We are now Fully Employed!

Last week we were supposed to find out about dh's job status.  He interviewed for 1 that would have him stay within his area of work.  He nor I ever thought that he would get it as there were 2 much more senior people that he was competing with.  The department head phoned to say the job was his!

One of the other people doesn't interview well at all.  Very nice person after you get to know him but it takes a good 5-6 times of interaction before he is comfortable.  Not good when you make a bad first impression. The other person had a reputation that preceded him.  They know he is difficult to get along with, lazy and moans and complains about every task he is assigned.

The new position comes with the same pay but has opportunity for advancement.  I am so happy and so relieved!  It also comes with a more professional dress code.  No more khakis and golf shirts!

I have had to put money into a wardrobe and now so does dh.  So far I have spent around $200 on clothes.  I have many many outfit combinations and a pair of shoes that works with all of my pants.  My wonderful mil just got back from Arizona and brought me 3 basic tops that will work perfect too.  (I love her!!)  Everything has been on clearance or with a gift card so I think I am getting the most for my money.

Despite looking good, my back is still killing me.  I have a pharmacy in the kitchen cupboard of  pills that don't help much.  I need to keep going to acupuncture and physio (same person) but the new job has had mandatory attendance for 2 weeks and now my physio has gone on holidays :(  no relief in sight for 3 weeks.

Today is a vacation day that I had to use up.  But still had to go in to a 8:30 meeting this morning.  Nothing like getting all gussied up for an hour and then being at home!  I am making bread, getting laundry done and making some appointments.

1. Need to call the bank and meet with the financial planner.  My mutual funds that I pulled out and put into GIC's are due next week.  dh will not get any severance pay but he will get back pay from his new contract.

2.  I need to see an optometrist!  I am sitting in all of these presentations and squinting from the back!!  Not cool.  The little twerp that checked my eyes 3 years ago said I will likely need glasses in a couple of years as "Someone your age can expect". 

3.  I am going to set up some times for when my physio gets back. 

4.  I keep talking about, but have yet to get our passports done.  With both of us employed I think we can now book a holiday!

5.  Tonight is budget talk night.  What we are going to save, who pays for what and imminent house repairs.  New shingles, front door replaced?  Rear deck needs staining and shed painted.  I can't do these things myself anymore. (well I wouldn't do the shingles - just removing)  We need guesstimates and a timeline.

 



My new position has now lost the manager that should have hired me and that got her hand slapped.  She is onwards and upwards as you know how things float to the top in any big organization.  Another new perk of my position is that one of my job sites is 5 minutes from home!  In the spring and summer I can do the 20 minute walk in the morning!  Plus, right by a Starbucks (which I have a couple gift cards for!)


The Good Things...
Both of us employed full time
It is only -4 C right now (far cry from -38 last week!!)
I have a quiet house to myself
Great coffee
Loving in-laws

Things that suck...
Little #3 has to go into some childcare before and after school
My "newer" winter coat has a broken zipper and my old one is ripped
my side of the family is the biggest bunch of screw ups possible

I'm Going to Roll With it this Week

I'm not sure what is happening with my blogging posts.  Ah well, add it to the long list of things going on around me that I don't know what happening.

My job that I thought I had, I don't.  Huge, huge cluster *&$#.  I now can say without hesitation that I hate my boss.

My take home pay has been reduced by 45% so spending is nil.

Dh is waiting to hear about 2 interviews that he's done.  Luckily he is still at full wage.


To counter next to no money coming in, I did a shopping spree with Christmas gift cards!  3 pr of pants, 3 tops and 8 pr socks, and a sweater for kid #2 for $15.00 cost to me!

Then I had a free Starbucks Latte!

I'm still angry about a lot of things going on - but damn I look good !)

I would love to go into detail, who knows, if I get fired then I will publish who I am and all I know.  Complete with pictures :) 

Hope that everyone's week goes a lot better than mine!!!

2013 The year of Wait and See

2013 I have declared to be the year of uncertainty.  There are so many things that are out of my control.  The new position that I am supposed to start, there is no start date...
The new job for dh, there is no official job contract offer.  But now he interviews for another department next week.
My kid #1 is not trying very hard at university.  I am not impressed with the marks.  So no laptop and I will not be funding a second year as it stands now.  He has to get it together.

Kid #2 who is very bright, completely tanked his English.  He hates the teacher.  I've met her, spoke with her, she is not an unpleasant person but I agree with my son that she is disorganized and difficult to follow when she talks.  When I ask her a yes or no question 3 minutes later when she's done talking about god knows what, I still have to ask "So is that a YES or a NO?"  I appreciate people that are clear and concise.  She is neither.
Regardless of his difficulty to learn from her, all of the course requirements are on paper.  Shakespeare still has all of the same lines.

All of the Christmas decorations came down yesterday.  There weren't many up, so easy and quick to put away.  Christmas spending came in around $800 for 16 people's gifts and 3 hosted meals for 9,9 and 11 people.  I think I did really good.  My sibling owes me $50 for the parental units gift but I'm not going to see that I'm sure.

The parental units are going away on a little one week get-away to a 5* resort in central america somewhere.  Such a great deal ya know, only $3800.  But they are paying extra to be in the "exclusive club".  They just thought that I should know since they leave this Sunday and I am the contact number! Goody for you two.  Holy moly are they ever a pair of jerks.  They did see my kids the beginning of October when we were there for a funeral so I guess that is good enough.  I did not write down any of the resorts contact information because quite honestly there is not one thing that could happen, death included, that I would call them about.

Like my husband says "Keep our heads down and keep moving".  Life goes on, it doesn't matter what bs goes on around us.  I have to tend to life as it is happening in my house.

