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Thursday, August 30, 2018

PRIORITIES - the how, when's and why's.......

Well, a few of you might be thinking....."Dawn, I have not seen your campaign signs up yet."

To be quite honest, before what I am about to tell you, I thought long and hard about the usefulness, viability, and appropriateness, green-wise, of signs. I wasn't totally convinced I was going to get any, and, if so, only a select number of them, and then..............a test of priorities:

1. As often happens just after you commit to something financially and timewise.....my car suddenly threatened to explode on my way home from picking up a new computer for work, in order to replace the harddrive that was, as one gentleman I work with described with gentle pith, "totally fried." In case you did not know, I work fulltime from home, on quite a complicated computer program, as a Customer Care Specialist, booking hotel rooms worldwide, for Marriott Hotels. I have been with the company - an amazing, inspiring, pioneering "helps me make miracles happen" kind of company - since 2005. As part of a pioneer project which I can only describe as my childhood dream of living with the Jetson Family (and no, not necessarily Rosie the robot maid...wink...or Astro the dog), they made the dream of living in a rural area and making a living happen, for me, for the last three years. It has not been without its hiccups - we are still going through technological stepping stones, in the midst of the biggest ever merger with Starwood Hotels - but after my husband broke his back two years ago, had it not been for them and the ability to work swing shifts as well as caring for my spouse and two dogs, I would probably have either lost my house, or my husband - or both, with the kind of schedule I had to keep in order to meet my responsibilities and have him at home. I cannot describe to you what it is to feel like you are in space, running up and down the stairs to your office, only escaping for needed supplies once every few weeks, struggling to encourage yourself, make all of those payments......and work just one more hour of overtime to make that payment. I should state upfront that I do not intend to leave my position with Marriott, only offset my total focus and dedication, by including my community in my normal hours of work, as I did in a volunteer capacity, and have done, since my early 20's. I am able to work between 20 and 80 hours a week, depending upon available shifts, at my position, and this flexibility, along with the encouragement from my employer, means changing things for the better in one's community is a huge part of "Spirit to Serve" - our company ethos. Company ethos? you say....you bet. I work for a company who really believes it - and who inspires us to do the same, top to bottom. This is what they call "empowerment."It works....and so do I. Ask them for a little record of that, if you would like some stats. I'm quite sure they will be only too willing to share those numbers with you.   My average work week is 65 hours, week in, week out. 

Expense total: just shy of $2,000.00 However, it should last me another ten years, what with the almost total rebuild, counting this repair. Thank you, in retrospect, to the deer I hit which caused the intial damage to my car. I think we now have pretty much rebuilt the Eggmobile. I trust you will all excuse the personal artistic license, paint job wise, which is more a relief than anything else, to be quite honest....plus, you know it's me. Isn't that comforting? "The Bird in the Eggmobile." Seems appropriate.

2. Over six months, starting last October, we paid off a brand new roof.....to the tune of (deep intake of breath, here)....$10,000.00. And yes, I worked double shifts for the last three months so we could hand him one last cheque for $3,000.00...no plastic for these jobs. I remember I slept for two solid days afterwards, and did not answer the phone at all.  But....I did it.

3. Brand new furnace. This one's hubby's baby, but....it just shows, along with our paid-off mortgage, somewhat of a sense of community, investment-wise, along with the approximately $30,000 I have spent in phone bills since moving to Inwood in 1995, and becoming a member of the Co-op, even while I was in Korea....

And my car might not be brand-new, but, just like my hub's....it's mine.

But....I have said all that, to say all this: I had to make a choice:

1. Fix my car, so I could ensure mobility- Egg mobility.
2. Pay our property taxes before engaging in anything "extra."
3. Order signs.

So, what did I do?

1. Fixed the car.
2. Paid the property taxes for the whole term, not just August, just in case. We are paid up till January, and I have an opportunity to work some serious overtime between now and Christmas...but the important things are paid.

...and....lastly.....yesterday I caved, and ordered some signs....and some other neat stuff I am going to enjoy giving to people, frankly.......so....

.......what was important? You. Your kids. My responsibilities.

Get the picture?

Pretty pictures aside......I'm thinking this might bode well for the future...what do you think?

Chances are, if I feel this way NOW.....I'll feel this way TWO MONTHS FROM NOW.

Stay tuned: this week it's "Part 2: Getting to know your Mayoral Candidate."

I want you to know more about me. Saves time, when you talk about things that are important. And clearly there are much important things than telling you about me....but you should know it all beforehand, anyway. So....let's have a little fun doing that, shall we? 

Later, y'all!

...and don't forget to practice the "Chickeneers" Song, whenever you feel a little blue....grin. It worked for me!