Update 16 April 2022 A Birthday, Back to Work and Easter

I planned to go back to work the week after his mom left but ended up taking another week or so off. It was so close to Little Bitty’s birthday I wanted to wait until we celebrated that. I had all this time off it seem wrong to go back a day or two before her birthday and tell her sorry spend the day without me I’m going to work and we will do your birthday in a week on the weekend. Her birthday was a Monday so I went back to work on Tuesday. It was funny because work called that day to get an idea of when I was coming back because I hadn’t set a date at that point. I had a lot of time I could take off and was considering working from home. I just told them I had a birthday that day I would be in the next day.

Little Bitty turned 9 just two months after I had the baby. We had dinner and took her to the fair. She had a blast. As soon as we walked in a guy came over gave us information about a magic show they were getting ready to do. We decided to sit and watch it.

I didn’t know but JW had went over and talked to the guy doing the show and told him it was Little Bitty’s birthday we were there celebrating. At the end of the show the last trick he asked for someone else to come up and help he picked her. She didn’t want to go at first she finally did. he did this thing where he put this whit coat painter’s smock on her then gave her a brush told her to paint this glass. When it was done he pulls it out it said happy birthday on it she looked so confused because she hadn’t told him it was her birthday. Then he had her take the jacket off and give it back. then he goes wait something is in this jacket, it’s really heavy. Did you notice how heavy it was and asked her if she felt felt something in it? She was saying no and looking funny. He pulls this big live bird out of the jacket. She was amazed.

The next day I went back to work. I had been moved from my desk to the little one in the hall in the back. So I could be closer to the people in the team I work with. I now almost a year later think it’s so everyone don’t see how much I sit here and do nothing most days. But I was a little pissed off at first. But after a day or two I decided I am not excited about it but it is nicer than being upfront. I have more interaction with the drivers and the others in my group.

I was working every other Saturday when I first came back but only an hour or two. It was the first Saturday back after my leave I was here with my boss. We were talking about the new camera’s in the trucks and how people were covering the speakers or tilting them up or down away from the road. So he told me to go out and check all the trucks that were on the yard at the time and make sure they weren’t covered and aimed the right way. He wanted a list and pictures of any with issues so we could call the driver in and speak to them about it. And they couldn’t deny it if we had pictures.

I went and got my phone and pad of paper and go get in the first truck and checked it. I couldn’t get in the 2nd one because it was locked. I walked into the shop and asked them for their key and went back out to unlock it. I got up in the truck was sitting in the seat both feet flat on the floor of the truck. I looked up at the camera checked it and started making my note. The next thing I knew I felt all this pain and open my eyes and was trying to figure out where I was what was going on. As I am slamming against the truck. I realized I was falling out of the truck and hitting the steps on the truck on the way down. I landed on my left foot some how when I first fell. Then fell the rest of the way down hitting my right side, butt, elbow and wrist before hitting the grown.

I hurt some but my left foot was killing me. I hobbled around and got in and out of the other trucks and checked them, took the key back to the shop. Then I came in and went to my boss’s office and sat down. I told him I fell out of the truck and I thought I had jammed my toes on my left foot. They hurt like heck. I took my shoe and sock off because I had my sneakers on and looked at my foot. It seemed okay so I put it back on. I was done with everything but still had a few hours to go. I told him I was going home I was hurting. I cleaned my wrist up were it started bleeding and left. I truly did not think much of it. I was laughing about my dumbass falling out of the truck and jamming my toes beating myself up. I was also very confused about what happened and how I fell.

By the time I got home my foot was swollen up huge. I took my shoe off and propped it up. I just spent the weekend staying off of it as much as I could considering I had a newborn. By Monday when I got to work I decided I needed to get it looked at because something was wrong. I told HR when she got in. Then called work comp and they sent me to have it checked at the walk in clinic.

I finally was taken back and they did x rays of my whole foot. They came in all worried about it and said I broke my little toe at the base of my foot. They said it was a bad place to have a break because it could shift and need to be operated on. So I went home and called comp and let them know.

It took them forever to get me in to see someone to find out what I had to do. They put me in a boot and told me to keep it on until I can get in and see the other doctor. It was horrible and uncomfortable and killing me the way my back and hips are. Finally right before Easter I got in to see someone. He was an ass. I did not like him and he acted as if I was stupid for coming in, I was wasting his time. He never ask to look at it told me nothing to do for it. When I told him what the other place said and that I may need a different boot and things he got snippy with me. He said you don’t even really need to wear the boot. The whole time his tech is sitting behind him and looking shocked and like he can’t believe what he was saying and the way he was talking to me. He said I think you should wear your boot at least 4 weeks or so. The doctor was like yeah you can if you want.

