Kick butt hours

working just to survive in the state of California. My paycheck borders on the amount of hours that I pick up to pay my mortgage, bills with very little actually going to me. I was able to "max out" my credit cards during my four months off from work and have to pay the least amount due. Minimum wage has supposedly gone up and you have to figure on that type of paycheck, you won't be able to afford much. President Bush will be issuing approximately $600 dollars back to the tax paying people to spur spending on our already outrageously overpriced state. As long as consumer price goes up, six hundred dollars means nothing to anyone. Being a single mom working the hours that I do, I have to trust that my 14 year old son will do his homework, cook his own dinner and get himself to school. Most of the time, without my supervision. Versus when I was at home, he enjoyed the home cooked meals every night, late night talks and my constant presence of being at home. That was enjoyable for me and it took a disease to say, "time out" and take the much needed time off.
My erratic work schedule and the over load of hours that I have picked up will insure a healthy paycheck but my son will be the ultimate sacrifice. THAT is what I do not want, to neglect my son because of my work schedule. Luckily, we have a good line of communication and he is a wonderful son, a bit lazy, but a good son. For now, work will have to come first if I am to stay in my home. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for a good outcome.

Tax time

and the amount of paperwork that I shred each year is of epic proportions. Going through my files and folders for pieces of bureaucratic information that I am obligated to retain for the next seven years is a component that I am very methodical about. Hence, the piles of paperwork on my bedroom floor and elsewhere that I have accumulated but was too lackadaisical to file or shred. Receipts from every purchase that I have made since 2004 to now. Can we say ANAL? Somewhere, somehow, the madness has to stop. My self affliction and knowing that I have contributed incalculably to global warming by the amount of shredding that I do on a daily basis. Mostly I can lay blame on the retailers and advertisers who struggle for my attention to open their infinite allotment of junk mail only to be returned persona non grata in my shredder. While I wait for a few important documents from my bank concerning my home, I have, at the ready, my tax forms. My goal this year, unlike most years, is to focus on having the mailed tax forms dated before February. Last year, I had it ready in January and because life got in the way, it did not get mailed out until April 15th! How's that for pre-planning? I'm a clutter-bug and there's no denying it.

I got approved

by my company's donation fund to the tune of $5000! That's such a relief for me to know that this payment will help me with my mortgage for the next two months. I was worried about this and now I can breath a little easier and know that this will carry me through the holidays. When I re-enter my employment in January 2008, I am so going to start contributing to this fund and what I could afford taken out of my paycheck and back into this fund. It is such a good thing for employees in need, like me. It seemed like everything started to fall into place and now I have to get my paperwork organized for next year. Tax time is right around the corner and as soon as my W-2 is online, my goal is to get my tax papers out in January. My bedroom is a total mess and littered with paperwork right now. I've got my shredder on one side and boxes holding receipts on the other side. My bed is has specific piles of paper, doctor, dentist, RA, grocery and miscellaneous receipts all bundled and ready to file away at the end of the month.
Lynn called me and told me about her hectic day at work. Poor thing, she sounds wiped out from her week. From a chorus mishap on Monday to not getting enough sleep to an angry Palestinian woman who disagreed with Lynn on her choice of holiday songs (Hanukkah) to teach her young child at a private school, has Lynn wanting to crawl back into bed for the rest of the afternoon. I don't blame her, I would too.