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My Profile
Gift from Hil Part 2 - 2014-12-30
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9:26 a.m. - 2011-01-07
SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!! The thrilled exclamation is mostly for my guys' benefit, I'm a bum and bums don't really get a lot out of snow days. For bums every day is a snow day, even when it's 100 degrees out. Though my days of being a bum might be coming to an end, I've applied at a few of the friendlier (ie: not the gas stations or McD's) local retail establishments, including the new Walgreens which isn't open yet. I told Mick I was tired of being a kept woman and my so far annual income of less than $10K is feeling less like a romantic starving-in-a-garret artsy thing than it is a sign from the universe that unless I get off my duff and find some additional income I'll die a pauper. Sure, restocking the incontinence supplies and being coughed on by folks buying Robitussin isn't the path to fame and fortune either, but beggars (that's me) can't be choosers. In this economy a smock and name tag job would still be a Very Good Thing to have. And the only reason I skipped the gas stations and the Mickey D's is they are open 24 hours and I really, really, really don't want to work the graveyard shift. I did that for many years and it frigs up everything. You have no life when you work graveyard. Mick is horrified by my search for gainful employment at places with cash registers, believing somehow that such honest work is somehow 'beneath' me. An attitude that puzzles me. Work is work and as long as it isn't illegal or involves taking my clothing off I'm cool with it. But my poor mannie is still kind of hung up on arranging his life around what other people might think. When he goes there I always laugh and tease him a little, asking with an impish twinkle if those other people are going to pay our light bill or bring him soup when he has the flu. No? Then who gives a rat's patootie what 'they' think? He should worry about impressing strangers who add absolutely nothing to our budget's bottom line or our well-being? What for? He never has an answer for that one. Mick understands my view and even admires it, but 'what others think' is woven into his DNA and it's damn hard for him to let it go. Meh. He'll get there. It's not like I'm a complete purist and totally free of the onus to present my best self to the world. When in public I wear a bra and make-up and have nice breath, but I insist there's a difference between saying to the world, "Hello! I'm wearing underwear and have good dental hygiene!" and being a snobbish stiff neck who's somehow 'above' doing an honest day's work for pay because it's not fancy enough to possibly impress some doofus I don't even know. I've worked for pay since I was 4 years old. During those four decades I've stood in front of cameras and sauntered down runways, but I've also mowed yards, slung hash, delivered pizzas, was an antiquarian book dealer, I've sold everything from cars to kaleidoscopes, I've cleaned houses and offices, edited others' work and written my own shit, run conduit and installed central air conditioning, I've babysat, directed traffic, been a barmaid, painted houses, flipped burgers, and even tried my hand at running an excavator. I've had cool bosses, bad bosses, horrific bosses, and been my own boss. And no matter where it was, what my title was, posh or lowly I've always done my job honestly and well. It'll be the same when (if) I score a slot at the drug or grocery store. And when (if) I do the utility bill won't be such a burden anymore. Nor will I. Because that's the real gist of it, Wolf starts high school in the fall. There's no good reason for me to be here all the time anymore. The kid's going to have to be responsible for himself, at least for those hours when both Mick and I are gone and Wolf's home alone. It's time. I never imagined my stint as a stay at home mom would last this long or be this necessary, but it was. However at 13 and a half if my son can't do for himself a little then he'll never figure out how. If my health goes to shit or it turns out Wolf can't handle it then we'll change things around again, but it's worth a try. For today, however, everybody's home. When the guys get up from their snow day lie-in I'll make us a late brunch of eggs, bacon and cornbread and perhaps after we eat we'll play one of the new board games we got for Christmas and enjoy being bums together.
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