I left there so angry and ready to call comp and tell them to get me in to see someone else. But I waited the 4 weeks or whatever they said it should take and my follow up was scheduled for. I called them about a week before my follow up and told them I was not going back to him how he treated me and what the owner of the company I work for said about him and others. That I was not going back to have him tell them everything was fine and release me from care and them drop me until someone checked it again. It had been a week or more when I went to him and he didn’t bother to x ray it and check to see if the bone had moved or if it started to heal or anything. At the point I contacted them it was still extremely painful. I was still wearing a boot.

We did Easter at home and then took the kids to the park and met up with my sister and her family. We let the kids hunt Easter eggs and took pictures. I was surprised his family didn’t get together and do something since they are very religious. They get together for Christmas and Thanksgiving, I assumed they would then too but they didn’t. That was fine with me it was nice to just stay home relax and see my sister. Just having the baby and being in the boot and trying to stay off my foot I didn’t really want to go anyway.

Over all April was a pretty good month. I was ready to go back to work as well. Just could of done without breaking my poor toe.

Covid Encounters Pt. 4

As the world turns so do the covid encounters and the positive test that come with them. Monday there were only 8 of us there. I received a phone call a few times and didn’t answer. Number was one I seen but the area code seemed like it was a scam call. I was there to pick JW up at work and it called again. I didn’t answer. Then I got a text that said who it was. I called back. It was the HR lady from work. She was on her cell not the work phone. I guess I hadn’t saved her personal cell in my phone. It not says work I didn’t know.

She said she had to let me know that there was another positive test and it was someone who was there with us today. That the owner wanted up to go be tested again. We could work until 12 today but had to be out by then. They are coming to clean the office again. She said if I wanted to come in early and work til 12 that was fine. I told her I would be there by 7. That would give me 5 hours. She said okay.

In a little bit she called back and said the owner changed his mind felt it was better to not have anyone back in the office u til it was cleaned again just on case. That he was trying go work out a plan to get most everyone out of the office and working from home. So there would only be me the other lady in billing and maybe the two HR people. The two HR people are in the two back corners of the building so not near us or each other really. They could come and go out the back door we could use the front door. Only time we may see them is if we had to go to the bathroom 3 of us would have to share the one. Or if we had to go to the kitchen.

The only one’s that would be close to each other would be me and the other lady in billing. We sit close enough to touch each other. But she sits behind me and faces the wall. Don’t know how much that really matters. But so far we are one of the few who haven’t caught it. They may split us up there would be room to move me to another room for a bit. She has been really careful to not get it and clean. More than anyone there really. I honestly not worried about working with her so close. I am not really worried about catching it. I am just worried about missing work.

So we are up to 8 cases out of 17 people in the office. I am about to call the HR lady to see what the plan is from here. I don’t know what the point of cleaning the office and bringing everyone back tomorrow without having their test back. Anyone of us could come up positive now. No one yet has been sick or had a fever or anything.

Re: A New Position

So last week I told you that I moved into a new position temporarily why I wasn’t working at my day job and until the new girl started. On March 18 the owner said we would talk in two weeks and see where we stood. April first came and went and we didn’t talk. The new girl that had already started was sent home until after lock down because she works at a hotel at night and they felt she was to much of a risk to be around. So it was just me there doing my job and two other peoples. No one said not to come in or to go back to my other hours and the accountant and billing lady told me they wanted me to take the spot in the accountants office and stay there. They didn’t want the other new girl that was supposed to start any day. The billing lady said she did not want anyone else dong billing with her but me because she found so many issues with stuff the one who did start and worked some did.

I just kept working they said they were going to get the owner to keep me in that position and to put the two new girls in other spots. I said but he wants me over there and says he is moving me. They said don’t worry about it we will take care of that, just keep doing a really good job.

We are now a month past the time me and the owner talked and he still hadn’t said anything about getting together and talking. I see him every day he knows I am still coming in the other hours and just doing day hours. He hasn’t offered to talk to me or anything. Finally we were about a week and half before the first of May and they were talking about starting to open things around us. I stopped him Thursday evening and asked him if I could talk to him. It was after 6 everyone had went home it was just me him and M who works with at night I worked with there. M was outside or something. He said yes absolutely come on in. He is that way he has no problem taking time to talk to any of the employee’s if they need to talk to him about something. I knew if he had wanted to talk before that he would of let me know so I wasn’t to worried about it. But I needed to know where I stood with them talking about starting to open things up and all that.

I went in and I just told him, I said you know in March we said we would try this with the new hours and position and me helping out for two weeks until the other girl started. I said then things stayed closed and I have just been doing it. But things are opening back up or going to start soon and I just wanted to see where we stood since you said we would talk in two weeks and we hadn’t. He said we have a full time 40 hours a week day position we want to offer you it is yours if you want it. He said the position you are in now. He said I never would of thought a year ago when I hired you into my dispatch department that you would end up in my accounting office. He said but then you did and he said you just flourished and took off and are doing such an amazing job. He said you are very professional, you show up on time, you work, you get the job done you don’t have all these lose ends all over the place, you make sure it is right, you aren’t leaving or coming in late or calling out. He kept making comments about how professional I am and hard worker and things.

