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I just need to say it again. Occasionally.
May. 9th, 2011 04:29 pmI am going to make it through this year if it kills me.
Lo, it is decided
Apr. 28th, 2011 08:35 pmI called Augsburg College today and gave them my credit card number to reserve her place in the class and put down her housing deposit.
Now we have to figure out how to pay for it.
Starting next week, I am going to be looking for another job for nights and weekends. No one will hire my husband.
I hope I'll find someone who will hire me.
Now we have to figure out how to pay for it.
Starting next week, I am going to be looking for another job for nights and weekends. No one will hire my husband.
I hope I'll find someone who will hire me.
From an article dated September 15 from Change.org: 10 Povery Statistics You Can't Afford to Ignore:
When President Obama first came into office, he wisely blamed the recession on the Bush Administration. Bad policy here, tax cut there and voilá — the Great Recession. He's finding that it's easier to get into a recession than out of one, though.
We are now awaiting new poverty data from the Census Bureau, and the Obama Administration will have to answer some tough questions concerning the progress of its economic policies. Here are 10 recent poverty statistics that are making his job more difficult than ever.
1.) The number of Americans in poverty is on pace for a record increase this year. Demographers expect the poverty rate to increase from 13.2 percent to about 15 percent, the highest number since the U.S. government began calculating poverty figures in 1959.
2.) The U.S. poverty rate is now third worst among the developed nations tracked by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
3.) According to some estimates, the United States has lost eight million jobs since 2007.
4.) For the first time in U.S. history, 40 million Americans are on food stamps, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that number will go up to 43 million in 2011.
5.) An estimated 45 million Americans lived in poverty in 2009.
6.) About 81 percent of American adults know someone who is looking for a job and 28 percent of all U.S. households have at least one member that is looking for a full-time job.
7.) More than six million people have been out of work for 27 weeks or more.
8.) More than 25 percent of adults have abysmal credit scores.
9.) Approximately 19 percent of all children in the United States are living below the poverty line.
10.) One out of every six Americans is now being served by at least one government anti-poverty program.
The depths of winter
Jan. 27th, 2010 08:58 amMy hands are extremely painful, with cracked dry skin.
I hurt all over today. I went back to karate class yesterday (I'd intended to be going to two classes a week by now, but I've missed two weeks of classes due to all sorts of conflicts, plus depression). I'm using this knee brace, which works pretty well, and gives me good support, and keeps it warm, but of course, it prevents me from chambering my kicks very tightly.
It's so hard not to get discouraged. This knee problem, I've decided, seems to be a permanant injury. It still hurts, hurts, hurts when I do a full squat, even fourteen months later. I still can't do slow kicks on the injured side without holding the bar--my balance on that side is entirely shot. I have no more balance on that side than a green belt. I'm in the class below my belt level, and it still just seems so hard. And I'm not even going back to sparring class yet. After sparring class on Monday night (I was waiting because Fiona was attending), I joined the class to do the killer abs workout (the dreaded Ab Ripper DVD) and that's making me even more sore today. Alarmed by my physical deterioration, I've re-started the leg exercises I'd been doing when I was going to rehab, and so my hips and butt are sore, too. Gah. I WANT the black belt, but I just have a hard time believing I'll be able to accomplish it. Fiona is trying to buck me up, and I try to cheer myself by reminding myself that even if my side kicks seem lousy to me, there are very few women I know my age who can do a side kick at all.
Fiona is testing for a section star this Saturday (her second of three she needs to begin the screening process for black belt second degree.) She's doing the bo form, Soishi No Kang. She looks absolutely great doing it, except for one fault that just drives me crazy: her back heel pops up off the ground in almost every single one of her front stances. It's a bad habit she's had since she was a purple belt. I'll try to get a video of her doing it when she does the test this Saturday.
The girls are very difficult to rouse in the morning. Delia, poor thing, has to be out at the bus stop at 6:50 a.m., and she is downright snarly when I go in to wake her up (the alarm clock doesn't work for her. I have to rub her arms and legs for five to ten minutes every morning before she reluctantly surfaces). And Fiona has been incredibly groggy lately, too. We usually can't get her out of bed for as long as forty minutes after her alarm goes off, and then she attempts to dress, eat, and get out the door in ten minutes. The results are not happy.
