'Cause You Know I Really Like Workin' For A Livin'

All time favorite unemployed/underemployed video.


The exquisite beauty of life is that sometimes we have to do things that we really don't want to do. Like working more hours than the standard 40 hour work week.

Because of the bruising battle budge battle that took place in this state this past summer between a guv'nor who thinks running a state is like running a city (sort of like a president who thinks running a country is like running a senatorial district) and a complacent labor union who has no problem being a boot licking brown noser, my personal/family finances are in the state of flux that I'm no longer used to dealing with.

So as much as this pains me to even consider, I need to embark on a hunt for a second job. I really don't want to do this, but to quote a lyric from Cage the Elephant, "I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed, there ain't nothing in this world that's free."

It's not like I haven't done this type of stupidity before. Prior to my lovely daughter being born, I was doing two jobs on and off (mostly on) for about 4 years running. I was averaging about 70 to 75 hours a week, and yes, I was getting burned out doing it. Back then, the reason as to why I was doing it was because I had what could be considered a small gambling problem, so the second paycheck basically funded that gambling problem.

I eventually reduced the gambling problem to a manageable level ($220 a week to currently $120 a week) and subsequently gave up the second job as I started to move slowly upwards in job class and salary at the first job. However, as the economy eventually kamakized into smithereenies near the end of the last decade, the family finances began to eventually mirror the economy. Money became tight but the bills certainly didn't stop, no matter what kind of outside financing I was able to find to help ease the strain.

But now its 2011, and unfortunately, the immediate needs of the family (second car and one child aging out of the dental insurance) dictates that I make the genuine effort at finding something to help ease the strain. However, if/when I do get that second job, there will be a few major adjustments in my life that will have to be done, and unfortunately they will be in the area of blogging and writing.

For the writing aspect, the actual writing portion might either get put on the back burner for a while, or at the very least, I'll switch my major from writing novels to writing short stories. If I do anything with a novel, it will probably be in the form of shopping around my current project to the small and medium sized publishers. As for submitting my short stories, that will probably get put on the back burner as well, since I may not have the time to do a thorough search and destroy for what I got sitting in my slush pile.

As for blogging, that will be a bit tougher to handle. I'm three and a half years into this thing and I'm starting to make great strides in terms of readership, visits and subscribers. I care about the people who read and visit my blog and the last thing I want to do is mess that up.

Having said that, I am toying with the idea of putting Shooting Suburbia on semi-hiatus, simply because I haven't found the time to produce any more fresh content. I haven't carried a camera with me since early spring and I haven't felt motivated enough to get the last remaining camera developed. If I do that, the only blog I'll have to worry about for the foreseeable future is this one.

The only change right off the bat that will be done is to eliminate the Sunday post, leaving me only three days a week to worry about. If I do anything else with this blog, I will definitely let everyone know ahead of time.

Money.

It does make life easier. But it sure hurts like hell to get the proper amount needed in order to get what you need.