Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Oh yeah - I almost forgot to include this, in the midst of my ranting.

Little man loves the potty chair. Got a great pic of him sitting on it watching TV. Told him he was living every man's dream.

He really seems to be getting the idea - he hasn't used it yet, but he says "Potty - go pee" and tries to take his diaper off!!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE??

Why do people get pets and then just ditch them when they decide they aren't so cute anymore? I mean - I know that sometimes circumstances change and things happen that are out of your control - but how many times has someone you know gotten a cat or dog because it was "cute"? Only to realize that they don't have time for it, can't (or won't) take care of it, or just because it grew up???

Yesterday Brendan found a kitten in our garage. Mind you, we do not have a cat - ours died in May, and it was male anyhow - so where it came from - who knows?? Ray asked the neighbors - not theirs.... Unfortunately, people often drop off animals out here - I remember several instances when I was growing up. I couldn't understand how someone could do that then, and I don't understand it now.

On that note - why the **** can't people get their pets spayed / neutered????
I am a firm believer in that, as well as adopting rescue dogs. :) Both of my dogs were rescue, as well as my cat, and I love 'em all. Plus - they were ALL altered. I really get sick everytime I see a puppy / kitten that is lost / dumped / homeless because people don't get their pets fixed. The thing that REALLY bothers me is that in many many places, if you can't afford it, there are programs / donations that can help you!!

Anyhow - people - as Bob Barker says everyday at the end of his show - "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered." (Okay, I'm not sure that those are his *exact* words, but you get the drift.)

If you know anyone that may be looking to adopt a kitten, the one we found is a cutie. Friendly, cuddly, not scared of little Brendan, and was even calm around the dogs. :) Or - if you don't know anyone, but you know of a rescue group - please let me know. Right now we are really not in the position to keep a cat. Finding a rental house is hard enough with what we've already got!!

Friday, September 29, 2006

Happy Happy Friday to you!

It's been a pretty good day - spent the day w/ Mom getting her car fixed. Bought a potty chair today for the little man!! I'm kind of excited about that - but it means he is growing up!
'Bout a week since the last post? Man, my life has been boring lately - or something! In all reality, just BUSY!! This week was the custody / guardianship hearing for my nephew, Bryce. My in-laws are now the legal permanent guardians of the little man. :) Very good news, really. I just cannot wait until sis-in-law gets the notice mailed to her (does that happen??) regarding the court's decision. She is gonna flip out, and it will be hilarious!! I know that sounds very mean, but she is a horrible mother. She is currently in jail for charges related to some sort of armed robbery (I'm not 100% sure exactly what the charges are), and was out on PR bond from Tuscola County at the time of the incident!! She also threatened to have my MIL killed (to Bryce's lawyer). Not that I really think that would happen, but she obviously does not know how to control herself and keep her mouth SHUT.

Interesting thing, the in-laws. LOL You know, it's pretty ironic that generally it is the man that bitches about the MIL. Me, I have not one but TWO MIL. The "step" situation. The step is far better than the original, too. Ray's Mom is just well, annoying.

Brendan has a cold, has been run down the last few days :( Poor baby!! He is learning new words every day, which is great. He enjoyed playing with Bryce the other day, even pushing him around the house in his walker going "Vroom vroom!". :) I can just see the trouble that those two are going to get into together!! LOL

Bunch of calls back RE: Resumes this week!! woohoo keep your fingers crossed!

Friday, September 22, 2006

It's been a few days. Well, this week just simply flew by - so many things going on! I had an interview on Tuesday in Lansing - kind of curious to see how that plays out. On Wednesday I got my letter in the mail saying that I could take the Civil Service Exam #5029. I was lucky and able to get in on Thursday - got that done and over with. I don't know how long it will take to get the results, though. I mailed out 3 resumes today, all state jobs, and all with MDOC. They are all clerical positions, but they pay well, and obviously would have good benefits. At this point I'm not going to be picky, and I might as well use the 7 years of experience that I have in that field, eh???

Ray has been in communication with the company that he interviewed with last week - even if he doesn't get the position he interviewed for, they are still interested in him for another position.

While in Lansing on Tuesday we looked at some apartments and a couple of houses. We found one house that we really like. The landlord was pretty cool about the dogs, etc., rent very reasonable, and the house is right on a park!! What could be better??

Hopefully we will be able to get this ball *REALLY* rolling here soon.