He said with the 40 hours after your first year you get a weeks paid vacation, after the second year you get 2 and after 5 years you get 3. He said you get health insurance I pay I flat $250 a person a month for that you pay the rest. He said I have a life insurance policy I pay in full for you at $25,000. The payroll employee screening company pays another $5,000 policy for each employee. He said bonus is like I gave you in March last time we talked. It is not tied to how well you have done through the year or anything like that. It is just a you work here we are going to give you a bonus kind of thing. He said it is $200 a year for every year you have been here. He said raises are not something we give to often and there is no ryme or reason why I give them or set time or amount. He said I give them to who I want when I want and I give what I want. He said it isn’t a set this time of year everyone gets one and they all get this much or that much. He said some get them some don’t and no one really gets them at the same time. No one knows if or when someone gets one or how much they got. He said your pay we brought you down a $1 with the new position. I said yes and……He said there was a couple reasons I did that. He said when you started you were only part time, you couldn’t get any health insurance and things like that. He said and you were working night shift not days. I said that was fine I under stood. He said but I accounted for the fact that you have been with us for a year, that you know the company and what is going on from a stand point that others in that area do not and that can help you and help them. He said and the fact you had already been helping them before you moved over there and knew parts of the job for that side. He said so I thought and felt it was fair to leave you were I did. I said that was fine and thank you. Because really it is I am days and not nights and I do get more hours and he does pay more for part time to make it worth it or try to. Plus I also know that I am making a $1 more an hour than the billing lady who has been there for 5+ years and that she is making the same as the new girl that just started. That is what they had started out telling me I would be cut back to if I stayed in one of the positions over there. I had said okay or I could do it maybe I would have to think about it but I was prepared to go in asking for what I am making now and pushing for it not backing down. Because I felt it was fair considering all the work I am doing that I am doing the work of three to 4 people. Even if the other lady was making less and had been there longer. She don’t do near what I do and I am in a different position than her. They want me trained to do her job, plus the job I am doing and both the new girls jobs. Because if one is out I have to be able to jump over and run the show in that area too on top of doing my job. I am handing a lot of things none of the rest handle and I am doing a split job. In he mornings I do billing then after lunch I work with the accountant and after that I fit in all the extra stuff that is just mine to handle. Or stay late to get it done.

But why he was talking about what he put my pay at and not giving raises on a set time and all that, he kept talking about how good of a job I am doing and how professional I am and things.

I also told him when I first went in and told him I wanted to talk to him about my job and hours and all that. I told him they were talking about starting to open things back up so I wanted to be able to let them know at my other day job I wasn’t going to be back. To give them enough time to find someone else and train them and things if they needed to. That I didn’t want to leave them stuck because I am the only one there that does what I do and that opens them and closes them and keeps them open through the day and calls to get them work.

That was when he was talking again about hard working and professional and things again. And he said I am sure you will be compinsated or you will be being compinated when things start to pick back up and if you keep working hard like you do and doing such a good job. In other words I can expect to be getting raises and that the work I am doing is being noticed. But that he has to wait for things to pick back up and get back to normal before he can do to much. I know the yard guy said he gave him like a $2 raise because he was doing such a good job and told him how good he was doing and things. Even if it is just extra bonus or something because I went in there and got them cleaned up and they went from weeks or month or more behind in billing to a few days to a week at any given time now. We are about to be up to billing the same day stuff is delivered. I am getting everything else in order and turned around and figuring out how to do everything that has not been done for months because the other two girls left and no one has touched their jobs since they left. It is a huge mess and every time I ask where is this or how do we do this all I get is figure it out so and so did it and we have no idea how or what she done she just done it. We never thought she would leave or thought about what we would do if she did. They are still coming up with stuff she done all the time and giving me going we forgot she did this. Oh she done this. we don’t know how she didn’t write it down or what figure it out put together something that works for you.

A raise or something extra would be great considering all I am doing. I don’t think he knows what all I am doing and if he knew I think he would be shocked. He may find out before to long because my boss has made a few comments to me and I am done and tired of it. If it keeps on I am going to go to the owner and say something.

But for now that is where we are. The girl that was supposed to be in my position started last week. They put her doing a different position she is fine with that. I am shocked she has been a bar tender for 5 years and has never done anything like I am doing. They were going to hire her to do it. I have not done what I am doing on a large scale like I am now but I have done it before on a smaller scale have experience. Not with all of it but a lot of it. Plus I have taken finance classes and tax classes and things. I know what is going on and things.

