There's lumberthing I want to tell you

[lumberjim]

It really has been amazing, the way things have fallen in place. When we look back at the last year or so, it's like we knew what we were doing or something.

For the last 3 or 4 years, Amanda has been doing college courses part time while working full time in order to get her accounting degree... so she could get a better job. That was pretty stressful and time consuming. She has carried a 3.92 GPA this whole time too. The plan was for her to graduate in spring 2018. I'd finally be done with alimony in March 18 and Ripley turns 18 that June, so we figured life would begin again around then.

Well, last Spring she got laid off. That was bad. But the timing was perfect. Instead of her going and taking another J O B, we decided it would be smarter for her to just collect Unemployment and bump school to full time. Doing that would push the graduation date up a full year.

Her moving in with me and selling her house became an option when the upstairs neighbors, who had been there for 21 years, moved out, making the whole house available. just lucky timing. But there has been some stress as her funds dwindle and her house isn't selling quickly. She lives with me for free, but still has to pay her mortgage and personal expenses out of what she had in savings from a year ago, and the 6 months of unemployment she was eligible for.

We have a friend that works for the (huge accounting firm that you've probably heard of) company she got hired with. He had referred her when she lost the old job, but without a degree, they couldn't hire her. Just by chance, they expanded the department she's going to be a part of right as she started to see the light at the end of the graduation tunnel. She will graduate May 6th, and the new job will start June 5th.

She knew she did well with the interviews, but that was 2 Tuesdays ago. The job was so perfect it seemed too good to be true. The 2 week wait while they met and decided who to hire took like 3 months to go by. You start to expect something to fuck it up. She wondered if she should send a follow up email thanking them for the opportunity...or would that be too kiss assey... The friend said, yeah, don't ..... (turns out the sonofabitch knew she was in, but was forbidden from telling anyone...even his wife, who would have told us)

They called her last Thursday(day of the big meeting) and told her they would call either Friday or Monday(yesterday) to let her know, but that all feedback was very positive. STILL..... no call Friday. Made it a long weekend for her.... Then Monday came and by noon, I couldn't wait, and bugged her. (no call yet ) 3 pm... No word? (nope, this is torture.... 2 hours left... maybe they decided not to hire her....you'd think they'd call with the good news early)

Then the call came. She got it. holy shit, batman. Breathe.

Starts with 3 weeks vacation, plus they close for Christmas-NewYears week.... they pay her phone bill....give her a laptop.... and and and...

It's fantastic. She can work there from anywhere in the country. I can do what I do anywhere there are cars. Now that 2018 date represents a lot more freedom. I won't need to make what i do, or work as hard. I may choose to... but I won't NEED to.

People keep saying, 'good things happen to good people.' I hope that's true, but I've seen a lot of good people get shit on by life. I think being open to good things happening, working hard and being brave enough to take a risk or two might have more to do with it. In this case, I think it was more of a 'who you know' kind of thing. Anyway. I'm enjoying this moment, and feel good about the future. It could all change next week, but for now.... Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!