Good and bad days, the kids

Yesterday was a very busy day for me with meetings taking most of the morning and all of the afternoon. I am pretty sure it was a productive time but I will know more as I work through the assignments I was given. It is reassuring to know that I still have a place at the table in the leadership team. I am investigating office space for the support staff, now located in Borger, in Amarillo. My boss told me pretty clearly to leave that alone. I am to look north from here in Borger, not south. We’ll see.


Also yesterday, Mama and I officially ran out of money. No, our accounts are not empty – totally. Just the spendable portion of our income is gone until next payday. I told Mama in the morning that we had only $37 left in our account and I did not want to transfer anything form the savings account I am holding for the well equipment. So she only bought two items; one for $14.50 and one for $50. That did not work out well for us.

She had returned about $160 worth of stuff to Sam’s and was somehow thinking the money was available to spend. None of the items purchased were outside of what we had talked about. One was an inspection on the little van and the other was a prescription for the procedure I am having on Monday. It is mostly my fault for not having the cash to give to her. It is more obvious when that runs out.

Chase got a new cell phone recently and he has been talking it up quite a bit. Every day he seems to discover new features that excite him more. I hope the enthusiasm will last past the next new upgraded gadget that comes along, but that is doubtful. Victoria is going to buy his old phone which has more gadgets and features than she will ever use.

Victoria got a call from the Wal-Mart in Bowie yesterday and they seemed interested in her coming to work for them. There were three fulltime positions open as a stocker or a cashier. One of the stocker positions was an overnight position and none of us felt good about that one. The other two are daytime positions. The HR person is beginning the paperwork to see if she is the candidate they are looking for. We should know next week. When they call for the transfer it will be a done deal and she will begin to report to Bowie.

Maggie is pretty sick right now. I think she is recovering but still feeling weak. She we complaining about the ways in which her body is exercising its right to reject food and eliminate waste but I told her it was an efficient weight loss program – not the most desirable, or the most healthy, but clearly the most efficient. She is taking the good (weight loss) with the bad (excess excretions). Aaron will be home soon.

Chase, Victoria and Brittany are planning a gift exchange for Christmas. I do not know the exact dates of Brittany’s travel but it will be largely dependent on the weather, not so much her time off. Mama and I bought a gift for her but we took it to Bowie since plans were to have Christmas there. With our plans changing so quickly, her gift is still there and will have to be shipped to her after Christmas.

Becky and Charles may still come down to Bowie after Christmas but there are no firm plans that I know of at this point. They are on the emotional roller coaster of financial troubles. All young couples I know of have gone through it. Some have higher highs and lower lows but every couple wrestles through it. Those who come together and work out agreed, workable solutions generally do very well in all the other areas or their marriage.

The only advice I would give is the advice I may have to follow soon: terminate all contracts – cell phone, internet and TV – pare down to purchasing only the essentials – food, shelter and clothing. Get your internet and news at the local library or internet hot spot. Write letters to stay in touch and get a cheap, pay as you go, phone. Use it only as absolutely necessary. Don’t just find ways to save on what you are spending, quit spending. It is amazing how loathe we are to do those things.

Still no word from Joshua.