Thursday, November 30, 2006

Today

Today I helped an eighteen-year-old girl get Welfare Healthcare so she could terminate her pregnancy without her parents knowing.

Today I helped a young couple get Welfare Healthcare so that the pregnant woman could go to an OB.

Today I helped an elderly disabled woman get food stamps because she lives in a motorhome in someone's driveway on $355 a month.

Today I helped a twenty-year-old boy get Welfare Healthcare so that he could get surgury on his leg, which was broken in four places, and eventually go back to work.

Today I answered the phone twelve times.

Today I took four messages.

Today I saw an old friend at the Welfare Office and I said "hi".

Today I visited the copy machine ten times.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Working With The Public


The people who come and apply for welfare are called 'clients'. The clients fill out an application and then see an intake worker (me) and go through an 'interview'.
Paperwork, computer entry, more paperwork, question-and-answer time, end of 'interview'.
That's how it goes, every day. Three to four interviews a day. I meet some interesting people.

Today, I met a client employed where I used to work. I got to ask her about all the gossip I've missed since I quit. Then I had a horrible coughing fit all over her. Welfare Healthcare time!

My last client of the day cracked me up. He told me, "They told me to lie about what I have, but I'm not a liar, so I have a bank account in Nevada. Should I have not told you that? What would you do if I didn't tell you? Can you find out that stuff?"

First off, I asked him who the "they" was that told him that.
"Some girl," he told me.
I then told him that it was always better to tell the truth, most of what clients lie about doesn't matter anyway, and yes of course I can find out that stuff. He relaxed a little. And then began asking more questions about being truthful! I finally told him that it would be better for him to tell the truth and see how it affects him, rather than go to jail for perjury. Then we had a little talk about Welfare Fraud.
When I'm done with the interview, I give him a paper that he needed signed by his roommate.
He asks me, "Do they really have to sign this? How would you know? Can't I forge it?"

Why are so many compelled to be truthful about lying?

Here's The Mail, It Never Fails, It Makes Me Wanna' Wag My Tail

As of the first of December, I have the status of a single person. Not single as in one, single as in not in a legally binding contract with Hex.
When I got the papers in the mail today, my overall feeling was one of relief, I guess. Not happy, not sad. I promised myself I wouldn't blog about Hex. I don't cry over it any longer. I cry because Little J misses Hex's daughter, Angela, but there's no way to get them together without Hex herself being there in some way, and that will happen when Hell itself freezes. So I might have let out a "whew" when checking the mail. A small one, but nevertheless.
And I know that with each beginning of an end, the end of a beginning has happened. I learned that I am stronger than I thought I was. Too heartless, one might question? A mother, protecting her young...mothers understand.
I wonder what I'll get in the mail tomorrow?

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

10 Things I Like

1. The color green.
My sheets are green. So is the bedspread. I wear green a lot. My bathroom has green towels, as does the kitchen. Green throw rug, green throw pillows. Green lantern, green toothbrush, green socks, green ceramic planters. I could go on all night.

2. Caramel
Mmm...caramel in ice-cream, in coffee, apple pie, cake, whatever. But not on fruit.

3. Daisies
These are my favorite flower.

4. Items shaped like Leaves
Leaf plates, leaf bowls, little leaf votive holders, tablecloths, whatever. They're all so darn cute.

5. Tattoos
I notice them, constantly think about them, watch shows about them, design my next one in my head.

6. Diet Dr. Pepper
I drink a lot of this every day.

7. Sword Swallowing
Seriously, I watched a chick do this and it kinda' turned me on. And then that was gross. Which made it all the more intriguing.

8. Stickers
I don't like to use them, because that would be wasting them. I like to hoard them.

9. Dirty Jobs
This show is freakin hilarious.

10. Drew Barrymore
She was my first crush, before I even knew what a girl-crush was.

Monday, November 27, 2006

If I Had...

... a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning. I'd hammer in the evening, all over this land.

... any more snot coming out of my nose, you could visit BrokeMom's Snot Factory.

... some walnuts, I'd make banana bread. But I wouldn't eat it, because that's gross.

