I'm still sticking to keeping our thermostat set on sixty eight but had to bump it up a degree today. Three of our bedrooms are on the third floor and stays nice and toasty upstairs. I relented and let one of Zach's buddies stay with us for a while and's been assigned to Massey's room on the first floor for his short stay with us. He's a good kid, just a doofus (hence the "HE") and is already looking for a house to rent. He did vacuum the room and has it clean as a whistle. Since Massey's been gone we've just kept her door shut and have a space heater we use in the kitchen. Our house is on a concrete slab and the first floor is always a bit chilly. The kitchen has two exposed exterior walls and a third is to the garage. If the dishwasher or oven is on it's nice but other than that, it's an igloo. I gave the man/boy a space heater to use in his temporary room at night. Massey's room is right off the kitchen and has an exposed wall as well. For Pete's sake, he's from El Salvador. I highly doubt they needed space heaters and lately the temps have been brutally cold. Of course it beat his option of having no where to live and he's been very grateful we have let him crash here.
A couple of years ago I let another one of Zach's buds live here for almost a year in a spare bedroom upstairs so he could stay enrolled in high school and graduate.
Here's my thing. We certainly don't live in a mansion, or really even a really nice house but it's ours and almost paid off. It's warm in the winter (if you're upstairs) has running water, heat, electricity and even Internet when we're current on the bill. They have a place to sleep and a place to bathe. They can wash clothes and usually fit right in with our dysfunctional little family. I feed them when I can and they in return pitch in with some money when THEY can.
We learned the hard way a few years ago what makes a family and it certainly isn't money. It's love and compassion, and we got plenty of that!
Tim has a lead on a job that would be an entry level position but a company which promotes from within. I'm doing amazingly well with my serving job, God seems to know I need the ego and economical boost. I go in every day with a positive attitude and walk out every night with a paycheck.
Today it was bitter cold before I left for work. The car we're borrowing from my sis seems to hate cold weather as much as I do. When it was six degrees a week or so ago, it flatly refused to crank for two days. I sent Zach out today thirty minutes before I had to leave to see if ole Bertha Benz would crank, so if she didn't I'd have time to call a cab. It took about five minutes but he got her crunk! (and yes I know that isn't a word)
I should have gotten off early enough to be cranking her up again before the temps dipped too low again but as luck would have it we were busy as crap (which I was thankful for) but got worried ole Bertha wouldn't crank to get me home. As soon as my last table left I went out back to give the ole girl a try. It's a painful sounding process. I have to turn the key for literally four or five minutes straight while continuously and furiously pumping the gas pedal. Two of my co workers were out back having a smoke and watched my attempt. It's like a ritual to me. I have to bop my head up and down as I turn the key and furiously pump the accelerator. I've gotten pretty good at it and as they stood watching me... started to cheer for ole Bertha, saying "Come on, come on, we KNOW you can do it!" They were pumping their fists and yelling," DO IT! You're almost there, yeah that's it, keep it up, oh yeah..do it girl!" When ole Bertha finally roared to life they both walked over to my car and said "That almost seemed like a sexual experience. Congratulations!"
Seems I'm not the ONLY smart a** working there.
I let her idle for a good ten minutes then cut the car off and hurried back inside to finish my work. Once you get her cranked, she's usually good to go.
I clocked out less than an hour later and let her warm up again. I decided to go ahead and stop by the grocery store since she was all hot and bothered. Picked up groceries for tomorrow since I'm off Thursday and now don't have to worry about Bertha til Friday, when it's supposed to be in the upper forties when I leave for work.
You know, you just can't make this stuff up! I got me a life that borders on the redunkulous and never leaves me without something to laugh about.
Laughter is truly the best medicine.
I passed depression a few years back...it didn't help worth a flip. You charge ahead, you roll with the punches and you give life your best shot.
I'm just like ole Berth. May take me a while, but can get it done if I just try long and hard enough!
Til next time...COTTON
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