In-laws are coming this weekend. Which means I’m cleaning house like a maniac. First tae kwon-do session in over two weeeks is coming (due to injury and illness). It’s going to seriously kick my ass. This is what is going on in my life. We’re stressed out, we’re tired, we’re poor. This strike thing is getting out of hand. Don’t get me wrong, I completely support my husband, and I agree with and support the strike. What I don’t agree with is the fact that no new negotiations are taking place. And I completely disagree with the companies taking full page ads out in the times, twice, in the last week. But what really has me worried is the increasing violence. My family is probably seeing it more because Jay does his picket shift in the middle of the night, coming home between 2am & 5am. Anyway, two picketers have been hit by semis because they have scabs driving them, who cross the line with the trucks, and don’t care who they hit. At our store we’ve got angry \”civilians\”, people from the public who 1. Aren’t supermarket employees and 2. Aren’t union members wandering our parking lot where my husband is picketing with basball bats threatening them. The security guard literally turns around and looks the other way. He’s the STORE’S guard. We’ve got people stopping at the light by them yelling at them, throwing ice, beer, and other unmentionables at the picketers. Not a random toss, gets nowhere near them, in just some vague insult. I mean beaning people in the head on purpose. One member of the esteemed public shoved one of our female picketers down to the ground when she told him off for pouring his beer on her on purpose. This is really not good. And it’s escalating. This is the second day in a row that I have had to convince my husband that taking his knives, bb gun, and basball bat with him to work is a Very Bad Idea. Because what would happen is this: Public person touches/shoves/threatens a picketer. Jay shows weapon. Public person files charges. Jay goes to jail. This is not what Michele needs. But my real question is: What are these people thinking? Either you support the union members picketing, and therefore go to another store, and perhaps honk to show your support as you pass them. Or you don’t support them, and therefore cross the line and shop. What you DON’T need to do is put act like an ass, because you think it makes you big, bad and tough, and put MY HUSBAND in bodilly danger you pinhead. OK. I’m done venting. Thank you.

I’ve been sick all week. Was out 2 days from work, which means I get to deal with the cold shoulder of one of my co-workers. Blech. She’s the one who gave it to me. Strike news: There isn’t any. We’re still on strike, and there aren’t any talks underway. Arg. In-laws coming next weekend. On top of being sick, my husband on strike, and everything else on our plates. Can you feel the joy just emanating from the computer?

I’m sick. With a cold that made it’s way into my chest. And I went to work. Why? Because the kids are home today, and it’s more restful for me to work than take care of them. So. Those of you who live in Southern California (I think it effects those from Santa Barbara to San Diego) know about the SuperMarket Strike. My husband works for one of those chains. I’m asking you, as a wife and mother, not to cross the picket lines in your area. Find another grocery store, and support those workers. To put a face with it, let me tell you what my family is facing. Under the new contract, we would be losing about $800 per month. And we don’t make too much, so this is a lot. This is why: We will lose dental, and vision, and will have to pay for our medical. Per person. We have a 4 person family. We will lose all night pay, Sunday pay, some holiday pay, and 6th day pay. My husband works all nights, always covers Sunday, always is asked to work holidays, and covers for his boss, making him work 6 days a week. In addition, we will lose most of our pension, some of our retirement, and Jay will receive no raises or promotions for 5 years. That includes cost of living increases. None. It also might be interesting to mention that when the new contract went to negotiations, the union asked for the same contract they had. They didn’t want anything in addition, and they didn’t want more money. However, the store came back with the above. So, for our family, we’ll be losing $800 a month (in other words he’ll be going from $2000 to $1200 a month) on this contract. For the same work, same amount of hours. Actually we’ll be losing more, that’s not counting the no raises, pension, and retirement losses. And to the people on the news that I saw saying that the strike was un-necessary, and that the union members are \”stupid\” and \”lazy\”… I’d like to say that my husband is one of the most hard-working individuals I’ve ever come across. He’s worked for this company, nights, for almost 5 years, so that he could get an education and help with the kids – he didn’t want them in child care full time. He runs on about 4 hours – 5 hours a day sleep, if that, except on the weekend, when I can be home with the kids. They called him in to work the nights that both children were born – and he went, afraid he’d lose his job. He’s been called on at 3am to cover for someone sick, and he went. He’s worked with back spasms, stitches, glass in his eye, and the nights that his knees were drained – all work related injuries mind you, but he worked anyway. So don’t you DARE to call my husband lazy. You just need an excuse to rationalize your way through crossing the picket line, because you don’t want to take the time to use another grocery store – because you’re too selfish to think about someone else’s reasons enough to support them. And if you think I’m wrong, email me. I welcome you to. However, you need to remember that this isn’t a debate. We’re talking about my family’s future, and I’m heated.

