It's one of those times that one can be thankful for having good credit. First one bill comes, then another, then another and another. It didn't all happen exactly at once, but it certainly feels that way when all six or eight major needs have piled up on the desk right before your eyes. Some cry out for attention like wheels without grease, others lying silently knowing that their time will come—or else.

For instance, I went to the dentist last week and was told that my teeth look pretty good, but two old fillings are ‘leaking' and I need crowns.

I took the information in stride until I heard the cost. Two crowns are around $1,400. The alternative? Eating applesauce and sipping Ensure three times a day for the rest of my life. Now there's a tough decision.

I also have two more to which to look forward next year. Oh boy! Apparently the dentist plants to use his ‘Midas touch' to turn my wayward molars into things of great value. At least I'll finally have that savings account I was hoping for, even if I do have to carry it around in my mouth for the rest of my life.

To take my mind off the expense, I decided to go out and finally chop all the weeds around the house. Working always helps take my mind off my problems.

After working at cropping the short grass around the swing set for about 15 minutes with the string trimmer, the head and the string spool both melted and fell off on the ground in a cloud of greasy black smoke. At least the motor continued to run just fine. I would have fixed it, but I soon found out that replacement parts cost more than the machine is worth. Welcome to our throw-away society.

I would have finished the job with the push mower, but the starter cord snapped and pulled out completely and the metal handle, which I had fixed earlier, broke and fell to the ground as I moved it back toward the driveway. Since the weeds had grown high enough for one to get lost in the back yard on the way to the clothesline and back without the aid of a machete and a tribal guide, I decided action was needed.

Whenever I purchase a piece of equipment, I always try to get a product as good or better than the one I am replacing. Since the model that I had cost less than $100 and fell apart by the swing set, I opted for a big leap in quality, which also came with a big leap in retail price.

I can proudly report that I can now unleash havoc on green plants with impunity, but the purchase wreaked even more havoc on the green stuff in my wallet. There's always a price to pay.

There are also the normal expenses that I typically face this time of year. For instance, the kerosene in the tank is getting somewhat low. Actually, it's nearly gone.

I held off buying any last year when the price was more than $2 per gallon, hoping it would go down. The price has risen to nearly $3 per gallon counting the taxes and whatever else those folks charge to come and fill up a tank—another apparent wise financial move on my part. Perhaps I should start playing the stock market. I usually try to do most of my heating with wood, but the kerosene backup helps on the coldest days, especially at night. It also gives me a way to heat the house when I am going to be gone for a day or more. In other words, I have to have it, no matter what it costs.

I bet the stuff will cost more than gold teeth by the end of winter. Maybe I can figure out how to get another job part-time. I can only hope the circus passes through town soon. Did I mention that the car I bought needs a new set of tires before winter? I priced the tires and decided to wait until fall to purchase them to try and get all that I could out of the existing tires. Now, nearing the critical stage in wear, I find that it is time to shell out some $300. The timing leaves much to be desired.

Maybe those tires on the car aren't as bad as I thought they were. Those slick spots probably won't hurt anything, especially since the roads are parched and dry and traction isn't all that hard to come by. After all, those race cars don't have tread patterns on their tires and they go over 200 miles per hour. Surely I can drive down the hill to work and back without a problem.

Pondering all this, I leaned back in my chair and pulled out my shirt tail to wipe the tears off my glasses. (Actually, it was just dust, but tears sounds much more dramatic). That's when the frame broke on the right side and the lens fell out in my hand. My glasses are several years old, but I had hoped to use them at least until retirement. Now I find myself trying to work with one eye closed, which doesn't exactly work. I tried it with both eyes open, but then

I could only half see. I can still squint and almost make out normal- sized words. Oh well, I thought, what's one more expense going to hurt? In searching for some practical lesson in all this, I find no wisdom. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you get stuck with the bill.