The other new girl that got sent home decided not to come back because she is still at the hotel and they asked her to start with and she said no. Then messaged back said yes and she couldn’t leave there to come here when that is where she has been able to work all this time. So now we have to fill that position. I am a little aggervated because I am doing 3 jobs really and all this time they kept saying once they come in and we fill those postions they will take some of the work load off of you and do that. That was the one that sits over there’s job so we will give some of this stuff back to them. Then brought them in and gave them a different position that has nothing to do with what I am doing and don’t plan to give them or the one some of this stuff I am doing back to her. That does make me mad because I was overwhelmed the first few weeks to month. Then the next few weeks I felt I was starting to get a grip on things and get them caught up. But now I feel like I am falling behind because I am doing everything for my boss and doing the billing that it don’t leave me time to handle my stuff they want me to take care of. I am going to give it a few more weeks and try to get myself straight again and get a system in place and see where to go from there. If I am going to be able to catch it up and keep it up and get a rutine going or am I going to have to say hey look she needs to take over some jobs or we need to hire someone to take over some jobs because i can’t keep doing three jobs and not for the pay of one. Then see where we all stand and what happens or if I will have to go to the owner. My boss is nice but I don’t need nice i need a boss that is going to do what needs to be done to get the job done. That is going to hire someone if that is what it means or divide work up with the others like he said or give me time in a day to do my job not just time to help him and help billing and then think it should all just happen and get done.

Plus I have not been trained all the way through on how to do anything. Parts of jobs here and there and mover on to a different part of a different job and do it because it needs done. Now when I have to go back and ask questions or don’t know something he makes comments about taking notes and things. I have tons of notes but when you have pieces here and there it is hard to put them together and make since. or when you were never told but he insist that he did and tells me to figure it out and get it together. I have a report that needs sent but he told me i should of taken notes and he told me already. I told him no he hadn’t he said figure it out. I got pissed off and had other stuff to do so I laid it down there and went to do what he said to do and get done. When he ask I am going to tell him it is right here you never showed me or told me how to do it. It isn’t even how to it. It is ready i just need the contact info for the person it is going to. He says I told you it was so and so. I said I don’t have his info. I gave it to you. I said no he you should of taken notes. I am not going to be done this way. He tells me one thing the new girl something else. I ask him the other day what he was telling her about a calunder to put our time off on so he could see it and would know about it. I was right now it was no secret that I could hear them talking. I said what a calunder? He said something. I said I was just told to email it to you. Now we need to put it somewhere else or do it different? He said no that is what I am showing her and told her to do too. I just heard him tell her different. Friday me and her went to lunch it came up she said yeah he told me to put it on this or that calundear and share it with him so he could see it. I said see that is what I was aksing him that day what he was talking about if we all did that or could. He told me no he was just telling you to email him and showing you how. She said yes I know I was wondering why and didn’t know what to say. I said no it was fine but you caught it too. She said yes and that isn’t’ all. I said yes I know he does things like this all the time. I am not going to put up with that either. I will go to the owner. I think the owner already knows and I know he isn’t happy with a lot that he has done and is doing lately. I don’t want his job or to see him get fired. But I am not going to be done this way either. I have seen him through the owners wife under the bus to him over stuff he was supposed to do and said he thought she was doing it. He told me he was supposed to before it ever happened got up and walked out went home. Never done it never talked to anyone. Then told the owner no your wife was supposed to let you know yesterday. I thought she was letting you know we talked about such and such and. He never talked to her about any of it he talked to the other lady there and me and that was that. I said I am just doing what I was told he told me he talked to you or would be. He didn’t tell me any different so I thought you were fine with it. I will stay late tonight that isn’t a problem i am use to it and will come in late the next few days so I don’t go over 40. That way I am here to do my night hours and whatever I have time fore before that to help day people. He said no don’t worry about it it wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t they told me to do something different he said he would handle it with him.

But over all I am happy and am sure these bumps along the way isn’t anything I can’t work through and get things settled down. How ever I may have to do it. Even the owners son is coming to me about things and wanting me to work with him on setting up our new computer system and things for our department. When that should be my boss and him and the other lady. But the other lady don’t care. He don’t want to work with my boss because he don’t like the way he does things and how he is still trying to do things even after having an employee that is being investigated and a computer taken for evidence and things. He called me to find out what the new girls needed to have access to and asking if they really needed this or that or not and things. I don’t mind helping him set a more secure system up for the whole place and agree with him things need to change even if my boss don’t like it. But I don’t feel I should be the one to be helping him unless the owner or my boss says to. After we talk I call the billing lady into our office and talk to her and the accountant and tell the what was said and what info he wants and things. Then I go back and tell the owners son this is what boss says, this is what so and so says and this is what I think, know or feel. So you can do what you think is right to do from all of that. He will say I don’t care what he has to say or yeah but what he is saying is wrong or not a good point or reason to do this or that. He will say this is what I am going to do will that let what needs to be done by who needs to do it be done? Or do they need more? I tell him that is what he does. I am sure if boss figured out that is what is happening he won’t be happy. But I am not hiding anything. Me and him are in the same office a foot apart and I am on the phone with him right there. I call the billing lady in there talk to them both about it and call owners son back right there tell him what was said. He hears it. I tell the owners son I think they need this or that but not this. They had this but no reason for them to now so we probably should take it or what. Because of what just happen we need to be careful. If boss don’t like it then he needs to be the one calling him and talking to him. Because I could put together a good system for all of us pretty easy I think if I was given a day or two to work on it. I know who is in dispatch and what they need access to. I know who is in my area and what they need access to. I could put it all down and everyone else in the building and make it so each area only had access to what they needed of each area’s info not full access to everything and free run to add delete or lose things. That is what the owners son is wanting to do but my boss isn’t wanting him to lock everything down so much. I kind of wonder why. Because as long as he has access to what he needs and everyone else dose as well why does he care what who don’t have access to? Unless he is in on this stuff with the other girl who is under investigation or doing something with the books. I may bring that up to him when we talk again.

