My car has a new tire, but the transmission is still doing odd things. Right now I am driving it with the overdrive off, which seems to help. However, at some point it is going to die and then what do I do? Can't exactly walk 35 miles to work. Driving the Suburban, well, what's the point? I would be working for nothing but the gas to go back and forth.
I have come across a work at home agency that seems legitimate. It is called Alpine Access, and they do customer service call center work from home. Yeah, I know, not exactly what I wanted to get back into but I do have quite a bit of experience at it, and working at home would be a big plus. Not much flexibility, although from what I've read a more set schedule than what I'm currently doing which would be a BIG plus.
Shayna is now back down here. All of a sudden two days ago she came onto Yahoo Messenger and said she wanted to come back down here, she just couldn't take it up there any more. She was nervous about whether she had enough gas to make it (and WE sure didn't have any way to help if it turned out she didn't) but in the end she did and got here about 1 am this morning. So now that she is here, Ray could certainly look for a job as having someone here for Destiny is no longer a problem. If he could get one making the same as I'm making at Walmart, I would definitely try for the at home work. It would sure make doing things around here easier.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Keep a sense of humor
First, the good. This is a picture of Drew and Andrea on their wedding day, in the chapel in Las Vegas. Good looking guy, isn't he? Looks just like his Mom LOL.
The rest of today didn't go so great. On my way to work, I just get on I-24 and BLAM goes my left front tire. Now, my spare is no great shakes, either. It's one of those stupid donut things they give you these days, and has been used enough that it's shot. But it's all I have, so there I am on the side of the interstate changing my tire.
A very nice state trooper stopped and helped. This one actually helped, not like the one who stopped the one time and sat behind me with his lights going, watching me change the tire in the dark, in the rain, in my whites. He seemed a little surprised, though, that I actually knew what I was doing. It's changing a tire, for heaven's sake, not brain surgery. How hard can it be? Of course, this is far enough South that there's the "don't get your hands dirty, little lady" mentality.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Getting Better
I went back north this week to pick Destiny back up. The job at the VA hasn't materialized (although he hasn't gotten a rejection letter, either, so I guess there is still hope) and school started August 14, so we decided to bring her back here for school. Besides, they just can't take living with Mike's family any more, that was a MAJOR reason for his breakdown in the first place and he realizes that. He's making arrangements to have his parole moved down here. Hopefully they will all be here before too much longer.
The weather here has been MUCH better the past few days. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the 50s and 60s. The tomato plants are finally starting to set fruit, if the weather cooperates we may actually get some off our own plants yet. Jim of course scoffs at my "little box" of a garden, but hey, if I had spent time and money on dozens of tomato plants and they were that scraggly and scrawny I'd be EXTREMELY pissed. Better to learn the ins and outs of a new growing zone on a few test plants first and then expand. He seems to forget he's been down here 10 years and his first gardens were nothing to write home about, either.
I finally got the tar paper for the old shed roof. I had planned on getting the roll roofing with this last paycheck but had to use that money to run north to get Destiny. I really want to get that shed done! I have my chick order all planned LOL and if it goes on too much longer I won't be able to do them this year.
The weather here has been MUCH better the past few days. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the 50s and 60s. The tomato plants are finally starting to set fruit, if the weather cooperates we may actually get some off our own plants yet. Jim of course scoffs at my "little box" of a garden, but hey, if I had spent time and money on dozens of tomato plants and they were that scraggly and scrawny I'd be EXTREMELY pissed. Better to learn the ins and outs of a new growing zone on a few test plants first and then expand. He seems to forget he's been down here 10 years and his first gardens were nothing to write home about, either.
I finally got the tar paper for the old shed roof. I had planned on getting the roll roofing with this last paycheck but had to use that money to run north to get Destiny. I really want to get that shed done! I have my chick order all planned LOL and if it goes on too much longer I won't be able to do them this year.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
More Setbacks
I guess I should accept that what is peaceful and calming to me is not necessarily so to others. I took Destiny back north to be with her mom, after Shayna decided to move back there unexpectedly. I was looking forward to having an empty nest again, even if it ends up being temporary (Shayna being who she is, who knows when she might decide to head back this way). Apparently Ray doesn't share my enthusiasm for peace and quiet. Even while I was still on my way back from up north, he was saying how much he missed Destiny. He ended up going to Jim's house because he "didn't want to do anything stupid." Apparently he was feeling very depressed and didn't trust himself alone in the house with his guns.
