Thoughts..

Have you ever wondered how guys and gals can have a relationship, and NOT want to chop the other's head off at some point?



I mean, when you think about it, everything about a male and a female is diametrically opposed to the other.



Guys communicate more by doing than talking. We show our support by providing. We do things, and let our actions dictate our feelings.



Women? They talk. They talk about anything, and they talk about EVERYTHING. They talk about their hair, their clothes, their kids, their dreams, their job, their sex life, their therapist, yadda, yadda, yadda..



Granted, this is a generalization, and there are exceptions to this, but they are damned few and far between.



Let's talk about clothes!



For men, dressing up means wearing the jeans that DON'T have holes in them, a clean t-shirt with no witty sayings on it, and sneakers. Button-down shirt? Nah. Slacks? No way, this is a PARTY we're going to, not work! Loafers or Patent leather shoes? Only if the patent leather shines enough that we could possibly sneak a peek up a dress or skirt!



For ladies? Yeah, get two or three outfits out, ask the man his opinion, then ignore his suggestion, and wear what you were planning on wearing anyway. Then spend the next TWO HOURS applying makeup, hairspray, mousse, foundation, eyeliner, lipstick, mascara, hair curlers, hair straightener, perfume, etc. on. By the time you're done, the guy's gotta go wash his face, because he fell asleep in the easy chair, and has drool on the side of his face!



Shoes? For ladies, it's an addiction. What pair would look good with which outfit? Does this match the color of my eyes or handbag? Do they help to show off my pedicure and polish on my toenails?



For guys.. As long as they're comfortable, and we can wear the heck out of them, one or two pairs will do, thank you.



Food:



Yeah, I'm going there!



Girls, you totally confuse us on this one.



Let's start at the beginning. When a guy and girl date for the first time, she'll eat like a bird, hardly touch anything, and talk his ear off the entire time. He'll order what he usually would, and enjoy it. She'll take her leftovers home, and let them rot in the fridge, because she didn't really want the dish she ordered, but she doesn't want to seem ungrateful for the date.



Next, after getting to know each other better, a change happens. She'll actually start eating. However, this doesn't keep her from talking the entire time. So not only do us guys get to eat our food, but we get to see how yours looks too. The guy keeps up with the same thing. Order what you would normally, and try to keep the food pieces that could possibly fly from her mouth from landing on your plate.



Then they become an "item" or even get married. Then you find out this lady does something you never even considered: She eats ALL THE TIME. not big sit-down meals, but she's constantly snacking. Crackers here, a rice cake there, breakfast, a snack bar, a small doughnut, lunch, a candy bar, some Wheat Thins, a diet bar, Dinner, some ice cream, maybe a small slice of pie, a bag of popkorn.



It boggles the mind.



Shopping.



When I shop, I plan on what I'm going to get, know where I'm going, get in, get the stuff, and get out. Job done.



Girls?



Browse. Look over the price of this or that, this would look nice. Let's see what's in this store. I know we don't need anything here, but it would be nice to plan on a time when we might, so let's go in here and see what they've got. Try this on. Try that. What do you think that would look like in "x" room? Ad Nauseum. Can you tell that I HATE shopping? No? I'll tell you then. I HATE SHOPPING.



Yet for all of this, we are somehow able to look past this, and find someone that seems to match us. Our compliment. The other half of our being. The one who can finish your sentance before you even know you're talking about it. The Yin for your Yang.



I don't know how it happens, and I don't know WHY it happens. Yet the thing I find the most humorous about it all is this one simple fact:



The person we come to join with is one who you'd NEVER expect to deal with. They do each and every thing that you don't do, and yet somehow, instead of this being some kind of annoyance, it is something that you wind up cherishing that person for.

The same exact behavior that your brother does that can send you completely over the edge is something that you boast about to your friends because your wife did it..

The stuff that seems to melt your eyeballs to hear about is the stuff that you love when your girlfriend does it...

Nothing's as cute or as adorable when that significant other is at work. They could do something you've sworn you'd never deal with, and it becomes passable..

What is it about these unchecked emotions we've got that makes us more tolerant?

If we were to ever be able to harness the power of an emotion, then I'm sure quite a few of the "world problems" we've got going today would be taken care of.

The wars that we fight would cease, since we could promote tolerance for religious and racial differences.

The political arena would be less of a mess, since we'd be more tolerant of deciet and broken trust issues.

Wages would increase, and the cost of living would decrease, because we'd be wanting to help support and provide for each and every person we came into contact with...

The only real problem I have is that we'd also be wanting to screw each and every face we saw..

For some, that's not considered a "bad" thing.

For me, I'm just too old now to really enjoy it!