The garage door is cracked, making it extremely difficult to close.
Cooking has been...interesting lately, mainly because I've been depending more on whatever we get from the food shelf. (Thank heavens for the food shelf. It's been just a God send for us.) It's different than shopping for yourself; instead of going to the store for what you intend to buy, you take whatever they happen to have on hand and then try to figure out how to use it. Often, stuff at the food shelf is distributed right before the expiration date, so sometimes its a challenge to use it in time. Rob's been volunteering there on Tuesdays, so we're entitled to two visits a month. At church this week (our church is one of the ones supporting this week) they said that food shelf visits are way up. They distributed 5,000 pounds of food last week.
We've been working on cleaning the house, in preparation for starting to cull stuff so that we can rearrange two and possibly three rooms. As I mentioned, I am giving up my office to give Fiona a bedroom. I'm viewing this as a temporary solution, until she goes away to college, but it's very difficult emotionally. We are trying to work out a way to carve out at least a small space for me, either in my bedroom, or in a room downstairs. The process of all this rearrangement will take us quite a while.
Rob has started another short term job with the Census. He's pleased because they went to more than the usual amount of trouble to call him back and promote him to a higher position. He's also gotten a call back for a legal editorial position. This means he's cleared the first hurdle, but he has to pass a test and, of course, battle with a bunch of other candidates for a limited number of slots, so it's useless to get hopes up yet. Still, it's more movement on the job front than we've had for months.
I'm really really really angry at Congress over the loss of a chance to pass health care reform, and I'm pretty ticked at Obama, too.
There is stuff that Elinor Dashwood isn't talking about (isn't there always). It's been preoccupying me a lot lately, which is why this journal has been quiet lately. I'm still here, though, still battling to keep my family together, moving forward through this tough time.
I hurt all over today. I went back to karate class yesterday (I'd intended to be going to two classes a week by now, but I've missed two weeks of classes due to all sorts of conflicts, plus depression). I'm using this knee brace, which works pretty well, and gives me good support, and keeps it warm, but of course, it prevents me from chambering my kicks very tightly.
 |
It's so hard not to get discouraged. This knee problem, I've decided, seems to be a permanant injury. It still hurts, hurts, hurts when I do a full squat, even fourteen months later. I still can't do slow kicks on the injured side without holding the bar--my balance on that side is entirely shot. I have no more balance on that side than a green belt. I'm in the class below my belt level, and it still just seems so hard. And I'm not even going back to sparring class yet. After sparring class on Monday night (I was waiting because Fiona was attending), I joined the class to do the killer abs workout (the dreaded Ab Ripper DVD) and that's making me even more sore today. Alarmed by my physical deterioration, I've re-started the leg exercises I'd been doing when I was going to rehab, and so my hips and butt are sore, too. Gah. I WANT the black belt, but I just have a hard time believing I'll be able to accomplish it. Fiona is trying to buck me up, and I try to cheer myself by reminding myself that even if my side kicks seem lousy to me, there are very few women I know my age who can do a side kick at all.
Fiona is testing for a section star this Saturday (her second of three she needs to begin the screening process for black belt second degree.) She's doing the bo form, Soishi No Kang. She looks absolutely great doing it, except for one fault that just drives me crazy: her back heel pops up off the ground in almost every single one of her front stances. It's a bad habit she's had since she was a purple belt. I'll try to get a video of her doing it when she does the test this Saturday.
The girls are very difficult to rouse in the morning. Delia, poor thing, has to be out at the bus stop at 6:50 a.m., and she is downright snarly when I go in to wake her up (the alarm clock doesn't work for her. I have to rub her arms and legs for five to ten minutes every morning before she reluctantly surfaces). And Fiona has been incredibly groggy lately, too. We usually can't get her out of bed for as long as forty minutes after her alarm goes off, and then she attempts to dress, eat, and get out the door in ten minutes. The results are not happy.
The garage door is cracked, making it extremely difficult to close.
