Had to fall a bit farther before I could pick myself up

I think I just needed to be a little more humbled before I could actually get started.  I am writing this in a Starbucks because I have no more Internet.  Or electricity.  Or water.

But I saw it coming and I knew that I would be okay.  I made whatever plans I needed to make to be able to get through this, saved candles and wood and emptied the big totes I have Christmas decorations stored in and now I have over 200 gallons of water.  I tacked up blankets over the doors so any heat can't leave a room (and I have a lot of blankets!)

And back when I bought my computer I also bought a lap top so I am not completely out of touch with the outside world.  I can only spend so much time in a Starbucks, tho, so I have been spending my time looking for a home.  And I think I might have one.  If not that one, then another, I have sent out about 20 emails and am in contact now with several people in Las Vegas and should have a home before I leave here.

Oh!!  I didn't mention that, did I?  Workman's comp finally closed my case and I just received my award.  I should have known that it would all come through AFTER everything got shut off.  I haven't received a paycheck in over 3 months and yes, I have been applying everywhere.  I have even been applying for jobs in Portland OR even tho a minimum wage job that far away would only pay for my gas.  I wasn't kidding when I said there are no jobs here.  There is a month long waiting list to get help with utilities and you can't ask until you have a shut off date.  That's how bad it is here.  There are 3 other families on my street alone without power.  It's like an infection, but I am one more step to making everything right.

I have a truck ordered, I pick it up first thing Thursday morning.  I will be on the road Friday morning, and should be in Las Vegas by Sunday or Monday at the latest.  I have tire chains for both the car and the truck and my daughter and her friend are driving my car behind me so I don't have to pull a trailer.  I did the math and it wont cost any more to gas the car than it will to rent a trailer to tow it so I'm not going to be out of any more money.

So all I have to do now is pack whatever needs to be packed, tie up just a few loose ends and I can finally start my life again.  I am so excited!!

The funny thing is, all this time all I have been able to do is think about how I'm going to do something but I haven't been able to act.  Now that I can actually do something I don't know where to begin.  But I am determined to do this smart.  I did spend $100 on a room for 2 nights thinking I needed the wi-fi and phone and thankfully I didn't spend more than that.  I have learned a valuable lesson, not all wi-fi is created equal and I really spoiled myself on my own wi-fi.  So even tho I got to sleep in a warm room and took the hottest shower I could handle I still feel that I wasted that money since I couldn't do all I had hoped to do.

Now I have a Boost mobile cell phone and I bought a Starbucks gift card so I can limit what I spend and I leave my bank card at home!  I can always boil water on my BBQ if I need to and my kitchen is like a walk in freezer right now so we are eating sandwiches and nothing is going bad.  I feel bad for the critters, they keep walking up to the wall heaters and looking at them with those sad eyes puppies get but then we all bundle up together and we do just fine.

So my adventure finally begins.  I have been looking at what jobs are available in Vegas and there are many more than there are here.  I might change my mind about school as there are so many openings right now for a pharmacy tech that can work in a compounding pharmacy, mixing drugs and IV's, it seems that's where the medical jobs are right now.  But I know that can change so for the minute (and I have a couple of months to make my education plans) I am keeping my options open.  Things change so fast these days but I'm pretty flexible!!

So hang tight, this has been a pretty bumpy ride lately and I'm not done yet!!