Perpetual Ruminations

Always Something

It seems like there is always something working against a person. One at a time would be fine, but it seems like they form several fronts and attack together. I have to work tonight, well this afternoon. That leaves little time, but enough.

Only, my wife also works this afternoon, and has to be there an hour and a half before me. We have a thirty minute drive and one vehicle, so we have to either ride together, or make two trips. At twenty five miles, two trips a day starts to cost more than we can afford, so one or the other waits in town. What a waste of time.

I've mentioned this before, how her schedule and mine are in almost constant conflict. On top of that, in trying to set hours, she was cut to almost half of what she was working, and still it did not solve anything except to deplete out our meager savings. That happened last fall when our car broke and we had to look at another vehicle.

At the time, the payments and arrangements worked out fine, but now that her hours are cut, it has us skimpy trying to make it paycheck to paycheck. Add to this an employee who wants as many extra hours as she can get, but who refuses to schedule any private matters for her days off. Yes, she has two weekdays off one week, three the other, and gets every other weekend off. Plenty of time to schedule most anything for days off. But, that is not how she wants to do it, she insists on scheduling things on my days off. Since she and I are both scheduled with open hours to fill in for others, I of course have to absorb hers.

The extra money is nice, but not knowing from week to week when she will decide to take time off means I have no way of knowing if I can schedule something or if my schedule will change. Sure, I could just deny her request and make her work it anyway. But, then I would, in fairness, have to apply this to everyone, and one of the perks of our job is being able to take days off. Of course, there will always be someone who will abuse it and ruin it for everyone.

So, a couple of days ago, we had a winter storm with plenty of wet snow and freezing rain. After, I noticed funny sounds coming from the driver side front of our van, like something rubbing. I thought at first, it was ice and snow build up. Nope. Secondly, I thought maybe just a lot of ice and snow under the vehicle making it ride lower. Nope.

Today, I had enough time to go lay in the snow and look under and around the area in question to see just what was making the noise. At first, I did not see anything, but then in looking at one side and comparing it to the other, I noticed the driver side is lower. Not much, an inch, but why?

I found out, and now am faced with some major repairs. The spring in the front suspension for the driver side is broken. I may be able to do the repairs if I can find a place to rent specialized tools. I'm sure I can. But, living twenty five miles out means that if something else goes wrong I have no way to get additional parts. Also, I can plan repairs around my schedule, but they will not work with my wife's then. Of course, the best plan would be to take itin for repairs, but then there is the matter of how to pay for them. We are at the end of our resources, there is not credit available, and few we can turn to. Even less who may help out, and that will be very limited help since they are in much the same shape we are.

At least I did get in here and get to write a bit, let it out and now it's time to limp it in for another day of work.

"Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free."