Cooking has been...interesting lately, mainly because I've been depending more on whatever we get from the food shelf. (Thank heavens for the food shelf. It's been just a God send for us.) It's different than shopping for yourself; instead of going to the store for what you intend to buy, you take whatever they happen to have on hand and then try to figure out how to use it. Often, stuff at the food shelf is distributed right before the expiration date, so sometimes its a challenge to use it in time. Rob's been volunteering there on Tuesdays, so we're entitled to two visits a month. At church this week (our church is one of the ones supporting this week) they said that food shelf visits are way up. They distributed 5,000 pounds of food last week.
We've been working on cleaning the house, in preparation for starting to cull stuff so that we can rearrange two and possibly three rooms. As I mentioned, I am giving up my office to give Fiona a bedroom. I'm viewing this as a temporary solution, until she goes away to college, but it's very difficult emotionally. We are trying to work out a way to carve out at least a small space for me, either in my bedroom, or in a room downstairs. The process of all this rearrangement will take us quite a while.
Rob has started another short term job with the Census. He's pleased because they went to more than the usual amount of trouble to call him back and promote him to a higher position. He's also gotten a call back for a legal editorial position. This means he's cleared the first hurdle, but he has to pass a test and, of course, battle with a bunch of other candidates for a limited number of slots, so it's useless to get hopes up yet. Still, it's more movement on the job front than we've had for months.
I'm really really really angry at Congress over the loss of a chance to pass health care reform, and I'm pretty ticked at Obama, too.
There is stuff that Elinor Dashwood isn't talking about (isn't there always). It's been preoccupying me a lot lately, which is why this journal has been quiet lately. I'm still here, though, still battling to keep my family together, moving forward through this tough time.
New Year's post
Jan. 1st, 2010 11:36 amI want to make a post about 2009, mostly to say good riddance. This was a very tough year, more so than I've actually admitted in this journal to my friend's list. For my own sanity, I need to remember the good along with the bad, because I very much need to hang on to that.
The bad: A year of Rob's continued unemployment, and the personal and family strain that resulted, not all of it merely financial. The Bad Thing That Happened in April of Which Elinor Dashwood Does Not Speak in Public, which was one of the hardest and most painful things I've ever experienced. Mental health problems for more than one family member, some of them severe. The theft of the girls' bikes. My knee injury that stopped the karate for awhile (and resultant weight gain), and all the hassle of dealing with it.
The good: The kindness of so many of our family and friends during this difficult year, including the generous gift that gave the girls their bikes again. I can't say it often enough: thank you, thank you. My family is really so grateful.
Even after a year and a half of unemployment, we are still paying all our bills. There are so many others who can not say that, whose situation is so much worse off than ours. I think I have the right to be proud of my careful stewardship of our family resources.
The trip to Mexico that the girls and I took to work at Casa Hogar Elim. That was a truly wonderful and life-altering experience.
The Decrease Worldsuck project and all the good that came of it. I've lost momentum over the past month, due to the reoccurrence of my depression, but I do intend to try to pick it up again. I can honestly say that I've made the world a better place this year, and that's a good thing to say about any year. Take a look at the entire list of what I accomplished here. Isn't it impressive?
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
alternity was OMG SO MUCH FUN!! (Are any of you still reading it? If so, what was your favorite thing about it this year?)
My girls are thriving, for the most part. They are busy and creative and beautiful and smart and compassionate and interesting and funny and they are turning into remarkable young women before my very eyes. I am so very proud of them.
There is something that makes Rob and I still reach for each other in spite of all our problems and pain. I'm trying to hang on to that.
Here's a wonderful blessing for the new year. Hat tip to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
commodorified.
Happy New Year's day, everyone. I hope my 2010 is 1000% better than 2009. I wish nothing but the best for you all in the coming year.
