Finally

 

 

 Losing my school bus job driving in September lost me 70 -80% of my income.  I live in Public Housing, so with the loss of income, my rent went to nothing.  I work on the weekends with the newspapers, so I had/have $ coming in.  My former wife helped me with a couple of car payments.  I applied for Unemployment as soon as this all came down (the ONE piece of advice the Union gve me that was actually worth something).

The way I was fired screwed unemployment for me – I had to earn 4x my weekly benefit before they’d pay me.  Hello?  Jobless?  Earn money?  WTF?

Ok, well, I got two and a half weeks of Daily paper deliveries – I made that 4x weekly benefit A MONTH AGO – where’s the &(*^&) Unemployment?  I called ’em up and read ’em the Riot Act.  I was down to my last $18.  I had gone ahead and paid some back State taxes with my visa card and maxed it out.  Saturday, I found a bunch of letters from Unemployment, including a check for the 3 weeks they’re behind in paying me (minus, of course, state and federal taxes and child support)(yeah, that CS thing is still chasing me, even if the "kid" is 27).  More $ than I had though….

By the time the check cleared last night I was broke…. I didn’t have any credit in my checking account till this morning, so, no Christmas Cards this year – by the time I could afford them, it’s two days till Christmas.  (sorry, OD friends to whom I’ve mailed cards in the past)

Last year at this time, I was stuck here in PDX because of snow.  I was supposed to drive south to SoCal to see family whom I hadn’t seen in decades.  I couldn’t drive down there for Christmas – but I did for New Years and met a cousin and her family New Years Day.  With the loss of income, I can’t drive down there this year – and my cat now has diabetes and I have to give him insulin shots twice a day.

This year though, I will be spending with another cousin, who lives in the area (!).  He found me this summer and through him, I have reconnected with family in NorCal.  Tonight I will go to church with my cousin and his wife, and plans have been made for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Beats the hell out of the bottle of Wild Turkey I drank for Christmas 2007.

So, my appologies for no cards this year.  Times are less than bright… but not totally dark either.

And, it’s a Beautiful day out there.

 

*****