... more energy, I would do some laundry. I have enough energy to go out to the laundry room, yet, I don't do any laundry while I'm out there.

... a pad of magnetic paper on the fridge, I'd write down:
vacuum bags
tortillas
cereal
granola bars and fruit snacks
lots of other food
smelly candles
paper towels

... a million dollars, I would buy you a green dress. But not a real green dress, that's cruel.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Things I Think We Are Thankful For

Brokemom: my family, my career, DayQuil and NyQuil (they are my best friends right now), thunderstorms, Kleenex (also on my top 10), friends both previously and recently acquired, conveniently-located coffee shops, internet shopping, and pineapple-orange juice.

Big J: the Disney channel, popular people, lip gloss, fake nails, family and pets, her cell phone (which is real but not active, it doesn't work and never will), telephones, the internet, and The Sims.

Little J: fruit snacks, stray cats, coloring books, ant spray, family, "Vitamin Juice" to keep her healthy, and the dinosaurs in her heart.

Hope everyone had a Merry Thanksgiving. Me and two of my best friends are going to bed.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Jelly Eyeball Candy


This picture serves two purposes, the first, to mention how gross these gelatinous eyeball candy things that Little J got Halloween night are. They smelled good, but they were awful.
The second purpose is to squint really hard. If you turn on a bright light and squint, you will see the space in Little J's lower teeth wear there used to be a tooth. Her first tooth. The one that was so loose, I begged and pleaded and bribed and bribed some more for her to let me tug it out. Then one morning, it was gone.
"Where did it go?" I asked. "Did you swallow it?"
She assured me that she had not swallowed it, but we all know what happened, don't we?

Tribute To October


My pumpkin from this year was the best I've ever done, and it meant more because this was the first year I've ever really tried. Big J carved the pumkin on top, and the stars are Little J's contribution. Notice the mold inside the pumpkins. I waited a while to get up off my ass and grab the camera.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

More Reasons Why I Love My Job

Reason #5820:: It's called "prudent worker judgement". And I can have it any day, any time. If I don't believe a client about where they live, who they live with, or any other myriad of things, I can send out the Welfare Police to check out the situation. And then I get to read a written report about what happened.

Friday, November 10, 2006

A New Start with Kicks

I was sent a credit card application in the mail. Just for kicks, I opened it. It said I was pre-approved for some card or another. Just for kicks, I went to the credit card website and accepted.
Now, when I was younger, I had good credit. Any department store card I applied for I received. This was ultimately bad. Very, very bad. I was not responsible enough for credit cards. As a result, my credit ended up not so good. Not, not good.
I didn't understand the benefits of having credit. I was turned down by apartments I wanted to live in because of my credit history. No department store cards. (Not that I would have wanted them---I understand the process of buying things one can afford now.) My insurance rates were higher at certain companies because of my credit history. I pretended I didn't care, that I didn't want those things, but I did. I wanted to have the option at least!
When I had to have my father co-sign on my truck loan, I understood. Hell, I was thrilled that they even let my name be on the application! Apparently with the passing of time, creditors have again decided that I am worthy of the risk again, because I really was accepted.
To have good credit again? I see the path of my future, and it's a good one. It seems as though it's in steps. First, I had to have the education. Then I got a job. I was self-sufficient, paying my bills, every bill, on time. Then, a better job. With the income, I bought the vehicle I wanted. With the nice pay increases comes the knowledge that one day I will be able to afford my own home. My own home.
So I am all the more knowing. All the more responsible. The day that I stood up and said, "I want to get off welfare and fucking do something!" was the biggest step, the smartest step, that I could have ever taken. I've got not-so-bad credit!
Just for kicks.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Notes from Work

If you are applying for Welfare Healthcare (say it with me, it rhymes) with your disabled husband that you got back together with to try to get better Welfare Healthcare (which doesn't really exist) you'd best make sure that his big fancy truck doesn't put you over property because then you get treated like wife-garbage for nothing.