Let the Good Guys Win
Paul Hyde, Murray McLaughlin, Tom Cochrane
May I get what I want, not what I deserve
May the coming year not throw a single curve
May I hurt nobody, may I tell no lies
If I can't go on, give me strength to try
Chorus:
Ring the old year out, Ring the new year in
Bring us all good luck, Let the good guys win
Ring the old year out, Ring the new year in
Bring us all good luck, Let the good guys win
May the one you love be the one you get
May you get some place, you haven't been to yet
May your friends surround you, never do you wrong
May your eyes be clear, may your heart be strong
Chorus
May the times to come be the best you've had
May peace rule the world and make us glad
When you see something wrong, make it right
Put a shadowed world into the bright sunlight
Chorus
The bad: A year of Rob's continued unemployment, and the personal and family strain that resulted, not all of it merely financial. The Bad Thing That Happened in April of Which Elinor Dashwood Does Not Speak in Public, which was one of the hardest and most painful things I've ever experienced. Mental health problems for more than one family member, some of them severe. The theft of the girls' bikes. My knee injury that stopped the karate for awhile (and resultant weight gain), and all the hassle of dealing with it.
The good: The kindness of so many of our family and friends during this difficult year, including the generous gift that gave the girls their bikes again. I can't say it often enough: thank you, thank you. My family is really so grateful.
Even after a year and a half of unemployment, we are still paying all our bills. There are so many others who can not say that, whose situation is so much worse off than ours. I think I have the right to be proud of my careful stewardship of our family resources.
The trip to Mexico that the girls and I took to work at Casa Hogar Elim. That was a truly wonderful and life-altering experience.
The Decrease Worldsuck project and all the good that came of it. I've lost momentum over the past month, due to the reoccurrence of my depression, but I do intend to try to pick it up again. I can honestly say that I've made the world a better place this year, and that's a good thing to say about any year. Take a look at the entire list of what I accomplished here. Isn't it impressive?
alternity was OMG SO MUCH FUN!! (Are any of you still reading it? If so, what was your favorite thing about it this year?)My girls are thriving, for the most part. They are busy and creative and beautiful and smart and compassionate and interesting and funny and they are turning into remarkable young women before my very eyes. I am so very proud of them.
There is something that makes Rob and I still reach for each other in spite of all our problems and pain. I'm trying to hang on to that.
Here's a wonderful blessing for the new year. Hat tip to
commodorified.Happy New Year's day, everyone. I hope my 2010 is 1000% better than 2009. I wish nothing but the best for you all in the coming year.
Let the Good Guys Win
Paul Hyde, Murray McLaughlin, Tom Cochrane
May I get what I want, not what I deserve
May the coming year not throw a single curve
May I hurt nobody, may I tell no lies
If I can't go on, give me strength to try
Chorus:
Ring the old year out, Ring the new year in
Bring us all good luck, Let the good guys win
Ring the old year out, Ring the new year in
Bring us all good luck, Let the good guys win
May the one you love be the one you get
May you get some place, you haven't been to yet
May your friends surround you, never do you wrong
May your eyes be clear, may your heart be strong
Chorus
May the times to come be the best you've had
May peace rule the world and make us glad
When you see something wrong, make it right
Put a shadowed world into the bright sunlight
Chorus
A new stage
Dec. 16th, 2009 06:47 pmWe're about out of unemployment. Rob's wrangling with bureaucrats, trying to get approval for another tier he thinks he should get, but no luck yet. So now instead of paying all our bills on the extremely-straitened my-paycheck-plus-unemployment plan, we're barely paying all our bills on the my-paycheck-plus-savings plan. And savings are starting to run out. A few months to go, but not much longer. We'll do our taxes after the first of the year, and that'll give us another bump, but with the changes in the tax table, I don't think we're getting as large a refund as last year. Rob thinks he'll have another census gig in January which will keep the wolf from the door a little longer, but only for a month or two.
Have I mentioned lately that my husband needs a job? PLEASE, you have any job leads, please, please send them our way. After the savings in our emergency funds are gone, the next step is starting to raid the girls' college funds. Great timing, considering that we're seriously looking for colleges for Fiona now. I really REALLY don't want to do that.
God, it's been a year and a half. Please, God, please. Give him a job.