On Monday I met my nephew Bryce's lawyer. He won't be 1 until November and he already has his own attorney. My sister in law is in jail in Saginaw County (unless someone posted her bond) on attempted robbery charges. I'm not sure of all the details, but yes, she is an IDIOT of the highest magnitude. That is an entirely different story, but personally, I think that she has major issues. That's all I'm going to say about that. The good news is that the baby is with my mother-in-law, so she (baby momma) can't neglect him anymore. Bryce is a cutie and one major consolation is that all of this is happening when he is very young and hopefully he won't remember any of it.

Well, I should get to bed. This week my son has been literally getting up before the sun - and not wanting to nap. I don't know what is going on with him - very whiny / crabby ....teething maybe??

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Well, I did not get my dog to the vet. Bad mommy. Ray got a call from a job that he applied for wanting him to come in RIGHT NOW for an interview. The real kicker? The job is in ALBION! LOL So we had a "road trip" day!! All in all, it was fun. Ray thinks that he may be slightly underqualified for the position that he interviewed for, however, he was impressed with the company. The flip side - they were also impressed with him and have another position that they would be willing to offer him if he doesn't get the other one.

If he took the 2nd position, it wouldn't really be an increase in pay - but the company has a significantly larger amount of stability than the one he is currently at. Not that they are going anywhere anytime soon, but they are playing the "yank my chain" game with them, and he has worked for them for about 2 years if you add the 2 tenures together...and they are giving new hires more opportunities in some cases. I am not happy about that situation and have informed the hubby of such.

Obviously, if he were to accept a job in Albion, it would mean a major move from this area. We have several options, and basically it would depend on where I could get a job - because Lansing, Battle Creek, Jackson, A2 - all within a reasonable distance, depending on where your "starting point" was ....

There is another interesting side note to all of this - Calhoun County (Marshall, MI) has called wanting to interview him for an "on-call" position. Marshall is mere miles from Albion as well.

And - here is the MOST interesting part - out of all the many many resumes / apps I have sent out for him - Ray has gotten 5 calls in the last MONTH. FOUR of the five are in the Lansing metro area. I do believe this falls under the Karma category!

Thursday, September 14, 2006

This week has flown by - nothing to major going on. Well, I take that back. We met with an attorney on Tuesday to get the bankruptcy ball rolling. She was really great - very nice, knowledgeable, and not snotty about why we were there. I have to say that this entire situation is very stressful - not really because I anticipate any problems, but more out of personal pride. This is really not something that I had ever thought I'd be doing. :( I never thought I'd have my house foreclosed, either, I suppose. If HUD would have not been such a pain about the deed in lieu of sale...grr!! Oh well - no sense crying over it now.

Major resumes still going out - I think 3 or 4 this week .... pretty good numbers, I'd say.

Today I have to take Zoey to the vet to get her shots. Sparky is due as well, but I'm not taking them both at the same time - they'd rip my arms off trying to get to other dogs and cats.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

It's a slow afternoon - Brendan is napping right now. Yesterday at this time the temps were in the mid-80's and according to WeatherBug, it's 56 degrees out right now. What a difference 24 hours can make. Of course, this IS Michigan!

I contacted a few bankruptcy lawyers the other day. Asking questions, etc. trying to determine a price range. You know - it really bothers me when they treat you like crap. You don't know me, don't judge me! I did get a hold of an attorney in Bay City that was super nice on the phone, and very flexible in terms of payment. We set up an appointment, and I had to call her back and reschedule because my Mom has to have some tests done at Genesys, and she was like "Good luck to your Mom." Perhaps it's just me, but I thought that was really nice. I think that old-fashioned politeness goes a long way.

Well, I think I am going to go find some food - I know Brendan is going to wake up starving. :) He is so predictable sometimes!
Yesterday was loads of fun - we went to Frankenmuth to AutoFest. The weather was great - tons of great looking cars and oh so many people. I should say, that I am not a big crowd person because people tend to get pushy and rude. We didn't encounter any of that yesterday. The only complaint I have is that people walk way too slow at times. I'm like - MOVE ON - felt like I was stuck in some sort of cattle drive. LOL

Brendan had a blast - he sure loves cars!

In other news, I spent like close to $10 at the post office mailing out resumes - so dang it, something has to fall into place soon! That, and the ones that I have applied for online -- lots of applying been happening!!
You Have A Type A- Personality

You are one of the most balanced people around
Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want
You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you.

