It's the Economy, Baby

Today I helped move some of Mom's furnishings from her office at the church, where she will work until Sunday. As I was schlepping her credenza up the stairs into her home, her neighbor came out and we chatted for a few minutes. Her husband has already been laid off. I know of no fewer than a dozen people within my extended circle of friends and family who are recently unemployed due to the economy.

The other morning I woke from a dream wondering if we were going to start seeing bread lines and soup kitchens.

And in the midst of this, we are buying a house. Assuming we can each hold on to our jobs, that is. I have spent less than half of our grant so far at work. Spend it or lose it. Lose it and lose everything. Meanwhile, Tom is still having a couple of days off unpaid a month.

Those incredibly short-sighted state workers here in California irk me like you can't believe. So you have to take two Fridays off each month without pay. Otherwise your job's pretty secure, right? Suck it up and deal, just like the rest of us. There's no need for whining to the media.

And for the people who were inconvenienced by the offices being closed last week... grow the freak up, would ya?!? We all have inconveniences. It's not like the people who work there wanted to be off. I know. I read the news.

Argh!

Again I say, in the midst of all this, we are buying a house. C'mon Saint Patrick's Day! C'mon job security! It's the ultimate hopeful action these days. We hope it works out. I feel like it will. I have packed over 20 boxes and labeled them with the contents and the name of the room where they should be placed when we move them up the hill. I can picture our washer and dryer in the laundry room. I know which room is who's and what will happen should we have another child next year. I am starting to believe.