Not a rant, just a grump!

[Echo]

Well there's not much I can say about work. It's work with a paycheck. That is the only thing that makes it the least bit bearable. The pay at the end of two weeks. They are busting our butts for more overtime. I already put in an hour + every night and I put in 4hrs on my Saturdays that I'm suppose to get off. Now they want 2hrs every night and 8hrs on Saturday. Aint gonna happen. This past weekend was our (day shifts) turn to work the weekend. Believe me we were very short staffed. By time 5:30pm came there were only 2 of us left from day shift that was still working. The others didn't come in and the ones that did had whatever reason there was to leave early. So when my supervisor pressed me for more overtime I got agitated and irate with her. Reminded her that I have been giving them overtime every single night and my weekends off. That it was time for the others to step up. I don't mind doing some overtime and a little extra once in a while. But not all the dang time. It's getting to be way to much.

Well this is the main grump. We are gonna have to move again come March. David and GF are planning on moving to a small town in Virginia where her family all live. They have property up there and they are going to sign some of it over to her. So they have all kinds of plans to build a house. I hate moving and here we go again. Kelly and I could float the house here that we live in now but it would be kind of a pinch. And if anything went wrong like one of us getting sick, losing some time from work, the Blazer breaking down or needing a different vehicle? We would be sunk. So we will be looking to find some place else to live some place cheaper. Something that will be easier to pay for and have money left over to put aside in savings. This also of course means that we will end up having to get furniture too. Oh joy. Thank goodness for the rummage sales that will be found in the Spring and for second hand shops.

The kids think that they will get out of it so much cheaper than living here. Altho the kids kick in on the rent and electric Kelly and I foot the other stuff ie. cable & internet, phone, groceries, bathroom supplies, laundry supplies and etc. I don't know how much cheaper they will actually find it. The GF has been making noises about moving and finding their own place for awhile now. So it will happen. Altho I really like the GF I think she has a slight problem with jealousy. I think my son is gonna be in for a ride. ~sigh~ Mom is keeping her mouth shut. It wouldn't do any good as it would fall on deaf ears.

This past year has not been much fun at all. I'm really looking forward to it getting better. Soon I hope.

[MsBHaven]

Oh Eco, sorry to hear that you have to move again. Your son will find out (too late) how good he had it while living with you, but it is a lesson he needs to learn. Hopefully you and Kelly will be able to find something reasonably priced that will still allow you to put a little into savings for that future RV. But, then again, maybe now is the time to buy an RV and live in it. Time will tell. Stay strong.

[rvgrammy1953]

Girlfriend....Here's a thought...... ....Now's the time to take a look at what you have as assets....sell the off except your vheicle.....find a campworker job....get a small, used RV....like a hybrid....and hit the road....full-timing.....of course, I don't know your finances, etc....but it sounds like you really need a change.....a BIG one.....it's only a thought....but one worth exploring......bet ya' be alot happier......just my 2 cents....

Lori

[avalen]

the move could be a good thing for your son and a good thing for you, they say things
happen for a reason and this is perhaps the kick in the butt you need to get out of
that awful job, find a cheap rv, live in a little trailer park and make plans to hit the
road. Your working way too hard!

[oregontocal]

Aw, geesh, Echo! Not knowing your financial situation, but having done collections for many years in a past life, I'm going to go with the others on this forum. If you can find any way to swing an inexpensive RV of some kind and line up a paying workamping job (they usually provide a site and hookups as well as some money), do it now. I'm not much on fate, but there's got to be a reason your job has turned to crap and your son and GF are moving. Sell what you have and don't need--and hit the road.

I decided to move into this little RV last year because I could no longer afford the rent and hated the jobs I could find here. Sold all my furniture and books (40 boxes of them), and have only looked back once, again because of an expensive site, which could have been avoided.

My fingers and toes are crossed for you in hopes that this might be a turning point.

[Mollysmom]

Echo, you have always been a real inspiration to me. Whatever life throws at you, you just find a way ! I think that's just amazing and when I feel down about what I'm doing (or not doing) I think of how you pulled it all back together after loosing you trucking job.
I know you'll be able to do that again !
I'm sure you'd rather not have to move, but you'll find something better !! Start looking now - explore all your options. I'm with the others in saying you seem to work awful dang hard ! So many hours put in at a job you hate, yet in true Echo Style, you've kept at it and I'm sure you've done a great job too. Both you and Kelly !
If you can find a workamp job that provides housing that'd be cool !!! That way you can save for a RV - IF that's still something you want to do.
Think of where in the country you'd like to live, maybe moving to another city or state would offer you more options - you just have to try, you don't have to stay where you go - Think of places you'd like to live and look at job listings there - Heck, you're moving anyway why not let your heart decide where you should go ??!!?? You and Kelly can come to Yaquina and stay with me for a month if you want - it'd be crowded in the Cottage but we could make it work !!! Quit your job - get in the car and drive west I'll be waiting !!
Listen to your heart - make lists of what you want and see if you can find it, or at least a part of it.
Try to find time to just be quiet and still and listen to your heart - have Kelly do the same - you'll find your star.

[oregontocal]

Echo, Trudy just reminded me of something. There are even workamping-type jobs where you don't even need an RV. In fact, I just finished three months at one. The lodge in the mountains provided full room and board as well as a salary. Tips were a nice extra as well. I had a room with a huge king bed because the last workers were a man and wife who shared the room. The work wasn't very hard, and it changed from day to day, depending on the number of guests and their personalities.

