Since I know virtually nothing about mortgages, I assumed (for some reason) you couldn't refinance if you were underwater. I guess this is not true?

Well, that fuckity, fuck, shit from yesterday. Add some extra explitives. We do have a minor infestation of bed bugs. There is a whole list of "to-do"s before pest control will spray. A large part of that list is washing things. Ummmm....gosh....I see a problem there. And I'm not going to ask my friends if I can bring possibly infested stuff into their house. I just DON'T WANNA deal.

Then the day of, I have to figure out what to do with the cats. Sure, I have cat boxes for each of them, but they aren't going to want to be boxed up and in the back of my car for the better part of a day.

At first I was descending into "I want my mommy, she will make it all better" but I wouldn't wish this mess on her. I just wish I had a plan. We are going to have to have a detailed family meeting tonight to come up with something. Maybe the kids will come up with some ideas cause I am all out. No spoons? I think I owe spoons to a spoon shark.

There are special federal programs that allow people who wouldn't otherwise qualify to refinance in the wake of the housing crisis. We weren't underwater, but our house appraised lower than we expected when we tried to refinance, and we wouldn't have been able to do it except for this federal program.

You have a msbelle, though, who can give you all kinds of advice and/or commiseration.

I'm listening to something about the Kingdom of Kush. I know it's about what is now Sudan but I keep thinking of it as the Kingdom of Weed. There's a Kushite King.

eta: Oh no, Suzi! I hope the family meeting yields a good plan.

you can maybe ask the pest company if they can recommend a place where you can drop off your linens, etc., to be cleaned?

msbelle might have more advice on this, if work doesn't kill her today.

When we had our house tented for termites, we found a local motel that takes pets so we could at least let the cats wander the motel room rather than cages/kennels/cat carriers. It wasn't a NICE motel, but that made the price more reasonable, and we thought it was less traumatizing to the cats to not be caged, and to be with us. Maybe you can find similar for the day of.

I cannot over recommend the bedbugger.com site and first on any list for suspected bed bugs should be the protect-a-bed mattress encasements [link]

Suzi - if you can, go to a grocery store before yu get home and get several boxes of the giant ziplock bags. putting all bedding that you do not need to sleep tonight in those is a good start. As uncomfortable as it is, K-bug should stay sleeping in her bed, as should everyone else, moving will just cause the bugs to spread. Do not throw things out.

Email me, I can give you more advice/suggestions/sypathetic ears.

we found a local motel that takes pets

There is actually a place nearby. We stayed there when we movedo ut here a day before our lease started. But with hotels/motels being bed bug havens, I'm kinda leary.

Thanks, msbelle. While I'm working I'm living in the land of not dealing. I will mark your post and be in touch when I head back to the land of bed bugs, a non-fuctioning washing machine, and loud-ass blowers.

I have been trying to save all my extra money for a new washer/dryer (even before yesterday). I'm about half way there. But now - do I spend the money on a hotel room and fancy bed bug stuff? Do I stay home and try to do the bed bug thing on the cheep (and maybe not so effective)?

I broke down yesterday and asked my dad for a loan for the money I needed to cover on the washer/dryer, to be paid back within 3 months, and he said he had to talk to his wife. I haven't heard back from him. I don't even want to go into the bed bug thing with him. If I could wave a magic wand it would be to get a new washer/dryer AND be able to cover the fancy bed bug stuff. (Or go back in time and just not have either thing be an issue).

Suzi - I will heat-treat the giant zip lock bags I still have and have not used and put them in a box to you.

eta - 7000!