It is late I better get off here. But I wanted to let you all know what happen about the position.

I went that Friday to tell them at my day job but I just missed the guys. I was off that following Monday so I went to tell them then. Only one was there but I went ahead and told him. They figured it was coming they know I need the money and things couldn’t afford not to work all that time. Plus pops kept telling me I needed to get on full time over there and take it that I had a really good opportunity over there and was better off over there. I told the one that was there, it is so much more about $4 or more an hour than what I make there, I have health insurance if i want or need it, I have life insurance I don’t have to pay. I get bonus, and like I told him if nothing else the experience that I am going to get working in the accounting office for a place like that. I can take that somewhere else and make decent money. Once I can show I have been there a year or two and know what I am doing. I could probably make twice what I am making now or close to it once I have the experience. Even without schooling. Plus I can start classes again and finish my degree I hope. I will have that much down and done.

Maybe Found a Place

I went and talked to a guy about some trailers this morning. He said he has a 3 bed single wide opening up and maybe a 4 double soon. He said it would be between $600 and $700 a month. With lot and trailer rent. He said that I wouldn’t have to give him money to move in just pay what the park wants. That is about $1200. He told me I had to show about $1800 to move in. I was like that is no problem at all. I can show that and then some. I work two jobs and get this and that. I told him the $1200 wouldn’t be a problem at all either. he seem to think that showing that much income and putting that much down upfront was a big deal. I said I pay $875 a month and my rent is going up in a month. Then I have to pay all my other bills. I said now I could pay almost everything for that if I got one of these and only work one job.

I called the guy at the park this evening and talked to him. I know him well father of the year and Rc worked for him. He knows all that happen how they both walked away. He likes me as a person in genereal i guess you would say. It isn’t like we are buddy buddy talk all the time or anything. He just knows what i been through with them and knows im busting my ass to take care of the kids. That i work im not a druggie or cause problems drama. That I will pay. So i know he will approve me if i find something. I can pass all the checks they do anyway.

I just hope they are decent places and I can get one of them. He says the smaller one is nicer out of the two he thought. But he had not been in the smaller one in a while. At this point if it isn’t 50 years old and decent shape i am going to take one of them. I am going to ask him what the park has but i do not think they have anything in the price range i am looking for.

I went over there today but they were not open. He said they open at 930 to come at 10. I told him I had to be at work at 10 but my guys would be in town so as soon as I got someone in to cover me I would come up. He said that was fine.

The only problem is they do not take dogs over 25lbs. Both ours are about 2x that. I am going to have to sneak them in and put up fence.

No Luck Finding A Place

I have about 5 weeks to move and need to give my 30 day note next week so they know I am leaving. The only problem is I can not find a place to move to that isn’t hundreds out of my budget.

I need a 3+ bedroom place that takes pets that is no more than $1000 a month. Our 1 bedrooms are starting at $800+ a month. The only thing I have found is down by my night job and I really do not want to live in that area at all. I hate the traffic and the drive in the morning is going to be horrible to get to my day job. I do not know what to do. Plus JW job is over by where we live now he would have to get there and back.

He keeps showing me others at higher prices I keep telling him I can’t. He says but I’m going to be there to help. I finally told him the other day, nothing against him but when I do this I have to know that I can cover rent and all my bills 100% on my own. Yes he will at some point be there to help. But what about until then? What about if something happens and he can’t or don’t come? What if one of us loses a job or something? What if something happen to one of us the other is stuck paying it on their own. If it was me he would be okay he could move. It was him I’m stuck, I can’t move and down size.

Like I told him too, i would like to get to working one job. I would like for him to get to doing a normal 40 hour week. Not working 6 days a week. I would like for us to still be able to save and do things aas well not just get by or maintain. He said yes he understood, I was right, he just wanted to see me and the kids get moved and be somewhere decent and not stuck where we are. That he would help as much as he could even before he moved in and things. But we shouldn’t put us out for more than we really need too.

I have 3 places to call about tomorrow I hope one of them comes through.