Have a great week, and a happy Mother's Day (early) for my lady readers!

And the next number for the Powerball jackpot is...

You.

Yeah. Little 'ol you sitting there reading this.

Can you honestly believe what is happening in this economy now?

First, we get to see the "big three" automakers apply and get denied Federal Bail-out money because they honestly show that they've got no clue about cash boundaries.

Then, they come back, after a nice long coaching session with some set actors, and get granted bailout cash that they so "desperately need" for their business.

Now?

Yeah, they're trying to get you to foot the bill.

How, do you ask?

I was listening to a radio commercial on my way home from work this evening, and Chevy was blaring an ad to it's listeners:

"If you lose your job, we'll make your payments for up to 9 months"

Wow.

Just incredible.

So now I've got this overwhelming urge to run out and buy a car that I can't afford, then lose my job so that I don't have to pay for it for nearly a year, then rinse and repeat!

Doesn't that sound like FUN??

Not only that, but I'm sure that my taxes on this are going to be helping those folks who could care less about keeping a stable job in a car far longer than they should be!

Is there really no sanity in finance with "big business" anymore?

More ranting and raving!!

Yesterday, while browsing through some of my more favorite blogs to read, I came upon this post by Cinnikitty.

It got me so worked up, that I'm still kind of irate now just THINKING about it.

Things of this nature really hit close to home for me.

I mean, I'm a divorced father of 3, and it's like pulling teeth to get any kind of consistent support from their mother.

Yet, I have to wonder what makes the judges tick when they decide what amounts are "reasonable" for the paying parties...

Let me give you an example:

When my wife and I divorced, she was given custody of the kids because I was working 3 jobs, had no stable home, and was basically living hand to mouth from day to day.

Yet, even with my dire means of survival, the judge was 'gracious' enough to award my wife a monthly support amount of $750 to be paid in full each month.

Now, at that time, I was bringing home approximately $1,200 a month. Take out my rent, and it dropped to $300.

If I didn't pay the rent, I could buy some food, pay a couple of bills, pay the CHILD SUPPORT, and maybe have a couple of dollars left over for gas.

BUT! If I paid my rent to keep a roof over my head, I'd drop too far behind on payments to be able to make up the difference.

Did this matter to the court?

NO.

He determined that I could be making a base minimum wage of $16-$18 per hour, and that because I was working _3_ jobs that weren't clearing more than $1500 a month, that was my problem. I needed to take the initiative to get a better paying job, and drop the 3 that I had in order to cover my responsibilities.

Nothing like getting kicked in the nuts, and then having that person tell you that it only hurts for a bit, and to suck it up and keep going, is there?

The sad fact is that because of the hour requirements of the jobs I was working, I wasn't HOME enough to take care of my kids. I had, technically, ONE day off during the week, but that "day off" was actually the one day where I only worked ONE job for a half-day. That day was Sunday. The rest of the time I was up and working from 4am until 10pm. Monday through Saturday. I'd get just enough time to rush from one job to the next in order to keep the two higher-paying jobs afloat, and then I'd toss in extra time when I could on the weekends to the third job to get gas money. It was a vicious cycle.

Now, with all of that work, I had to get some sleep in. So I'd sleep from about 11pm until 3am, then get up and repeat the day. Sunday was the treat, in that I didn't have to start work until 10am, and was done by 3pm. That meant that I could go over and see my kids, play with them for a little bit, and then head home to get some sleep before starting the nasty work week all over again.

Now, somehow in that tangled mess of a schedule, I was supposed to blow off an employer, go fill out applications to other jobs that were better suited for family support, and then hope to God that I didn't get fired from the job I'd blown off so that I could still have money coming in while hoping that the jobs I'd applied for called me for an interview so that I could potentially blow off said job again for the chance at another one...

Do you see the irony in this?

You have a job, yet you have to drop that one because a person told you to, in order to apply for a potential job (that many others will be applying for as well) in order to get an interview.

I was FURIOUS.

Yes, he's a judge, and someone who is (technically) an authority figure. But who the hell does he think he is to dictate to me what I should and should NOT be doing in my family life? Don't make a personal vendetta against working class people, tell them that they can and need to do better, and then force them into unlivable circumstances just to force a change.

Well, after the ruling, I tried to do exactly like the judge ordered.

Within 2 weeks, I had my part-time job left, as the other two fired me for not showing up for work.

Suddenly my $1,200 a month income dropped to $350.

Now I couldn't even pay rent, let alone keep food in my stomach, or pay bills.

I fell into a severe depression. I didn't care about how I was doing. I didn't care about my family. I was a failure.