At first we thought he would snap out of it but it just didn't happen. The next day he asked to go to work with me. I thought, what the heck is he going to do for four hours while I'm working? I can't exactly sit and talk with him while I'm working. He walked to Home Depot on one side and then Lowe's on the other and priced out some things. Then he pretty much just hung around on the benches outside until I was done.
The day after that it was still bed. He asked me to "call someone to see if I can get some medication." Now, Ray hates to so much as take an aspirin. For him to ASK for medication there is something seriously wrong. I called the local mental health clinic and they got him in right away. The counselor there recommended medication. We mentioned Ray was a veteran so she called the VA hospital in Marion and was told that all he had to do was bring his DD214 to the ER and they could register him. So off we go to drive the 25 miles to Marion, after dropping his guns off at Jim's. We get there, go through all the paperwork, only to be told we make too much money (HAH that's a joke) Apparently you have to be pretty much penniless and homeless for over a year before the government will live up to their promise to take care of you in exchange for your service to your country.
Later that day the secretary at the VA called us back and said that since Ray was in country during the Viet Nam war he was eligible. So back we go again the 25 miles into Marion (this is beginning to cost a small fortune in gas). They take us back into an exam room and proceed to tell Ray that since he has admitted suicidal thoughts they could not let him leave until he was examined by a psychiatrist, and if it was determined he was an immediate suicide risk he would be admitted to the hospital - in ST LOUIS! Boy, that's really something to tell someone who is already depressed over losing a family member, huh? Tell him that he's going to be taken away from ALL his family. Luckily, they eventually let him go home.
After that, when I had to work I took him to Jim's house to stay with Jim and Kathy. Finally yesterday he felt like he was ready to try to stay home for a while by himself so he stayed here while I went to work. He's been on the Zoloft for a couple weeks now and is doing much better. But while all this was going on NOTHING got done here. Besides, it's been too stinking hot to get much done, anyway.
At first we thought he would snap out of it but it just didn't happen. The next day he asked to go to work with me. I thought, what the heck is he going to do for four hours while I'm working? I can't exactly sit and talk with him while I'm working. He walked to Home Depot on one side and then Lowe's on the other and priced out some things. Then he pretty much just hung around on the benches outside until I was done.
The day after that it was still bed. He asked me to "call someone to see if I can get some medication." Now, Ray hates to so much as take an aspirin. For him to ASK for medication there is something seriously wrong. I called the local mental health clinic and they got him in right away. The counselor there recommended medication. We mentioned Ray was a veteran so she called the VA hospital in Marion and was told that all he had to do was bring his DD214 to the ER and they could register him. So off we go to drive the 25 miles to Marion, after dropping his guns off at Jim's. We get there, go through all the paperwork, only to be told we make too much money (HAH that's a joke) Apparently you have to be pretty much penniless and homeless for over a year before the government will live up to their promise to take care of you in exchange for your service to your country.
Later that day the secretary at the VA called us back and said that since Ray was in country during the Viet Nam war he was eligible. So back we go again the 25 miles into Marion (this is beginning to cost a small fortune in gas). They take us back into an exam room and proceed to tell Ray that since he has admitted suicidal thoughts they could not let him leave until he was examined by a psychiatrist, and if it was determined he was an immediate suicide risk he would be admitted to the hospital - in ST LOUIS! Boy, that's really something to tell someone who is already depressed over losing a family member, huh? Tell him that he's going to be taken away from ALL his family. Luckily, they eventually let him go home.
After that, when I had to work I took him to Jim's house to stay with Jim and Kathy. Finally yesterday he felt like he was ready to try to stay home for a while by himself so he stayed here while I went to work. He's been on the Zoloft for a couple weeks now and is doing much better. But while all this was going on NOTHING got done here. Besides, it's been too stinking hot to get much done, anyway.
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