God's Little Nudges

Money got really tight around Christmas, but I find it amazing how everything works out. It's almost like God is nudging everyone around us to benefit us.

I finished my training for Jackson-Hewitt well in time, and had my first day of work back on January 21. I've had 2 paychecks since then. I've also filed my taxes, and have already received my tax returns, both federal and state. We paid off a few things, caught up other things, and gave my car the TLC it SO desperately needed. I filed my boyfriend's taxes too, and he has already received his federal return (note to self: mail his Okla return!). We paid a few things with his return, but mostly spent it having fun on Valentine's day (and spoiling him).

Jackson-Hewitt is slowing down, though. For example, I only have 18 hrs this week, and I'm only scheduled for 8 next week, I think. Good for my exhausted body, good for my family who needs me, bad for my wallet. My boyfriend was getting stressed out spending all his time at home, with the kids, not working, not feeling as manly as he'd like, etc. I was getting stressed having to work all day, then come home to cook, clean, and take care of the kids. We were beginning to snap more, and more quickly with each other.

Suddenly, the light began to shine. Ish. I took him to a job interview on Monday in Owasso (40 minutes away, and I took him because he's an excluded driver on my insurance now - long story). Tuesday, they called him wanting him to start on Wednesday. He works M-Th, the 5pm to 3:30am shift. Yuck! But, it's a job, and it pays well, and weekly. We are thrilled.

Then the trouble began over transporting him there and back, and at such inconvenient hours. Him having to be there at 5pm means we have to leave by 4 pm, if not a little earlier, which is right when my daughter is getting out of school. Very inconvenient. And trying to drive to pick him up in the middle of the night was hard. His sister (thanks babe!) picked him up Wednesday night (really Thursday morning), and I had to load up the kids Thursday night (Friday morning) and take them with me to get him. Hooray for interrupted sleep cycles in 2-year-olds! Fun! I was dreading next week, his first full week, doing that 4 days in a row. How was I going to, when 2 had already killed me? I was exhausted beyond all belief.

I was complaining about all of this to my supervisor at work yesterday, and she came to the rescue. She offered to sell me her car. Her mom passed away recently, and she's driving her mom's car now, so she doesn't need her car anymore. She told me what she knew about it, and it sounds perfect for getting my boyfriend to and from work. The only thing wrong with it (according to her) is that it has no heat or a/c. I don't feel like that matters in a vehicle that's just for the work commute. We are to call her when I get home from work today and set up a time for tomorrow to meet with her and look at the car. I'm so excited I can barely breathe. She's not asking for much, and she's willing to take payments. This is the most available and affordable offer we've come across yet for a vehicle.

I have to keep reminding my boyfriend that if he keeps this job for at least a year, he can get the truck he wants. But for now, he has to drive a used, second-hand car with no heat or air. I also pointed out that my supervisor is no mechanic. The heat/air problem may be something simple, like a fan that needs replaced, or the freon. We have to look at it and see.

But I think this car will be just what we need to solve our transportation problems. So my boyfriend has a job and a car. Yeah for us! So when Jackson-Hewitt ends, I won't feel pressured to jump right into another job, asap. Our bills will still get paid, and I will get to spend time with my kids. Basically, with this night schedule, I'm a single mom again M-Th, and F-Su, during the days. He'll be there F-Su evenings to help out. Great, a weekend relationship. Nice. Whatever, as long as it works, and as long as we work hard to make it work. I can do the single mom thing... I'm an old pro at that (right everyone?). Been doing it for years.

I'm very happy in my life right now, and I'm glad that everything that has happened in the past happened the way it did, so I can be the person that I am, here and now, and be as happy as I am. More later. Same crazy time, same crazy channel.

P.S. Updates on my family, for those of you who know them.
1) Mom got married, back on February 2, to a man who is blind also (it's so cute and romantic and funny). They seem pretty happy together. He is all moved in now, though not entirely unpacked yet.
2) Mom kicked my younger brother's girlfriend out (it was about time), and I haven't really noticed anyone feeling sorry that she's gone. She was ok in the beginning, and she helped out once-in-a-rare-while, but the longer I knew her, the more I didn't really like her. I just began to find her annoying, mostly. But she's with her parents now, which is where she belongs. Let them take care of her.
3) My older brother is doing just fine with his boys, and my sister-in-law is doing fine with her girlfriend, as far as I know.
4) Funny story: my younger brother was going to Tulsa with a friend/neighbor to pick up my step-dad for mom on their wedding day. My brother and his friend got pulled over for speeding, then got arrested. We went to bail them out, but one town wouldn't let us until they had been transferred to the other town. My neighbor and friend who was driving us down there got pulled over as well on the way back, and if that cop had bothered to run her license (instead of taking pity on the obviously pregnant woman about to cry), she would have been arrested as well. I couldn't stop laughing. The irony of getting arrested as you were attempting to bail someone else out struck me as hilarious. Also, I think it's SO funny that my youngest brother was in jail when our mom got married. :) LOL A friend of his friend's bailed them both out later that night. A few days later, my boyfriend got pulled over for running a stop sign. As I told my friend (and she agrees), "I am done with the cops for now - I've had enough of them this week to last me a lifetime!"