Have I mentioned lately that my husband needs a job? PLEASE, you have any job leads, please, please send them our way. After the savings in our emergency funds are gone, the next step is starting to raid the girls' college funds. Great timing, considering that we're seriously looking for colleges for Fiona now. I really REALLY don't want to do that.
God, it's been a year and a half. Please, God, please. Give him a job.
Pick your version - Don't Give Up
Dec. 7th, 2009 04:37 pmFor Rob and me:
( Either Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush )
( or Willie Nelson and Sinead O'Connor )
Either way, it's about just hanging on...
( Either Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush )
( or Willie Nelson and Sinead O'Connor )
Either way, it's about just hanging on...
This is pretty jaw-dropping
Dec. 3rd, 2009 09:16 amIt shows what Rob and I are up against. Along with millions of other people.
Time line and geography of the recession: Click play; stand back.
Time line and geography of the recession: Click play; stand back.
This just seems so impossible...
Oct. 19th, 2009 09:13 pmWhen Rob lost his job at CompUSA, a number of his coworkers went to work at MicroCenter, another computer store. Small chain. It's where we go for computer parts and software now. Some of those former coworkers have moved up into the manager ranks now.
He saw a notice that they were doing holiday hiring, and figured, great, at least I know someone, so I have a decent shot there at least. So he sent them his resume and stopped in last week to speak with the managers. Two months of work. Right now that would be a godsend.
And they told him they've had more than 350 applications for their two month holiday job openings. Don't call us, we'll call you.
As God is my witness, there are days I think he will never ever ever find a job ever again.
He saw a notice that they were doing holiday hiring, and figured, great, at least I know someone, so I have a decent shot there at least. So he sent them his resume and stopped in last week to speak with the managers. Two months of work. Right now that would be a godsend.
And they told him they've had more than 350 applications for their two month holiday job openings. Don't call us, we'll call you.
As God is my witness, there are days I think he will never ever ever find a job ever again.
Tough weekend
Sep. 27th, 2009 06:50 pm( I'm cut-tagging this for those who want to be spared hearing depressing complaints. Geez, I can't blame you )
I squandered cash to buy the movie Coraline for Delia, who's suffering cabin fever as badly as I am. Now I'm on the third book in the Princess Diaries series.
Popcorn books; that's all I can read. I'm all out of Georgette Heyer; I've re-read every one of them this past month.
I squandered cash to buy the movie Coraline for Delia, who's suffering cabin fever as badly as I am. Now I'm on the third book in the Princess Diaries series.
Popcorn books; that's all I can read. I'm all out of Georgette Heyer; I've re-read every one of them this past month.
Another short reprieve
Sep. 10th, 2009 01:40 pmRob got called back for a two month temporary assignment with the U.S. Census. Of course, the last time they told him they were giving him a two-month full time job, it turned out to be a one month part time job.
I'm trying to be grateful. See how grateful I am? Really. Oh I'm so verrrrrry grateful.
Screw that.
( A teeny rant )
No matter how much chocolate I eat, it doesn't help.
I'm trying to be grateful. See how grateful I am? Really. Oh I'm so verrrrrry grateful.
Screw that.
( A teeny rant )
No matter how much chocolate I eat, it doesn't help.
Remember this entry? I'm sorta back there again. Except more so.
I've written and erased an entry here about three times. Been tinkering with it all day and getting more and more frustrated. I want to be able to talk freely here, I want to be able to say what I need to say. But I can't, and it's really, really frustrating me.
Part of the problem is obvious, and can certainly be said aloud. I can't do karate, which is driving me absolutely crazy, and my husband has been out of work for a fricking year. A bad combination for a woman with a predisposition for depression.
Part of it has to do with someone else's medical issues. Which, as Aslan says, isn't my story to tell.
Part of it has to do with the private stuff between a husband and a wife. Which, you know, should remain private.
Part of it has to do with the stuff Elinor Dashwood's been processing the past couple of months. I keep thinking I've dealt with it, put it away, and it keeps stealing back. And the situation isn't resolved yet, so silence seems to me to be the only ethical policy.
Silence isn't natural to me, really. I like to talk, it's natural for me to reach out to others, especially when I'm hurting. And I'm hurting an awful lot right now. But I'm protecting other people by being silent. That's an ethical choice I feel I have to make.
