Decisions, decisions

One of the biggest problems I am still having is prioritizing what to do first with the house. It requires moving things from room to room or to the shed. 

Just the bathroom is not easy. I need to refinish the tub, the window frame and the walls. Finally came to the conclusion doing the walls first is best. So, I have to plaster the walls where needed (to even rough spots) tomorrow. Let that dry and then paint. Of course, I can be doing other things while plaster is drying. 

Going to get the sunken living room cleared out tomorrow. Had planned on that today but got lazy. 

I did get the shed roof patched in the leaky spots. Then removed a bunch of trash. Moved some boxes out there. Need to organize the shed a bit better and go through some boxes before I can put much else out there. The new storage boxes I got are too tall to stack atop each other on the top shelf. Bummer. 

Once I get enough space cleared, I can use one room of the house to stack boxes. I should do that with the office, maybe. 

Now another problem arose. I should have been discarding trash a long time ago. Oh, well. Monday is coming. If I have to, I can request an extra pickup or something like that. Maybe drive to the dump with a carload. 

I think tomorrow is going to be mostly packing and plastering. Seems like a good way to go. Let it dry and can proceed with painting later. 

Kind of anxious to get the painting done. Maybe because that's what will be the most obvious improvement when a buyer walks in. Because I am going to do a lot of trim painting which will change the look of the house, I'm looking forward to doing that portion. But I have to cool my heels and get other things done first. 

PTO approved!

Got a call from the HR woman at work a short while ago. My PTO has been approved. ALL of it! Yay!

So, now that this has happened, I agreed to work a few shifts in the coming month. Long as I'm still in town. Total of 4 shifts for the month.

Between the 4 shifts and the PTO, that should be enough to cover my living expenses while I am still here. Maybe (just maybe) a little bit more. So I will not have to dip into savings for that purpose. I may dip into it slightly for building supplies but will still be above my original savings goal. 

With only 4 shifts the whole month, I will still have plenty of time to work on the house. 

I was lazy yesterday and have been so far today. That's going to change in a few minutes. Gotta get up and get moving. 

First order of business will be working on the shed roof some more. Then go ahead and move boxes out and clear working space inside the house. From there, things will start moving very quickly.

With the extra money, if the shed roof still leaks, I may go ahead and get tar paper and another bucket of sealant and apply both to the shed roof. For now, trying just the sealant strategically applied. 

Bummer

It rained last night or this morning. That's good because it allowed me to assess how well the shed roof is sealed before I move boxes in there which I don't want getting wet. 

So, most of it is much better. The bummer is that a couple of spots are still leaking. Right along the seams. So, I will have to reinforce the sealant. That has to wait until tomorrow or the next day because it's supposed to rain more today. The good part is that I still have enough sealant to accomplish this. I admit those were the areas I had the most concern about any way. 

I slept really late today. Not sorry for that. Drank some beer and took a lot of cannabis last night with the express intent of sleeping really hard. I did wake up for a while earlier this morning but still felt tired and went back to bed. 

Bit of a potential problem. The concrete bags I've had in the driveway may have gotten soaked. I believe the bags have a thin water resistant lining but not sure how effective it is. If it got wet enough to become solid, it's no good. It's really hard to find any way to discard concrete in such a condition. It isn't solid enough to build with, not loose enough to mix and use normally. All I can do is try tossing a few of them around and see if they break up to powder. If only the outer edges are solid, I can buy more concrete mix and combine them. The edge solid portions will just turn into more substrate. I do have some concrete work I want to do during renovations. 

I doubt I will get much done today. Less than I had planned on, which included moving boxes to the shed. That's the biggest bummer.

Done

Done with my final regular day at work. It was not a good day.

I am seriously questioning if I will work the two shifts I signed on for next week. No clear answers about my PTO. It's pretty simple. You don't help me, I won't help you.

My replacement called in again today. That makes 4 1/2 to 5 times inside of 3 weeks. It appears they have terminated her. 

The result of this is that they are short of staff. May sound obvious but it's far worse than it sounds. Even with me signed on for two shifts next week, they have a total of 17 shifts for April not covered. That's with her on the schedule. Remove her and that number rises to 37 shifts not covered. 

So glad to have some time off. 

Tonight I am drinking some beer and taking cannabis. Hoping to sleep really well. Keeping the phone in another room so I do not get awakened before I just wake up on my own. May not get a whole lot done for my first day off but know I will do something.

The closer I get to getting out of here the more I an conscious of just how much I hate NM. Something I have been suppressing for a while. Not all that successfully. 

Final day

Today is my final regularly scheduled day at work. Here I am wishing they would call and tell me not to come in because the census dropped and they don't need me.

