On The Homefront
Busy week ahead; but if I structure thing right, I should be able to get everything done this week that I need/want to get done. And, it will get me in practice for the upcoming week. I’m doing something that I haven’t done for a couple of years, but, in light of the added expense I have decided to incur, this seemed like a good solution, and everyone involved was on board with it.

Staring October 1, I will be working “full time” again, instead of semi-part time. From 1982 until 2000, I worked full time. And then after the place that I had worked for for 18 years closed its doors … I drew unemployment for a few months (breaking my arm in the process, so it was more a time of recovering than “time off”. But it was time for me to “get back out there” — and 2 part-time job opportunities became available, and I applied for both, praying that one would hire me.

You know that old adage about being careful for what you pray for? They hired me… both of them. But, it all worked out. They were both part-time…4 hours a day, 5 days a week. So, I worked at one in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. At one point though, one of the places needed to downsize, and they let the parttimers go first. So, I then worked at the church parttime … until a year ago or so … David was needing help at his office with all the paperwork that goes along with having 11 drivers. So, it was back to 2 parttime jobs.

However … I didn’t have set hours with David’s office. There was certain things that needed to be done, and I made sure they got done. Sometimes I worked 7 hours a week, sometimes it would be 15 hours a week. But, there are lots of other things that I could be doing, and maybe there are some things that the boss’s wife is doing that I could do eventually. Thats the plan. Because my “7 or so” hours just went to 20 hours a week. Set hours. Church office from 8:00 - noon. Trucking business from 1:00 - 5:00. 5 days a week. My weight-loss apointments are at 6:00 in the evening, and its an hour drive, so I shouldn’t have to miss work to go to them. It SHOULD all work out, and the extra money will help “with the cause” — and I’ll continue to lose weight and get healthier. Just the few pounds I’ve lost so far have helped clear some of the cobwebs, and give me a tad bit more energy — to even consider taking on an endeavor like that.

Taking Control
I was worried about what I was going to do when “life went on” and all the times we would eat out. It isn’t always “us” that prods us into eating out. OUR times of eating out “just because” have decreased dramatically. I don’t think we’ve eaten out on our own since I started “the plan”.

However… that hasn’t stopped family from wanting us to join them. We had eaten with my ex-duaghter-in-law a couple of weeks ago, and my aunt got wind of it, after the fact, and she “didn’t want to miss out” because she had heard we were going to the Mexican food place. I wasn’t going to go 2 nights in a row, so I gently told her no, what she heard was old news … what she had heard about was the LAST time we took HER out. But, I told her maybe we would go “next Friday” …. which was last Friday. THAT was the plan.

However…. last THURSDAY, David calls. His mom wanted to know if we wanted to go eat with them, and he told her yes. He forget we were going to go Friday night. But, what we ended up doing was — we went up o the nursing home and asked my aunt if she’d rather go Thursday night instead of Friday night. That way, I could kill 2 birds with one stone. She was ok with it — although, in a teasing voice, when she was getting in our Explorer, Ethan said something about “Grandma and Grandpa going” … and she said “What if I don’t want them to go?” …. I TEASINGLY told her that if that was the case, then SHE wasn’t going, and we WEREN’T going Friday night. Needless to say, it was ‘OK” for “grandma and grandpa” to go.

So, I dodged that bullet…not eating there 2 nights in a row (and when we did eat there….shrimp salad…..and salsa…no chips…. and no, I didn’t put salsa on my salad. I just ate in in tiny spoonfuls) Saturday night rolls around, and “Grandma and grandpa” want to know if we want to go out to eat again. I told David he and Ethan could go, but I already had my meal going (which, I did… sorta. I had shrimp soaking in spicy water). So, thats what they did. I have to say…there are things I have messed up with on this plan (I’m going to blog about it sometime … over there…), but there are some things I have done really good with. So, I’m not going to beat myself up about it. I’m taking control, and it feels good.

Being Alarmed
See the little mood thing below the date and comment area (look up at the top of this entry, if you missed it). Actually, it should say “annoyed” or “frusrated” … because I’m still trying to figure this “mood” plugin out. But thats a whole other entry. I was “alarmed” because … I worked all day. Ethan had called to say he rode the bus home. When I was head home, around 5:30 …. I called him. No answer. His cell phone, the house phone. I get home…. no sign of him, and his cell phone is on the desk. There is a girl down the street a year older than him, and he’s been going down there alot lately, so I just assumed that was where he was, and when it got closer to 6:30, that he would come home.

6:30 comes. No Ethan. So then, I’m thinking, OK, fine, if he’s late for Scholar’s Bowl tonight, this is HIS problem. But then, 6:45 rolled around, and I’m starting to get a little (ok, alot) concerned. I walk the yard. I look down the street. I come back in to make some phone calls. And then I see his shoes. So….that tells me…he’s still here. But where? It finally dawned on me where he was. And don’t laugh …. I remember getting grounded AND spanked for doing the exact same thing. He was IN. HIS. ROOM. Asleep. He NEVER goes in his room. If he wants to take a nap after school, he goes in our room. Or snoozes in the recliner. NEVER ever his room. But, thats where he was at. Safe and sound.

I did the same thing to my mom. I had a paper route. I did my route … came home, went to my room, and took a nap. She didn’t realize I was home, and all she knew was … I wasn’t home yet. After driving the neighborhood, calling, etc….. she thinks to look in my room (which was upstairs and away from the main flow of traffic in our house). I was sooo in trouble for not letting her know I was home. Talk about things coming around full circle.

I had a few other things I wanted to do with this entry, but I think I’ve blabbed on long enough. I’ll save them for another time….

Blessings to all.