Thursday, July 30, 2009

What's Goin' On Around Here

Well, alot has changed around here the last week or so. Not sure where to start.

First off, things are pretty bad around here economically. We are ending up short and not having the $$ to take care of things like the bills and buying food each month. Not that we live extravagantly mind you. Things have just skyrocketed and with no raise and no bonus this year it has finally caught up to us. If we didn't have a house payment we would be fine but since we rather like having a roof over our heads we will continue paying it...lol.

So, short of sending the kids back to school and my getting a full time job, we have been working ALOT! Cool has his full time job and two part time jobs and is volunteering at Sokol one night a week. His full time job is an accountant. You would think after all those years of schooling and tuition that it would be paying off but it isn't. Don't get me wrong, he loves his job. It is challenging and keeps him on his toes but the pay just isn't there even though we have pretty good benefits. We have medical, vision and dental insurance, life insurance, 401K and Cool has like 5 weeks of vacation time a year. Unfortunately we don't have the money for an actual vacation and they have been so busy at work (luckily) that finding the time to take off has been hard.

To help make ends meet he took a job delivering pizzas part time at Domino's. They hourly pay stinks, the tips stink and they aren't at all busy so they just stand around waiting. If Cool hates anything it is standing around waiting.

So, he took a job at Pizza Hut delivering pizzas on his "off days". Pizza Hut pays a better hourly wage, it is busier and the tips have been OK but nothing to write home about. But even with those 3 jobs ends are still not meeting.

I "work" part time at Sokol answering the phone and cleaning. I don't really get paid but I do get a break on tuition which is like getting paid so I keep it up. I also work for my parents helping them clean and doing odd jobs when the need it. They don't pay cash but will buy us groceries or pay for camping to thank me for the help.

A week ago today I received a phone call from our city hall asking if I would be interested in delivering papers. It seems that the local paper couldn't find anyone to take the route and called city hall to see if they knew of anyone. I guess we are pretty PWT looking since I was the first one she thought of...LOL.

Anyway, I took the job and have been working delivering papers each morning. I have to get up at the butt crack of dawn and deliver by 6 in the morning. It isn't bad and in fact I like getting up early and actually getting things done by 10:00 am. I have had all the laundry done everyday by 10, all the dishes done, have baked every morning, dusted, vacumed and purged. Then I either have the afternoon to myself or go to Sokol.

I can also see the benefits on schooling. You see, the picklets (except Chip who is still detasseling) have been getting up with me to deliver. When they get home they usually jump on the trampoline or go bike riding before breakfast. That is at 5:45 in the morning! We eat breakfast and I read a chapter from our read aloud by 7:00.

Afterwards the picklets either read or do school work. Yesterday they had finished math and geography by 8:30, watched a movie until 10 and played until we left at 2:30. I hate to say it but schedule is a good thing.

Cool and I have always said that as long as we love each other we can get through anything. And generally that works. I once heard a quote that said 'Love conquers everything, but if love doesn't do it, try hard work." Ain't that the truth?

Hard work is good for the soul and the money is good for the pocketbook. I have never been afraid of work and have considered myself to have a pretty good work ethic. I hope that we are passing that down to the picklets. If they work hard they will never have any regrets.

As Charles Schwab says:

"Work hard. Hard work is the best investment a man can make."

Or as I have been known to say, "A little hard work won't kill ya!"

© 2008-2009 Wicked Pickles-Homefront Lines

No comments: