6.06.2011

the heart of the matter

it's been a rough week for team streeter. my husband, who is in construction, is, you know, in construction. not a hell of a lot of work to be had. me? i spend my days applying for jobs, taking paid surveys, and selling what i can on craigslist and ebay.

my daily routine: applying for jobs.
i have applied for every possible job in this hellhole town over the past three months. i estimate around 150 applications. i have gotten exactly 3 callbacks.

the first was for a cashier spot at a truck stop 20 miles away. the second was for a cashier spot at a subway at a truck stop next to the other one. these calls both came the same day, and it just so happened to be the same day that i was advised to NOT BE AROUND people, because i had severely infectious viral conjunctivitis and looks a fucking mess. this was also the beginning of my super-special HSP, which caused my eye to literally "blow out," bleeding from it and appearing black all around it. not an ideal day for a job interview. so i explained that i was ill and that maybe just maybe perhaps i could do this in a few days? pretty please? "sure, i'll call you." click. do you think he/they called? no. better off anyway - part time hours, 20 miles away. 10mpg, $3.80/gal? i'm pretty sure i would have been paying to work.

the third was from jc penny, at the local mall. this was about 3, maybe 4 weeks ago. i was on my deathbed, barely conscious, when shawn came in the room and informed me that they had called and wished for me to call back the next day and set up an interview. WEHEHEHEHELL. the next day? i landed in the hospital again, sick as a dog, again, and comepletely forgot about it. when i DID remember i attempted to call them back, go the hiring managers voicemail, and pleaded my case that i had been very ill at the time but i was now much much better and oh my god PLEASE give me another chance for an interview. did they call back? hell no.

my daily routine: taking paid surveys.
there are such things as legit paid surveys, where you can make actual money. my favorite is opinion outpost. once you get up to $15 with them you can cash out onto a prepaid visa, or at $20 you can request an actual check but the check takes 6-8 fuck-me-in-the-ear weeks to come. i tried out amazons mechanical turk, which is tiny web jobs for tiny amounts of money that can add up, but it took me so long, so many hours of work to get to the $10 paypal cashout i got frustrated and stopped. i may go back. it is real, actual money. just a frustratingly small amount off it.


my daily routine: ebay and craigslist.
someone, somewhere, wants your crap. that is my new philosophy. so i have begun to unload things that i love for money, because a roof over my head matters more. my u2 collection? hello, ebay. baby-sitters club books? well, i was going to put them on ebay but someone on the BSC livejournal snatched 'em up. our laptop with the burnt up hard drive? SOLD, $65 on craiglist. our 42inch plasma tv and beautiful contaning cabinet? SOLD, $600, on craigslist. and that, my friends, is how we made rent for june.

my truck is on craigslist now. anyone wanna buy a pathfinder? :)

the heart of the matter, of this post, of my point, though, is that $600 i got, just yesterday. you see, i only sold the TV for $550. these people, these wonderful people, insisted on giving us $600, because they knew we were selling it to pay our rent.

yes, that's right, pick your jaw up off the floor. i said it. they overpaid for the item. on purpose. to be nice. to my family. ii am not a believer in god of the christian type, or of the any type, but i believe there is something, and i think yesterday the universe was making sure i knew it hadn't forgotten us. showing me that humanity still deserves a little faith, and that i do not necessarily have to cry so much.

check out the band semi precious weapons. cos, you know, i can't pay my rent but i'm fuckin' gorgeous. 


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