Merry Friggin' Christmas ;)
This is kind of a sad but true post for me... I guess you could call this dumping. Fair warning, pity party is about to get into full swing. Leave now if you must.
I'm about to graduate Nursing School with a bachelors degree in science on Dec. 13th 2013. Soo excited, and so happy to get this achievement under my belt. Don't have a job yet.. (A wholy different story... Let's just call it the ACA's effect on area hospitals who are still trying to determine what the financial implications on them might be... They're hiring travel nurses instead of new grad nurses now.) I really, REALLY am blessed, and... no matter how bleak things might look now, I know they will get better soon... hopefully.
Some back story... My husband just started a new job. He used to be in then navy, and after his exit worked with a moving company for 4 years. During the 8 years total (not including the time that he worked from 13 to 18 y/o before the military) in a promising field, his preceptor only pays him 30% of of his take (minus the 10% that goes to the big boss). Which, IMO is fair. However, he probably makes at the very least 25% less than he did at the movie company, and more than 50% less than he did in the Navy. The preceptor did after all teach my husband this trade and has let him borrow his tools. We are truly grateful, the preceptor is actually family.
During his career, my husband has developed chronic lower back pain, hypertension and a chronic and extremely painful anal fissure (Please... don't laugh, it's not HALF as funny as it sounds). He NEEDS to go to the VA emergency room in Dallas, but his paycheck (Paintless Dent Repair) and mine (Patient Care Technician/CNA) have been meager. His due to lack of work, mine due to 12x3 hour plus weekly clinicals. IThe huge DOWNSIDE to this is that I've only been able to work 1-2 of my own 12 hour shifts during the last two weeks.
To add insult to injury, the preceptor, rather than paying my husband his paycheck before the 1st of Dec. on Thurs. or Friday before the long weekend, he went out of state for Thanksgiving.
We've never had problems like this before, we've lived tight, but not in the red, but we have bills scheduled to clear on the 1st, and they are... so that means multiple bounce charges that will take a huge hit on his already anemic paycheck. Mine will be weak too, b/c be honest... working for free for 36 hours (not-including 2 hours drivetime before and back) He's not getting his paycheck until tomorrow. When he DOES get it, we'll be lucky if it's enough to keep the lights on, electric on and rent paid.
I haven't even set up the Christmas tree yet... Not sure if I will. There will be no presents under it. Our gift to our 3 yo daughter this year will be a safe roof over her head, if we can manage that. I only have 24 hours to complete next week for shift, and I plan on working every night that I can except for graduation/pinning night. I really wish that I had not opted to do that now, but I already paid. I just don't feel like celebrating. My husband feels like a failure, but is still planning on pushing through the pain tomorrow to go to work. He's always hated Christmas due to all of the negative memories of his single mother going through hard times this time of the year during his childhood. You should hear his dystiopian Christmas carols... they're quite depressing. We're working opposite shifts with only a quick "hi/bye" in between.. and both working hard and spending money to get to work (gas is not free) but still barely making ends meet. It sucks. My daughter is all alone while I halfway sleep during the day, I am worn out... we were never made to work 60+ hour weeks... My husband is in pain, but does not have the extra gas to make it to the VA. .. I am so frustrated. We're working as hard as we realistically can. Our poor daughter... I feel like we don't have the TIME to be good parents to her. You hear that if you work hard that you will be rewarded. He's working hard... I'm working hard, but all we get is a negative bank account and feelings of worthlessness.
Christmas = Bah Humbug.
This might be the first cold and dark Christmas that we've ever had. I'm praying so hard for a callback for a job... I have the tiniest bit of hope that things will get better once I get a job as an RN, but pickings are slim. Thanks to the ACA, our area is not hiring many graduates at all until they know the full implications of the law.
My mantra right now is "It's always the darkest before the dawn"... I sure hope that's true. If all life is worth living for is to work your fingers to the bone and see the ones you love for 10 waking minutes a day, then really... Is it REALLY worth it?!
So yah.. there's the dump.