Something Old, Something New

I'm getting married on July 12th, 2007. I would really like to get married October 22nd. But I'm wanting a more "outdoorsy" thing, so October is kinda' chilly. Not that 115-degree heat in July is much better. But July 12th is the day we met, so we though it would be (gag) cute if we got married (retch) then.
The thought of getting married is exciting. The thought of a wedding scares the shit out of me. People watching me, wanting to talk to me, being the center of attention...sharing that moment with extra extra people...I don't know if I want that. I've been thinking about that a lot lately.
After my first marriage, when Ex and I were separated and living in different states, I was with Hex. I would not wear her ring on my finger until I was actually divorced. Okay, so it wasn't an all that attractive piece of jewelry, but still, it was the symbolism behind it. I felt as though I couldn't wear someone else's ring on my finger while still legally bound to another.
It was different this time. When Fiance opened up that tiny box on bended knee, I wasn't thinking about pieces of paper or past commitments, I was thinking, "Oh shit, he reallydoeswannaspendhislifewithmeohmygodholyshitthisisglorious" and then I was crying and I felt ecstatic. And I let him put that ring on my finger and that was that.
My dissolution of domestic partnership will be final very soon. I am glad, so very relieved, that it will all be over soon. But you know, when I found out a year after the fact that two days before Hex and I signed our DP, she had given Ex a blowjob?? Well, it was like the DP didn't mean anything, since Hex had gone into it falsly. It took a lot away from how special I thought it was. So I am not sad per-say. I am a little quieter. More thoughtful lately, thinking about the end of a beginning, and the beginning of--well, not the end in an ominous way, but the beginning of something so wonderful, something so full of hope and faith, I don't think I can share that moment in front of people. So it might just have to be a small wedding.
Like, three people only.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Operation Ass-Shrinking

My blasted diet is not working. Probably because I can't manage to stay on the damn thing. I try to do the whole no/low carb thing, but I get sloppy. Hungry. Whatever. I get to thinking, "Oh, I could eat this apple. It's a fruit carb. And fiber! That's good for me."
And an apple turns into a slice of low-carb bread. The low-carb bread turns into regular bread and lunch meat. Before you know it, the kids find me huddled in the closet of a dark room, surrounded by cookie crumbs and It'sIt wrappers with chocolate smeared all over my face.
It's not pretty.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

What Irks/Angers/Saddens Me

If you are homeless and have no income, you might be eligible for food stamps.

If you are staying with friend/lover/parent in a home/apartment/car and have no income due to laziness/disability/circumstance, you might be eligible for food stamps.

If you have just gotten out of prison for being a sex offender/car thief/drug-user, you might be eligible for food stamps.

If you are a full-time college student living off of student loans, you are ineligible for food stamps.
What is wrong with the government today? Never mind, don't answer that question.

Dead Brides and Jellybeans



They came up with this by themselves. I was just an onlooker, really. And a balloon blower-upper.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Mushy Ooey Gooey Stuff

The time has come. I am going to talk about the man I am going to marry.
I am. So if you don't want to hear me all mushy ooey gooey, then stop reading. Right now.

Riiight...now. Just checking!

I met him at my last job. We actually started on the same day, in the same training class. He sat behind me, and I remember noticing him but thinking he was too old for me. (Eleven years in case you had to know) Hot, yes, but too old. Oh yeah, and I was technically a lesbian at that point. I noticed him at work, but I was in a relationship and I thought he was, so life was pretty uneventful.
So, six months later, things with Hex are bad. Feeling reckless one night after my relationship has ended, I am talking to him at my register. And I ask him out.
I felt so brave.
It felt wonderful. So we start dating and he helps me move into my new apartment. Then this happens and life is weird for awhile. Next, I come to my senses and move on to happily-ever-after. I know, you're wondering when I get to the juicy stuff...