When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back
Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love!
You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds

Thursday, September 07, 2006

I tried to post some 80's test thing here but it totally screwed up my layout, and then would not let me delete the post! Annoying.

Anyhow, I obviously lived through the 80's - 23 out of 30 correct.
Aahh - early morning quiet time.

Who knew that getting up before the kid every now and then could be so blissful?? Actually, I didn't do it on purpose - it just kind of happened - got up to go to the bathroom - thought, oh, I should put the laundry in the dryer, and so on and so forth.

Found more jobs online yesterday - Ray told me that he was getting writer's cramp from filling out the applications. Why do they insist on applications for jobs that require a college degree? I don't know - it just seems that you are repeating 99% of the SAME information that is on your resume anyhow. I realize that there are some additions - but take out the employment stuff - I hate writing out what I already have typed and printed out on pretty paper.

Still no word from MDOC - grr !!! :) That is the job that we are currently waiting on hearing about because it has a residency requirement - so it would be pointless to move now and then have to move again.

There is an excellent position open in Kent County for a juvenile probation officer - Ray is so qualified for that it's not even funny - so that one is going out today!



Sunday, September 03, 2006

The long weekend is nearly over - wonder if all the kiddies are ready to head back to school? I wish we could have had this late of a start when I was in school. There were several years that the first day of school was also my birthday. Talk about raining on your parade!! :)

I found a bunch of people that I know and have not spoken to in sometime today on Classmates.com. I sent them messages, I only hope that they send something back. It would be cool to hear what people are up to. I'm glad that I ended up doing the MySpace thing - I have gotten in touch with a few people from high school that I hadn't talked to in years. We have not had a reunion yet - hopefully there will be a 15 yr. one - that is only like 3 years away. That scares me because I remember when I was in high school my parents going to my Mom's 20th.
I guess that is the difference between having a kid at 23, vs. 28. My son will be "younger" for all of those milestones.

I really really really need to make a trip to the library this week. I need some reading material - my brain is drying up - I can feel it!

Friday, September 01, 2006

Well, I spoke with Ferris today - there were a couple of classes missing from my transcript that are *required* that I had taken. Got that straightened out. The woman was SO helpful and prompt and quick. Excellent customer service, I would like to say! Thank you, kind lady!!

Grr my stomach is killing me - cramps - I think that I caught the virus that Brendan has been fighting all week. :( Very sucky because Ray is going to be gone all weekend and if I start barfing too I still have to watch the wee one. Oh well, I know I'll get through it - but I will feel bad for him because at this rate Mommy is not going to be up much for playing. Right now he is watching "Curious Buddies". He loves that video! He has another DVD of them but I don't know for sure where it is, so we are always watching "go to the beach". LOL

Got craft show & fiesta flyers printed today - have to distribute them. I am going to hit Caro tomorrow hopefully. It will depend on how I feel - walking through town when you have to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes is not exactly a good idea.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

I am dancing, dancing, dancing!

I just reviewed my "unofficial" transcript from Ferris - it looks like my MCC credits have been automatically transferred! That is how it should be, when one is a consortium / dual-enrolled student, but I didn't think it would be so simple. Not only does this save me the $3 fee (hey, 3 bucks is 3 bucks), but I owe some money to Mott and they won't give you your transcript till you pay up. I have every intention of paying back the money, but this will allow me to take the 2 CLEP tests, get my degree, and then get a job and be able to get the money. I only owe about $800 but with only one person working, that can be a lot, if you know what I mean!

Ray hasn't been working 80 hrs every pay period, so even though we should be better off, considering we live at home with my MOTHER, we aren't. :( I just had to pay a $101 ticket (his, not mine!) and our storage unit fee. It's not so much that we spend the money - mostly the check goes for gasoline for the car. Go figure. :P

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

What a weekend - Brendan & I went camping at Rifle River Recreation Area in Lupton with friends / family. Fun was had - but Saturday's weather left something to be desired! There was rain, and then some more rain. My tent leaked - I had to throw everything into Brendan's pack & play to keep it from getting soaked. Needless to say, we ended up sleeping in the car that night - which in a way was more comfortable. Go figure! :) LOL

I am glad to be home, however. I am tired of being around people that cannot take care of their own children simply because they are LAZY. I don't care if you are pregnant - you got yourself that way - and you still have 3 other kids to take care of! Person that I am speaking of didn't take kids to play at all, didn't feed baby except once and got pissy when told her kids needed to be taken to the bathroom. If you didn't want step-kids to take care of, you shouldn't have hooked up w/ a man with kids. It's as simple as that.

