I'm putting my things together, getting ready to leave for another week at the wheel. I'm headed over to Franklin, Tennessee, and am a little annoyed that I didn't get a full weekend (again). But I won't complain come payday, will I?

Today is the day my wife flies to Las Vegas to be with her new boyfriend. I feel like I should be upset about it, but at this point it's old news. I think I've made my peace with it. Nothing she does affects me anymore. I have a whole new set of problems that I have to face, and her new love life isn't very high on my priority list. I'll admit that I struggled with it for awhile. But I'm beginning to suspect that I struggled with this part because I thought I was supposed to. But in the end it doesn't really affect my current situation or my future. Like I said, it's old news. Let's move on, please.

The other issue on my plate, and the big one, is that I think the mortgage company is about to make their play for the house. I've paid them $3,100 since the middle of May and was trying to make an additional payment of $495 last Friday (which would be the arrearage, above and beyond the house payment). They refused to take my payment and said that I needed to speak to the account technician, who was not available and was supposed to call me back, but didn't. Yeah, I think they've tagged the house for foreclosure.

I'm not sure just yet what kind of fight they'll get. Part of me just wants to give them this broken down old house and walk away from it. Part of me wants to adopt military strategy and leave behind little during my retreat that my enemies can use. Part of me wants to beat them, just to show them that they can be beat. They've engaged in fraud and have as their biggest tool the weapon they've used against countless people; that being that their victims are usually too poor to hire a lawyer and fight back. But in this case, if I get put out of my house, I won't have any bills, and I make pretty good money as a truck driver.

So do I take my money and move on with my life, or do I spend my time and money on bringing these maggots to their knees? I'm sure one good class-action lawsuit could cause them all sorts of legal and financial woes. Not that they're new to litigation. But I don't think anyone has ever pushed to force them to cease operations until an official review of their business practices has been conducted. If that could be pushed through, how much would that cost them? I wonder how many people would be interested in joining a class-action lawsuit against Countrywide Home Loans?

Actually, I'm kind of thinking I'll just move on. That doesn't mean I won't harass Countywide for the rest of my life. It just means I'll do it in ways other than litigation. I think my primary goal at this point in my life should just be to have a life. I really don't mind the idea of returning to zero and starting from scratch. I've never felt that what my life has become was by my hand. The next time might be very different.

Thanks to those friends who have offered me shelter. For all I know this is a technical glitch and there's nothing to it. But if they take the house, there's at least that one sentiment I've always joked about where some of my heavy metal musician friends were concerned. Being homeless and living out of a truck will look good on the resume'. Who could say after all that I had not paid my dues?

Here's to hope. Ever upward. Over, under or through.