Just now, it's so very hard. Which is why this journal has been quiet lately. I'm doing my best to maneuver around the ice bergs in the water, and keep my ship from sinking, and it keeps me from spending much time adding to the captain's log, so to speak.
Edited to add: There are people I'm talking with about this stuff, I hasten to add. I'm not cut off from being able to speak about these things I'm struggling with entirely. There are people who care about me who are helping me address each one of these issues.
I'm just saying that I can't talk about it here in this journal, which I'm finding immensely frustrating, because my journal has been a reflection of my true self, and now, necessarily, I'm leaving out what I'm thinking about the most.
I've written and erased an entry here about three times. Been tinkering with it all day and getting more and more frustrated. I want to be able to talk freely here, I want to be able to say what I need to say. But I can't, and it's really, really frustrating me.
Part of the problem is obvious, and can certainly be said aloud. I can't do karate, which is driving me absolutely crazy, and my husband has been out of work for a fricking year. A bad combination for a woman with a predisposition for depression.
Part of it has to do with someone else's medical issues. Which, as Aslan says, isn't my story to tell.
Part of it has to do with the private stuff between a husband and a wife. Which, you know, should remain private.
Part of it has to do with the stuff Elinor Dashwood's been processing the past couple of months. I keep thinking I've dealt with it, put it away, and it keeps stealing back. And the situation isn't resolved yet, so silence seems to me to be the only ethical policy.
Silence isn't natural to me, really. I like to talk, it's natural for me to reach out to others, especially when I'm hurting. And I'm hurting an awful lot right now. But I'm protecting other people by being silent. That's an ethical choice I feel I have to make.
Just now, it's so very hard. Which is why this journal has been quiet lately. I'm doing my best to maneuver around the ice bergs in the water, and keep my ship from sinking, and it keeps me from spending much time adding to the captain's log, so to speak.
Edited to add: There are people I'm talking with about this stuff, I hasten to add. I'm not cut off from being able to speak about these things I'm struggling with entirely. There are people who care about me who are helping me address each one of these issues.
I'm just saying that I can't talk about it here in this journal, which I'm finding immensely frustrating, because my journal has been a reflection of my true self, and now, necessarily, I'm leaving out what I'm thinking about the most.
I had thought that the school decision had been abandoned by the school district, but it turns out they've just delayed the vote until September.
Rob is about to run out of unemployment.
Whenever it rains, it leaks inside my car even harder now.
The house needs repainting desperately. If the school board vote does go through in September, we would HAVE to repaint (and also fix the kitchen ceiling) if we want to sell in order to move. Hard to do that if Rob doesn't have a job.
Delia needs new braces, and we can't afford them. Hell, we can't afford Fiona's, but somehow we're paying for them.
Today seems very hard.
It is difficult to stay hopeful. I think I've been doing pretty well at holding together, but geez, we're going on almost a year now of Rob not having a job.
I am so very tired of trying to stay brave.
Edited to add: I almost erased this. I want to make clear that I'm not asking for any kind of help, and right now we still have some savings and are managing to pay all our bills. I know I should be grateful for that (it's so much more than many people have), and I am, truly. And I absolutely don't want to be seen as a complainer, which is the main reason my finger's hovering over the delete key.
It's just that . . . I'm so tired of it. And I really, really needed to say it.
That's all.
Rob is about to run out of unemployment.
Whenever it rains, it leaks inside my car even harder now.
The house needs repainting desperately. If the school board vote does go through in September, we would HAVE to repaint (and also fix the kitchen ceiling) if we want to sell in order to move. Hard to do that if Rob doesn't have a job.
Delia needs new braces, and we can't afford them. Hell, we can't afford Fiona's, but somehow we're paying for them.
Today seems very hard.
It is difficult to stay hopeful. I think I've been doing pretty well at holding together, but geez, we're going on almost a year now of Rob not having a job.
I am so very tired of trying to stay brave.
