Monday, August 23, 2010

Ready For a Day Off..But Only One !

The last week has passed in a blur. Starting with the sudden death of my cousin and the memorial... right into a huge family reunion and continuing with Massey's birthday and Zach's driving quiz (I mean exam.)

Tim and I had a falling out last week which ended up with him not speaking to me for almost a week (not that he talks much anyway so it was hard to notice.)

We have been using my checking account since he lost his job and sometimes we get our wires crossed. Not that I am that good of a banker, but DO pride myself on my kiting abilities and skills. He had mailed a check to the power company and I wasn't exactly aware of when and stopped by Kroger with my debit card to get $6.00 of gas. I am also very proficient with my gas gauge and know that six bucks can get me back and forth to the high school three times and back and forth to work for two days.

Needless to say the check hit before I stopped at Kroger and I ended up paying $42.00 for six bucks worth of gas. He was madder than I have seen him in a while and even HIS old standby quote "I can't change the past" didn't work. I guess I'll have to come up with my OWN standby quote... I think it will be "My Bad."

Tim said they probably have a framed picture of me on the wall of Bank of Coweta touting me as their most profitable customer, enabling them to open yet another new branch location where I can easily help them expand their business even more. I am hoping they will call the new branch "Bank of Cottoneta."

So it was a terrible goof...totally my fault. No one felt worse than me. It wasn't like I was buying a six pack, it was GAS! Anyhoo, another lesson learned.

Tim opened his own bank account on Saturday, so I'll just let myself think I helped him move on. A wife's gotta do what a wife's gotta do. Isn't Tim lucky to have a wife that encourages him to strike out on his own? That Tim's a lucky man to have a wife that will waste $36 just to say "You can do it yourself, baby!"

Now that our money is separate it will be much easier and I won't have to second guess what bills he paid. He finally came around yesterday and started talking to me via the dogs. He would say "There's your momma, y'all love her don't ya?" That's as good as an apology gets when you are in the boat we've been in for the past year. It's come down to us talking through our mutts. I'll say when I leave "Tell your daddy to feed y'all and give you fresh water...I'm going to work a double shift."

I feel like saying "Tell your daddy the last year has sucked like a tootsie pop but maybe the next year will be all gravy train." Or "Be nice to daddy, he's still mad at momma...tell him I love him after I leave, but wait til he gives you fresh water with ice cubes in it."

I am not, amazingly enough.. . ashamed of our current circumstances. It isn't because we were lazy or deadbeat. It is because we had some tough things happen that we had no control over and have done the best we can. By the grace of God and many friends and family we are on the right track. It's just that life didn't stop because our income took a severe hit. We still have kids and a mortgage and bills to be paid.

The mortgage company is still bouncing back and forth.."Foreclose/work with you." I have taken the stance "Come TRY to take my house." They have cashed my check (which clears, sometimes on the second try) for the past three months and for the life of me can't imagine they would want another vacant house to sit unoccupied and unattended only to fall into despair and neglect.

I have a GREAT job now ; Granted it is the slowest season for the restaurant industry but it is picking up every week and I will be back on top in a month. Tim has a new job where they are already training him to be a supervisor. Massey has guard moms helping us out with rides to and from practice. Zach has entered the workforce (Whooda thunk it) and all seems to be working out in our favor.

"HANG ON...HANG ON...HANG ON." Maybe THAT should be my new standby quote!

At least I am a COTTON...sometimes Cotton shrinks, but it is a durable and tough fiber to be made of. Add to it I am originally a Leach...maybe one letter off, but can suck the life out of any situation and keep myself alive from the lifeblood of others and the love that seems to flow into my family from so many directions.

Til next time..."Durable Cotton."

BTW...check out my restaurant website... www.Mama-lucias.net

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