Crazy

So much has been going on. You would think that things would be more relaxed with the kids gone with week...apparently not.

Matt and I have been replacing boards on the outside of the house. We replaced the facia on the front and installed new drip caps and then Matt decided that we should replace almost all of the boards framing the garage area and do it this week before my parents come down this weekend to help demolish the bathroom and pick up the kids for vacation. I think we should have it done by today. I have been working full days this week because we got some extra hours and my program started today so I have been busy at work all week. Today I get to go home at 1pm and clean clean clean the house. Then, when Matt gets home, we can finish the front of the house (for now). No rest for the weary, demo starts on Saturday (or Friday knowing how Matt is) and then a few more weeks of construction. It will be worth it but we are exhausted.

In other news, I have two job interviews. I am scared. There is the potential for great opportunity but it requires some big sacrifices. Matt is completely supportive and I think he now realizes how BIG this is. Initially, he was happy but I don't think he understood the magnitude of getting the interviews or the type of position it is. Now he does and I think he actually has moments of excitement when he thinks of the possibilities it could bring. Like me, we both go back and forth but we are taking it one day at a time.

It is scary. There are a lot of potential changes in our near future.

Caketastic

Take two cakes (sour cream chocolate and lemon buttermilk)








and some royal icing flowers









finish with some leaves and they are so pretty and tasty!









They were a huge hit!









I should have made some business cards.









I think I even surprised myself.









Maybe I could make this into a small business.

Update

Nothing new. Really, there is a lot of jacked up stuff going on that isn't worth my energy to type but, in the CalWORKs divison, we are holding together as a group. We are all worried about our families and our students and their families. We don't know what will happen.

We spent the day at my coworker's house having a "retreat" (at no cost to the college or anyone else). That means that we came together, supported each other, worked on goals that the college president wants to hear (whatever), and tried to process the possible future of our program, our students, our state, etc. We are an amazing group of people. We genuinely care deeply for the welfare of our students and their goals of self-sufficiency and, when faced with losing our jobs and the very dark future for the CalWORKs recipients, we still find a way to laugh and smile. Maybe it is a defense mechanism because we are exhausted, scared, and preparing for the worst...maybe it is because we have tremendous hearts and still try to find joy in the fact that we are bound together, not only by our goal to help others help themselves, but by the absurdity around us, the unjustness, and the greed that has put us, and all hard working Californian's, in this horrible position.

I pray that EDD will not collapse under the strain. My heart goes out to all of those that are on the chopping block. For those that can't seem to empathize with those that are losing their jobs (hard working, tax paying, revenue generating California's of all backgrounds), I pray that you will learn that we are all interconnected and that this shockwave of cuts and unemployment will effect you too. Help someone, give back, open your heart.

I left work today with the feeling that we are all accepting the fact the layoffs are close at hand.

PLEASE, if you care about the reform of this state and the people that live here, below are instructions on how to let your voice be heard. Our director told us today that, when she worked in Idaho in the mid 1990's when reform to the welfare system began, they saw 30,000 people get off welfare in the first year (due to employment!). If you question wether or not the programs work, wait until they aren't there anymore.

You can contact them using: http://www.legislature.ca.gov/

Once on this page:

Access “Find my District” on the right hand side of the page.

Type in your zip code and the reps names will come up.

I found Senator Dave Cogdill and Assembly member Michael Villines.

Click on their names and their web pages will come up.

You can then send them a quick email and let them know you oppose the elimination of funding for CalWORKs.

Our plan today

Claim unemployment and sell cakes.

Things are not looking good here. Things are not looking good for California. Within the next 2 years, CA will be facing a $45 billion deficit. This state is really struggling...or has been struggling and it is getting a whole lot worse. CalWORKs funding is looking to be cut by more than half for the 2009-2010 budget year. That starts on July 1st, so who knows.

Employment in CA is not looking good right now. Whatever happens, we will be okay. I feel that I have to believe that, but I know that it is true.

We know we are loved and are in people's thought and that does help.

My Project

I have been wanting to build a raised dog feeder for awhile now. It helps with the doggies' digestive track (they gulp less air when they eat) and it looks a lot neater than having the bowls on the food and kicking them around. The primary reason was their health (especially Mya, our gulper).

We are trying to not spend any money that isn't necessary so Matt pulled out the scrap wood for me. Well, we had this old tv cart that we weren't using anymore and it was taking up space in the garage. So, I took some measurements to see if I could fit all the bowls in it and ran the idea past Matt. Since he was working on a project too, he had the tools out. So, I modified the cart and cut some holes and now the doggies have a healthy feeding center.

They were a little cautious last night when I first moved their food into it. This morning, Max ate like a champ (he is much more particular than Mya).