You Never Cease to Amaze...

Well I continue to look for work and to date have yet to have an interview.  It's been seven months.  I am on the Federal extension and thank President Obama for his truthful understanding of the current economy  and not forgetting that there  are many of us out here unemployed.

And with all this my life continues and the dark cloud hovers!  I can't understand why I am not having interviews! I feel like everything in my life...life in general...should stop until I am able to get back on track.  But unfortunately that isn't the way things work.

I am still spending my Wednesdays with sweet Gigi and I continue to feel blessed by this small reprieve where I get to hang out with a wonderful four year old who makes me laugh.  The pay still goes toward groceries and incidentals and boy am I thankful. Twice now, Gigi's mom has hired me to do some filing in her home office.  That was a nice surprise and that allowed me to afford prescriptions.  And yet, that blasted cloud.

2 weeks ago my back door suddenly stopped locking -- it was as if the dead bolt was not meeting its mark.  One day I bent the key to get it unlocked.  So I called my friend and handy man who shaved this and tightened that and determined that the door was swollen with moisture from the dampness in the air.  We should be good to go. No charge  (what a guy!).  2 days later I was at Gigi's house and getting ready to leave...much like the battery incident...? I put my key in the door and it broke. In the lock. Just snapped in half.  I tell you it was all I could do to not crumble onto the drive way and cry.  I mean, what do you do? I didn't have a spare as this was an old beater that didn't come with one.  Plus there was a piece IN THE LOCK. I'm going to have to have this towed, or hire a locksmith to rebuild the lock so I can have a new key....Oy gevalt!

David came home and in all his calmness got a thing that poked this and pushed that and pulled the piece out -- easy peasy.  I recall being very aware of his calm.  I think he knew that I was standing on the edge of the abyss. Well, we took the pieces to the hardware store and they taped them together and made a new key that didn't fit. Now we have to call the locksmith. But hey, David's neighbor down the street is a locksmith, and he ran down there.  I really believe because this guy knew David he gave him all the right answers without making a call and starting a bill.  Call Toyota, give them your VIN and they can digitally make you a key.  So David and I went for a little ride.

We talked about God. In my case I was grappling with: Why?  Why is this necessary?  What am I to gain from all of this and why does this always happen at David's house? I've come to the decision that while I am not yet to know all the answers, one thing is sure,  I will never be left high and dry: I will have car failure, but it will be at David's house who will help me.  I will have trouble with my locks at home, but Jim is a phone call away.  Bumps in the road.

Once again at the cash register at Toyota, David paid.  I am touched and honored by his generosity of money and time.  He's a good man, whom I consider a dear friend.

Ok, then. 2 days later, I am leaving the house and go to lock the door and it won't.  Worse yet, the key is stuck in the lock.  COME! ON! Ultimately I had to leave the key in the door and the house unlocked.  I called Jim.  I told him it was time for a new door knob and lock.  Would he please do that while I was gone?  Later Jim called.  Oh I just sprayed WD40 in the lock. Everything is OK.  You don't need a lock.  No charge.

Friday the IRS felt the need to write.  Seems they think that huge amount of money I paid in on taxes for 2008 (after my FORMER tax accountant made a huge error on my taxes!) was not enough. They want $1400.00 more. This in addition to the fact that while on Unemployment I OWE taxes for 2009.  Seems that Unemployment threw me into the OWE-category.  Nice.  So now I need to battle taxes.  I simply can't afford that.  So, in a very painful decision, I took money out of retirement to pay for these bills.  Money is an issue.  I am learning that I can live on far less than I ever imagined, and as such am looking at lower paying jobs, in addition to work comp, but I still am in the negative. I know they say you should never touch the 4o1k, but what else do I do?

And when I was slipping into the dark place, I got my mail. Once again, Anonymous sent me a gift card. This time to Target.  Anonymous? Between you and David and his family, not to mention the everyday kindnesses that Chris offers, my heart swells.  I want this to be over so that I can pay this forward.  I want to know who you are so I can hug you, I want nothing but goodness to follow you.  But, since that can't be, I wish you a bounty of God's goodness and blessings, I wish you peace and comfort, I pray you will never have to experience financial difficulty, but God forbid you do, I hope I am the one who is there to help you though it.  Amen.