On another note, major drama happening in the family involving sister-in-law and baby. She is a psychotic bitch and I hope she goes to prison. More details later, after I find out what is going on - but take my word for it - it was very very bad - like 11'o clock news material bad!

Still trying to find a job. There is an article today in the Free Press about the earning potential inMichigan decreasing dramatically the last 5 years. No kidding. Bet some guy with a PhD spent a lot of money to study that one and figure it out. You think maybe it could be related to our nation-wide high 7% unemployment rate? I bet that is also connected to the fact that Michigan currently leads the nation in home foreclosures. Well, at least now I don't feel so bad about losing my house. Apparently I was not alone in that club.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

I got my birthday present a couple of days early!

Okay, I know they have been around for a while, but I just got my first one and I am excited - so don't rain on my parade, damn it!!

I got an MP3 player for my birthday - complete w/ an FM transmitter, for use in my car that has the worlds crappiest radio! :) This is so much easier than getting a cd player installed in the car.

I am currently ripping songs off of my cd's to put onto my MP3 player. I have to dig out my blank cds so that I can save them as "compilations" and not clog up my hard drive space. Granted, I seriously doubt that it will have much of an effect, but still, why keep things on the hard drive that I wouldn't use?

Ray & Brendan are watching a movie about farms. Brendan LOVES tractors! He is in awe whenever the neighbor mows his hay field. Just stands and stares - it's too funny because as anyone who knows Brendan can tell you, he is always on the move!

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Well, after my last post I went and had a talk with my husband. Talked about some of the things that have been weighing on my mind lately. He has been definitely trying the last couple of days, so that is definitely a positive step in the right direction.

Last night Brendan stayed with Ray's Dad & Michelle for the first time. He should be home anytime now. I hope that it went well. He was overtired and we had forgotten a pacifier, so I'm a little nervous. :( Actually, we did not forget it - when we went over there it was not with the intention of having the little man stay the night.

I am so ready to throw away the pacifier but I'm not brave enough :( I am a weakling!

Today has been so humid - like 80%. Sucks!

Oh yeah - new (well, really they are old but new to look at) pics on flickr!

flickr.com/photos/vargo

Friday, August 18, 2006

Dear God -

I am in need of Your presence and Grace. I ask that You be with me and help me to stay strong in this stressful time. I do not know where the path that You have chosen for me with lead, but I need Your help to stay on the straight path. Right now my mind is filled with doubt, but my heart knows that You will guide me. Please keep my family safe, and help Ray and I learn patience and understanding. Please watch over Brendan.

I ask this is Jesus' name.

Amen
Just spent a couple of days in East Tawas - had to get away for a bit. This week was really crappy at the beginning - someone stole Ray's canoe right out of the damn yard. Then, his "unbreakable" fishing pole breaks. To a fisherman, these are the things a true tragedy is made of. We still haven't heard back from the state, and I am still having these uneasy horrid nightmares of living at my Mom's forever because there are no damn jobs. According to today's paper, the state unemployment rate is now 7%. WTF and I wonder why I have bill collectors calling me EVERY SINGLE DAY???

I did not ask for this. I have applied for jobs. My husband has a college degree. I am 2 classes shy of having mine. We are not idiots, we are not lazy. I have experience in many fields and I learn quickly. What the fuck is the problem? Excuse my language; my frustration level is just boiling over right now. :( Self-pity is an ugly temptress!

I keep reminding myself that this is going to work out someway, somehow, but I think I am beginning to ignore myself (as if talking to yourself weren't bad enough!!)....

I feel really bad but sometimes I seriously hate being married. It's not my husband - well, he annoys the crap out of me at times but I don't hate him - but sometimes I just get so overwhelmed and I can't function. I don't want to deal with it. I don't know how. I try to tell my husband when something is bugging me and I have made serious efforts to change my delivery (i.e. not bitching), but I swear that sometimes it feels like he just ignores me. Or, he will look right at me and then 5 minutes later say he didn't hear me. It drives me crazy.

