Playing Catch Up
It's been a rough week. The temps have been insane and today was no different. Heat index had it at nearly 110. We had a tiny, and I do mean TINY, bit of rain just before dawn, and that was it. Nothing more expected for who knows how long, and the heat is going to continue for at least two more weeks. I had to call out of work when I had planned on going in for the overtime because the brakes went out on my car! Front wheel drive and it was the rear brakes, but they've got to be done. I've still got stopping power but I don't want to destroy the rotors. Darn things are grinding a bit when I stop, so I'm not happy about that.
Went to O'Reilly's to get the pads (yes, my car has rear pads, aren't you rear drum car owners jealous because my rear brakes are a LOT easier to change out?!), and the manager there is a good friend. Knows me well from all my parts trips in over the years. So I tell Kyle what I need and he says, not a problem, give me a minute to grab you some. Comes back and plops them on the counter and I kid you not, says, "Here ya go, a couple of cute little boogers." Since when are car parts "cute little boogers?" $40 later and I'm out the door and on the way home so a buddy can change the pads out over the weekend after dark when it's cooler (HA!) and ONLY in the 70s.
I'm working my butt off on the shops, and I'm having fun with those. Much more than I do at the plant. I am not happy about calling in today, it would have been some nice overtime and a point back next week. Now I have to start the 28-day rolloff all over again and lost the overtime. Still have to get some dinner in me tonight and it's so hot I'm not really even hungry. I AM in tears over the money, but I'll get over it. It's just really crappy and doesn't help my mood. Of late, my mood has been I need to find a different freaking job where I can get a sit down position because I've got plantar fascitis in my right foot and they are NOT doing anything to train someone to my job so I can go on the floor and walk more like I need to. They trained one girl up for a whole day, which is twice as much as I got, and she, being young, decided she "didn't like it" so they are training her on other things which we already have enough people to do. I'm still stuck doing a job I stepped down from a week ago and no end in sight. If I have to, I'll get a note from the doctor says I have to be off my feet, period. The one in town is fairly willing to set me up for three months on medical leave with therapy for my foot. It would be great for getting products in the shop, but not great for the bank balance. Disability at work only pays 60% of base pay and they take taxes and insurance out of you anyhow, so you really only end up with half what you would normally bring home. I cannot live on $250 a week and keep up with the bills. So I'm stuck struggling and being in pain just to keep things on an even keel while I hunt for something else.
There's plenty of manufacturing jobs around here, but I would much prefer going back to office work if they'd pay me what I'm worth. There's no way I'm going to drop to just over minimum wage of $11 and try to survive. No thanks. I fully believe that a business that can't afford to pay it's workers more than starvation wages shouldn't BE in business when it's a professional business. Fast food is one thing as it's not intended to be a full time job and living wage. It's mostly intended to teach young people how to get and keep a job. An office job is something where you have to have skills more than just show up on time every day and be nice to people. So for that, or manufacturing jobs, or physical labor, or basically anything other than fast food, pay your people a living wage or shut the doors, because you likely can't manage the business money very well. Trust me, as an accountant by training, and having done it for over a decade before I had to go into factory work, I have seen businesses that paid minimum wage and could easily afford to pay more, didn't do it, and then wondered why they couldn't get good help that would stay around. When it comes to employees, you literally get what you pay for.
Anyhow...Tonight is finally cooling down some now that it's nearly 2AM. The heat really has me beat down. I can't deal with this. It's slowly killing me, I swear. If not for A/C, I'd be dead already. I was looking at houses back home tonight for a few minutes, seeing what is out there within an hour of Mom. There are a few that would easily do me well. I just need a lot of money to buy something I don't have to spend a ton of time and money to fix up, and a way to support myself. If the shops can ever get rolling, they can cover both problems. They really have to because I don't relish the idea of killing myself at the plant or working for someone else for the next who knows how many years until I die. It would be at least 8 because that is when I hit 62 and early retirement. I'm not going to be like several of our older team members that work there in their 80s just to supplement their Social Security check to have a really nice life. Working till I literally die like that is NOT happening. That is NOT in my plans.
All that being said, I'm trying something for a few months in the shops of raising prices a bit and doing free shipping on everything. It can't hurt (much) and we'll see what happens. Many studies have shown people will pay a bit more if they can get free shipping, so we'll see if folks will pay a premium price for a mug or doggie bandana with free shipping ($25 and $18 respectively). Worst that happens is I have to reset shipping and drop prices. But God, I need something to work out right for me. Yes, you can hear me sighing and trying not to cry, because I'm so down on myself over everything.
I know, I know. I really don't need to be down on myself, because there's so much going for me, blah blah blah. You try spending 12 years of your life essentially being a whipping post for someone who is a narcissistic jerk that enjoys putting you down and tearing you apart verbally, gaslighting you, making you feel like you're human garbage, and see how easy YOU have it trying to put all that behind you. Especially when there's a huge part of you that still, for whatever stupid reason, loves that person.
Which is part of why I'm looking to build the shops and get my butt back to Michigan long before Mom needs me on a permanent basis. He won't follow me there. He has said numerous times that he refuses to leave the Ozarks. Fine, he can have them. I'm willing to kick the dust of Arkansas and surrounding areas off my feet if that's what it takes to be free of him forever. I've got a lot of miserable moments in life, hating my job, wishing for a divorce or him to just keel over and die, hit the lottery (oh wait, you have to buy tickets for that one), whatever it takes to get me out of this mess mentally and physically. Get someone to drive me up north to back home so I don't have to drive the dang U-Haul while pulling my car behind, and pay their hotel, meals, trip back, and some cash for their time and company. It won't be an easy time when it comes right down to it, but I'll manage somehow. No idea how I'm going to make all this happen or when, or even if I'll even get a U-Haul. If I have a small SUV and it's been long enough that the zoo is all gone barring maybe Pumpkin, as he's the youngest cat at only 2 next month, I can pack my stuff up in a small pull-behind trailer and haul butt up the road to Michigan. It WILL happen. I'm going to MAKE it happen. It's going to cost me a lot of money and time and effort, but it will happen.
Anyhow, I have a bunch of pictures saved up from the last few days to show you, so here you go!
Comments
Post a Comment