...as advertised. 

The wife and I received an eviction notice of fifteen days.  The wife was going to see her father who is on his death bed for a week (which means a week without income plus expenses to get there and back).  We planned that trip with $3.12 in the bank and the eviction notice came while she was packing.  My disability prevents me from going out looking in the heat which is not simply uncomfortable but deadly to me. 

We had a few challenges to overcome beyond the fact that we had no money.  Wife is on parole; I'm disabled, a dog, a horse, and a cat; etc. 

Then stuff started happening.  Surprise, surprise.

A car we had for sale (for years) on the East coast sold suddenly and we had money.  A friend who had not heard of our situation offered to buy the horse. 

I made a few calls - folks in the program who might keep their eyes open for us.  My wife's boss (and a member of the fellowship) drove around the neighborhood during her lunch hour and found a place for rent.  She inquired for us.  Perfect except for no pets.  She gave us a recommendation that all but secured the place right then and there.  I went and looked at the place and filled out an application.  My wife got back from her trip Saturday and we met with the folks on Sunday morning at the property.  We brought Fluffy the Wonder Dog who, is completely and utterly retarded.  Seriously.  I'm not being mean, he is a rescue who was starved and abandoned as a puppy and ended up ingesting the chemicals left over in the meth lab he was abandoned in.  He's not all there and when he's not walking into walls, he's jumping on people and licking crotches (including his own) and basically acting socially unacceptable.

We showed up and met the folks.  Fluffy didn't pull on his leash.  He sat there and looked up at them waiting his turn.  We introduced him.  They said hello and he lifted his paw to shake hands.  After introductions, he laid down at my feet.  I want to be clear here: he has NEVER not jumped on a new person to say hello.  He has NEVER not licked a person till they asked him to stop - seriously, never.  Oh, and he doesn't shake hands.  He has never just laid down at my feet and stayed for five minutes - let alone the hour we visited.  He was the perfect dog.  And so they made an exception.

The rent is the cheapest we had found at $475/month.  Still can't afford it though without dipping into the sale of the car money but... It is right down the street from my wife's work saving her two gallons of gas a day (at $3.89/gallon) which comes to $134/month in savings.  Her boss figured that out on her own and offered her another six hours a week.  That's another $240/month.  That leaves $96/month to come up with and I've got to tell you, I don't mind taking $96/m out of the car fund each month. 

So about the place: It's a luxury home, meaning it's got electricity and running water!  You laugh but we haven't had both in over a year.  The home looks like it was built with my disability in mind.  Huge shade trees cover the whole house.  It's right across the street from a lake (water is quite literally a life saver for me on hot days).  It's 796 sq. ft. but it's the biggest 796 sq. ft. I've ever seen - possibly because the kitchen is so compact.  Which is great for me.  I love cooking but my legs go out from under me quite regularly.  Compact as it is, I never have to take more than two steps to get anywhere in the kitchen and there is counter space all around me to hold on to when I need to.  Both bathrooms have railings throughout.  Too, 796 sq. ft. means I can cool the place down with minimal electricity.  We have a small yard including a fenced back yard - which means I can let the dog out to go to the bathroom without having to go out with him into the heat.

Anywho, we move in on the third (which is day fourteen after the fifteen day eviction notice) and since the wife has put this news up on facebook (whatever that is :) ) we have been inundated with calls from people with pick-ups requesting the opportunity to help us move because they know I can't do it any longer.  So... I'll be MIA during the move and reconnecting the internet but the absence is a sign of good things.