I am talking about things like asking him *to his face* to do something for me and then later when asking him why he didn't do it - "you didn't ask me that" or "I didn't hear you say that". I have told him more than once lately that hearing and listening are two fundamentally different skills that are generally best if used in tandem. I am pretty much at my wit's end about it. I really have to force myself not to go in to complete bitch overdrive mode. I just want to scream at him and make him feel as badly as I am mad. Of course, then there is the topic of somehow being completely incapable of doing 2 things at once, usually involving something with Brendan. "I'm watching Brendan, I can't do that" .... the skill of multi-tasking evades him on all levels. Unless, of course, it's watching one sport on TV while listening to another on the radio. We won't even go there.

My husband is not a bad person, nor is he just chock full of all bad qualities - but lately these things have been driving me batty and I just need to vent about them ....

It stresses me out so much that just typing this post is making me cry because I love him but at the same time I hate him for making me feel like I have to be a bitch.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Just another day in paradise. Played with Brendan most of the day, did a little bit of cleaning. I have to contact my insurance company soon - I am curious how long it will take the repo man to come snag my van. We have decided that at this point we really can't afford it - not only the payment, but the insurance, gas, and some repairs. Thus far the back door won't open, the wiper on the back window doesn't work, it's leaking coolant, and the power locks died. That, tied in with the 130,000 and 4 yrs left on the loan - thanks, but no thanks. :( Sad, because I love the room of the van - and only having one car will greatly suck at times - but I keep reminding myself that this is all temporary! Plus, if we move through w/ the bankruptcy and then the car dies, where the hell are we going to get another one? We'd be stuck tacking it on to a new one - which isn't too bad normally, but obviously at that point the interest rate on the loan will seriously blow.

We still have the Blazer and if we could get a new transmission on that, it would work for just using in case of emergency. I love driving the Blazer but it sucks on gas really bad!

So right now I don't know how long I should wait to change the insurance - because we have bill due and it would be significantly less w/o that van....grrr...what to do, what to do. :P

You know - I really never would have guessed that things would get this bad - but I do know that I have been through some pretty crappy times financially and always managed to survive. That is what I am reminding myself - and I do know that my family is more important to me that the material items, and thank God that we are all healthy. Above all - thank you Lord for my beautiful son. He tries my patience at times, but I love him dearly and I am very much enjoying watching him blossom into a little man.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

One more thing - I uploaded some new pictures
flickr.com/photos/vargo
This was a good week - went by fairly quickly. Reached a decision on one of the jobs that Ray had been offered. Turned it down because they lowered the "offer" they made him. They weren't offering enough in the first place, but it had serious potential and a great schedule. However, they lowered their offer based on Ray's driving record - an accident two years ago - so the "potential" was not going to be there, either. Definitely not worth it.

My aunt called today with a job lead in her area that is more than he makes now - submitted the resume for that one. I really hope that one falls into place because we already have a potential house to rent and the dogs wouldn't be a problem....

Still haven't heard anything from the state; I guess that we are probably just being antsy but man something has to fall into place.

Brendan is 19 months old today. We took him to the fireworks Thursday - at first he was crying and scared, but then he got used to them and was saying "Wow!". The fireworks in Millington were so awesome this year - and they were so much better than the ones that we saw in Tawas City on 4th of July this year.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Well, here it is Sunday and all. What am I doing? Nothing much - puttering around on MySpace. I had never really used it before yesterday. Am I out of the loop or what?!

Things are good here, I guess. Two freaking days after payday and all I can think about is how broke we are - and Ray only gets paid every 2 weeks. Momma needs a job - that is all I know! I hate this - hate it more than words can say! I am praying that Ray hears something back this week because I am to the point that I am ready to escape this state and all of it's employment (or lack thereof) woes. :P

We have seriously discussed moving out of state - simply because other states seem to have jobs - why is it such a challenge for Michigan????

Little bambino is settling in for his nap - must shower now before he changes his mind. Timing / time management skills are crucial when an 18 mo. old is involved. :)

Friday, August 04, 2006

Some quirky quiz at espinthebottle.com

(Okay, so I have a pathetic idea about how to spend a Friday evening - get over it!)

What's Your Secret Talent?

RESULT: Flying

Your (secretly) mutated bird-like bone structure lets you fly the skies even if you don’t have a boarding pass.