The feelings of inadequacy were terrible. Failure seemed to be the one thing that I was actually good at. I mean, I had a FAILED marriage, I used to have jobs, but I FAILED two of them. I used to be able to support myself, but now I was FAILING at that as well.

Jormengrund=FAIL. That was my life equation.

I finally got evicted from my small home. With no place to go, I turned to my parents. I was desperate for some place to live while I looked for work, and felt that my family would offer some kind of help.

My mom refused. I wasn't to come near their house, and until I could get my life straight, I wasn't to contact them AT ALL.

Great.. More failure. This time with the people who are supposed to love and support you NO MATTER WHAT.

Then, a small glimmer of light.

My grandpa asked me to come over and help him work on the small shop he'd been building for his woodworking stuff. I came over and lent a hand. During the work, he offered me a place to live, in exchange for help around the house. He and my grandma were getting old enough that an added hand around the house for chores would be a great help. I needed a place to stay, and they were willing to give me one as long as I was willing to work for it.

I grasped at this chance with both hands like a man hanging on the edge of a cliff would to a rescue rope. I still had some meager income, and I needed some of it to pay for the gas I was using to get to job interviews. The rest I sent off for child support. Yet I continued to fall behind because my entire earned income still wasn't enough to cover my payments.

My grandpa hired an attorney to see about getting the payments reduced, but the judgement held. I had the "potential" to earn "X" amount, and thus I needed to live up to that potential in order to meet the judgement. No change was given.

So, I worked around my grandparent's house, fixing things, cutting the lawn, weeding, painting, mopping floors, carrying laundry, driving them to and from town.. Whatever they needed done, I did it. I also applied everywhere I could. I didn't care about what state, I didn't care about what field it was in. I didn't care about anything but getting that job that the judge insisted was my saving grace.

A year went by. Two. I never saw my tax returns. The money that I'd get would immediately be sent to help pay down my outstanding balance of child support. I fell deeper into debt with that payment. I mean really... Even paying the entire amount of my monthly income was still dropping me $400 into the hole EACH MONTH. Depression kicked in again.

Then, my part-time job closed.

No work, no money, no potential employers.

I'd hit rock bottom. There was no place left to go but up.

A friend of mine offered to take me out one night for a couple of drinks in order to try to cheer me up. We went to a small bar, and had a pretty good time. While there, an old neighbor of mine spotted me, and we started talking.

That man gave me the first small break since I'd hit bottom. He offered me a job working for him. My title? Karaoke DJ.

Yeah. Glamor galore. But it was a start in getting myself back on track. He promised to help out as much as he could, as long as I was willing to put the effort into helping him as well. I agreed.

Now, I was starting to make some headway. I had a job that I worked 6 nights a week at, sometimes I even worked mornings in his new storefront. I still lived with my grandparents, but I was actually starting to make ends meet.

Then, I met HER. My wife.

I joke about her being one of the "stalkers" that used to chase me around while I was running the karaoke stuff, but there was something seriously different about her that caught my eye. She saw something in me that made me think that I could be more than even that judge thought. For the first time in a very long time, I started to feel.... HOPE.

We started dating. Thanks to her influence, I started seeing my kids more. I'd been ashamed to bring them over to my grandparent's house where I lived because I didn't want the kids to see me living so destitute. However, she told me that my kids just needed a dad, and that they wouldn't care about where I lived, as long as they were able to be there with me. As usual, she was right.

I was finally able to get some temp work as a laborer during this time as well, and started making more. Thanks to her help, I was able to pay down some of my debts, and slowly crawl back into the light. She offered me the chance to move in with her, and get out of my grandparent's house. I agreed, but I also promised my grandparents that I would still come around to take care of things for them.

Things were going well. Until we had our first big fight.

Suddenly, I was kicked to the curb. No place to stay, and no ray of hope or sunshine to light my path.

That is, until my future Mother-in-law stood up for me.

In this woman, I saw what it was like to have a mom. To have someone care for you because of WHO you are, not what you can do for their reputation.

I felt loved again, and the hope bloomed.

We reconciled, and apologies were made. I had regular visitation with my kids now, and things were going well...

Until we found the bruises on my youngest son.

Their step-dad had been taking to beating each of the kids with a paddle when he felt they were doing something wrong.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not against spanking when needed.

But to use a wooden paddle on a 2 year old boy?

I wanted to literally kill that man when I found out about this.

My wife called my dad and brother in order to keep me in the house. We then called to have CPS investigate.

Somehow, the slippery bastard was able to get out from under the charge of abuse. I don't know to this day how he managed it, but each and every time I see him give me some smug smile, I have to fight in order to keep myself from knocking his teeth in.

