Easter Excitement

Good Friday turned into not-so-great Friday as H. called to say he'd been laid off.  They went from 150 trucks a week down to 20....when he asked his supervisor for his paycheck on his lunch break, he was referred to another supervisor who handed him his check and a yellow 'HR' envelope confirming that Friday would be his last day.  Because H. found out early (by asking for his check at lunch), they let him leave mid-day.  To say he's disappointed would be an understatement.  My reaction was considerably stronger.  He and I had been having a stressful week towards each other as he burned through more money than I would imagine he could spend in a week - despite my admonishments that he needed to keep a cushion, etc..  His roommate starts his new job tomorrow - and H. has been helping him out a bit and I'm OK with that.  They keep careful track of who's paying for what - and then pay each other back....but still.  I was already so flipping mad at H. I could barely speak....and then the news that he is once again unemployed.  Not a great day.

I kept telling him that they hire 'temps' as a classification of employees so they can weed them out.  He said he was doing great - but then acknowledged he was late one day.  And to me, he never seemed that 'happy' about the job.  It wasn't driving equipment like his old job - it was serious manual labor loading and unloading trucks by hand.  He would come home everyday and crash - just exhausted.  We've not seen much of him since he started that job.  I think he wasn't exactly setting himself apart as a 'stellar' employee - and consequently, when the time came to cut down staff, he was (again) on the list of the soon-to-be-departed.

He swears he's learned his lesson and he promises he will not spend as much.  Girlfriends are expensive and he takes his girlfriend out a lot and always treats.  I try to educate him on the 'new economy' where you just don't spend $50 a night over and over - it's just not feasible.

OH - and when I looked at his pay stub for the two weeks he was paid for (and they gave him his final week separately), it turned out he'd only been working 30 hours a week, not 40.  I pointed that out with a 'did it occur to you that your budget - which you overspend regularly anyway - was based on a FORTY HOUR work week?  And you've only been working THIRTY HOURS?  When were you going to mention that small MAJOR detail - 'cuz you are seriously short to make your rent on thirty hours a week'.

Boys.  My boys.  They have always sucked at math.  Considering what I do for a living, it's ironic.

H. and I went to the bank together yesterday to deposit his final paycheck - and we stopped at a desk to have them completely un-link his savings from his debit card.  If he doesn't have money in his checking account to cover, his debit will be declined.  The bank rep said 'you are so lucky to have your mom be such a help to you.  My mom just threw me out on my own'.  I don't know if she meant that literally - but I said 'I'm not sure he thinks it's always a 'bonus' to have me be his bookkeeper'.  She said 'he should'.  H. replied 'I do appreciate her help and I am lucky'.  So there's that.

I'm pretty sure he feels lucky 'cuz we are his cushion.

On that note, I head full speed into Easter Sunday cooking.  J. just hooked up the TV in the family room to Amazon Prime so I can watch Good Wife all day while I cook up a storm.  H. and his roommate are coming for dinner at 4 - looking forward to a nice meal.

And I'm off tomorrow - sliding into another reasonably short work week - I'm usually off during Spring Break so it will be different to be working part of it.  Should be quiet.  Schools closed.  Plan to get a lot done!

OH - we got a letter from B. on Friday - he's busy but doing well.  He clarified for me that he's not going to Ranger School - he's entering RASP - the school is primarily for Officers seeking Ranger training.  He's being sent in to the selection process and upon completion, will enter a Ranger unit.  So he'll be at Ft. Benning for at least another 11 weeks....

I am hoping for a phone call today - it's a long shot but I still hope.  Mom's all over America are anxious to hear from their soldiers and it's Easter.  Here's hoping.