The obvious thing is I am so attracted to him, it's crazy. I never thought I'd find a guy so darn hot. He's clean, oh, and he always smells so good! He loves soap, and is a germ-a-phobe. He doesn't have morning breath. I know, sounds untrue, but it's not.
He's kind to animals and children. He'd probably be kind to elderly people too, but we don't know any. He's perceptive. He notices things around him that other people just do not notice. Whether it's the way someone wears their hair, or something they said, or just an off-putting feeling, he gets it.
When he says he going to do something, he does it. When he says he can do something, he can. I was skeptical at first, but I am no longer so. If he says he can fix the toilet when someone flushes a mini can of room freshener down it...he can. He proved it. He can fix cars and put up shelves and help build houses and make dinner. He can tuck children in and have pillow fights and lift heavy stuff.
He likes to hold my hand. He tells me he loves me. He respects my intelligence, and he thinks I'm hot when I'm being particularly smart. He has a good sense of fashion. He understands my need for shoes. He likes tattoos. He loves my hair, and sometimes when he thinks I'm asleep I can feel him petting it. My hair.
He is generous with his money and his time. He gets frustrated with me because he is very neat, and I am...not. He gets frustrated by my inconsistencies and chaotic organization/organized chaos. He gets angry when I shut-down and act indifferent when faced with confrontation, but he understands why. He is annoyed when I let my children walk all over me, but he understands why.
He likes my body and doesn't ever talk about my losing a few pounds...well, not losing them, I mean. If I don't shave my legs for a few days, he doesn't bitch or complain. When I am stressed out from work, he is comforting and tells me things that not only make me feel better, but I know that he actually means them.
He gets along with my family. It's as if there was an empty spot on my bookshelf and he fit right in that spot. We have similar values, similar beliefs. The best thing, aside from the sex? (Oh come on, you knew I would mention that sooner or later!)
He makes me laugh. Oh, not to say he doesn't make me cry, but fercryinoutloud, how this man can make me laugh. Life is somehow clearer again, like when you upgrade televisions. I look forward to holidays, when for the past few years, I was ready to go "anti-holiday". Falling asleep next to him and waking up in the same way is something to be treasured. Thinking about how he will be the only person who holds me and makes love to me for the rest of uh--his life (he's older than me, c'mon) is something I look forward to.
All right, now I'm even getting mushy for me, and I'm such a musher.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Late and Elated

There's nothing like an old friend telling you she's pregnant to make me rush to take a birth control pill in the morning.
And that explains the crazy Cat Dreams I've been having...for some weird reason, I always dream of cats when someone close to me is preggo. They were odd cats though...but considering my two friends who have procreated, that makes sense now.
The best part? I'll finally have the complimentary title of "Auntie". Oh, yes, I will.

Friday, October 13, 2006

What My Friends Think Of Me

When my friend, Ina, is confronted with poop, she thinks of me. Really!
What can I say? I like to talk about it. It's delightful when someone is in obvious discomfort when confronted with the subject of their own waste. I don't mean in a rude, "poop-joke" way, just a nice lively discussion about what each and every one of us do. Every day. Sometimes even mutiple times.
It's okay that she remembers me when there's a poop issue. Whenever I am confronted with double-sided tape, I think of Ina. <-----That story continued another day...sshhh, don't tell.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Gotta' Love 'Em

Little J woke up this morning and said, "Mommy, I had a weird dream."
I asked her what it was about.
She said, "I don't want to talk about it. It was too long."

And that's all I got.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

I'm Home Sick

I came home sick today. Really, I am sick! But it's my own fault. Have I ever mentioned that I love Dutch Brothers Milky Way coffees? I'm sure I have...but have I mentioned they give me the trots? I have figured out how to combat the crapping by taking a Lactaid and an Immodium.

It was rainy this morning. It felt like a coffee day. I recently got a raise in pay, so I just happened to have some cash...and I bought a Milky Way. Mmmm! It was sooo tasty when I got it. It was tasty as I got to work and realized I had a meeting at 8:00am. It was tasty during the meeting while I was sitting forgetting to take the pills in my desk drawer. No Lactaid. No Immodium.
Bathroom time! Again! Again! Uh....better run, again! So I needed to come home to use my own bathroom. Plus, it's kinda' difficult to interview clients/customers when I feel like a could crap my pants at any second!!
So I took a picture of my socks for you. Just because I can. Notice my freakishly long second toe...