A 3rd Job Again

It looks like I am going to have to pick up some kind of 3rd job again for a while. Although I was getting on top of things and had everything but the lights paid up and was making payments on the repair fee’s I was pretty much on top of things. I feel I was as everything I owed was going to be paid up to $0 balance and only have the repair fee’s I would be making payments on and then monthly bills that would be paid on time.

But with this $400 going out unexpected then my car insurance renewing this month and still owing on repair fee’s and needing to do Christmas for the kids. I am starting to sink and fast all in the blink of an eye. Even thought I was caught up for the most part I had not been able to get that savings or cushion to fall back on in times like this built up yet. That was next on the list. To start saving to have a little put away. That is tricky as well seeing as my son gets Ssi. Because I am not supposed to have over $2000 in assists. That includes vehicles, cash on hand and savings. How are you supposed to get ahead or put away for a crisis or emergency, unexpected things in that case? They tell you to have 4 to 6 months of bill money in the bank in case something happens. Even one to two months of money would put me over the limit alone much less having the second vehicle. So then that is going to take money out of the pot each month so then I will have to use out of my savings to make up for it there for not really getting ahead again because I will have to take out every month to make up for what is taken away. I would love to be able to get by without having that money at all and would be happy to just have 2 months of savings in the bank and be able to put so much away to make up if some had to be taken out. But right now that just isn’t the case and to start taking away right away I don’t see how to go about it all.

I am thinking of posting an add on craigslist again looking for a few offices to clean in the evening on Saturday or Sunday. This way I can clean them after the kids go to bed at night on the weekend and gives me leeway between doing them Saturday or Sunday. Whatever night I can get to them. If they are mid size office’s I can get around $75 to $100 and if I could do even one that would help a good deal right now. I don’t want to over load myself and try to do to many. I haven’t crunched numbers but I think if I pick one up at $100 a weekend I would be okay or close enough or get me by. Let me feel some relief and not feel so strapped.

I have thought about doing pizza’s again on Saturday night if she needs me. But that is a lot of wear and tear on my car that I don’t know I want to start putting on this one. I have put a bunch of miles on it already, I don’t need to put more than I have to on it because it is going to start breaking like my truck once I start doing them. The start and go, start and go a 100 miles or more a night is a lot of stress on a car.

If I did an office or two on the weekend I can hopefully find one or two close to home and I just drive there park and drive home. Not running it for hours all night like I would doing pizza’s. Even if I had to go a little further than I would like I hope to go less than 10 miles one way and 20 miles round trip is still better than miles on in all night.

I thought about doing coupons and making holiday baskets and selling them. But I don’t have the money to put out to make them and sell them. I don’t have the $15 or more to put out on newspapers and then buy product to do them and sit on them until they sell. I would need to be buying things now and making them to be able to have a bunch made for the holiday shopping rush right after Thanksgiving up until Christmas. I could put baskets, bags, stockings and things like that together for men, women, and kids. I use to make them for the teachers for the holidays. I would put body spray, lotion, body-wash and things like that in them. Toss in some kind of gloves, socks, towel, washcloth or towel for your hair or other little things for guys. You have a nice gift for a friend, co worker or someone you want to grab something nice for on a budget. Kids you can put one together with coloring books, puzzles, something to read a comic book, markers, crayons all kinds of things just dependent on the age. You can have orders where you put baskets together depending on theme or age.

I seen some nice drawstring bags on line for sale someone had made they were trying to sell that would be perfect that I would love to get but just don’t have the money to put into them. They have a couple 1000 or so and want to sell the lot. I would buy them because I know I would use them and sell them with no problem probably to make things like this. It stinks because there are so many things like this I could make money at but it cost so money to get started. I wish I had not dropped my credit score because I would go to the bank and try to get a lone. For a few grand. Pay the rest of the repair money off and the lights. Then I would buy a bunch of things and make a bunch of baskets and bags up and have them ready and start selling them. I would go ahead and buy Christmas for the kids so that it would be take care of and not have to worry about it.

I could take two grand pay things up spend less than $500 make a bunch of baskets and make back at least a grand or more probably depending on how many I make how big and nice they are and things. I thought about doing pizza’s for a few weeks and no mater what take it and buy supplies and do it. But I know I can’t do it that way I need to be able to get a bunch at one time and it would cost me money in gas and I’m not able to know I am going to make a good enough chunk to make it.

The Daily Four

Over on a Guy Called Bloke’s blog he has started a post he calls the Question Fun Directory or the Daily Four. I have decided to answer today’s questions. So here goes.

What was the worst thing you did as a child?

Growing up, what was your ideal dream job and did you bring that to a reality at all?

What were the things you both liked and hated about your schooling?

Where there is a will, there is a way! Do you agree?

 

What was the worst thing you did as a child?

It was my birthday I think maybe 6 or 7th. I don’t know I was young so I am surprised I remember it. But my mom and dad was there and they threw a party for me. We were at our house and there was a bunch of kids there. There were two boys around my age and a little older. They were my moms good friends kids and she use to babysit them for her. They had spent the night or weekend with us why their mom was working or away. So they had some things there other than just being there for the party.