[Bethers]

Good luck with all these changes - I know they're hard. But I also agree with the others that maybe you both should look at what you really want to do and where you want to be - and maybe make some changes.

Some other places that have living - I believe where Sparkle is at on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has housing available for workers. Yellowstone has housing available. There are lots others - most of them are seasonal, but hey, it's something to think about. Maybe this is happening so you can take a look at some of these options.

Whatever you decide to do - I know you will make the best of it - and I know we'll all be here and support you.

[dpf]

TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT....I AIN'T WORKING HERE NO MORE! Can you and Kelly save enough to do what everyone is suggesting that you do? Your son and GF have made it quite evident that they are going to worry about themselves and not you and Kelly....so it's time that you do the same. Can you reduce your expenses by moving into an apartment that will take pets? Have you checked into what a reliable RV would cost with something to pull it? Can you buy a rig and live in it until you have saved enough to hit the road? There is a time in every mother's life when they have to tell their children that I love you dearly...but I have to take care of myself...and you're old enough to fly on your own kid and I gave you the wings to do it. Echo...your job is going to kill you...you have to take care of yourself. Go to your local job service office or whatever the state you live in calls it...sign up for every class they have for enhancing employability opportunities. Make your skills sellable through cover letters, job applications and resumes. Actually it appears to me that where you are presently working is in total uncompliance with labor laws. From your posts it sounds like you are one of the few employees who is bending over to meet their demands....what would happen if they thought you were going to walk out the door? Could you possibly get a raise?

[Echo]

Getting a small RV is something Kelly and I have been discussing like crazy and not necessarily one that we can tow down the road right now either. But one that we can afford to pick up and put in a small park here to live in for awhile, maybe a year. Right now all we have is the Blazer so it's not gonna pull much of an RV even a hybrid. My poor Blazer has got just a tad under 150,000mls on it right now. It's running great but we are taking good care of it and babying it. We have been kicking around the idea of seeing what we can get come tax return time. Between whatever we can manage to put aside until then and tax returns we are hoping to find something. Lot rent for something like that from what I can see in the paper is between $150 - $250 a month and some provide water and trash pick up. I've told Kelly that if the Blazer does die that I am getting a vehicle that we can use to tow with. Might as well do that rather than just something to drive as we would only have to end up getting a tow vehicle in the end anyway. I've been watching Craig's List a lot lately and have seen some older, cheap RVs on there. I would much rather do that then move into another house, apartment or mobile home even if it would mean cramped quarters for us. But it wouldn't be the first time that's for sure. We lived in the road tractor so we could do a small RV for awhile. I don't know if doing a work camper job with housing provided would work out? Be about our luck to get into a really crappy job and place! In that situation we wouldn't have the option of simply rolling up the awning, putting away the camp chairs and being able to leave. We would be kind of stuck.

We are kicking around ideas at any rate. We have 6 months to work on the ideas and set aside every penny we can spare. Then see what we have and what we can do. If it wasn't for needing showers and the like? I would almost say the heck with it and throw up the tents somewhere in the woods and camp out for the summer. But I would be really worried about someone messing with our stuff. And I don't really want to camp out in someone's back yard again like last year. We only did that for about a month and a half but it was getting real aggravating for all of us trying to share shower time and kitchen space.

But come next year we will see where we stand on our situation and go from there. Who know? Maybe we will have just a pickup and decide to say the he77 with it all and go for it.

Thanks to everyone for the answers back and caring. Altho Kelly is here to talk to I don't know what I would do with out my sistahs!!!

[Shirlv]

Echo,
I hear you. I am glad you have some time to plan your next move. Sending you a ((()))

[Paulette]

Echo, I don't see what you would have to lose by picking up and doing a workcamping job somewhere. Even if it sucked, it couldn't possible suck any worse than what you are doing right now, could it? Sounds like you and Kelly are working on seriously putting money aside and keep looking for something to buy. Right now, with the economy the way it is, I'd say there will probably be some good deals coming along. And, this time of year might be a good bargaining factor in your favor too...

Wish I had some magic words that could get you from here to there...but I don't. Ya'll just keep the faith that it all happens for a reason. Hang in there lady!

[retiredhappy]

Echo, I understand what you're saying. Its hard to save anything when you have to pay daily living expenses which usually take up most if not all, of your income. You say you're afraid to get into a situation workamping where you have a bad employer but could they be any worse than what you have now? With free living expenses and most utilities think what you could save. That's why I workamp part of the year. I take what I would have paid for mortgage/rent/site rent and utilities and put it in the bank. Sounds to me like you and Kelly work harder where you are than you ever would workamping. Another thought, one of you could workamp for your board and the other could work at a Walmart or? You can start off with an old, cheap RV and get another one down the road. Are any dealers in your area financing rigs rather than a bank? You probably need a rig with a motor right now since your car won't pull anything. I feel for you. Your son will find out soon enough that he was probably better off living with you but the real questions is, are YOU better off? You need to start worrying about YOU now.

[Cedar518]

Wow,.... I just tuned in to this discussion and everyone has already given you the BEST advice. Yes, get an RV,... workcamp, or workcamp without an rv using their housing.. but most of all, get OUT of that crappy job. Your health will love you for it. Keep us posted, girlfirend!

[oregontocal]

Echo, something just struck me this morning, so I'll do the psych bit for a sec. and you can ignore it or not. Please watch out for your own sense of self-worth with that s...hole of what they're trying to pass off as a job. It's so easy to begin thinking that's all you're capable of doing. Whatever it takes, don't settle for less than you're worth---and judging by your wonderful comments and concerns about others on this list, that's one heck of a lot!