Sunsaver, Livining Off-Grid In Suburbia- Happy Taconight America!
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typing one handed is very time consuming!
Off to to the garden and chores! Chat with Ya'll later!
Off to to the garden and chores! Chat with Ya'll later!- Thread starter
- #63
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sunsaver
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My internet connection has been down for about 30 hours or so. I really missed you folks! I guess im addicted to this site and the internet in general. You don't realize how much you care until the thing is gone. I don't know how long my connection will hold up, but if i have to i can always go to the library to get on.
Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
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And here I was hoping for the next installment. 
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- #65
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Working on it now, DD!:/
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- #66
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As i cruised on my way towards the Arkansas state line, i turned on the radio, and found an am talk radio broadcast:
"Well, you see, i have enough money in my IRA account to pay off my house, but the market is going up so good right now. My family all say that i shouldn't do it, but I don't know what to do?"
"Well, look at this way. If you didn't owe anything on your house, would you take out a mortgage in order to risk it all in the market?"
"Uh...?"
"Of course not. That would be idiotic. Pay your house off!"
The caller was in the same situation as me. Just got that big quarterly statement, and saw some light at the end of the tunnel. I decided I would take his advice and pay off my house. The rest of that day i had a tremendous sense of inner peace, and a big grin. Two weeks later, all the money i owed to anyone was paid off, and i was completely debt free. I screamed at the top of my lungs: "I'm debt free!"
Things were not getting any better at work. My stress levels were all up. My favorite supervisor was promoted to a different branch, and a jealous, ambitious co-worker was promoted to take his place. This meant that my buffer between me and the big boss (who never really liked me) was gone. My new supervisor realized how much i was enjoying the deliveries that i was being sent on, so he decided to put me at work on stocking, by myself, and only when it was the stuff that was really hard to stock, that no one else wanted to do. I just took it all in stride, dreaming about a nice nest egg and early retirement. This went on for about a month, with me whistling cheerfully, always greeting customers with a smile.
One day the big boss came to the back, and called me into his office. He had a calm, peaceful look about him. I sat down in the chair in front of his desk and expected him to ask me some questions about returned goods, which was one of my many responsibilities.
"Your fired."
"What!"
"Your fired."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"Your not even gonna break it to me slowly, say sorry but we gotta let you go. But just, your fired. Just like that!" I was livid! What sort of sociopath was that evil little man? Five feet of icewater for blood.
"Can i at least know why you're firing me?"
His face was starting to show small signs of distress, but his answer was already prepared. "Well, your files are all mixed-up, and let's face it. You really haven't been doing your job lately.
"What! You make me change my filing system, start sending me out on deliveries, and then you want to say that you're firing me for not doing my job? That sounds like a set up!"
He was obviously nervous by that point. He didn't expect a battle of wits, or that i would start grilling him for answers. He fumbled around for a minute, then said "well, you have poor decision-making skills."
"Poor decision-making skills! I was furious at that point. "Lets see, i said " i quit doing drugs, quit smoking cigarettes, i own two cars and two houses, i think i've made some really good decisions."
He was visibly sweating by then, twisting in his chair like a trapped snake. "Uh..."
"Why don't you just admit that you're firing me because you don't like me?"
You would've thought he was carrying a horse on his shoulders, and i just gave him permission to set it down. He started grinning, eyes still down at the ball-point pen that he was screwing around with, instead of making eye contact. "Huh, huh, huh," He said. "Well, you and i never really did get along, huh, huh, um..uh, so do you want this?" He was holding a pink sheet of office paper.
I stood up quickly, and blurted out angrily, "you can take that and stick it..." I checked my anger as i noticed the worm had flinched back in his chair as if he thought i was going to punch him. I almost felt sorry for that evil dwarf. "Well, you know were to stick it!" i said, and i marched out of his office.
"Well, you see, i have enough money in my IRA account to pay off my house, but the market is going up so good right now. My family all say that i shouldn't do it, but I don't know what to do?"