Well one had his skateboard with him and we were out in the street in front of the house playing with it. I was laying on it pushing around with my hands and things. He decided he wanted it back. I wasn’t done playing and he kind of dumped me off in the street.

We end up standing in the middle of the street with the skateboard upside down. He had one set of wheels and I was holding it by the other set. We were pulling it back and forth fighting over who got it and trying to get it away from each other. I got it away from him and held it up and hit him on the head with it.

I think I still remember this to this day at 38 years old because it was a birthday party for me, I don’t remember having to many parties with friends. My birthday is the day after Christmas. I also do not remember my mom and dad being together and doing anything or my dad living with us ever even though they didn’t get divorced until a few years later. And my dad spanked me for hitting hi in the head and sent me to my room. It was my birthday party so everyone was having fun I was in my room with a spanking. It is the only time I ever remember my dad spanking me and that was probably worse to me than the spanking it’s self, or missing part of the party or anything else. Because My dad just never spanked me or got onto me for things. I was close to my dad and I wasn’t a kid who got in trouble often and he just talk to me or say something about what I did and we would go on.

Growing up, what was your ideal dream job and did you bring that to a reality at all?

I have wanted to be a counselor and work with teens or teen parents, addiction things like that. While I haven’t yet I have started schooling for it and hope to get started back next year and finish.

What were the things you both liked and hated about your schooling?

I didn’t like school very much at all. I felt that we shouldn’t have to take math, science, history and all that in high school. I felt we should be taking classes geared toward the careers that we wanted to go into. I still feel that by jr high/ high school we should be teaching our kids or have them in classes working on the path they are wanting to go into. I think at this point the other classes are a waste. I feel the same with with college we shouldn’t have to take math, science and all that then either to get a degree. But anyway that is why I hated school.

The only thing I really liked about school was it got me away from my house and a chance to see my friends. I wasn’t aloud to do a lot when I was younger and didn’t like having people over to my house because I didn’t want them around my mom and things the way she was.

Where there is a will, there is a way! Do you agree?

I 100% agree with this so many people make excuses because they don’t want to put in the work to get to where they want to be or have what they want. If it isn’t quick and easy they give up.

Kind Of Good News

So today at work one of the owners came in and was talking to me and Pops. He said his son is going to start working here with us. Pops is wanting more time off he is having a hard time standing for long periods of time anymore. Plus he just don’t feel like coming in sometimes. He is 75 after all and just took this on as part time to have a little extra money to go out and help the guys out. But we have days that we are slammed and he is here all day instead of an hour or two or half the day. Then some of the work he has to stand the whole time and he just can’t anymore and it takes him longer to do he work because he has to take breaks.

But we are not to a point that we needs someone all day everyday or even to say we can hire someone a few hours everyday. We stay steady most the time but then have days where we have no one or a couple things. Right now I think the shop side breaks even or just under breaking even.

Me and Pops were talking about it the other day and we really can’t hire someone and tell them you might get 5 to 10 hours a week and we don’t have set hours to give you we just want to call you when we need you. No one needing a job can really live on that and it really isn’t worth it to drive over here for. I said I would not mind learning some of it to help give him a break.

The boss said today his son was going to start coming in after school and working a few hours to help take the stress off Pops. He is also trained to go out on the bus with the guys to help there if there isn’t school or a weekend and they have something.

So he will come after school if we have things to be done and get it all ready for the people to pick up the next day. Pops can come in during the day if I have things that needs done for the day or he can’t get it all done or something. But this should give him a much needed break. It works out great for what we were talking about since he isn’t needing the money to live on and all that it is just gas money or what for him and he still lives at home. He just a kid.

It really don’t change much for our customers other than maybe instead of being able to get it back the same day they will have to wait until the next business day. Now I have a rule if they get it in before 1 or 2pm they can have it back after 3 that day. This way I will just start telling people unless they set it up ahead of time with me it is next day. Because we have some people that come 20+ miles to get their things done and would like to wait for it or get it back as soon as we can get it done. We can still do that if they let me know before hand they are coming I can set it up that Pops will be here to do their stuff.