Though it's far more likely that another nurse called in sick already. My replacement called in sick yesterday, so I wound up working my regular hall. Since she started, she has called in sick at least 3-4 times. In less than one month.

They asked and I agreed to work 2 days next week PRN. Though when I asked about my PTO, I was not given a clear answer. Not gonna work that way. If they do not approve my PTO, I will not work those shifts. No PTO, no PRN.

Maybe. I don't know. It would be more responsible of me to work extra shifts to maintain my savings. I cannot count on how fast the house will sell and I want to keep the savings up to a certain level. I also cannot count on what the house will sell for and making a profit. It's most likely but not set in concrete. 

I've been doing various smaller tasks around the house before or after work lately but not today. Just taking it easy. Looking forward to having some time free without having to take work into consideration. 

I still think I can get the house in good selling condition within 2 weeks. I can put the house on the market and keep working on it, once the primary work is done. Just leave the less invasive work for last. 

One thing I need to do is make out a shopping list for the tools and home improvement stores. Try and get all the supplies in one trip. I know it will not work out that way but I can get the majority of supplies all at once. 

Entertainment is something I have to keep in mind. Too often, I stay focused (obsessed) with a task and wind up putting myself into emotional burnout. To a degree, I have been using work to get away from the house and working on the house to take my mind off of work. Not a good cycle. Though I oddly find working on the house and yard to be relaxing. Not always but frequently. That is, this is true now that I have things in better order. That was not true a few months ago, when it was still badly disorganized. 

Just realized that I met the goal I set when I bought the house. I wanted the house to be a place to escape from the rest of NM. Someplace different from the rest of the state. A refuge. A sanctuary. It worked. Now I have to admit to myself that I am going to miss this house. Not the state and city it resides in but the home itself. This is a lesson which I will have to keep in mind when I get to AL. Because I may well wind up in much the same situation. Influences may be different but I have spent my whole life battling closed minds. Nothing about that has changed. 

Politically and socially, things have been happening very rapidly. I am sorrowful that it's not quite realistic to start my planned YouTube channel right now. I honestly think it is needed. To start it right now would mean I have to spend time and effort which I can't really afford. Maybe I'll change my mind on this soon but probably not. My goal is accuracy, which definitely means research. I could potentially start with subjects which require less research. More op-ed pieces. Still, it would mean I have to suspend the broadcast while moving and I have no idea how long it will take to get moved and settled in to a new place. Or get a job. Or anything else. Guess I could do short segments using public wifi in the interim. I'll have to think about it more. 

Almost there

On my final few days on a regular schedule on my job. Kind of relieved. 

Also kind of nervous but that is about the whole move. Not sure what my employment or anything else is going to look like. 

Just checked on my license application in AL. That's going to take a bit of work. They want records like my school transcripts, CE certificates (so I need to do those), legal documents from my DWI in 1995?!!! Wow. 

I may not be working for a while when I move there. Not sure how long it will take to get all of that together.

So, I have that on top of renovating the house and getting it on the market.

I don't really feel like going to work today. Just have to suck it up. 

I earn the final portion of my sign-on bonus as of today. Yay! That means it goes in the bank this weekend. While I have been buying things for the house, I have been limiting or delaying expenses this month, just for the sake of building my bank balance as high as possible. It will be temporary but it makes a difference mentally and on my credit score. So, I have not yet paid most of the bills yet. They're current up to this month, so it won't cause any problems. I'll pay all the bills this weekend that are due. That really only comes down to utilities. 

I did get to Walmart yesterday afternoon, came back and sealed more of the shed. I have one more can and a few places to seal that I can only do from the outside back of the shed. To do that means I have to clear that area of dead foliage and a section of old wooden fence I have not been able to get out of there. Gonna take a dedicated effort. Oh, well. Once I clear that area I can paint the back of the shed, also. 

I sanded the frame of the bathroom window and finally removed paint from the window itself. The paint has been there since before I moved in but was never anything more than a minor annoyance to me. Bigger issue getting ready to sell the house. Had to get it done. 

I think (hope) that will be the most difficult window frame to deal with. All of them will have to be done, though. 

My plan is going to be for slate colored linoleum tile for the entry, bathroom and maybe the office. Black trim through much of the house. Natural wood in a few places (which ties well with the wood floors). Porcelain tile behind the stove. I got new handles for all the cabinets and drawers. I may need a few more because I did not factor in the linen closet and bathroom. Still debating spending the money to replace the medicine cabinet. I may just paint the one which is there. 

Obviously, I have my work cut out but it should go fairly quickly. One of the biggest jobs will be the yard but I think I can finish the whole yard in 2-3 days. It would be less but I'm going to move the cinder blocks and till the garden. 

