I haven't posted in a long while for a number of reasons. The principal reason is I have a job now that keeps me busy, but it also keeps me away from a computer system. I use a Nook right now, mostly to post on Facebook and tweet. I tried to use it to write, but the keyboard will never work that well.
Today, however, I'm using it to post here because I want to address the biggest issue in my life at the moment. I am currently living in a motel, paying by the week. This is nice in many ways: I have a comfortable bed, an ancient tv to watch basic cable on and a relatively safe and quiet environment to live in.
What I don't have is financial security. I pay $225/week for this touch of paradise. That works out to over $900/month for what amounts to a furnished studio apartment. It could be worse, of course. I am thankful that I am not in the shelter any more, but it does mean that if my paycheck dips below a certain level, I'll be on the streets. I figured it out, and if I miss more than one day - six hours - I won't have enough to make rent and pay for a little bit of food.- the food stamps have run out. So I have to work extra hard not to miss any time off work, no matter how I feel, no matter that the buses aren't running, I have to get to work.
The only thing I don't have direct control of, is the weather. So one day a couple of weeks ago the office was closed due to snow. Thankfully, they learned from that and the next time snow hit, we all got to work from home, so it wasn't a total loss. But the wifi where I live is so bad it had a negative impact on my work at home experience. So, really, I need to find an apartment.
Which is what I'd have liked to do from the start, but because the shelter kicked me out too soon, I wasn't able to save enough for a deposit and first month's rent, not to mention application fees, utility deposits and such.
But I can't do that while I'm paying so much in rent. So I either have to find someplace cheaper by the week, or move back into the shelter once my exile is over, which is April 15th.
That's the real shame of it. I work hard to get out of the shelter, only to have to go back in so I can permanently move out.
But who said life's fair?
Definitely not me.
Today, however, I'm using it to post here because I want to address the biggest issue in my life at the moment. I am currently living in a motel, paying by the week. This is nice in many ways: I have a comfortable bed, an ancient tv to watch basic cable on and a relatively safe and quiet environment to live in.
What I don't have is financial security. I pay $225/week for this touch of paradise. That works out to over $900/month for what amounts to a furnished studio apartment. It could be worse, of course. I am thankful that I am not in the shelter any more, but it does mean that if my paycheck dips below a certain level, I'll be on the streets. I figured it out, and if I miss more than one day - six hours - I won't have enough to make rent and pay for a little bit of food.- the food stamps have run out. So I have to work extra hard not to miss any time off work, no matter how I feel, no matter that the buses aren't running, I have to get to work.
The only thing I don't have direct control of, is the weather. So one day a couple of weeks ago the office was closed due to snow. Thankfully, they learned from that and the next time snow hit, we all got to work from home, so it wasn't a total loss. But the wifi where I live is so bad it had a negative impact on my work at home experience. So, really, I need to find an apartment.
Which is what I'd have liked to do from the start, but because the shelter kicked me out too soon, I wasn't able to save enough for a deposit and first month's rent, not to mention application fees, utility deposits and such.
But I can't do that while I'm paying so much in rent. So I either have to find someplace cheaper by the week, or move back into the shelter once my exile is over, which is April 15th.
That's the real shame of it. I work hard to get out of the shelter, only to have to go back in so I can permanently move out.
But who said life's fair?
Definitely not me.