I have been researching what to do with my TFSA that comes due and my RRSP's that I pulled out of the high risk mutual funds.  I'm still up in the air.  I have a couple of funds that I think look promising and are less risk.  Will see when we meet with the financial planner in a month. 

Today I am procrastinating doing my paperwork.  I have a truck load of papers to fill out for benefits and pension because they were affected by my time off from injury.  I likely have 100 pages of forms and photocopies to do this weekend.  BARF.

What has gone my way this week?.... I got an awesome haircut yesterday and it was free!  I was able to help out my hairdresser a few months back and she was so grateful it was a freebie! (saved $55!)
I found dress pants for the new job (that starts god knows when) for 75% off - $23 tax incl.  And I splurged on a pair of casual low black shoes. $120 yikes!  But I love them and will wear them likely every day!  My previous pair are 7-8 years old and pretty scuffed up.  For clothes I've lost 12+ lbs so nothing in the pants department of my closet really fits properly.  I don't like saggy bum and always having to hike up my pants. (unlike many teenage boys!)

Having been through a few bouts of plantar fasciaitis good shoes are a must, not a splurge.  I can pay $30 every 6 months for cheap ones or $120 every 7-8 years.  Simple.

For some reason I can't add pictures with Blogger today.

The Good Things...
Great free haircut!
Healthy kids
I'm feeling better and moving better
My in-laws at least care about their grand kid and my older 2 their step-grand kids

Things that suck...
insurance paperwork
as always, my side of the family

It's going to be a "Rainy Day" on Wednesday....

With my kid #2 that is the orthodontic challenge we learned on the last visit that he needs all the wisdom teeth out.  The lower ones are looking like they are "angry" and the uppers are heading sideways.  Early in life for a kid to need them out but whatever.  The orthodontist sent a letter to a dental surgeon (too complicated for a regular dentist) and we would wait to hear back.  Well if I don't get a call 2 weeks later and an appointment in less than a week.  I don't know about anyone else but around here to get a call and then get in to a specialist in less than 3 weeks is nothing short of a miracle.

The caveat... $2300 due Wednesday morning.  No billing to the insurance company first, cash on the dash thank-you.

I think that I should get $800 from my insurance and I will bill the x half of the $2300 so 1150 - 800 = 350 when the dust clears in a month or two.  But still need it up front.

Luckily my credit card balance is 0. 

I think and I hope that we are done with funerals for awhile.  This business of driving all day, come home, do laundry, repack and drive again wiped me right out last week.  $45 clothes for kid #3, $300 in gas, $130 hotel, $30 dry cleaning, $50 eating out.  Not in the agenda but what can you do?

More than my wallet, my heart can't take anymore.  I don't know if I even ate 2000 calories all last week.  Grieving, the stress of my mother, my perfect idiot sibling, so many people around (my family members funeral had 350 people) it was hard to handle. 

We've made a point to have quiet family time at home.  I'm making our favorite roast tonight and a pie made this morning.  Comfort food for us.  The kids have all talked about the way they feel over the losses and I think they are doing well.  My little ones teachers are such caring and loving people.  They have given him lots of love and support over the last couple of weeks.

The Good Things...
My little family
Wonderful teachers
Money in the rainy day fund so that I don't stress when things like this come up
Carla's bread recipe that is now all my kids will eat! (hate store bought!)

Things that suck...
wisdom teeth
even when your brain understands that everybody has to die someday, that ache that sits in your heart and the tears that roll regardless.

On the Bright Side....

There seems to be quite a bit of badness about.  I have been watching the news this past week with such sadness and a bit of anger too.  Things aren't sunshine and lollipops for quite a few bloggers as well.

I like to use my blog as a place to vent and moan about how tough I have things but really in the grand scheme of things I have nothing to complain  about.

Kid #1 has been sick for a month with a cough and sinus cold.  Over the counter meds aren't cutting it.  Maybe pneumonia or maybe bronchitis... Bright side = able to be seen immediately at walk in clinic, chest x-ray done and prescription for antibiotics for $10 and a physicians sample of steroid inhaler for free.

Kid #2 got paid for a couple of days work.  Bright side = now he can pay me back for the $90 textbook he lost.

Kid #3 had a birthday.  Super bright side = I used Shoppers Drugmart points super redemption weekend and got him a Nintendo ds and 2 games for free :)  He is over the moon happy!  He's also having a kid party today with friends and cake.  Pizza and games for 4 friends at our house.  Cost will be under $75

The man had to do a "test" of sorts at work.  There will be one man left standing after the cuts in his department and they will use this to select the most suitable candidate.  Makes for very uncomfortable times.  These guys are all friends.  There are 4 of them.  I don't think it is likely that dh will stay as he is the least senior.  There have been job opportunities come up in other places and even in Ottawa (where I said that I would consider moving).  However if I move my benefits will be terminated from my work insurance.  I would not be hired anywhere with the current state of my back.  We are staying put for now as we couldn't survive without a huge lifestyle change on only his salary.  I also won't leave my older 2 here with the x.

Bright side = emergency fund is still in place, I've been putting everything extra to savings accounts so there is a parachute for us.

My back is a little better.  I have 60% hand strength in my right hand now.  Bright side = better than the 30% of 5 months ago!

My yard is looking after itself!!  Thankfully all of the work I did last year with moving perennials and mulch has made it presentable.  The rain that we've been getting has also helped!

Here is one of my big peonies before the wind blew it all apart...

   


My daylilies are happy in the new bed they got last year.  I had no idea what colour this little guy was when I planted it.  I like it!

Here's hoping for a better month next month...