A New Hope?

Not that new hope.

A cartoon bitmoji of me, a smiling,
white, green-eyed brunette-with-grey
woman wearing a green sweater
and a gold 2022 crown

I don't have high hopes that 2022 will be awesome, but I do have some hope.

Example: I love my job. It's not super safe right now, what with the Omicron variant of Covid and parents who still think it's okay to send their kids to school if it's "just a cold" (not that it ever was okay) because honestly, how would they even know without testing? But I love it.

It's also part-time because by both union and school rules, I count as a substitute. And there (usually) isn't work in the summer. And it's rather ad hoc, because the student load is highly variable, depending on weather, Covid, and each student's pretty fluid housing situation.

I don't really mind either of these things, but what I am concerned about is that this is also not a terribly stable source of income. It varies widely due to the reasons stated above, and also because it's a school district position, my paychecks come only once a month.

I can write (see?), but writing for my personal blog or Vocal or whoever is even more ad hoc than McKinney Vento driving, and my other writing work is freelance stuff that lasts a few weeks before it dries up and I have to go through the process to find a new gig again. I'm still in the running for one of these, but who knows how that will pan out? I can do retail or call center customer care or deliveries, but I would really really rather not be out among the viral strains more than I already am; I'm the only parent Lizzy has left (Abby's dad is alive and well, and Abby's a legal adult (most ways) besides).

Wow, that turned into a lot, didn't it? At any rate, what I really hope for (for me; the kids are a separate matter) in 2022 is a part-time (like 15 hours a week), remote (from home), writing job with like a year or two contract, to do in addition to driving the kids. And if it wants to ramp up for summer hours when I'm off work, so much the better.

Speaking of the kids, at least they're currently as safe and happy as I can make them. We've postponed their NYE girls' day out plans until there is less snow, ice, and omicron out there (and hopefully at least Abby can be boosted; Lizzy's not old enough for the booster). We'll do some of that from home tonight instead - watch movies, play games, do our own mani-pedis, pizza (for them; pork chop for me because dairy is bad), and sparkling cider. 

Abby's school is in person this quarter (after a week of remote for covid-and-weather concerns) so that should work out well for her. Lizzy's school hasn't said yet, and I work for her school district (see all that up there) so I have mixed feelings. I want to work, I need to earn money, and Lizzy really needs to be at the school (distance learning is not her bag). But I don't want either of us exposed to kids whose parents think nothing of having huge unmasked events with their unvaccinated families and then sending their kids to school.

Ideally? Distance learning for a week or two (paid, because why not, as long as we're wishing?) and then back to the buildings. 

Wouldn't that be nice?

All's Well That Ends Well

So I spent the morning alternately cleaning the house and writing a diatribe (on my more political account over at Vocal Media) regarding the school shootings here lately, and I'm looking forward to trimming the tree with the kids in the afternoon. 

This did not go as planned.

Our artificial tree won't light up anymore.

Liz, 14, suggests Google. Google tells me that the average lifespan of pre-lit artificial Christmas trees is seven seasons. Well, this is season 8 of owning this tree - Lizzy picked it out herself when she was six - so there you go.

So after a little internet checking for who might have affordable trees in stock, Lizzy and I head to Target.

Yeah, no.

Most of their trees are either over a hundred dollars - up to $350 - or over seven and a half feet tall.

Or both.

And as our ceilings are fairly low (that same seven and a half feet, in fact), it's a no-go.

All right, on to a local hardware store, buying local is good, right?

Uh, sure. If you're rich.

At this point, in addition to all the swearing I've been doing because I'm super frustrated and last week's vague elbow injury is sore again, I've become aware of a nagging ache in my lower back. Must've tweaked it somehow while getting decorations out of the shed. 

Grand.

Anyway, we hit Home Depot, same issue. All artificial trees are too tall and/or too expensive, especially the lit ones. I wouldn't mind a live tree (not big on the cut trees because they're a fire hazard and a pain in the neck to take care of), but most of the living trees within my price range are about on par with Charlie Brown's tree, and we have an entire solar system of ornaments to put up here. 

Literally.

Including Pluto.

So we end up in my work parking lot, a safe place to use the phone, checking the Walmart website. As much as I loathe Walmart, it usually is cheaper. I get all excited because the website claims to have a 6' tree, prelit in your choice of white or color, for $40, in stock for pickup!

Except that for some reason, Walmart thinks I'm in Los Angeles.

I'm in Seattle, but my time zone - thanks Apple! - is listed as Cupertino, so...

I'm about ready to cry (for the second time that day, although the first was closer to hysterical laugh-crying) but we decide to hit Fred Meyer (the PNW's version of Kroger) on the way home. 

Finally! 

It took some time and some doing - and my helper stayed in the car because she was about peopled out - but I finally found a great tree for our purpose! Six and a half feet tall, pretty skinny, prelit with twinkly white lights, and on sale!

Ugh, but the sale price is still above my budget. And I can't find a box to match the display. So I ask the person running the garden center if there might be another shipment in the back. 

No, they say, but I can sell you the floor model for a discount.

And the cashier can add another $12 off because of the holiday sale going on.

So, we're safely at home, about to eat dinner and then decorate the tree, and cozy-warm. 

And I met my step goal for the day, so...

EDIT: now we can't find the tree ornaments. We have banners, stockings, hats, snow globes, music boxes, even Dreidel Mickey and Christmas Dora, but no ornaments.

I'm going to bed. We'll look again in daylight, maybe run to Grandma's storage unit.