Because we couldn't get the charge of abuse to work, I went a different route to save my kids. I filed for custody of them.

At this time, I had a solid job, a stable home, and pretty good means to support myself.

Thus, we went to court in order to settle this.

After SIX months of deliberation, I was granted custody of my children. This, in and of itself, is quite unheard of in this state, since the common term for this state is a "mom centralized state" which means that unless I was able to show neglect or a lack of vital care, the mother would retain custody.

Apparently the judge in this case was able to see the same things that we were seeing.

Then, the determination for support sent into effect.

Can you guess how much my wife was then asked to pay ME for these kids?

It wasn't NEARLY the amount I had to shuck out, and she'd been making TWICE my pay when that decision had been made.

No. She was only required to pay $550 every TWO months.

Yeah.

I'd had to pay $1500 every two months, and she only needed to pay $550.

So apparently not ONLY does the person who make less have to pay more, but the father is expected to pay at least double what a mother can, even if she's unfit!


OK.

I think I've got a bit more control..

Anyway, since that time, my kids have become more stable, less moody, better students, and overall are more well-adjusted than they ever were while living with their mother.

I seriously have to give credit for much of this to my wife. She and I have worked tirelessly to get the things my kids need in order to thrive.

Yet, the post CK had written was about mothers sitting around expecting to get paid for doing NOTHING.

That's exactly what my ex and her hubby do.

He's a worthless piece of crap with SIX kids who doesn't hold down a job, and expects to get "disability" (any day now) and she works for a doctor's office, and tries to bribe them into "conveniently" forget about making the support payments from time to time.

There has NEVER been a consistent time when I've gotten cash from her. Either it's late, or they forgot, or the check gets lost, the account gets screwey, etc, etc, etc...

All I ask is for some consistency so that I can better take care of my kids.

In order to do this, I've got a job now where I don't have to depend AT ALL on the support, and if/when we DO get the money, it's an unexpected windfall, and we put it away, or use it to buy things that could really help the kids. Rarely, if ever, have the wife or I used any of that cash for ourselves. We use the child support just for that. The children.

Anyway, I think I'm done ranting, and this post has gotten WAY too long.

Only 13 more days until we run off to Disneyland!

Have a great weekend, and I'll talk with you all on Tuesday.

More talk about relationships!

Yeah, I haven't talked about the guy/girl phenomenon for a couple of weeks, so I'll get right back to my endless rant.


Here's something that completely confuses me, and I kind of want some feedback on it.

I'm going to give you a personal account of something that's happening in my household, and things that you might do to resolve it, ok?

I'm terrible, and I do mean TERRIBLE with money. Sure, there are times where I can save up enough when it's a short-term goal. But budgeting and keeping to it? Nah, not so much.

My wife, on the other hand, is a budgeting genius. She can plot and plan each payment out to the last penny before even glancing at the checkbook balance.

As I've posted in my profile, we're getting ready to take my kids to Disneyland here next month. Because of this, we really need to save up some cash to take along with.

I remind the wife, she nods. I trust it will get done. She's the budgeting wizard, after all!

Um.. It hasn't happened yet.

Now we're by no means hurting in the paycheck department. We both make enough to comfortably live. Yet with the slow economy, sales have dropped, so work at my warehouse is thinning. This cuts back on the overtime I could count on, as well as giving me opportunities to leave early. Yeah, I know I shouldn't take them (and I've been good lately about staying!) but when there's a chance of getting out of here with my sanity somewhat intact for the day, I jump at it before it gets a chance to make a break for it!

Still, even with these issues, we make enough to more than cover our bills, and stay well off.

Where does the cash go?

Do I take into account the need for replacing clothes the kids wear out?

Probably not.

How about the sundries like dishwashing detergent and such?

More than likely, no.

So where do I get off complaining about this?

Maybe it's the fact that even though I completely SUCK at budgeting, I'd still like to be kept involved in our family's finances. To know where the money's going. To know how much (or how little) we do (or don't) have.

Is that asking too much?

Well, there's news, and then there's... NEWS.

Yeah, I finally got the BAD news about my car repairs..

Can you believe that for a little economy car there is nearly $5,000 worth of repairs to be done??

Seriously.

I don't think all of the plastic, metal, upholstery and rubber in my car would add up to $5,000!

However, because I'm in the wrong line of work, I can now see that about 2/3 of that bill is LABOR costs. Let's get something straight here..

If I were to take my car in because I can't get a headlight to work, it would cost me about $75 to replace it in a shop.

Why?

Because it's a MINIMUM of $60 just for the mechanic to even look at it, plus $15 for the new lamp.

I've replaced headlights before. It's a 10 minute job.. TOPS.

