Back to work and update

For those who were around late last night, you already know about the tire. For those who don't, a brief recap is in order. They graded the mountain road yesterday right before hubby left for work, so naturally, WE were the ones who ended up with the flat tire. When he checked it at break time, it was flat. The truck came without a spare tire. Yay us. I was in tears and extremely worried about things the second half of shift over it. Thankfully, the gas station in town has fix a flat, and a buddy has a Dodge as well around the same model year. The buddy is letting us borrow his spare for a bit till we get another rim and put the old tire on it for a spare, and hubby grabbed the only two cans of fix a flat the gas station had. But he made it home safely and then down to Wal-Mart this morning for a new tire. The old one is fixable but only for use as a spare, as there's not a lot of tread left on it. The new tire about wiped us out, so thank goodness for a back child support payment this month that bought the new tire. (I WAS going to use it for bills ... there goes that idea.) Two hundred bucks for the new tire. Ouch. Just about wiped us out, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

And today it's back to work messing with the chicken tonight. If anybody is in the Green Forest, Arkansas area or willing to relocate, please put in an application for my plant. It starts at $10.50 an hour, 50c an hour raise after probation, 40c an hour shift premium if you can work second shift. That's for the pay grade I'm at, called a Class 1. Hubby is a Class 7, and makes $12.90 an hour. Yeah, GOOD money to be had, forty-hour workweek at a minimum and even some overtime. I tell people it isn't a dream job by any stretch of the imagination, and it's got some downsides to it. It's cold, wet, messy, occasionally gross, can make you sore, kind of boring, etc., etc. But it's a job, and in this economy, I'll take it.

I know a lot of folks crying that they want a job, but they only want a job in their area and in their field. Heaven forfend that they relocate or take a job in anything other than their chosen career field. I figure it's more important to have a job that pays the bills than to worry about making sure it's in your field and where you are at already. Seriously, folks. You'll adjust, your kids will adjust, and you'll be happier. Following your passion is great, but if it's not paying the bills, what good is it? I have a passion - several, in fact, all tied in somehow to the overall passion of homesteading for a lifestyle. But things have to be taken care of in the meantime, while I get better at my passion, I need a job.

The plant is my job. It's okay, it's not great, but doggone does it pay decently enough to live on. (I  can guarantee you, not a one of us there ever got up one morning and said, "My dream job is to work in a poultry factory!!") So if you are someone willing to work and work hard, and relocate for a job out of your field if need be, come down here. There's plenty of work at the plant, goodness knows. We bring in new hires all the time who don't stick it out because of the negatives. We need people who will come in and stay. Shoot, all you have to do is get the call for your interview, and as along as you can pass the medical exam (flexibility) and pee test, you are in like Flynn. Oh yeah, and if you do come hire in, please put me down at interview time as your referral, because if you pass probation and have a referral down, we both get a $300 bonus. How's THAT for incentive to come stick it out? (Never mind the great benefits, like full medical, dental and vision isurance, 401K, ESOP, and more.) And you'll get to live in one of the most beautiful areas of the country, to boot. What's not to like about that?

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