Edited to add: I almost erased this. I want to make clear that I'm not asking for any kind of help, and right now we still have some savings and are managing to pay all our bills. I know I should be grateful for that (it's so much more than many people have), and I am, truly. And I absolutely don't want to be seen as a complainer, which is the main reason my finger's hovering over the delete key.
It's just that . . . I'm so tired of it. And I really, really needed to say it.
That's all.
A post to mark a momentous day
Jun. 10th, 2009 11:02 pmToday was Fiona's first day working for an honest-to-gosh EMPLOYER. She worked a four hour shift at Dreamhaven.
I asked her how it went, and she laughed. "He actually forgot he told me to come in today until I showed up."
Put your hands over your hearts, everyone, and wish her well on her first day of formal gainful employment (if you don't count babysitting gigs). She has begun today the long process of starting to acquire Social Security benefits. (Which, ahem, she might never see.)
She has another gig cutting the lawn at church this summer. We're still waiting to hear back on the library job. If that doesn't pan out, she'll try to fill out the other open days in her schedule with some nearby coffee shop.
In other news, Rob had a job interview today for that job he really wants. As in, he really REALLY wants. He thinks it went well, and hopefully he'll hear soon that he made the cut for the next round.
Also our beloved birthday portrait photographer managed to land a job at one of the other stores in the metro area that didn't close (he's at Eden Prairie,cakmpls), and so we have an appointment for both girls to get their pictures taken in a little over a week. And we found the MOST AWESOME dresses for both of them. They're going to look beautiful. Trust me.
I asked her how it went, and she laughed. "He actually forgot he told me to come in today until I showed up."
Put your hands over your hearts, everyone, and wish her well on her first day of formal gainful employment (if you don't count babysitting gigs). She has begun today the long process of starting to acquire Social Security benefits. (Which, ahem, she might never see.)
She has another gig cutting the lawn at church this summer. We're still waiting to hear back on the library job. If that doesn't pan out, she'll try to fill out the other open days in her schedule with some nearby coffee shop.
In other news, Rob had a job interview today for that job he really wants. As in, he really REALLY wants. He thinks it went well, and hopefully he'll hear soon that he made the cut for the next round.
Also our beloved birthday portrait photographer managed to land a job at one of the other stores in the metro area that didn't close (he's at Eden Prairie,
cakmpls), and so we have an appointment for both girls to get their pictures taken in a little over a week. And we found the MOST AWESOME dresses for both of them. They're going to look beautiful. Trust me.
Many thanks
May. 26th, 2009 05:21 pmMany thanks to our online friends, who have forwarded information about not just one but two job openings for Rob this week. He is especially very excited about one of them, which we think would be a particularly excellent fit for him.
Friends who help out in times like these are worth their weight in rubies. We really appreciate your kindness in keeping an eye out for Rob.
Friends who help out in times like these are worth their weight in rubies. We really appreciate your kindness in keeping an eye out for Rob.
Rob's gig with the U.S. Census which was supposed to be full-time for two months turned out to be part-time for one month.
As of today, we're back to unemployment.
And payment for unemployment won't last too much longer (Rob's been out of work since last July).
This sucks.
As of today, we're back to unemployment.
And payment for unemployment won't last too much longer (Rob's been out of work since last July).
This sucks.
In a funk lately
May. 4th, 2009 02:08 pmMom and Dad called me this morning. "You haven't posted in your journal for several days. We were a little worried sort of wondering."
I'm starting to realize how much of a really bad thing it is for me to stop the karate, even temporarily. My weight is at a three year high, and I just hate the way I feel. I'm taking some steps to try to address my general fitness level. Perhaps that will help. I think I'm going to walk the bridge in the afternoons as well as the mornings, and I'll try to add some weightlifting, too. I'm also trying to psych myself up to try doing the 100-pushups challenge again. I need to do something, both because I need to stay in better shape, and because it'll be just too hard to go back to karate after six weeks if I totally let myself go to seed. I'm also going to get the tires filled up on my bike and try some short rides, perhaps in the evenings. I'm wary of committing at this point to commuting to work, but I want to see how the knee tolerates shorter rides. I might also bite the bullet and go to the gym downstairs and use the elliptical. I HATE the elliptical (sooooo boring) but geez, I have to do something.
