Update 6-19-10: We’re at the point where all we can do is laugh. And dance. And laugh at the dancing.

A water main broke right outside our front door this morning which means the water has been turned off. Naturally, I have my first job interview in a month this afternoon.

Oh, and my husband’s car needs repaired – something is banging and clanging and we sound like the Clampett’s driving through town.

I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

Update 6-17-10: My grandfather passed away this morning. I won’t be going home for the funeral. Should I even say it’s because we don’t have the money, or is that kind of assumed by now? That’s what I thought.

Update 6-16-10: My husband is a paramedic and is being sent to the Gulf Coast to assist those that are cleaning oil from the beaches. He’ll spend two weeks in Louisiana and one week at home until further notice. He is scheduled to leave the week of BlogHer. Please add “board the dog, airport parking, activate security system, steel-toe boots, and feed husband while he is away” to the list of uses we have for this $2,000 sponsorship.

Thank you all so much for your support. It’s been very touching.

I don’t think I’m deserving of much, but this year? This year I think I deserve a break.

I’m not one for sob stories. I don’t like reading other people’s tales of woe – not because I’m unsympathetic, but because I believe that we all have the power to better ourselves and our situations. So, I certainly don’t like throwing my own pity party, but this year has been hard. Writing this is hard.

Writing this is also our chance to catch a break. My husband and I, both. It’s a glimpse into why I think we deserve a very generous $2,000 Smart ChargHER BlogHer sponsorship courtesy of Energizer and An Island Life and Barefoot Mommies.

Deep breath.

Last January, my husband and I packed up and moved across the country. It wasn’t a decision that was made on a whim. Pros and cons lists were made, jobs were secured, money was saved. It was supposed to be a great adventure. Our chance to make a new city our home.

Instead, it’s been six months of unemployment, disappointment, empty bank accounts, and a strain on our relationship that better couples than us have succumb to.

But, we’re like that damn bunny.

Just when we think we don’t have enough money to make our car payment, an overtime shift is offered. Just when we think we can’t spend another second together in our tiny one bedroom apartment, the weather breaks. Just when we think my roots can’t get any trashier, my parents say to make an appointment for a cut and color – their treat.

We just keep going, and going, and going. Surprising ourselves at times.

Through all of it, I’ve been looking forward to Blogher. It’s been an event on the horizon that’s kept me going – a chance to get away, clear my head, visit with friends and family, and re-Energize.

And I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to assume that my husband wouldn’t mind sending me on my merry way for a weekend so that he can lounge around in his underwear and eat mac & cheese straight from the pot.

I worked hard to find a BlogHer sponsor. My friends worked hard to help me find a sponsor. And I found a sponsor! I had a sponsor. A sponsor who has since stopped returning my emails, went back on their word, and caused more disappointment. Vanished. Vamoosed. Disappeared. Never to be seen or heard from again.

I get it. I know there are much bigger obstacles in life. But right now, the obstacles in front of us are daunting and the disappointment is real.

This $2,000 sponsorship from Energizer would be used to pay the credit card bill that I charged my Blogher ticket and airfare to. It will be used to buy dirty water hot-dogs from street vendors all weekend so that the rest of the money can be used to pay next month’s bills – rent, electric, internet, cell phones, car payments, groceries…

I wouldn’t apply for this opportunity if it wasn’t about so much more than Blogher and so much more than just me. It’s about my husband and I. It’s about catching our breath, recharging, and learning to keep going, and going, and going…

If you think that I deserve a shot at this sponsorship, please support my entry by leaving a comment on Energizer’s Facebook page or sending a Tweet…

Please choose @CorrinRenee for the #energizer #blogher sponsorship from @kailani http://bit.ly/8ZcCeP

or

Please choose @CorrinRenee for the #energizer #blogher sponsorship from @barefootmomma http://bit.ly/8ZcCeP

Thank you. Thank you so much.