Subj : Magicjack and Modem test results
To   : Damon A. Getsman
From : Gary Perkins
Date : Sat Feb 02 2013 07:31 am

 Re: Magicjack and Modem test results
 By: Damon A. Getsman to Gary Perkins on Fri Feb 01 2013 08:51 pm

> Re: Magicjack and Modem test results
> By: Gary Perkins to mark lewis on Wed Jan 30 2013 06:07:27

> > Yep, been years here.  I was unemployed for a few years until my son hit
> > sch age, and I was able to finally get childcare assistance.  As my
> > income went so did my expenses...lol... I'd be doing fine if my car
> > hadn't crapped out o

>     You wouldn't happen to be a single father, by chance, would you?  I'm
> one, had full custody of my son since he was 18 months (he's now 6), and
> I've had a very similar 5 years.  I wasn't sure if I'm the only one I've
> seen so far on fidonet or not.  :)

Yep.  I had both my kids for years, and around here, you have to have a job to
get child care assistance, or be able to document job searching for 40 hours a
week for a limited period (I forget how long).  I live in a small area, so a
full 40 hours of job searching (and researching) gets exhausted very quickly.
I did that for two or three hours a week, didn't get a single call, and that
was that.

I was fortunate enough in late 2011 to see a new lube shop open up.  I hadn't
done that type of work before, but I knew I was at least technical enough, if
not mechanically inclined, to at least give it a try.  I doctored up my resume
a little (ran my own business for two-three years, yeah, that's it) on the
advice of the workforce center, and landed an interview.  The general manager
(actually a multi-unit manager) doing the interview was impressed by my
management experience, computer experience, and the fact that I had operated my
own business.  I was honest with him about everything, even if I didn't
disclose my income from my business...lol...I'd probably made $200 in two years
repairing computers...lol.  But it got me the job.  They knew the assistant
manager they hired wouldn't stay for more than a year with his experience, and
hired me with an eye for that position.

For the period of unemployment, things were rough.  My exwife owed me $1500 in
back child support, so when she moved out of her near condemnable mobile home,
I took that as an asset.  We documented it, and were able to knock that amount
off.  My mom payed the lot rent and electricity, my child support covered
everything else.  I got $150 a month in child support, so I learned real well
how to budget and plan.

By the time I finished interviewing for that job, I raced home and immediately
called the child care contractor.  They gave me the old waiting list line.  I
begged and pleaded, but the rules were the rules, got to wait your turn, got to
have a job when it comes up (or school, or training).  I called the workforce
center, explained everything, begged and cajoled for SOME kind of help.
Luckily, being near the end of the year, they had a few dollars left in their
general fund.  Guess I got REAL lucky and got the one person on the phone who
could be creative.  She went through the trouble of making a few calls and made
a special case for me.  I got thirty days of care paid for by the workforce,
and the contractor would pick me up if I still had the job after that.  I'll
never forget that.

So all that went down my son's first year of Pre-K.  My daughter was in 1st
grade.  I'd also moved into public housing just before getting that job.
Things improved a LOT.  Summer last year, my ex and I talked about having my
daughter move in with her, now that she's improved her life.  Whatever was
going on with her mentally, she resolved that.  Has a good guy in her life,
kept a stable job, and so on.  I thought it was a good idea, since our daughter
hadn't spent much time with mom.  So, now it's mostly me and my son.  I work
over fifty hours a week.  Being by myself, those 10+ hour days are killer... No
time to do but one errand a day.  Thank goodness my boy's teacher gives out the
entire week's homework on one day; we knock that out early in the week, so I
can get things done later in the week. :)

Anyhow, sorry for the long post.  Just wanted you to know you're not alone,
it's a tough life.  All I've got for help is my mom and stepdad, and they can't
help much anymore.  He used to make good money, but between a down economy and
new health problems, he's lucky to still be in business.  My mom had to go back
to work, and now she's having problems as well with her legs.  Thank god I
found a way to get all this together, cuz I dunno what would have happened last
year if I hadn't.
--- SBBSecho 2.12-Win32
* Origin: Southeast Texas BBS (1:393/31)