 years and paying less rent
because I am not working--but more about that later. The good thing is
that when a new administrator took over 3-4 years ago that advantage was
taken away and people who move into a studio apartment are stuck there
no matter what rent they pay.  Again, more about that later!

In  May I had a major car problem which cost me only $398 plus rental car plus I had to get a new transmission. At the end
of the month I had to bring it in again and the note in my diary says,
"picked up car--only $1022--between this and last week and rental cars it only cost me $1,541.68 but I did pay cash for the rentals!" These 'onlys' were adding up and most was going on credit cards.

Still
going to theatre--saw Jim Bailey starring as Bette Davis in "Jezebel
and Me" which was really bad but then I did go see the movie "Gladiator"
which was a winner! Nancy was in town and we, including Gino, went to
Catfish Dewey's (still open) for dinner. Idid see a note saying I took  a
$3000 advance on a credit card to pay off all my other credit cards.

I
was just working weekends and doing the whole theatre, movies and
eating at restaurants thing and began putting a little weight on. I
started going to the pool to swim an hour every day which helped. The
thing I was going crazy with, as I saw I did it again, was to take cash
advances to pay off other credit cards. Jim, Bob, Gino and I went to the
China Bowl (open) for dinner and then the White-Willis Theatre that
Dorothy opened in Tamarac to see her production of "I'm Not Rappaport". 
I was still smoking a couple of cartons a week, going to the Indian
reservation, and was floored that they had gone up to $10 a carton!