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December 8,
1999: Anyways, this rather pretentiously-titled section is devoted to whatever happens to cross my mind at the time I'm writing it. There isn't really any rhyme nor reason to it intended, but, hey, this is the first time I've done it so let's see what happens, okay? I figger I should start out with what's been going on since I last did anything with "Heckfire's Inferno" (well, it seems like a good start to ME, anyways). In a nutshell, it was four unemployments and a wedding, with a significant addition to my family status capping things off. As anyone who paid any attention to the last update to the old "Inferno" is aware, the week afterwards I married my girlfriend of four years, Tia (I'll be making a page for the wedding pix that I have scanned in a bit). I reasoned, I was at a stable job that paid, if not well, then at least enough to survive. Four months later, I was "downsized." (You all saw that coming from a mile away, didn't you?) I love the term "downsized," don't you? Makes me sound like a dress...Anywho, I promptly went to my friendly neighborhood temp agency and landed another relatively stable job. This time, however, I hedged my bets and took a weekend job at the arcade where my wife had worked and several of my friends still did. Turned out to be a good idea, as the temp job turned out to be holiday work; fortunately, my boss at the arcade was a friend so he gave me full-time hours there and promoted me to day manager about three months later, shortly before he quit (nepotism...Catch the Wave!). Well, the last week of January, my wife gave me the shock of my life: she was pregnant, and I was going to be a dad. (Insert "Psycho" theme here) Seriously, I was ecstatic, and so were our families. For me, however, Tia's pregnancy served as a rather pointed reminder that an arcade salary (even a day manager's) was NOT going to cut it, especially once she went on maternity leave. So, shortly after our first anniversary, I quit my job at the arcade and took a job as a freelance web designer for a fledgling real estate agent. THAT turned out to be one of the BIGGEST errors I've made in a long time. I won't go into the details (I try not to be THAT boring), but it ended badly and I found myself once again unemployed...only this time, with a wife who was 7-months pregnant. Yes, folks, it was panic time...and panic I did. I sent my resume to anyone and everyone who would take it. I applied for jobs that I would've sneered at in the past (including telemarketer, whereupon I leanred I have a near-crippling fear of telemarketing. Go fig...). I even applied for unemployment...but, in the nick of time, I landed a job as an over-the-phone computer technician (you know the 1-800 numbers you call for tech support or to sign up for the Record of the Month Club? This company provides the manpower for 'em. That's right, kiddies..."I'm Judy, an operator here at Time-Life..."). Nice stable job, better pay than I'd EVER gotten, and benefits up the yin-yang. Lots of stress, but I figgered unemployment was even MORE stressful. Problems solved, neh? Well, actually... About a month ago, the client in charge of the project I was on decided they didn't need so many phone techs, so me and about 19 others were the first to get the axe (and I was at jury duty on a murder trial at the time...whadda fun week!). They fortunately shunted us over to a new project (now I'm a reverse telemarketer...they call ME to buy stuff. Oh, Arturo, prince of irony...) where we are all sitting on pins and needles waiting for the Sword of Damocles to smack us upside the W2's again. Of course, with all this bitching, I fail to mention the most important part of the last three months; on September 29, 1999, at about 12:40 in the afternoon, my son, Ryan Thomas Lee, was born (7lbs & 11 ounces, 21 inches long...even Tia said, "Geez...THAT came out of ME?"). I'll be honest...it STILL hasn't quite sunk in yet that I'm somebody's DAD. He's so small (but getting bigger each day...GEEZ!), and he's only just now able to actually recognize me, which he normally does with a deep furrowed frown, almost in mimic of my own normal dour expression, followed by the kinda smile you can only get from someone with no teeth. So, where does the end of 1999 find me? Basically in the same shape I was in at the end of 1998...poised on the edge of a sword, trying not to fall, only this time trying to hold up TWO members of my fledgling family, not just one. The hell with it, tho'...if Tia can put up with both me AND a baby on a daily basis without turning homicidal, then I can handle a little uncertainty on the job front. Still, let Y2K come...I could use the vacation.
Thayre. Ah've sayd eet.
Ah feel bayter. |
