Hope

I watched the inauguration the other day as Cassidy dumped every mega block, peek a boo block, and every toy in Jaxon's bin on the floor.  It gave me a feeling of hope.  Don't get me wrong, I don't think everything is going to be magically "fixed"; I am not expecting a miracle.   But one thing I have learned  from my Mommy friends who live outside of the U.S.: the world already has a more positive perception of the U.S.   One comment sticks in my head "the rest of us look to America to lead the way."

While we've had many wonderful blessings over the last eight years, it's not easy to forget the jobs that Chuck has lost due to outsourcing outside of the U.S.  and the sense of uncertainty that comes from that. Then there was my typing job, which basically dwindled to next to nothing, and they only wanted me to do weekend work, so it was no longer worth it.  Guess who's doing that typing now?  Yup, someone over in India.  It is actually cheaper for them to send it there to get typed, come back here to be edited, and send it back to be finalized.   Now, I certainly wasn't making mega bucks from this typing job . . . the basic rate was 40 cents per 1000 keystrokes, with an average page being about 2,500 keystrokes -- so $1.20 a page.  It was an interesting job, and most weeks paid for our groceries.

The job Chuck currently holds is the first job he lost, ironic.  But he's now a contractor, working for an outsourcing company.  Ninety percent of the support staff that he works with are in India. It is the way of the IT world.   It always seems like you are waiting for that other shoe to drop.  

All in all we have rode out those waves and are better for.  We've realized that a dip in salary is worth it, because Chuck gets to work from home twice a week.  He is gets to see so much more of the peanuts this time around, and realizes why some days I get NOTHING done.   He is a valued resource at his job, and that's great, he was given a great raise this year . . .  but in the end, if the hammer falls, often times it doesn't matter if you are the best employee in the world, the decisions are not made by anyone who even knows your name.

So yeah, I'm a sappy optimist who is looking forward some positive changes ahead, no matter how small.  If nothing else, I know we will get a small increase in income at least once this year if not twice . . . when Jax comes off formula that will give us another $60 or so a month, AND if we get our stubborn little girl to use the potty that will be an increase of about $40 a month. LOL Hey,  it's something to look forward to, right!