I always longed for this. Now that he’s here, I just don’t know. I used to think of the attention he gave to my brother and sisters as time that would be better spent with me. Now that the reality is here, if it weren’t for brothers and sisters, I don’t know what I would do with him this much of the day.
I hear him and mom talking about how he needs to get a job, and I have to agree! (**Note: He really needs to be at work except for when I need attention, and when I need brushies, and when I need scritchies, and when I need lovies, and… well you get the point.)
Pia: I don’t know what all the drama’s about. Dad’s around constantly, but he still doesn’t pay enough attention to me. With all of this cat beauty-liciousness to bask in 24 hours a day, he still watches TV instead of scritching me. And he still works on the computer instead of scritching me. What does one need to do to get her fair share of attention around here? I’ve noticed he is the one that has been doing sheet cleaning and barfie clean-ups and vacuuming and cooking and he tries to brush me more (yuk), but what about petting beautifully constructed lovely fluffness? I just don’t see it.
Outside, the winter rains we’re used to haven’t put in much of a performance and the temperatures are higher than usual. A few things are blooming, as expected, and everything else seems to be in a holding pattern, waiting, like us, for something good to happen.
The lack of heavy rain hasn’t stopped the moss or ferns from taking hold. Good thing Mom loves both.
Scruffy, the neighbor cat is still visiting, usually early in the morning when wandering raccoons have gone home and we’re most likely to put food out in one of the feeding stations. We weaned the raccoons completely off cat food a couple of months ago and have noticed they look just as roly-poly as ever. No one’s skinny or looks hungry (knowing full well raccoons seem to always be hungry).
Scruffy has to be a good fifteen or sixteen years old by now and still getting around. He’s looking a bit older but is just as independent as ever, and a good visitor. He lives up the street and has a warm home and family to go to each night. And his slowly thinning fur feels soft and very silky as if someone is brushing him daily.
Inside, Quint insists on sleeping the winter away, and who could blame him? A comfy hammick to snooze on in front of a winter sunlit window, water fountain softly splashing nearby and food bowl mere steps away.
Certainly, not Olivia who has all but taken over Angel Ruby’s Tower of Love heated compartment.
That is, if Viola hasn’t taken that compartment over first! (And insisting on the gray heated mat cover over the fleecy creamy white cover Olivia prefers.)
Elsewhere, Dad’s still looking for a job.
How does a small family with a mortgage and bills survive five months on one minimum wage income when the head of the household is laid off? Very lean. Very, very, very lean. Good thing we never bought or became addicted to a cell/smart phone or gaming devices or Netflix or this, that or the next thing, huh?
That said, when not working her long 12-hour, 3-day straight shifts, Mom’s out of her head with worry. We’re hoping the software tech industry opens up hiring again very soon and someone is willing to give Dad a chance to use his 20+years of software quality assurance and business/customer analytical skills to use.
He’s not limiting himself to just that field however. He can’t afford to. Since last August, his applications have included various financial roles, government jobs, test technician level/management level and support positions. The one thing he isn’t is a salesman or cold call marketer, nor can he stand for hours per day at a counter at a hotel or Taco Bell or McDonald’s. He’s a desk jockey, and a darn good one.
Thus far, 132 applications and resumes sent has brought him just 5 interviews, and nothing, not even a phone call, since early November. His LinkedIn page attracts recruiters whose first language isn’t English and all seem to confuse our city and neighboring Portland with cities located two-to-four hundred miles away. How Portland can be confused with Olympia or Bellingham is beyond comprehension.
Dad’s unemployment runs out in about five weeks and then… *insert worried looks and a shaky sigh* …we’re doing everything we know how to do. Something has to give sooner or later. That’s all we can hope for. We’re sorry we don’t have better news.
Thank you for your words of kindness and hope over the past few months. We’re living off these right now, using them to brush away all thoughts of despair. We’ll survive this, or rather, we’re pretty sure we will, somehow, and we wanted to acknowledge all your good thoughts and prayers. Thank you.
Thank you, all you who wondered and/or asked how we’re doing. And THANK YOU for all your Christmas cards! WOW! We couldn’t afford to send a single one but still received over two dozen cards and letters. Even one with a very special tuft of Tuxie fur! Tessa sends her highest regards, CK!
Back at the end of October, when we thought Dad would find a job pretty much right away, we said we’d be back here as soon as he found one. Well, best laid plans and all that. No job has wanted him yet. Then again, this is considered normal for high-tech industries who all but shut down their hiring in the last fiscal quarter of the year – November 1st through January 31st.
Hiring “should” pick up again in February, he’s been told over and over. He has 67-plus applications out, has had just two in-person interviews and four phone screening/interviews and recently was told he’s on the shortlist for a couple of companies. But, until hiring opens up again, the waiting continues for everyone.
Financially, we’re doing okay-ish. Everything that can be shut down has been (since August) and we went dark through Christmas to keep from getting depressed over all the TV marketing buy, buy, BUY hype. And we feel great that we didn’t cave into Happy Honda Days, Toyotathon or any of that special GM employee discount pricing! As if.
Mom’s job had too many employees and too little work through December due to a cancelled project, causing “Flex hours” to go into effect meaning everyone’s required to take one to two days off every week without pay. Lots of people decided they wanted the unpaid time off leading up to Christmas, opening opportunities here and there for extra work hours which Mom scooped up every chance she got. She’s been told this will continue through January.
Very special Friends of Colehaus have helped rebuild our emergency vet fund and rebuild our faith and courage to continue onward through this tough time. We will never forget the kindness, love and good thoughts we’ve received from you. These make all the difference in the world. Thank you.
On to the next steps we go, with Dad continuing his hunt and Mom working all she can. In the ever-motivating words of a very determined Quint, “Me-OW!”
