Bad things come in threes?

We've all heard that bad things come in threes. I may be feeling a bit sorry for myself, but I think I got more that three this time around. Or maybe I'm starting on my next three, who knows.

First my sink plugs up and in trying to solve that problem (#1), we find our counter is falling apart and my cupboards are rotting. So we decide to bite the bullet and re-do our kitchen (#2) [now this may seem like a good thing, but at the same time I've been without a kitchen for more than a week, let alone the huge expense, so I've felt like it's been a problem]. Then I get gout again - trust me that's a problem (#3). Ok, that's three, I should be okay for a while - right?

Nope. Before my kitchen is back together (still missing the counter - but the rest is great) Anthony's car "throws a rod", and yes, it's as bad as it sounds - dead engine! So we can either get a new (no, let me re-phrase) - refurbished old engine put in and hope it lasts a while (it's only guaranteed for 30 days) or we get a new (oops, I mean used) car. I call that big ugly problem #4.

So the magic mobile, or "billboard" as Jessica calls it, is dead. We need another car, and fast. Someone in my office suggested the goverment surplus place, so Anthony went down and found a Ford Taurus that was a city car not a cop car for less than $2500 in good condition, besides the 100k miles. Ugh, can you believe we got a FORD? It just seems so wrong not to have a Toyota. Oh well, could be worse, right?

Old house woes :(

We moved into this house in the summer of 1996. Jeremy was 2 years old and Jessica was 5 and the house was 14. Jessica is now 18, Jeremy is now 6'3" tall, and we have Melissa now (she's 9). A lot has changed in our world since 1996, and very little has changed in our house.

We were going to try to move several years ago, so we painted and got new carpet in the front room and stairs. But that's it. Now my house is 27 years old. I think in human years that is more like 70. No offense to 70 year olds, but the body starts to fall apart as we age, and boy is my house falling apart!

It started the day we moved in - my mom was helping me clean the kitchen and put down contact paper on the shelves before I put all my dishes in them (for anyone who knows mom you'll be nodding with understanding). Well, she noticed bits of sawdust in the corners and along the edges of the shelves under the drawers. Dad checked it out and said our drawers above the shelves were "rubbing themselves raw" slowly shaving bits off the bottom of the drawers. We didn't do anything at the time and now they are shaved just about to the drawer bottoms (cheap drawers). So we've been thinking it's about time to get new cupboards.

Oh, yeah - we did get a new faucet for the kitchen sink when our old one started to disintegrate - yep the metal actually started to flake and break off and get holes all in it. That's when I noticed some black flecks coming out of the seal between the sink and the counter top. When the kitchen sink got blocked up and we started working under the sink, I saw that the black flecks were the seal of the sink disintegrating and now the particle board under the formica counter is also disintegrating from getting wet steadily for who knows how long! I can just see my sink falling through the opening some day. So we know we need a new counter.

And---my linoleum floor (original with the house by the way) is breaking and coming up in pieces, especially where we sit in front of the computer. So we definitely need new flooring.

So I guess I've held off as long as I can and now we have to re-do our kitchen. I didn't want to spend money on this place - I wanted to move. I wanted a house (not a twin) with a family room and a laundry room and more than ONE bathroom! I'll never move out of this itsy thing. I know I'll be stuck here forever. I just have to bide my time until the children leave and then I'll be old enough to be glad I only have one bathroom to clean and a tiny yard.

Anyone have any suggestions on a good plumber, cabinet guy or contractor? HELP!