ONE OF THOSE DAYS

It's just been one of those days. I've been seeking employment for three months now. The latest place was a jewelry store. It was a good job...horrible money, but at least there was opportunity. When I say horrible, I mean $7.30 per hour and I was only guaranteed eighteen hours a week. Anyway, I got a call today that they have gone bankrupt and are going out of business. Therefore, I'm not getting hired.

As if that wasn't a crummy enough way for a morning to start, when I got in my car to go get coffee, I ran over a screw and my tire began going flat. On my way to get a plug put in I ran over a raccoon. Being a vegetarian and member of P.E.T.A., I felt like I just ran over an infant or something. This was not a good morning.

I got the tire plugged and headed back to the store for coffee once again. Pulling into the parking lot, my car started jerking and making a funny sound. Holy cow! I was out of gas. Luckily the gas station was on the other side of the Wal-Mart shopping plaza.

Thanks to the kindness of Jeb, a sweet man that saw my struggle, I was pushed to the gas station. With only forty dollars to my name, I had to put in enough gas to get me to Georgia to sign-up with a temp employment placement service. So, twenty-five dollars later I was on my home....without the coffee.

Thank goodness my tax refund was coming. Rent is only nine days away and with only fifteen dollars now left in my account I knew I better get a job like today!!!

When I got home I walked in the door to find my dog vomiting in the living room. She must have eaten something she didn't like. Yuck. I picked it up and got immediately into the shower. I just wanted to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over my head, but I couldn't.

Finally, I was on my way to Blairsville, Georgia to the temp agency. After making a wrong turn, I ended up thirty miles out of my way. Again, thanks to the kindness of others, I followed a trucker back to the route I should have been on. Whew, things could only get better, right?

Once I arrived I filled out nine pages of paperwork, watched two videos, and took a test. I turned in my two forms of identification only to find out that the birth certificate I have is not an original copy with a seal. Unfortunately I lost my social security card about six months back. Needless to say they can not proceed with the application process until I have the required identification.

At this point my brain actually hurt. I knew I had to get a job this week. The tax refund will cover only my rent, no food, no gas, no electricity. I headed back home to Murphy, NC and was off to see my aunt at work.

My identification solution was to go to Franklin, about an hour away, to the social security office and apply for a new card. Fifteen dollars won't cover it. It will cost ten dollars for the card alone. The trip to Blairsville already used quite a bit of gas. I'd need about another twenty to get up to Franklin, back to Blairsville, then back home and back to Blairsville again for the follow up interview and actual placement.

After making call after call to see if anyone could take me to Franklin, I was getting discouraged. Luckily my Grandmother returned my call and is available tomorrow at noon. Thank goodness...one problem solved.

I decided to call the IRS. I figured at least I'll get to find out when my money will actually hit my account. It should be here any day. I needed some good news.

UGH!!!! Not only did the IRS seize my refund, which is my only source for May's rent, they say I owe over twelve hundred dollars from 1998!

This was just horrible news. I decided maybe I should go walk down to the river with a blanket and my dog to relieve this stabbing pain in my chest and reeling anxiety.

As I took a deep breath to calm down, I kicked off my sandals and headed to the the river when I stepped in big pile of dog-dooders!

Why did I get out of bed today???