TGIF

Jeff is finally back from his "fun" in the sun, just in time to leave again on the hellish trek to Vantage and back. This roughly twice-monthly adventure takes him about five hours round trip and then he has to do it all over again on Sunday. It really bites. There is just nothing fun about driving over Snoqualmie pass and what lies beyond (nothing) only to turn around and drive back. Jeff and Arlie always want me to go but I just HATE the boring drive and so I decline every time. I told Jeff, I'm a good wife, but not THAT good of a wife. I'd jump in front of a moving vehicle for him, but driving to Vantage? Nah.

So, Jeff worked a lot while in AZ and didn't get enough time to just relax in the sun. But I guess that's what happens when you're laid off and your mind is spinning 24/7 with what to do? He made a lot of contacts and has already had a few phone interviews so that's good news!

He also came back sporting a beard! Or at least the beginnings of one. He says he's not shaving until he gets an interview. I like it! For one thing, I like beards. For another, I like that attitude. I said, you're unemployed, you might as well look the part! And then he got the bright idea that I should make him a sign and he could try his hand at panhandling! Hmmm......not a bad idea! I said why don't you just write to everyone you know and ask them to send you a dollar? Think about it, a dollar anyone can spare and if you have a million friends, well...........too bad we don't have a million friends! HAHA!

We're still dealing with some fallout of the layoff, mainly that the stupid company didn't make it very easy to switch our insurance over to Cobra. So, they canceled our insurance as of 1/31 and we still haven't received the paperwork to switch over and make it retroactive to 2/1. So, when I went to the dr. on Thursday, I ended up having to pay $45 for my antibiotics! Just another reason to have seething anger towards the company.....

Speaking of which, I know it's for safety reasons and all, but WOW, have companies really gotten paranoid about letting people go. Jeff, the same guy who toiled loyally for this organization for six years, with nary a black mark on his record, had his key card immediately deactivated, was escorted around the building collecting his things, and was appointed a "watcher" in case he decided to go postal or something. It was such a demoralizing experience. Not only did he lose his job, but was treated like a criminal as well. He was reminiscing today about when he worked for Buck Knives. They were going through a tough economic time and instead of handing out pink slips they had everyone reduce their hours to 30 hour workweeks. Hey, any job is better than no job right? It's just too bad companies these days can't see the value in that.

Anyway, a pox on all of them. I hope they get bad rashes in embarrassing places.

Help Wanted

So, being the benevolent wife that I am (insert sarcastic tone here), I made a snap decision to change Jeff's ticket for this weekend's conference in Austin. He was flying home through Phoenix, and being unemployed and down about life in general, he mentioned wouldn't it be fun to just get off the plane and stay a while? So, I thought, why the hell not? My dad was on my mom's IM at the time, so I checked with him, got the go-ahead and booked his return ticket for Friday. So, now he not only gets to spend a weekend away in Austin, but he'll spend the rest of the week in Phoenix enjoying the sun! He took my laptop, too, so I have to share the main computer with all the other mere humans in the house. The indignity of it all! I figured if you work your ass off for six years for a company and go through a buy-out, narrowly escaping the lay-off of five hundred employees, then get demoted to a crummy position in a cubicle and finally called into the boss's office over a year after the initial lay-off to be told your position is being eliminated and oh, by the way, here are some boxes, please be out by 11 a.m., you deserve a week in the sun to mull it all over! He will be busy enough when he returns in his new full-time position of "looking for a job" (along with the rest of the world!).

That leaves me at home with four kids and three dogs, a part time job and a busy "kid" schedule. Whine, whine. I don't feel sorry for myself because I think of all the military wives, or people who have to live bi-coastal because one spouse has a job and the other one has to stay behind and sell the damn house in this crappy market, or hell, even my mom, who was a single mom almost every week while my dad traveled. It's a lot of work. But honestly? I'm more anxious about taking care of the stupid dogs. I already had to clean up a giant puddle (and subsequent trail) of dog pee last night. I just know one of them is going to barf this week.

No worries. I ordered pizza last night and bought pop (a treat around here) and even a few boxes of Swiss Cake Rolls to stash in the freezer. After dinner I took a bubble bath and ate two (TWO) packages of Swiss Cake Rolls while in the tub. And you know, those things are messy! I had chocolate crumbs everywhere. Which made the bath kind of unappealing. Plus, Shade was barking his fool head off in the next room the whole time. So, I had to get out of the tub to shut him up and then, just as I drained the tub and dried off, he shut up. Stupid dog! Then, Harrison decided it would be "fun" for him to sleep in my bed (recently vacated by Jeff). I let him, why not? I remember when my siblings and I used to fight over who got to sleep with my mom while my dad was gone all week. They had a king-sized bed and it seemed massive compared to our twins. So, Harrison made himself comfortable and we watched "Adrenaline Rush Hour" and fell asleep! Good times.