That's More Like It

The last couple of days I was frustrated. If you thought I was negative before then you really would have been in for a ride had I decided to blog. But I decided to spare you. I hope this gives you confidence that I don't throw just any crap onto the blog. It has to be special crap. You may be asking yourself, "Then what was that blog with the dolls all about?" That was a simple illustration of how ANYTHING is more interesting than cleaning your kid's room, even playing with dolls. Do you think Oprah is going to give you nuggets of life like that? Fat Chance. Am I right, ladies? I'm right.

Eleanor told me I was nicer when we first got married. It's true. I still have patience and a sense of humor but I tend to reserve them for people who aren't going to waste my time or for people that can at least be reasoned with. My time is valuable to me. This has led me to a new philosophy where I no longer accept empty promises. Like the ones you see in every TV commercial, like pep talks from your boss and so forth. But today there are signs that the tide is changing.

On Monday I interviewed for a forklift job in a furniture warehouse. The interview went well and I felt like it was in the bag. But nowadays everyone wants to run a background check on prospective employees. It's a process that takes about a week and just seems to give employers time to forget about you. At my box-loading job, they said they have to turn away 58% of applicants because they fail the background check. They say it like we will be surprised to learn that we have never committed any felonies. So yesterday it felt like the interview had never occurred but I called and left a message asking to know what the situation was. The furniture guy left a message on our machine for me to call him but I didn't get home until after he left his office. I have to take this as a positive sign unless the man is too empathetic to leave a message on the machine saying the position has already been filled. I won't count on it until I know, but hopefully I got the job. It's not like I'm shooting for the moon. The pay will just get us by and possibly spare us from the usual 600% markup on furniture prices.

I missed the phone call because we were having our taxes done with our tax dude. It was fast and easy and our return is more than twice what I expected. It will afford me to be a box loader for some time if need be. This doesn't mean I like Bush's tax cuts. Have you seen his knew budget? Cutting funds from schools, the poor, the elderly and selling public lands and STILL bringing in a record deficit. The tax cuts come at a price. Getting a big tax return does make me feel a little better about the hell I endured to stash it away last year. I guess I felt like I deserved more out of that last job.

It's funny how my little kids get so interested in who I work for and what I do. They learn the logos. They point out buildings with the logos, commercials with the logos, trucks with the logos. And they are proud of them. They respect that the pay the company provides allows them to have fun. I was actually proud of my last job for some time, but then management gets some unsubstantiated gut-feeling that taking away everything that makes your job seem bearable will somehow boost earnings. I've seen postings that the last company I worked for is currently hiring with opening wages at $1.50 below the wage I started at 5 years ago. The bosses where I work now treat me well; they give me tokens for the vending machines, they give me gift cards, they mailed me a company lapel pin. If I ever wear something with lapels I will think of the pin and laugh. But I appreciate it. If only they would give me full time hours and pay me enough to live on... then I would be proud along with my kids.

My kids actually think of batteries as the ultimate currency. Batteries make all their toys come to life. Dear lord... please bless that the double-a's in my LMAX will never die. Thank you for robo-raptors. Amen.

At the moment, I do not have the money from my tax return nor the job at the furniture place but the near future seems promising and this time I will let myself enjoy it.