The men in my life were all making me smile today. Jay, who took a shower before me, left me a little message in the shower. We both brush our teeth in there. He smushed the two toothbrushes’ bristles together so they were hugging and kissing, and then put the kids’ winnie the pooh toothbrushes in the same cup – ’cause they had babies you see. Then my dad came over – he NEVER comes over just to chat. But he did just that – along with a coupld of jelly beans for His Highn… ahem… Joseph. He just sat and talked to them while I was getting them dressed. And that’s ALL he wanted. He didn’t complain to me about ANYTHING at all. Wow. Conversation with Joseph on the way to Alma’s: J: \”Turn the light on back here, Mommy!\” M: \”I can’t while I’m driving, honey, it’s against the rules.\” J: \”No, it’s not.\” M: \”Yes, it is.\” J: \”No, it’s not.\” M: \”Joseph, if I do things in the car that are against the rules, the police will come and pull me over. He’ll give me a ticket that’s very expensive as punshment.\” J: \”And then he’ll KILL us!!\” (with WAY too much glee) M: \”Policemen only hurt the bad guys – not the good guys.\” J: \”We ARE the bad guys… I’m a POWERANGER!\” M: \”Power Rangers are good guys.\” J: \”No they’re not.\” M: \”Yes they are.\” J: \”No they’re not.\” And so it goes.

We’re in the hole financially speaking. But I’ve been doing money lessons on CNN’s Money 101 site. Using their calculators and such. I have created a plan which, while keeping our luxuries, will get us completely out of debt in 14 months. It’s a good plan. I feel more in control o fthings when I have a plan. And it’s written down. I shared it with Jay, so that instead of just doing what I tell him to do, he understands most of what I’m trying to do. And I felt a lot better, because we able to meet our living expenses, have some luxuries, pay the minimum on our debt, and once Christmas is over, pay OVER the minimum on our debt. I went to the grocery store yesterday. I use coupons and my club card, which I need to do. It keeps the grocery bill within our budget while still doing things like buying a bouquet of flowers for the week. The family in front of me bought their groceries with food stamps. That was the \”AhA\” moment for me. I don’t have to do that. I might be in debt, but I have a plan, I have the income to implement that plan, and we still have a little extra for misc. things like renting movies and having online access at home. We’re doing okay. By the way – my newest thing in cost cutting. NetFlix, in my oppinion is a very beautiful thing. Especially considering that in the month of September we paid over $100 to Blockbuster in both movie rentals and late fees. So I banned them in our house. Now we pay $20 per month, almost always have something new to watch for me during my crafting time (Christmas is coming – Must.Make.Ornaments…) or for a cheap date night in while the kids are asleep. And no late fees. And no more trying to make it there, and then forgetting – or the spousal switcharoo (stashing it in the spouse’s car and then insisting that they were supposed to know about it and return it… Not finding it until you clean under the seats of the car – that bill? $60). I love this new gadget. Of course, I’m in charge of our movie queue, so now I have to make sure that each shipment is \”his\” choice then \”her\” choice. So it goes like this: Her choice: Season one of Friends, his choice: BLOW THEM TO SMITHEREENS!, her choice: The Hours, his choice: BLOW THEM TO SMITHEREENS! You get the idea. Tonight’s in-house date night \”his choice\”? The Italian Job. But I don’t mind. In this instance, it’s BLOW THEM TO SMITHEREENS! while watching Mr. Wahlberg’s extremely scrumptious butt. But we won’t tell Jay that.