If they're clearing $60 for a 10 minute job, that equals $300 an hour.

Yup. $300!

I need to go back to school. Trade school, that is.

That way, I can learn how to work on these computerized cars, and the fleece the unknowing consumer who buys these cars for every last cent they own!

Better yet.. I'll buy a garage, and staff it with mechanics, and just take my cut right off the top! This way, I can't be seen as the "bad guy" because I'm only paying my guys for the hard work they do in order to keep your expensive toys up and running!

This is brilliant. Now, all I need are a couple of willing *ahem* guinea pigs *ahem* investors, and I can get started!

Any takers??

2-Fer Tuesday!!

It's that time again!

Ok, here's the first one, and it's kind of a WTF were they thinking.. AGAIN?!?!

I got to work this morning, and was waking up to some news when I heard this little tidbit that really got my blood boiling.

AIG, you know, the insurace GIANT who is declaring that it needs 150 BILLION dollars in order to keep from going bankrupt and taking the rest of the US economy with it, has done it again..

Last time they got bailout money, they sent corporate executives off for a golfing junket in California!

I don't know about you, but if I were teetering on the verge of bankruptcy, and I got some cash to pay off my debts, I don't think I'd use the money for a Disneyland vacation..

This time? They're still hollering for money to bail them out. And what did they do?

Spa Treatments.

Yup.

Corporate folks were seen going to Colorado for a conference, and while there, treated themselves to lavish spa treatments.

Let's see.

First, you need money so you can go play golf, and fritter away a couple million.

Next? You then run off to some conference, and get facials, massages, and waxing??

I'm no financial genius, but this sounds completely ridiculous!

I mean, in order to make capital gains, I know that you've got to get in with the companies and talk shop. I understand that.

But to then treat yourself to lavish spa treatments, and golf junkets, and whatnot really bothers me.

Impress a client with the ability to budget, and spend within your means.

If your company is going bankrupt, then don't go blowing tons of cash for a Caribbean getaway.

If you're trying to impress them, do it with your financial portfolio, and not your pocketbook.

Anyway, that's my rant for now, more to follow later today!

Two-fer Tuesday.

Yeah. I'm going to try some kind of "marketing" schtick, and see how it goes..

So Tuesdays I'm going to ramble about whatever takes me fancy, then come back later, and try something else!

Let's see what you all think about that one!

Anyway..

Back when I was in the service, I enjoyed going out on the cruises. I mean, life had this structure.

Up at 6am, Shit, Shower, Shave (now to be known as the 3S move), get to the duty station for work. Work 8 hours, duty-free until 6am the next morning!

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner were all taken care of, there were movies and TV to watch, unless you preferred your radio or TV and video game system that you could smuggle aboard the ship.

Plus, you got to see some amazing ports and sights.

I was singularly lucky in that I got to go on two amazing world-wide cruises in my shortened time there.

First, after my schooling was done, my boat was slated to do a Caribbean run.

This isn't as posh as a normal cruise, but it's still an amazing area to see and explore when you've got the time. I'm a big fan of the whole swashbuckler era, so being around the seas where pirates once roamed free really brought some nostalgia home to me! I also got some GREAT souvenirs!

Once we got back from this cruise, we did some manatory down time, and then headed for our "sister" port over in Scotland. Once there, we did some shakedown drills, and I got a chance to find out that Scotland reminded me of my home state. Foggy, rain, and green. Made me a bit homesick for a while, but I loved the accents and scenery.

This immediately was followed by a posting for us to do a "Med Cruise".

Yup. You read right.

Mediterranean Cruise.

I got to see Italy, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

It was amazing.

And it was only overshadowed by one thing..

A trifle, really..

It was called...

Operation Desert Storm.

Near the end of the cruise, our battle group was activated, and we went down through the Suez Canal, and into the Indian Ocean to participate in operations in the Gulf.

Heck, I didn't mind. I was a bubblehead (aka submariner), and there wasn't much of a chance of someone being able to hit US underwater!

Being the rate and rank I was also gained me some airtime on CNN, as I was able to watch a few of my missle actions followed on TV! Sure, they tended to be a few weeks after the fact, but heck, I could still recall the entire operation! Now, my face wasn't shown, but you can still hear my calm, matter-of-fact voice repeating that litany of catchphrases during the live-fire.

The biggest let-down to all of this?

It was one man.

His name?

Bill Clinton.

Yup.

Clinton.

I was one of many servicemen who lost a job when he made his cutbacks.

Because of my age, and the time in grade for my position, I was going to basically be busted down from an E-6 position back to an E-3! And all I'd get for it was a campaign ribbon!

