Paycheck

I got to see today what I am going to be down in terms of reduced pay via reduced hours.
I'm guessing the company adjusted my tax rate and I also had 1 extra exemption.
I am down about $120 every 2 weeks. A $240 per month deficit, plus I am out a renter right now until I get Mary and her stuff out of there.

Just sends me back to the drawing board - what do I have every month coming in and what is going out. Where can I save more money - if anywhere - and how am I going to survive this. I'm hoping my dad will continue to sent the extra $100 - right now, that money is a portion of the bridge across the line - the line being make it on one side of the chasm, break it on the other.

I feel like I'm on the break side, but - I just have to do the numbers again and see what I really have coming in. No way can I survive without 3 tenants paying me every month or every 2 weeks, that's a granted. Tomorrow is court - the judge will have to decide who is right and who is wrong - and that may be a very difficult thing for that man to do considering Mary is a patent liar and has no conviction in lying, under oath, in a courtroom.

Regardless, she shot herself in the foot by stating on paper that "he shoved me" - I have all of my evidence ready to go, including the CD=Rom disk with the entire event on video. I have thought this thing through, and then last night, we did a round-table with people bringing up the things Mary has done. Just more fuel for the fire against her.

I am prepared for tomorrow. In the morning, I will go through all the papers again - spend and hour or two, however long it takes, to get myself in the mode that I need to be in. I'm not saying this is going to be a breeze, but - definitely I do feel good about my chances of winning and having the order sustained against her. Even more so that Karen is going to show up - she was here last night and went over everything that she witnessed while living here concerning Mary. The newer tenant - Mimi - said she would write up her statement and have it notarized. I guess I don't think it's admissable as evidence, but I'll try giving it to the judge and ask him to give it whatever weight that he thinks it should be given.

I don't envy the judge, that's a fact, in having to come up with a decision on this, but then again, that's what they get paid the big bucks for - and those Superior court judges are definitely making bank.

I am somewhat sick right now - my system apparently didn't like something I ate yesterday, and it's telling me ALL about it in the bathroom. I just don't feel good. Probably gonna go lay down for a while.

As for now? Today after work marks the start of a 4-day weekend. I don't really include tomorrow as a day off, though, going to court is hardly "entertaining". More like nerves and wondering who's going to win. Judges can be very intimidating, especially Superior Court judges. I don't fear them, it just gives me an edge of nerves that I don't really like to be experiencing. Whatever the judge rules, I'll accept - even if against me - and move on.

Today? Fairly slow day at work. One delivery and some pickups. I was downtown getting some transfers for orders to be delivered tomorrow - one of the downtown drivers is taking my place tomorrow and the driver out west is taking place of the other driver who is taking the day off as well. Anyway, it was VERY slow there - people milling around, blank looks on their faces.

Also, a rather odd thing happened in traffic today. I was taking that one delivery in the boss's pickup. I was not speeding, tailgating or otherwise showing agression on the road. I came up behind an old car.

The driver stuck his hand out the window and flipped me off.
I was totally bewildered by that, as I had done nothing to that driver. I was behind that driver, yes - but not tailgating.

Then, the driver of that car starting alternating back and forth his right and left hand turn signals. He then started doing other odd things with his rear lights. I saw an opening to get around him so I started to go into the center lane. He immediately straddle both lanes!! He then reached his hand out of the car, flipped me off again!

I honestly didn't have a clue why this guy was acting like this. I finally got around the guy after he entered a left hand turn lane - and proceeded to flip me off yet again!

I tell ya, things happen in traffic around here that just have no origin in common sense, respect or courtesy for the other driver. I was watching this guy - he was making faces and weird head movements, I don't wonder if a few screws were loose upstairs.

OTOH, I had NO incidents while driving the semi today! THAT is a miracle in itself! Almost always, people will cut me off and then slam on their brakes to make a turn. Or slam on their brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of them after they have dived in front of me, coming up at high speeds from beside me. Or whatever - those 2 are the most annoying things as they create a potentially hazardous and even deadly situation - for them, not me - but still.

Well, I'm fading fast, gonna get to my bedroom and take a snooze.
ben

Thursday

An absolutely beautiful day this morning.
Sky is overcast, temp is nice, looks like it might rain.
Hope it does.
I always get to work early so I can sit and drink a cup of coffee or 3 and peruse the news on the internet before going to work.
Not much in the system in terms of deliveries - which is the first time this week there hasn't been a full day's worth of stuff in there. Just one delivery and that's it.
I am not going to work tomorrow so that I can digest all of the information I have, get it into my head and also write down notes on the volumes of different things I would like to address in court in order to prove my case. There IS a lot.

So, anyway, today is sort of my Friday, cepting' court is usually not a barrel of fun and games.

Amazingly, school is already out for the summer. Seems like it gets out earlier now but definitely starts back up earlier as well. I think last year school got out at the beginning of June, today is what, the 21st of May? Definitely, they ended the school year earlier than last year. I am going to ask Michael to see his final report card. It should quite interesting, to say the least. For as much school as he missed, I have no doubts that he must have failed several or even all classes.

The guy that did the news story - called again. I have not done any parties and really, don't plan to any time soon. I have been giving out food, but I have cut that back as well since my hours have been cut at work. I have not, however, stopped handing out meals. I had 2 people over 2 days ago. I'm just one of those persons that believes in giving back to the Lord - this is the way I'm doing it. The 2 that were over were definitely some hungry individuals. One was in a wheelchair - a paraplegic and the other was his friend. I made them some chicken and a mess of other stuff - they consumed nearly all of it.

In fact, I haven't had anyone over yet that wasn't extremely hungry. Many of these people do not get the opportunity to eat meat - which I have plenty of and which I still wish I had a freezer because there are some awesome deals this week on both chicken and ground beef. If my situation weren't so limited, I would definitely buy a freezer and fill that thing up. As it stands, keeping power on the power reader and paying the bills are the priority of the day.

Well, anyway, I need to get started at work here - hope you all have a great day!
ben