Okay, work-life then. We'll start there. So, back in February of 2011, I lost the job I'd had since 2008. Not getting into the whys, the whos, or even the damn the economies. It just happened and there it is. But, with that said, it means the past year has been pretty tough. I've been doing independent organic inspection work. I've started inspecting for about 4 different agencies somewhat regularly over the summer. But in about October that work disappears. Okay, maybe not entirely, but a lot. So my income has been significantly reduced. And that was really hard at first. I mean, a cut in income of over $25,000 is hard on a household. So, I had to find a part-time job. And I did. I've been working as a barista at a Starbuck's inside the Raleigh Marriott City Center since April, 2011. It's actually pretty cool. I have some great co-workers, some not-so-great co-workers (much like any other job, n'est pas?), and sometimes get to meet some amazing people that are guests at the hotel, like Rhiannon Giddens of Carolina Chocolate Drops. She was kind, generous with her thanks for simply getting her some tea, interested in young musicians, and, quite frankly, has such a musical voice, she even sounds like she's singing when she's speaking.
And on to trials and tribulations of OrganicGuy. He lost his shirt. Literally. Like right now, he's walking around the house without one. Okay...that's just me being silly. But he did figuratively lose his shirt. I don't know if I ever mentioned that he is/was a general contractor. And he was working on a spec house starting in 2006. It was big, and beautiful, and fit in to everything that was happening in Raleigh/the greater Triangle region of NC. It had gorgeous marble floors in some areas, and teak in others. All the teak floors were designed by OrganicGuy; things like different sizes and shades of the wood creating diamond patterns in the dining room. He did all the work himself with the exception of electrical, pluming and drywalling. That's all that was subcontracted. Everything else he did. And it was finished, with a full certificate of occupancy in October of 2008. Yeah. THAT October. The one where the housing market collapsed. Where the beginning of financial free-fall happened for so many. And no one came to look at the house when it was up for sale. We had about a half dozen walk throughs in 12 months. Then the company that financed it started foreclosure proceedings. And then OrganicGuy's company filed for bankruptcy and closed doors.
And just like that, there we were. I didn't have a full time job. He had to sell most of his tools and equipment, and had no work coming in. And it became hard to breathe. So, yeah, this blog, and a whole host of other things got neglected. But now, OrganicGuy has a job, and seems to like it. I convinced him to apply for a position in the engineering department at the hotel where my 'Bux is. He got the gig, and they really seem to like him. And my sweet guy is starting to get back to being himself again. The bankruptcy hit him hard, but we've made it through so far.
And I could go on and on about OrganicKid, and about other things happening in my life, but I think for now I'm going to stop here. Because it's late. Because OrganicKid is with her dad this weekend, and OrganicGuy just got home from work. But I am starting to feel like writing again, and may do more in the near future. And even if no one sees this, I really don't mind. This was sort of therapeutic. We'll see. But, after the past year, I'm finally in a place where I'm starting to look forward. And from here, the view is still pretty hazy, but it's clearing, and it looks like it just might be an okay year.
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