Like this:

At the end of February, Yes Dear & family is moving out this way.

So I have until then to find another job that is closer to her parents, because she needs to live closer to them, and a place for all of us to live.

Provided the former comes through, the latter shouldn’t be too difficult because housing is relatively cheap in Arkansas, particularly around where she wants to live.

We pretty much figured out a while ago that my current job (1) – does not pay enough to support the family, and (2) – is way too far from her parents.  I currently have a 45 minute commute each way, roundtrip about 80 miles each day I work, and even where I’m currently staying is a lot farther than it should from where we need to be.  And given the very real possibility that we may be paying upwards of $4.00/gallon for gas by this summer, we both need to seriously shrink commute times to anyplace we work at.

And truth is, I’m pretty much sick of my job now.  I don’t mind the people that I work with, or my immediate boss, or the position I’m in now, but the facility I work in is currently being sold to someone else, and management has allowed things to get screwed up to the point where we’re producing almost as much waste as product, not to mention multiple customer issues.  Add that to management’s “let them eat cake” attitude towards us regular working stiffs, and you have a lot of employees that really don’t care anymore.  I have yet to talk to anyone who isn’t currently looking elsewhere for employment.

I just wish that I wasn’t shoved into a box with few options, that everything has been fast-tracked into a shaky plan with few options and little in the way of a plan B.  Because although the job market around here is somewhat better than a lot of areas, it still ain’t great and nothing’s a guarantee.  But what’s guaranteed is that the job situation is going to have to come through for everything else to fall into place.  Because I can’t afford to pay two rents, which is what I’ll have to do if I have to stay at this job.

One may say, just have them live here temporarily until the job situation improves.  That might have been an option a while ago, but as of today it isn’t.

Because my mother-in-law had a stroke last night.

Details are sketchy at this point (communications with Yes Dear’s family is always lacking), but it sounds like it’s at least mid-level severity, with outcomes unknown at this point.  I’m off from work Wednesday and Thursday, so I’ll go pay a visit personally and find out more about how things are.

Now everything that has been fast-tracked has now been double-secret-fast-tracked.  Because Yes Dear has been concerned for a while that she wouldn’t make it out here in time to help look after her parents, and right now that certainly looks very much in question.  Her sister has offered to let her, PBJ, and AJ stay for a few weeks until we can get into a house, if necessary, but once again the risk is run of lighting the powder keg of chaos, something that thankfully didn’t happen during Christmas.

So the next few weeks are going to be stressful, trying to make our shoestring plans (and finances) come together, as well as assessing the condition of my mother-in-law’s health.  Any prayers for her, as well as for a positive change in the job situation and a quick tax return, would be appreciated.

PS – it’s apparently De-Lurk day, or week, or month, or whatever.  So how ’bout letting me know who’s out there, both frequent fliers and infrequent commentors?

Advertisement