Dolly is now a sophomore in high school and, while she wasn't doing very well last year, she's turned it all around and is doing much better this year. Ty was already in college this time last year and finished his first year in May 2021. He's in his second year now and doing great. He even has a job with a work-study program through his school that relates to his film-making major. He loves it. YAY! Zach graduated from high school last May and started college in August.
While Ty is going locally, Zach decided that Mizzou would be the place for him. It's only an hour and a half away but I miss him. Dropping him off on sign-in day was one of the hardest things I've ever done. My baby boy was leaving home. There were lots of laughs and even more tears - mostly from me. Zach comes home some weekends and we text and talk during the week but it's not the same as him being home all the time. I just have to face the fact that my kid has flown the coop. I'm sure he'll be back at some point but he insists that he'll only be home on vacations. We'll see about that. 😉
Just before school started this year I decided that I needed a new job. Driving a school bus was awesome, and I desperately miss my bus kids, but there were many drawbacks to it, too. If we didn't work we didn't get paid. So vacations, professional development days for the teachers, holidays, snow days, etc. were non-paid days. I was literally struggling to pay my bills every month. And then COVID hit last year and things got even worse when the schools were shut down. Not to mention the fact that I was less than thrilled with the way the district was treating us drivers. I had no choice but to move on; it was best for me and mine.
This past August I'd heard about a local sanitation company that was hiring truck drivers for a lot more money than I was making driving a school bus. The work is also more steady - five days a week, 52 weeks a year. I applied for and got a job with them all within a 45-minute time period. I WAS SO EXCITED! I couldn't wait to get started. I finished up with the school district over the following two weeks and then started on my new adventure on September 1st. So far, it's been pretty great even though there were some bumps in the road.
I love driving the truck. I've made new friends. I've had a regular thrower for the past three months and we make a great team. He works his ass off and I get out of the truck to help him throw garbage cans when it's needed. Lots of exercise for both of us. Our routes are local and relatively short and easy. Our days start at 5:00am but we're also done by 1:00pm. There are still ups and downs with this company but we - all of us employees - are making the best of it, and succeeding.
The best thing to come of this new job was that, less than two months after starting with the company, I was able to afford to buy a house. I BOUGHT A HOUSE! We moved into it the third week of October and no longer live in affordable housing. I'm grateful for where we lived for almost 12 years because the programs available to me through them allowed me to save money to be able to buy the house. But I'm even more grateful for the fact that owning my own house got me out from under the rules we had to live by there.
I don't have to report any extra income to any management office, or have my income checked and my rent adjusted every year. I don't have to worry about not having a parking place, or having neighbors who share a wall and make a shit-ton of noise without caring who they disturb. I can have pets without getting a lease violation. Yes, we still have our cats and they love having our own home, too. I don't have to worry about occasional inspections from management or the government. We can paint our rooms any colors we want - Zach and Ty have already done that with their rooms and I'm working on getting Dolly's room and my room done.
WAIT! Did you read what I just said? I'm working on getting MY ROOM painted. I HAVE MY OWN ROOM AGAIN! It's the smallest bedroom in the house; I gave Ty the master since he has a lot more stuff than I do, but I have privacy again. No more sleeping on the sofa and having to stay up late because kids are walking up and down stairs to the kitchen for late-night snacks. I have a bed, a TV, a small plastic chest of drawers and a door - that opens and closes and opens and closes. I can shut out the world or invite it in. I have that choice now. YAY ME! I'm doing a happy dance as I write this.
Some days I just sit on my brand new sofa - new house, new furniture, because I wanted it - and marvel over all the great things that happened in the past seven months. Two kids in college, my last baby only two years from graduating high school, a new job, and a new house. I. Am. So. Happy. I know Abby (the universe, for those of you who may have forgotten) has so many wonderful things planned for my little family coming up this year and I can't wait to see what they are. In the meantime I'm going to sit here and be grateful for everything I've got right now and anticipate what's to come. And I'll be a happy me while I wait.
Until next time...peace to all.