It’s true – you’re Superman (minus the superhuman strength and dorky alter ego, of course). You could jump up right now and never land. Do us a favor, though, and don’t test it out right away. In fact, better just avoid open windows altogether. Just in case there was a computer error and you got the wrong quiz result. (Cough, cough.)
Today was a fairly good day - nothing too dramatic going on. Went to the doctor's office with my Mom and argued with them about an outstanding bill that they have for Brendan. It's all the result of Medicaid saying Brendan had BC - which he did not - months of arguing and two different certificates of coverage from BC stating when his coverage had terminated. Long story short - the bill was rejected in MAY by Medicaid - they bitch at me everytime I go into the office - so I get it taken care of - still get a bill in the mail. Today they tell me all the things I have to do..and I say, well, I did all of that - when was the last time you billed it? Hmm. Hasn't been rebilled since MAY when I was in there last. F-ing annoys me. I really really like my doctor and have gone there forever, and for that he should be grateful, because if I didn't, my ass would be out of there because the office staff is shitty as can be.

Needless to say, I told them #1 - you need to rebill the shit because Brendan did NOT have BC on the date of service but DID have Medicaid, and #2 I am not paying a $72 bill out of my pocket because they don't do shit right.

Did I mention that I took brendan to the ER in June for a 102 temp and had the SAME insurance situation and magically they got paid by Medicaid because they billed BC first, got the rejection and then subsequently billed Medicaid...

Oh yeah - and the real pisser? I get a statement from BC everytime they get billed for something - I have never received one for the date of service in question - which tells me they never got billed ....

I hate it when people don't know how to do their damn jobs. What is more annoying is that had I not worked for a psychological office (medical billing there), I wouldn't really have the knowledge of how all this worked and would have probably needlessly paid it out of my pocket!!!

I am not trying to abuse Medicaid, my son does and did have it, and obviously if I had $72 to throw to the doctor I probably wouldn't have medicaid!!!!

GGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Okay, venting time is over. Thank you for your attention! :)
You are a Brainy Girl!

Whether you're an official student or a casual learner, you enjoy hitting the books.
You know a little bit about everything, and you're always dying to know more.
For a guy to win your heart, he's got to share some of your intellectual interests.
A awesome book collection of his own doesn't hurt either!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Ahhh..yet another huge gap in posts on my lovely blog. I must say that I am just as bad at keeping journals of the written type. I guess I'm just not destined to be a writer.

Right now it is a balmy 89 degrees. The heat index is 96 degrees....such a nice, sticky week we are having here in Michigan! We even stooped to putting the room air conditioner in today - I couldn't take it anymore. Days like this and I really really really miss our house in Flint with it's central air. Once again thinking to myself, "I never should have sold that place". I have only said that to myself approximately 9,000 times over the past 2 1/2 years. I am really not exaggerating about that number, either.

As they say, hindsight is 20/20. We are officially out of our house in Caro, with all of the drama that went with that. So many things have changed in the past couple of years, and I'm not just talking about having a baby.

The biggest obviously, is that we lost our house. Very depressing, but one can recover from it. The second-largest is that Ray's step-brother has gotten into a lot of legal trouble. That is also sad/depressing, and unfortunately it will follow him for the rest of his life. I do believe that he should write a book about it and warn all men about psycho women who use their children as tools of manipulation. Granted, I know not all women are like that, but his woman definitely was (and is). He's in jail and she is still using their child to manipulate both him and my in-laws. I don't think they would go for it, other than there is a definite issue of concern regarding the baby's safety. The baby momma is a definite nutcase and rumored to be a drug abusing prostitute.

There is such drama on my side of the family, too, although it is a little further removed. My sibling has no offspring, although he is currently in rehab. I am very happy about that, though, because it is a definite step in the right direction on the road to recovery! My family drama involves a couple of cousins - but unfortunately, again, there are children involved.

Why is it SO hard for people to NOT get pregnant if they can't / won't take care of the results of their sexual endeavors???

I am once again seeking employment, but I'm kind of in an odd position. Ray has had a couple of interviews in the last few weeks, the most recent one being with the state!! However, since that position is obviously the most desirable, and it would require moving (which I am more than willing to do), do I wait to apply for jobs? How long do we wait? Those are the thoughts that are running through my mind. I'm thinking of just applying for some sort of retail job, just to make a few extra bucks. That would be a nice thing...more than chump change in the savings account. Plus I still have to file for bankruptcy. Pretty bad when you can't even afford that. LOL