2022-07-18 - 8:44 p.m.

I was updating my company info on a site; but I keep accidentally swiping ( when I don't mean to!) and closing the web page OR
I am dozing off!

Data entry is really boring.
Makes me fall asleep!

I did work starting at 7AM today at the retirement community. So no wonder I am tired.

I had to register my site somewhere pretty important for professional development so vowed to GET IT DONE! today BEFORE engaging in volunteer work.

I got an email request Thu to help out with some volunteer work. I was out of office Friday and super busy moving my kid into her apt; then back to go to work at the retirement community Sunday and yesterday.

I am exhausted. The moving my kid was tiring! The youngest came with me to help and we ended up crashing on makeshift beds (I used a sleeping bag) on the floor of her brand new apt as it was around 11pm when we finished bringing in the last of her stuff into the new apt.

The last item was the small couch which we had to scrub clean and sanitized! Mice had gotten into the storage unit!

Seems gross- but I bought oxyclean and bought a new trash can and filled that with HOT HOT water and scrubbed the heck out of that old used once college owned insustrial grade furniture which truth be told was well designed with very sturdy and thick upolstry which cleaned up decently.

Some would have tossed the darn couch, argued with the storage unit owner...etc...

My kid saw the state of the couch she said "Oh now I know why when I moved in they asked me if I needed a plastic cover for any furniture"

YEAH They sell them there.
And I did not read the insurance she bought for $11 a month but I can GUARANTEE even without reading it
there will be some waiver language that the owner is not responsible for rodent damage!!

I MEAN THERE HAS TO BE as this unit had a few inches gap at the top of the unit. Just wide open- as if by design for air flow.

SO there HAS to be known issues of mice being able to roam in and out-
and I am POSITIVE the owner protected THEMELVES.

I told my kid she CAN look up the insurance policy and read it and try to file a claim for loss of the couch.
BUT considering I think my kid pd $35 for this hand me down from a friend who said they got it from the college a couple of years ago when the college upgraded and it was being tossed...
I mean really... it made more sense to take the hour to scub the heck out it, spray with some lysol and then spray with a deodorizing spray ( Arm& Hammer carpet and upholstry PET DEODERIZER) and see how it is-

IT seemed OK. She is ordering a cover for it.

The thing smelled and looked clean by the time we were done with it!
Heck I even felt comfortable sitting on it on Sat.

So on Sat I thought I had to work at 2:30 pm. The plan was to drive back early to go to work.
I got a call at 9:30 from my boss at the retirement community asking if I could come in, as the boss did schedule me and expected me at 8AM Sat morning!

She was apologetic in a way as she didn't check with me ahead of time and said she realized she forgot to confirm that change was OK. I had told her schedule me whenever needed! BUT somehow that shift (I have been on afternoon shift on weekends for past couple of years! I did not complain as that leaves me free for church duties to help out on Sun mornings).
Techinically the morning shift on weekends is considered more desirable.

Well I think my boss was looking out for me frankly but we just failed to have good communicaiton!

OR IT IS SIMPLY My MISTAKE and I did not read the schedule carefully ? (But I don't think so... to be honest. I think she originally had me on the afternoon when I transcribed the schedule but it was later updated. Either way- OOPS !) The thing is I don't have an emailed copy like usual to check what was sent to me ( I think I deleted it in a recent email purge!).

Turned out I was ALSO on the morning shift on Sunday!

Now I KNOW that originally when I saw the July schedule I was on that afternoon. I do distinctly recall cross checking when I work BEFORE signing up to help an elderly parishoner on Sunday mornings by giving him a ride to service.

So the good news/bad news was this:
When My boss called I told her I was out of town and she confirmed the other fellow was definately coming in at 2:30 and there was no way I could come in before then ( due to travel time.)

So in the end I kinda was completely off the hook inadvertedly! Because I was not needed at 2:30 and it would have taken that long to drive home; well I just turned around ( we were on the road heading home) and drove RIGHT BACK to my kid's new apt to continue to give her more help and support getting it in shape.

I am so glad that worked out! I kinda felt bad just getting the stuff out of storage and rushing back to get to work! I felt like leaving her with all those boxes was very overwealming and also kida lonely to be alone and have to unpack and organize a new apt.

She was happy for the help of her sister and I.

She is a bit hesitant about finding a roommate to share the apt with due to her chronic illness. This kid of mine does faint from POTS a fair bit. I mean it is her norm...
She said about twice a month the past semester she had syncapote episodes- either pre fainting or then actual fainting and drop moments.

That can be super scary for those not familiar with them.

She doesn't want a roommate who would call the ER in anxiety every time that happens! She needs a roommate rather comfortable with her chronic illness frankly-

so I get it... why it is a hard thing to be sure someone is the right fit as a roommate.
I do think it will be BETTER for her socially, as well as economically, if she becomes friends with anyone who needs to get their own place. Maybe there will be some other new teacher she hits it off with who undertands chronic illness.