I politely refused to do this, and was given a partial retirement from the United States Navy.

Since then, my monthly stipend has given me some nice spending money each month, but thanks to this financial crisis we're having, I've been getting notices that even more of this partial pension of mine might be taken to help offest budgeting in the bank it's being held at!

Can you believe this? The US bank that I've got my military pension held in wants to charge me even more to keep my hard-earned service cash so that they can cover their own losses in this economic spiral we're in.

I don't know about you, but I'm really hoping for someone else to ask me to hold their money, so I can charge them more for what I'm losing!

No! Politics again? Seriously?

Yeah.

I have to say that I'm really not impressed with the way the government is handling this "bailout" of our economy.

I mean, really, giving the bulk of this money to Ford, GM, Chrystler, and Chevy?

Who makes up this stuff??

Let's see. Investment companies are going tits up, so let's funnel any emergency cash we can find into the automobile market, and they should get back on track in no time!

That's like saying that if a boat's got a leak, you plug up the anchor hole, and it should be fine pretty soon.

The only way that sinking boat is going to "right" itself is when it finally hits the bottom of the riverbed, or ocean bed, etc.

So my assumption here is that SOMEONE is on the payroll of major automotive movers, and is worried that his paycheck from them isn't going to look as pretty as it once did, so if he funnels enough cash to them, his paycheck at the end of the month will look better.

Because the rest of it makes absolutely NO sense whatsoever to me.

If you're going to bail out an economy, you need to help the financial institutions, not the producers.

Giving a buttload of cash to lumbermills isn't going to help the steel market, and plunging millions of dollars into mining isn't going to bolster the paper demand, either.

So how is giving a couple billion dollars to Ford, Chrystler, GM, and Chevrolet going to help places like Washington Mutual, or Wachovia, or Fannie Mae, or any other finance company?

It's not.

And there goes all that money that was supposed to HELP us out, going straight into the pockets of someone who really didn't need it anyway.

God, I really LOVE this country at times, don't you?

Another trip down memory lane...

Ok, time to reminisce a bit..

Back when I was in High School, my dad told me that if I wanted something, I was going to have to EARN it.

This meant that I was going to need a JOB.

Now, since Junior High, I'd been going out each summer to get extra spending cash. Picking strawberries, picking beans, and picking blueberries.

Usually, by the end of the summer I'd have about 1,000 or more, depending on the crops and my willingness to enslave myself.

Then, I'd fly out to Minnesota for a couple of weeks to my uncle's farm, take care of his stuff, and come home with another $700.

So, by the time school would start, I'd have about $1700 for clothes, books, and tuition. (Books and tuition for college, because I was taking college courses at the same time that I was going to High School!)

Well, things weren't working out so well in the "I need a car!" department, so I got my high school counselor to give me a "emancipation" document that my parents could sign so that I could get a part-time job to work at along with my schooling.

My dad agreed, and signed this.

My first employer? McDonald's.

Yes, I worked the greasy fast-food job for four years while plugging away at schoolwork.

Now, I didn't mind the work. My problem was the definition of part-time.

My school schedule went something like this:

6am. Get up, shower, eat some breakfast, get to school.

6:30 am-2pm High school and related classes.

3pm-5pm College courses.

5:30pm-10pm Work at McDonald's.

10:30-?? Home for homework, then eat a little something, and hit the sack. Usually about midnight.

Now, this wasn't really a problem, since I pulled a 4.0 GPA while in High School, and I also earned a 3.8 with my college courses.

The problem was when I'd get called for extra shifts while I was IN school!

My answering machine would usually be chock-full of messages asking if I could come in for some extra time. Or if I could cover this or that shift.

Did they not know that I was in school? Or did they just not care?

I don't know, but I do tell you that it was the reason that I quit, eventually.

I was told, in no uncertain terms, that I would be working the night of my High School graduation.

I calmly looked the manager in the face, tossed my hat and apron in their face, and said "F-you. I'm going to graduate."

I still don't think they'd rehire me if I was desperate for a job...

Anyway, thanks to that job, I was able to get my first beater of a car.

My cherished 1971 Volkswagon Super Beetle.

I paid all of $300 for it, and it abused the HELL out of it. (refer to a previous post about it, and you can see just how hard I was on it!)http://jormengrund-yetanotherdayinparadise.blogspot.com/2008/09/teen-escapades.html

Anyway, this was just one of the small joys I was able to get in touch with because of the added financial freedom!

Another?

I moved out when I was 15.

I was able to get in with a friend of mine, and we lived in a two bedroom apartment just across the way from my school. I paid half the rent, and half of utilities.

This would only cost me $250 a month, which wasn't bad!