"Well, look at this way. If you didn't owe anything on your house, would you take out a mortgage in order to risk it all in the market?"
"Uh...?"
"Of course not. That would be idiotic. Pay your house off!"
The caller was in the same situation as me. Just got that big quarterly statement, and saw some light at the end of the tunnel. I decided I would take his advice and pay off my house. The rest of that day i had a tremendous sense of inner peace, and a big grin. Two weeks later, all the money i owed to anyone was paid off, and i was completely debt free. I screamed at the top of my lungs: "I'm debt free!"
Things were not getting any better at work. My stress levels were all up. My favorite supervisor was promoted to a different branch, and a jealous, ambitious co-worker was promoted to take his place. This meant that my buffer between me and the big boss (who never really liked me) was gone. My new supervisor realized how much i was enjoying the deliveries that i was being sent on, so he decided to put me at work on stocking, by myself, and only when it was the stuff that was really hard to stock, that no one else wanted to do. I just took it all in stride, dreaming about a nice nest egg and early retirement. This went on for about a month, with me whistling cheerfully, always greeting customers with a smile.
One day the big boss came to the back, and called me into his office. He had a calm, peaceful look about him. I sat down in the chair in front of his desk and expected him to ask me some questions about returned goods, which was one of my many responsibilities.
"Your fired."
"What!"
"Your fired."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"Your not even gonna break it to me slowly, say sorry but we gotta let you go. But just, your fired. Just like that!" I was livid! What sort of sociopath was that evil little man? Five feet of icewater for blood.
"Can i at least know why you're firing me?"
His face was starting to show small signs of distress, but his answer was already prepared. "Well, your files are all mixed-up, and let's face it. You really haven't been doing your job lately.
"What! You make me change my filing system, start sending me out on deliveries, and then you want to say that you're firing me for not doing my job? That sounds like a set up!"
He was obviously nervous by that point. He didn't expect a battle of wits, or that i would start grilling him for answers. He fumbled around for a minute, then said "well, you have poor decision-making skills."
"Poor decision-making skills! I was furious at that point. "Lets see, i said " i quit doing drugs, quit smoking cigarettes, i own two cars and two houses, i think i've made some really good decisions."
He was visibly sweating by then, twisting in his chair like a trapped snake. "Uh..."
"Why don't you just admit that you're firing me because you don't like me?"
You would've thought he was carrying a horse on his shoulders, and i just gave him permission to set it down. He started grinning, eyes still down at the ball-point pen that he was screwing around with, instead of making eye contact. "Huh, huh, huh," He said. "Well, you and i never really did get along, huh, huh, um..uh, so do you want this?" He was holding a pink sheet of office paper.
I stood up quickly, and blurted out angrily, "you can take that and stick it..." I checked my anger as i noticed the worm had flinched back in his chair as if he thought i was going to punch him. I almost felt sorry for that evil dwarf. "Well, you know were to stick it!" i said, and i marched out of his office.
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- #67
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sunsaver
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For the first of couple of weeks after that, some of my buddies from work would come by and visit. They all expressed their outrage at the way my former employer had fired me, point blank. I was starting to feel comfortable actually. I had plenty of firewood, several thousand in the bank, and thought i would take a couple of months, maybe half a year to contemplate a career change, something away from the construction business. Maybe i would have gotten back into sales, or financial management.
One day i stopped at a gas station that i had worked for briefly in 1998. I had known the owner and both of the ladies who worked there for many years. The apartment i lived in during the 1990s was right behind the store, and they used to see me every day.
"Hey sweety! I said to my redheaded friend. She gave me a stern look.
"Now why haven't you come to see me sooner?"
"Oh, i just don't get this way often. You know." I said, sheepishly.
"So, whatcha been up to?"
"Oh, just working on my old house."
"You still working for that supply house?"
"No! the SOB fired me! After five years loyal service."