Mental state: hmm. Not ideal. Causes: the stuff Elinor's thinking about, the mental strain of the ongoing lack of progress on the job front, and lack of exercise. I've noticed I'm having difficulty concentrating on reading anything I haven't read before, which is one of the signs I've learned to notice, that indicates a Peg who needs to address some mental health issues. I should work on cleaning up my office and the rest of the house. Clearing the decks physically often makes my mental state more healthy.
Rob's work with the census is going okay, although they aren't giving him full-time hours as we expected. I think he managed about twenty, twenty-five hours or so last week. Hope this week will offer more. Nothing new on the job-hunting front. Please continue to alert me if you see any possible opportunities for him. I'm trying not to rip my hair out, and I'm trying not to bitch about it, but after all this has been going on since last July. I rather desperately need a new car (it pours inside on my seat whenever it rains outside) and I just need him to get a full-time permanent job. For goodness sakes.
( What I did yesterday to make the world a better place )
Edited to add: Apparently, the President has just proclaimed it to be National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
I'm starting to realize how much of a really bad thing it is for me to stop the karate, even temporarily. My weight is at a three year high, and I just hate the way I feel. I'm taking some steps to try to address my general fitness level. Perhaps that will help. I think I'm going to walk the bridge in the afternoons as well as the mornings, and I'll try to add some weightlifting, too. I'm also trying to psych myself up to try doing the 100-pushups challenge again. I need to do something, both because I need to stay in better shape, and because it'll be just too hard to go back to karate after six weeks if I totally let myself go to seed. I'm also going to get the tires filled up on my bike and try some short rides, perhaps in the evenings. I'm wary of committing at this point to commuting to work, but I want to see how the knee tolerates shorter rides. I might also bite the bullet and go to the gym downstairs and use the elliptical. I HATE the elliptical (sooooo boring) but geez, I have to do something.
Mental state: hmm. Not ideal. Causes: the stuff Elinor's thinking about, the mental strain of the ongoing lack of progress on the job front, and lack of exercise. I've noticed I'm having difficulty concentrating on reading anything I haven't read before, which is one of the signs I've learned to notice, that indicates a Peg who needs to address some mental health issues. I should work on cleaning up my office and the rest of the house. Clearing the decks physically often makes my mental state more healthy.
Rob's work with the census is going okay, although they aren't giving him full-time hours as we expected. I think he managed about twenty, twenty-five hours or so last week. Hope this week will offer more. Nothing new on the job-hunting front. Please continue to alert me if you see any possible opportunities for him. I'm trying not to rip my hair out, and I'm trying not to bitch about it, but after all this has been going on since last July. I rather desperately need a new car (it pours inside on my seat whenever it rains outside) and I just need him to get a full-time permanent job. For goodness sakes.
( What I did yesterday to make the world a better place )
Edited to add: Apparently, the President has just proclaimed it to be National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
Temporary job for Rob
Apr. 20th, 2009 07:17 amFor the first time since last July, Rob is going off to work today. He has a temporary two month job with the U.S. Census.
Interview today
Mar. 13th, 2009 09:54 amRob has an interview with the Census Bureau today. I don't know the details, but I gather it is a step up from the street level census worker and a step down from the managerial position for which he applied. It would be a two-year gig (which means it would run out right at the time Fiona's about to enter college). But hey, if he gets it, we'll take it.
Your prayers and good thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
Your prayers and good thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
We got news yesterday that was a big relief: Rob will be getting 13 more weeks of unemployment, for the State, an award for people who've exhausted the first tier of benefits without finding work. It is tight, but we've been managing to pay all our bills while on unemployment (we have to cut payments to a smaller fraction of the original agreed amount on the orthodontist bill, though, with their permission, but they're satisfied because we're continuing to pay.) Rob's been unable to get any interviews; people don't respond to his resumes or calls. It's a really tough market out there. But this will keep the wolf from the door a little bit longer.
( What I've done the past couple days to make the world a better place )
( What I've done the past couple days to make the world a better place )