The imporant thing is that by getting a two bedroom she has control of who can move in to share with her- which is way better than her moving into another space to share with others already there. ( She can screen a roommate !)

AS we played cards in the afternoon, when needed a break from unpacking and then just enjoyed each other's company, I had the thought
"Hey if you can't find a roommate after some months; maybe your sister can come be your roomate? There are lots of places near here hiring to land a job? What do you both think?"

The youngest who just graduated HS was the one helping. Surprising to me, both did not think it a bad idea.
The oldest thought it a good idea.
(I think BETTER for her to get a peer her own age to be a roommate! BUT it was so loving and gracious she would be willing to share with her younger sister if her sister moved and got a job. She even said "I wouldn't charge you half- but you could work and pay less and save for college. There are alot of colleges around here you could check out too.")

It was nice to have such positive reception to that idea.

My kid actually said the one college there ( in the area) was on her list of schools she is interested in.

She is just so shy about entering new spaces. Even applying for a job has been an overwealming challenge for her. She doesn't like me helping her- but her relationship with her sister is different. I notice she will accept help from older siblings.
I think it a great idea as I think the one who is about to be a teacher would be better at motivating her and working through her blocks/challenges- the inertia she gets stuck in when overthinking or making assumptions something is so hard.

The older one is ALSO ADHD but has learned skills to manage. She was kinda pissed to share that her Dad recently said when she was little it seemed obvious she too had ADHD but it was expensive to get her tested and diagnosed so he didn't bother as had to in a sense triage and only seek that for the kids who were doing poorly- and the oldest was doing fine in school.

Funny he phrases it like that as when he tested the others they TOO were straight A students! HA he seemed to never have acknowledged that!

That is the weird part.
Its just that one of them was more HYPER and at the time full of energy.

The older one, the teacher, was rather irritated to hear her ADHD was not deemed worthy of treating and finding her support for. She feels spurned and disreagarded a bit and a bit frustrated and resentful as she had to work her ass off to overcome so many challenges herself.
This is the kid who also has major depressive disorder and took it upon herself to get a diagnosis and treatment as a college student when her Dad was resistant!

So I get her disappointment to hear that. I find it exceptionally frustrating and sad to hear as the reason he could not afford to treat all was sheer ego and stubborness!!
He would ONLY go the doctor who was private pay only.
He vowed never to go through health insurance as did not want any record of treatment.

Idiot move.
More worried about someone knowing that his kids have had issues than concern about treating their actual issues and medical needs???

IT seems so much the same reasoning for dropping the now trans kid.

I mean more worry about how HE LOOKS if the reality of his kids not being the "perfect" image he wants them to be; than actual concern for his kids' well being.

SO yeah I get the teacher's anger at that comment he made.

I just recalled suggesting she might be "in the club" With her siblings as far as ADHD. I don't recall if her Dad ever shared that conversation he had with the Dr. with me at all!

Ce la vie... its all in the past now and we can't control what did happen or what did NOT but which we would have preferred DID Happen for each if us in the past.

Can only move forward.
So she could get a diagnosis now. Hardley necessary however as she was precribed adderall for the brain fog of POTS years ago and it helped her tremendously! *HA HA

So not sure an ADHD diagnosis will make much difference for her at this point in life.
Off to bed.

It was a really good day ! Tired- but it was productive.
I worked 7 hrs ( part time job); did apply for a job on my lunch half hr.; did most of registering my company to be able to bid on awards; updated my 401 K distribution from the part time job.

It feels silly financially to be making what is a DUMB financial move. I had 100% of that part time job going into a 401K. (negligible amt in scheme of things... I mean I make between 4 and 5K total a yr. After 5 yrs it will be then extra 25 K in my retirement fund)

But it is only a few hundred dollars a month currently of net earnings now that I shifted the money to go to my bank account rather than the 401K. I tried to make this change a few weeks back but the handler of the account is undergoing a change; so there was a black out period in which the old account owner would not make changes!

SO bummer was no live check this pay period. It all went into the 401K still!
BUT this is the part that feels dumb to do.

I do have to file for unemployment.
And when you file, any cash earned (net earnings that is! AFTER deductions) Gets DEDUCTED from the unemployment benefits you are to get.

So if I am allocated $337 a week ( hypothetically) for an amount of about $1300 in unemployment benefits...

I have to then deduct the $300 cash earned from the part time job and will get $1000 a month in unemployment benefits.

YET it just makes sense that with income drop I can't in actuality AFFORD to have money going to a 401K! NO I need that to pay the mortgage! YET it reduces the unemployment benefit dollar for dollar?