So then I tried my hand at something else..

I decided to start saving for buying my own home.

Now, I don't know many teens who think this far ahead, but it gave me brain cramps when I'd decide how much of each paycheck I was going to put into my nest egg account at my bank.

I mean, I had gas to pay for, insurance, food, rent, and utilities. Plus, if I wanted to go play at some point during the weekend, I had to foot that bill as well.

I learned how to budget FAST. Plus, it seemed to work for me.

Thus, with some hard work, some dedication, and a little luck, I was able to put aside a nice big chunk of change when I graduated.

Add to that all the bonus cash I got for being in the service, and I was sitting pretty when I decided to buy a home!

But that's for another day..

Do you recall your first job?

Was it as glorious as mine?

More confusion..

OK, I think I'm watching a bit TOO much news in the mornings before work.

Tell me if you've heard this one..

AIG, one of the biggest lenders in America, was going bankrupt because of some fraud scandals.

The US, being the benevolent benefactor it is, bailed them out.

Now? AIG needs ANOTHER bailing out, not even a week after the last one!

Now I don't know about you, but when I give my kids some cash, and I tell them not to spend it all, I really expect to be obeyed.

How is that really much different than what's going on here?

The US bailed out AIG for MILLIONS of dollars, and now they're asking for MORE??

My first response? "Fuck You"

Now, I'm sure that this company has done great things for this nation, and is a great standard for businesses in general.

If this is the case, however, then we need to let it all rot and die.

I mean, a financial institution that can't handle money? Is there any more of a greater oxymoron than this?

My plea to the Powers That Be still stands:

Give another stimulus to the taxpayers, and let us get this nation out of debt. Don't bail out these crooked corporations just because they are begging you for help with their mistakes!

Anyway, I need to leave this one alone before my soapbox starts to crack.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

New month, same stuff....

It's October..

Leaves are turning, air is getting cooler, fog is settling in each morning..

And my wife is going to drive me CRAZY.

This happens to be her favorite time of the year.

Her favorite holiday? Halloween.

That's right. Halloween.

We get out the 40 boxes of Halloween decorations down from the attic, and dig through it all to see what new and inventive stuff we can come up with for this year's haunted house. We also raid the party stores for new and interesting goodies, and of course, she's got a little budget set up for one "big" purchase.

Last year she was able to buy a butler that held a tray for goodies. His eyes watched you, and he has a motion sensor in the tray, so that after some candy was taken, he'd reach up, grab his hair, pull off his head, and say "thank you" before putting his head back on, and putting his arm down.

She loved that one last year.

We make a point to go on at least one "ghost tour" each year, and we visit at least one if not two or three haunted house attractions before the big day.

That, and the costumes that we'll buy for the kids and ourselves, we spend nearly as much for her holiday as we do for Christmas and Thanksgiving combined!

I'm really not one to stand in the way of her holiday, but please! How much stuff do you really need for Halloween?

Make something scary, then with a couple minor changes each year, stick with it. I mean, nobody's going to remember exactly what the scary shit looked like, so if you make some cosmetic changes, it will still look different, and still scare the crap out of folks. No need to go bigger and better each year!

I'd much rather to apply the budget to something for the entire family for Christmas, so that everyone can enjoy the stuff, and not just those select few who cherish the one specific holiday.

Anyway, that's my ranting post for today. I'm sure I'll think up something funny to post about tomorrow.

Have a great day!

More Rants and Raves..

OK..

Now, I'm not going to say that I'm the smartest cookie out there.

I know that in fact I'm pretty oblivious to quite a few things, and there are some things I could really care less about.

But the fact of the matter is: Common Sense just isn't common anymore!

I mean, let's think about this for a second...

You'd think that someone who worked with a car would know that it needs gas, oil, and the occasional tune-up, right?

Yet this same person will then complain when the car breaks down. When asked when the last service was done, they'll say "Service? I put gas in it, what else do you think it needs?"

Observation #2: Someone working at night should know better than to turn lights out. One, it's DARK. Two, IT'S DARK. One coworker of mine is now on disability for falling off a loading dock because he couldn't see where he was going, and fell out of the loading doors. Pure Genious!

Then we have those folks who claim that they can do what they like with their bodies. It's their body, they make the call.

Fine and dandy. Do what you like. But please don't involve me in it. Then it no longer becomes YOUR decision, as it becomes OUR decision, since your actions also influence ME. Think about it.

Lastly, who was the idiot who considered bailing out a financial company? Really?

I mean, these people are supposed to be PROFESSIONALS at finance, and yet they went BANKRUPT!

