Sunday Aug. 11, 2011

I am so deeply concerned with the state of our economy.  Thanks to bipartisan bickering and political egos, our country's AAA credit rating has been down-graded to AA.  Unemployment is still running rampant and salaries continue to diminish as cost of living continues to rise.
I have personally been struggling since my company saw fit to cut my salary $20k.  I have gotten behind on bills, drastically changed our lifestyle and basically I am robbing Peter to pay Paul.  It's a vicious cycle in that once you miss a bill payment you have to double pay the next month and therefore you have to miss another bill to pay the one that's behind.  My credit is suffering severely.  My credit cards have all, but one, cancelled me.
Alex starts school next week and will need supplies, clothes, shoes and lunch money.  Aly's rehab bill continues to mount, and Todd's vehicle is making an awful noise, which he says is the transfer case going out.
I have been dutifully sending resumes out for the last three months.  I have had two interviews.  One was less money than I am making and I totally blew one.  I went directly from conference (no sleep) and just was not on my game.  I knew when I left that I was not in the running.  I spoke to a colleague in New Jersey whom I know is not happy with our company either and she confirmed that she too has been sending out resumes, very unsuccessfully. Too many people are looking right now.
All seems gloom and doom so I am trying to reflect on the good things.  Aly is doing wonderful.  She came home to visit yesterday and we had a great visit.  I took her to get her hair cut and we downloaded a season of her favorite show to take back with her.  She wants to stay focused and clean and that makes me happy.  She informed me that she does not want to come home. That does not make me happy, but I understand. Lord knows I, of all people, understand the need to start new.  Hopefully once she gets her community service finished she can get a job and start looking for an efficiency or small apartment.
My body is healing and I feel relatively ok.  I am still weak and struggle to have energy, but I do not hurt and I know that I am on the mend.  I do worry about the reconstruction in October, but that's a way away so for now I am focusing on getting healthy.