So dumb.
I mean the system is DESIGNED for people like me to NOT change the amount and to KEEP dumping that in the 401 K and just let the unemployement commission cut me that fULL CHECK with which to pay the mortgage.

I just don't get it- makes NO fiscal sense.
Except encouages people to move money into 401K EVEN WHEN THEY CAN"T REALLY AFFORD TO DO SO?

In any case- I have to actually get a live check next payday! IF I don't I will be shy on the mortgage payment! So I have little choice just now.
I need the cash in hand ( even though it is worth more to leave in the 401K!! long term- both in real cash value upfront in a few weeks as my unemployement compensation WILL BE HIGHER AND in the long term value!)

Just stinks...
Ce la vie
Control what we can. What the heck. It just would feel like selfish to leave that little bit in the 401 K and get the full unemployment cash in hand... Maybe I am just to nice. Maybe I should worry less about it making sense or being ethical ( I feel like if you don't get cash in hand because dollar for dollar you get MORE in benefits is GAMING THE SYSTEM!) and maybe I should just get every penny of unemployment payments and pay next months mortage a bit late... as the unemployment payment HAS to be in by AUG 15th, right?? BUT I know better. Last time I got ONE CHECK= ONE $337 dollar check if not mistaken and THEN I had SEVEN Weeks of filing and not getting anything. It took the next 7 weeks to lang my job. But they denied the unemployment payment- and it seemed like they may have done it either: cause I declared the little bit earned from the part time retirement job... so it looked like don't need it ( makes no sense again as that is so small an amount compared to what I WAS Earnign and the lost income the claim was based on) OR MY OLD COMPANY LIED and contested my eligibility!!! I assumed it was the 2nd factor. I mean I even wrote a letter and sent 12 pages of documentation of my job hunting to justify those seven weeks of unemployment that I really hoped to get!!! THE difference between now and then was I HAD SAVINGS so could handle being out of work for up to three or four months. In this case I DO NOT have savings! *But for the 401K , and if I have no choice I will take a withdrawal from that. But it is THE WORST time to pull out of that account! Its value is way down! It will go up again eventually- but buy and hold is a way better strategy than liquidating assets right now. That should be avoided at all costs! Well, tomorrow is another day... will think more about this then AND TOMORROW will do the volunteer work! I really hoped it would be slow and I could get that done during the work in the office I was at today. But it was actually rather busy there today! I also vowed: I don't mind helping; HOWEVER I will do MY WORK FIRST keeping my priorities straight and THEN will turn to the pro bono volunteer help that does not increase my income! So tomorrow morning first thing I will tackle the admin work for the professional org. Today got my company listed; and applied for one job. That has to be enough for today! ON TO DO: 1.VOLUNTEER WORK! YES GET IT DONE IN THE MORNING!! Two things-can't give a ride to church again this Sun. Have to call and email and recruit someone else to that task! and YES I will get an email draft to the board regarding elections of the national professional org I help with. We are OVERDUE with the election. Supposed to be May Of each year. The exec leadership did not apparently think of this until Thu. I was just too darn busy this weekend. BUT TOMORROW AM, EARLY I CAN GET IT DONE!! 2.Apply for unemployment 3. FIND ENT Doctor and gastroentologist 4. Apply for SNAP!! With all the food allergies I really need some short term help other than just getting helped by the church food pantry! I need to be able to buy food this young adult child of mine with the chronic inflammation due to allergies can eat!! SNAP short term if eligible will be super helpful to be able to buy healthy food. (OMG I would be so excited if I am eligable and the local farmers market still takes SNAP!! They set that up 15 years ago and it is a game changer for the health of folks reliant on that support!) With donations we get what we get- and you know that phrase "beggars can't be choosers" HELL True I was nothing but grateful for the help and fact I did not have to BUY Food/groceries the past six weeks and COULD therefore pay the mortgage (But for the occassional milk and bread and toilet paper and dish detergent!) Oh yeah the mortage also was paid with a $500 loan... that I have to pay back pronto too... *HELP kid get to the DMV This Thu for her learners permit! See if the older one can go to take the driving test to get their liscense. YUP That is enough on the To Do list for now.. OH and two more things- DARN FORGOT When in town ( I was supposed to do this yesterday!!) Pick up prescriptions for two of my kids. One was sent to pharmacy way they heck inconvienient. The Dr. Said that they can fill the prescription CHEAPER there... I wonder if true.. in any case it was a PIA to get it transferred to our local phamacy. I need to call the one she sent it to to see if they take the insurance we have and get pricing. If not I will have the Dr. call it into the one we go to usually. *When take one kid to Dr. Appt Thu hope to make the DMV Run with her- AND go pick up another presciption too. (Two different phamacies to go to!)

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