"Boss!" She yelled. "I got a man here who needs a job!"
The other lady poked her head out the office, and saw me, looking stunned. A huge grin spread out and eyebrows raising and lowering.
"Hey, you." She said in her sweetest cougarvoice.
I was thinking, 'oh no. What have i gotten into?' I was just starting to enjoy my freedom and clear my mind of stress. I certainly didn't want to be a cashier at a gas station for the rest of my life. Then again, there was no money coming in, and a light bill, water bill, cable bill, all sucking away at my small pile of money.
"When can you start?"
"Whenever." I said reluctantly.
She gabbed my arm and pulled me around behind the counter. The first time i had worked there there, we had a drink machine and an old fashioned cha-ching type register. What sat before me then, looked like the bridge of the starship Enterprise. There were computer boxes,wires and buttons for miles.
"Heres the lottery machine, here is the Western Union machine, here is the money order machine, here is the register, here is the computer, here is the back-up computer, here is the check validation machine, here are the pump switches, the outside lights, this inside lights, this is the alarm box, this is the alarm code, and here are the keys. Good night! Call me if you have any problems!"
Suddenly, i was all alone, standing next to a humming lottery machine with three keypads, and a cash register that looked like somebody took two computer keyboards, smashed them together, and renamed all the keys with secret codes.
One day i stopped at a gas station that i had worked for briefly in 1998. I had known the owner and both of the ladies who worked there for many years. The apartment i lived in during the 1990s was right behind the store, and they used to see me every day.
"Hey sweety! I said to my redheaded friend. She gave me a stern look.
"Now why haven't you come to see me sooner?"
"Oh, i just don't get this way often. You know." I said, sheepishly.
"So, whatcha been up to?"
"Oh, just working on my old house."
"You still working for that supply house?"
"No! the SOB fired me! After five years loyal service."
"Boss!" She yelled. "I got a man here who needs a job!"
The other lady poked her head out the office, and saw me, looking stunned. A huge grin spread out and eyebrows raising and lowering.
"Hey, you." She said in her sweetest cougarvoice.
I was thinking, 'oh no. What have i gotten into?' I was just starting to enjoy my freedom and clear my mind of stress. I certainly didn't want to be a cashier at a gas station for the rest of my life. Then again, there was no money coming in, and a light bill, water bill, cable bill, all sucking away at my small pile of money.
"When can you start?"
"Whenever." I said reluctantly.
She gabbed my arm and pulled me around behind the counter. The first time i had worked there there, we had a drink machine and an old fashioned cha-ching type register. What sat before me then, looked like the bridge of the starship Enterprise. There were computer boxes,wires and buttons for miles.
"Heres the lottery machine, here is the Western Union machine, here is the money order machine, here is the register, here is the computer, here is the back-up computer, here is the check validation machine, here are the pump switches, the outside lights, this inside lights, this is the alarm box, this is the alarm code, and here are the keys. Good night! Call me if you have any problems!"
Suddenly, i was all alone, standing next to a humming lottery machine with three keypads, and a cash register that looked like somebody took two computer keyboards, smashed them together, and renamed all the keys with secret codes.
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- #68
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sunsaver
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Just doing some editing and doublechecking. "Yes, your Honor. This the whole truth, to the best of my recollection, so help me God."
My internet is down. Bad wireless adapter, and i won't have any money for a new one until the 15th, so i won't be around much for the next couple of weeks. I'm going to wrap up this story, and hopefully bring you a couple of short and sweet ones from time to time, until i get back online. The public library only gives me an hour on here, so here it goes:
My internet is down. Bad wireless adapter, and i won't have any money for a new one until the 15th, so i won't be around much for the next couple of weeks. I'm going to wrap up this story, and hopefully bring you a couple of short and sweet ones from time to time, until i get back online. The public library only gives me an hour on here, so here it goes:
dragonlaurel
Improvising a more SS life
Good luck! Those registers start to make sense after a while.