If you're having to funnel cash into a bank because the bank keeps spending your money, where do you think you'll be getting your cash from? I can guarantee you that it won't be from your bank, because they're spending it all. But yet we're supposed to think it's OK for the government to bail out some finance companies, and expect everything to be A-OK?

I don't get it, and I don't think I ever really will.

Maybe it's just something wrong with MY wiring, and I tend to see things in a different light.

Maybe it's because I'm just too picky, and I want something to go right for a change..

Or maybe I'm just one voice of reason in a sea of idiocy.

I don't know, I really don't care, but I'm beginning to get worried.

Throw me a lifeline if you are one of those who agree with me!

And more about Economics...

OK, so far the whole "Give me an INSANE amount of money" ploy isn't working.

Apparently I've got some kind of clout, because the ass-wipe known as Barack Obama is sitting with McCain and they're trying to hammer out the details.

Now who are the buttheads?

The sitting congressional Republicans.

Now, I have only one take on these folks...

They are more than willing to raise our taxes when they feel that they need some kind of pay raise.

They are more than willing to raise our taxes when they think they'll get some kind of advantage over another group or party.

But if you actually propose something that could really help the country and economy?

HELL NO.

Then they come up with excuses, because they didn't think of it first.

All I have to say is this:

There are what? About 320 million Americans living and paying taxes in this great nation we live in.

Bush is asking for 700 Billion in revenue.

do the math.. 320,000,000 versus 700,000,000,000.

Now I don't know about you, but that's a DAMN lot of zeros.

If it were me doing the proposal, I'd word it something like this..

Let Fanny Mae and Bernie Mac and AIG and all of those puss buckets rot in hell.
If you're going to swindle the American people, then you deserve the problems you've got, and we're not going to bail your asses out of the firepit that you've gotten yourselves into.
I do think that each tax-paying American citizen should receive a bit of a windfall, though, so we're going to do another stimulus program starting NOW.
With the 700 BILLION dollars granted to me, I'm going to give each person who filed taxes this last year 1 Million Dollars to be able to catch up on their debt.

Think about this. If each of us were to get a million bucks, what exactly would you do with it?

Me? I'd pay off everything, and then set the rest aside for my kids and their education. Pay off the cars, repair and pay off my house, erase all the credit cards. That should only bring my million down into the 800 Thousand mark, so I'd still have plenty left to put aside for my kids..

Not only that, but then paying off my house and cars and credit cards would give an influx of cash into the federal system, which would help it rebound.

So you get out of debt, and you bolster the economy at the same time..

To me, that's a complete win-win situation, and one that we're definitely NOT going to be seeing from Capitol Hill.

Why? Because it makes sense, and gets most of the problem solved.

If the problems are solved, then why would we need the idiots up there in office?

They know this, that's why they only agree to plans with serious flaws, so that they have something else to work with later on. It's called Job Security, and they're the only ones I know of who can create their own work, and not get taken to task for it.

Anyway, this rant is done.

Best of luck, and here's to hoping for that stimulus that I think would be better for the economy than rescuing all of those financial institutions..

Economic Distress??

OK, this has been bugging me enough that I've GOT to comment on it...

Last night, GW made a statement to the nation about our failing economy, and is begging congress for money.

I think he'd have said it better if he'd brought a nice cardoard slab with the words

"Dead broke because of war. Anything helps. God Bless" on it.

Anyway, then you get the two nominees in on this, and it really becomes a circus.

McCain is stopping his campaign in order to address the issue. He feels that his total attention needs to be focused on the problem, and not on belittling his opponent.

To be honest, that is actually a breath of fresh air for me. Leave off with the name calling, and the whole "holier than thou" stuff, and focus on the problems of the nation.

Then you've got Obama. No. Not going to stop because of some small financial problem. I've got bigger fish to fry, and my butt belongs in that chair up in the White House.

Now personally, I don't like either candidate. But this petty action by Obama seriously set me off.

Let me tell you why..

If I had a problem, and you told me that you were too busy with your own schedule to help me out, I'd flip you the bird, and tell you to take your issues somewhere else, and leave me the fuck alone.

If you were to drop everything, and focus on me and my problems, you'd get a steadfast supporter who would return that favor.

If you can't guess, McCaid did it right in my eyes, and Obama is looking like nothing more to me than a greedy, self-absorbed jackass.

This country needs some fixing. And if you're going to ignore that just so that you can ride in the captain's chair, then you can kiss my ass.

Focus on the issues, gentlemen! Leave the speeches for those who just smile and nod at you. Actions speak louder than words, and right now, the words I'm hearing aren't jivving with some of the things you claim in your campaign speeches...

Anyone else think I'm too far off base? Let me know.