Almost unemployed….

Marginally employed, working as a call-in substitute - essentially the 11th man on a 10 man roster. Took the job in July, w/the understanding that it wouldn’t supersede any previous commitments, specifically vacation trips North. Job is jokingly called “Starvation Trucking,” among family & friends, because the work is even thinner than anticipated. Currently subbing for a guy out on hip replacement, but only getting about 3 days/week due to slowing business.

Picked up a bunch of race car work to supplement Starvation’s wages. Paid to transport the car & then paid to loaf @ the track. Not a bad gig! Spent a couple weeks in real garden spots – Monterey & Sonoma, CA; 1 week in Mexico City – definitely NOT a garden spot (Those who don’t believe in tight borders need to take that little trip!); & another week in NJ – not a real garden spot but @ least safe. Volunteered for more work in ’09, but the sagging economy has depleted sponsorship, so 2nd car & rig are for sale….

Even in this soft economy, I could find more work but potential employers look a little cross-eyed when they find that I won’t work nights, prefer not to work weekends & want a few weeks off (w/o pay!!) in the summer. The lovely mrs gets 6 weeks vacation so I think it’s only fair that she be forced to spend some of it w/me.

Did some work around the house/yard last Summer - actually kept the lovely mrs almost entirely off the lawn tractor – but did not paint the house, as she had hoped. Won’t be able to ignore it again this year. We have some new neighbors, who are single-handedly killing everyone’s property values & that was my weak rationale for resisting home improvement chores last year.

The old dog died, though she amazed all by far out-living any estimate. Our 2nd, her sister, diagnosed later w/a different cancer, only survived her by 3 months, so our pack has been whittled to 1. Even though he’s been promoted from bottom of the pack, he’s not all that thrilled about being Top (& Only) Dog. We’re on a list for a new pup – bitch due in heat this month - so he can be the boss. Or maybe he’s just an underachiever & prefers to be bossed.

Failed to boat a musky last season, despite the desperate efforts of 2 great Vilas guides to prevent that occurrence. Saw fish just couldn’t incite them to violence. Here @ home, biblical floods kept me off of Caesar Creek through the Spring. Saw a few fish there in the Fall but none w/open mouths.

Hoping for change in ’09.

Friends keep asking me how I like retirement & I keep reminding them that it's NOT retirement, it's unemployment.

Deep into the 3rd week of unemployment, & I can't say that I'm really enjoying it. Got mrs c's convertible & the lawn tractor ready for good weather - she loves that car AND cutting grass on that tractor - but she's really pushing more substantial(remodeling & painting) projects my way.

Not signed up for unemployment yet & not certain that I will. Last time they dunned me w/calls to interview for anything that came along & finally cut me off because I refused interviews for night jobs. mrs c said that she'd pay me better than unemployment if I'd just paint & remodel to her satisfaction. Spoken like a woman w/6 weeks paid vacation.

Have a paying freelance project coming next month - transporting a race car for a local team - & that will buy some groceries, but we got whacked pretty hard by the taxman this time, so I have an urge to find more work. However, don't want to get too busy, summer's coming! I need a school bus job w/o the kids.

On a cheerful note, finished re-reading Time On The Water for the umpteenth time this AM. Never cease to be inspired by that book. Now if it would just warm up & stop raining for a week or so, I could ease up to Caesar Creek & start the season.

Already counting the days to the northern WI opener, too. Open up the cottage, turn on the water & put in the dock....then do a little musky fishing!

Bad news!!

The job called us all together today & informed about 300 people that we'll be officially unemployed as of March 31. The reality is that it will be about 3 weeks sooner than that as business winds down toward closing.

Not a huge surprise to me - we were notified last week of a "mandatory meeting" - because I saw the same scenario @ my last job, just 2 years ago.

I've been the secondary income in our house for more than 20 years, so it's not the end of the world, but I really liked this job & hoped I could hang out there until mrs. c can retire.

mrs. c is sympathetic to my plight but says that now I'll have time to address some of the home maintenance /remodeling projects on her list. Personally, I'd rather be still working & paying someone else to do that stuff but I guess I could visit the newly emergent musky pond just up the road while I wait for paint to dry....

Good news, bad news….

For several months, I’ve heard that River Run Tackle is either dead or dying. Whatever the case, there’s a serious interruption in their supply & I’ve been unable to get more Mantas from the usual sources. Saturday, I stumbled upon a small cache @ a local mom & pop tackle shop. Happily took all 4 & humored the nice lady who looked @ me a little strangely. Now I can more confidently work Mantas (“tempt fate” was how Howie described it) among the sequoian snags that are so common in the reservoirs down here.

One of our Australian shepherds has been diagnosed w/cancer. Took her to the vet when a large lump suddenly appeared on one of her hind legs. The vet was very concerned & even though the tumor is deeply rooted in the muscle, he wanted to whittle it out immediately. However, x-rays showed that the cancer has already metastasized & there is another tumor in her chest, so she has come home to wait for the end.

She’s an old dog, has lived a great life & except for the growing lump on her leg shows no other symptoms, but I’m already losing sleep worrying how we’ll know when she reaches “the end.” In the interim, we’re spoiling her more than ever: tidbits as we cook & eat meals, special trips in the pick-up & we now completely ignore her trespasses on the family room sofa.

And today my pick-up took a wrecker ride after a fuel pump failure in the driveway. Had to take the lovely mrs. c’s minivan to work & she drove her convertible. Hope that the pick-up is finished tomorrow because the weather is due to change & I’ll be in deep shtuff if the convertible is forced out in the rain!!