We are always changing but not changing at the same time with that part of things. But people don’t mind because most are shocked they can get it back after three the next day much less the same. They expect to wait a few days to get it back anyway. So I just go by what is going on that day. Like if Pops is busy even if it is only 11 or 12 I will start telling them the next day because we are busy and have work to get out by three already we had to start bumping things until tomorrow. I have only had one or two people complain and they were just that type of person they have something to say about everything you can tell. But being the only place in the county that does the work we do people have to understand that sometimes we get busy. We do everything we can to get it back as quick as we can but that is not always possible and we are getting back quicker still than what we are told we have to get it back. When I started I was told I could tell them anywhere from 2 to 3 days up to a week to get things back depending what it was but at the least tell them 2 days for everything. Once I got in here and seen how busy we are and how long it takes to do things I was able to get it to after 3 if in by x time that day or after 3 the next day if after that time. Most the time really the after 3 the next day could be picked up in the morning after we open a lot of times. He will get them done in the evening before we close. But this way he can have time to get to them if we are busy and he isn’t having to stand there until he can hardly move to finish them after the days work is done. He comes in around 11:30 but then if he has doctors or something not until after lunch. Plus if I am running late or have to come in late for something there isn’t people sitting here waiting to get their things back first thing in the morning. We have some flexibility if we need it or something unforeseen happens and we have to take off to take care of it. We can get someone to come in and cover or time to get here. We don’t have a lot of people coming in to drop off in the morning if we miss someone they understand things happen. But I hate to give someone a set time to come back and not have something ready or not be here and I don’t want a rush of people when I am trying to open. because I find I tell them after 3 and they will come at 12 or 1 or 2 and say I need to get my stuff or I know you said but I just wanted to see if it was ready. So if I tell them 12 they will be here waiting on me or trying to get in why I am trying to open or return calls and things in the morning and a lot of our drop offs are in the morning. This way I don’t have a lobby full of people.

The owners don’t care they told me do things however you feel works best for you or the shop or however they need to be done. We just own it your the boss take care of things. It works nicely.

Are You Really Functioning If……Random Thought 7

Sitting here at work thinking about and for some reason a flood of three conversations that were had here at work came rushing into my thoughts out of no where. One me and Pops had maybe the same day or just a day or two before the other two. They were had on the same day. Me and Pops was talking about different people being on drugs and things like that. His daughter has a problem too. We were talking about how they think they have everyone fooled and no one knows they work and do this or that and that they are functioning addicts.

The other was a conversation that me and Bff had one day I was here at work, I was talking to her on the phone. The guys were here and they heard me tell her that who and what we were talking about I didn’t even want to talk about because it just made me to mad and that I didn’t want to see that person or talk to her if I did it wouldn’t be good.

Later we were here and the one ask me about it and if everything was alright or what. I told him yes it was just this girl that we knew and how she was doing her kid and can’t or don’t take care of him dumps him and things like that. He asked me who she was he said it sounded like someone he knew of going through the same thing with a baby. I told him he said no her name is whatever but she is having same kind of problem or what.

For some reason these three conversations all came flooding back to me just now sitting here. I thought yeah because they are functioning addicts. Then I had the though are they really functioning addicts if all they have going for them is they have a job? How functioning does one have to be to be considered functioning or low or far gone does one have to be before they are just considered addicts?

I mean if you have a job but that is all you have, other than that your sleeping on couches and staying here and there or where ever. Are you really functioning?

The other I don’t know what you would consider her, she isn’t even functioning if you ask me. She can’t keep a job, always fighting with her family and getting kicked out, this guy in and out and running around with this one and that one. The only thing she has is she tries to play mom and fails horribly at that.

Then you have the other who works but I don’t know how much or how good she is at keeping a job. But she is on and off with her boyfriend all the time and dragging people in and out of her parents house all the time. She takes care of them and things so she is functioning more than the other two probably, maybe. I don’t know her good enough to make any kind of call really I have only met her once or twice I think. Just what I was told during conversations here and there.

So what is the difference in functioning addict and an addict?

No Motivation To Write

I don’t know what is wrong with me. The other day I sat down and wrote I don’t know how many post in just a few days. Then we get to the last few days and It has taken me two days to write my last post. I started it Wednesday night, worked on it yesterday a few minutes here and there and finally sat down and finished it today. Not that I didn’t have anything I wanted to write about, I just haven’t been able to keep focused and do it. I am sitting here at work doing nothing and figure I will write like I have the last few days but can’t. I sit here and find everything else to do or just sit here blankly looking at the computer unable to force myself to write.

I just have no motivation, I just want to sleep and can’t stay on track of what I am trying to do. I am also so bored out of my mind I am tired of doing the same old same for days. This is the end of week three of my new job and working all day and all evening. It has been so unbelievably slow at both jobs for the most part that I am just sitting for about 13 hours a day behind a desk in front of a computer. With nothing to do but sit. It is really starting to get to me.

I really need to get on a better sleep and eating track. I am hardly eating and I am starting to feel it. I am not sleeping because I don’t get home until so late then have to wind down and things before I fall a sleep so I’m not sleeping until 3 or 4 in the morning and then up by 7. The weekend we are going and doing stuff, I am getting a little extra sleep but not much. I am so sore from head to toe it isn’t even funny. I just want to cry. I don’t know anymore.

Don’t get me wrong I love my jobs and very glad to have them. I just need to figure out how to balance it all still. It don’t normally take this long but I haven’t been working like this sine I was in my 20’s. I didn’t have kids and all that to take care of and worry about. I feel so old right now it’s not eve funny.