I think it will look great when all of it is done. In other words, like I wanted it to look all along. 

This kinda sucks but I still hate NM and am happy to be leaving in the long run.

In my own history, the more effort I put into something, the more nervous I am, the better the end result. So I have high hopes that this will come out for the best.

Short update

Okay, I got some work done. Still going to do more but taking a break. 

Got a bunch of stuff out of the shed and back yard. One neighbor asked is I have a hose for a vacuum, one thing I do not. Aside from the one I use. I asked if she needs anything else. She said containers for plants. It just happens I was clearing out tons of old food buckets I once used for plants. So I made that my next priority to set out. 

Unfortunately, I'm kind of out of room in the driveway because I've set so much out and no room left in the big trash can. 

Otherwise, I can focus on tasks which will not generate or require disposal of lots of trash. 

Looks like neighbors are starting to examine and sort through stuff I set out. Rarely takes long for that to happen. Maybe I'll have more space to set things out later. 

After some consideration, I need to go to Walmart and get more "Great Stuff" before loading things in the shed. Once I stack things on the shelves, it will be very difficult to get to the areas that still need patching. 

So, going to walk the dog and go to the store.

Day off!!

I have today off!!

While I was working yesterday, one of the CNA's (whose wife works on the other unit) told me one of the nurses on the other unit wanted to work today. She's trying to pick up extra hours. She's young and I am guessing trying to build her life. So, I went and asked her. She said this was correct. Especially since I was supposed to work on that unit today, she agreed to work my shift today. I got it approved from the manager on call and the deal was done. 

She said she would work Wed evening also but that has to be approved first. I left a note for the HR woman about it. If that's approved, I only have Mon and Tue evenings left to work. 

Have to admit I have been a bit lazy so far. One big problem is that I have so much to do around here that it's still difficult to prioritize. What I need to do is start making a to-do list on a daily basis. A master list would be good but when I list everything all at once it becomes emotionally intimidating. If I break it down into more manageable portions, I get more done. 

Couple of days ago I sealed the gaps in the roof of the shed where water had been leaking in. I had sealed many of those gaps last year but the caulking was basically gone when I climbed up there. I am suspecting insects or birds ate it away. I used Dow "Great Stuff" this time, which I have used in other places with no problems. Except for the dogs. Luckily, the dogs cannot reach the roof. I still have some gaps on the sides of the shed that need more sealing but I have to go get more sealant. But the roof is sealed. 

Yesterday before work I got up on the shed and applied the Elastomeric roof coating. I had done that last year as well but I guess the brand I used was crap. The new sealant was much thicker and heavier. Of course, there is also more of it and it cost more but that's okay. It is supposed to last 7 years. I can't be certain of that with the condition of the wood but it should last a while. 

Now I can start using the shed for storage with a lot more confidence. So that is one task I set for today. To clear things out of the shed that are no longer needed, organize it and get the already packed boxes in the shed. That will clear space in the house so I can organize and work more effectively in the house. 

I guess it's time to stop writing and start doing. 

Oops

Talked myself into getting up and getting a bunch of trash gathered from the shed and yard. Put all of it in the big receptacle. Planned on putting it out to be picked up in the morning.

Then I realized. Today is Friday. Trash gets picked up on Monday. I am so used to my first work day being Sunday that I got confused.

Oh, well. Means it's already loaded and ready for pickup on Mon morning. 

One thing I am trying to do is get all the trash picked up and gradually collected, so I can avoid taking it directly to the dump and paying more to discard it. 

Meanwhile, get more space cleared out in the shed for storage. 

Got the gaps in the shed roof patched but will need one more can of foam sealant for some spots along the sides of the shed. Though, once the roof is dry I can apply the roof sealant. Then get the sides done and paint the sides. If I have enough, I may use the roof sealant for the sides, since it's water repellent. 

Even though I'm working six days in a row, I plan on getting some stuff done during my hours off. I've gotten things in arrangement where it's much easier to manage that. I really should have been packing stuff in boxes all winter. 

No matter. I think it will only take 2-3 weeks to get the house in condition to sell. Of course, no idea how long it will take to sell it after that. I just want to get it in shape for the best price possible. 

More supplies

So, I got a call this evening from one of the nurse managers. She was supposed to work tomorrow evening and I was to work morning. Same unit. She wanted to trade. No problem! I hate working mornings! Even more when I am bouncing between mornings and evenings.

Went to try and fill the gaps in the shed roof with Great Stuff. Turned out I've had these cans for so long they expired and would not work properly.

So, I went to Walmart. Got more. I can probably do the shed roof before work tomorrow. Long as it's not wet or raining. 

I want to get the shed done just so I can load boxes from the house in there. Didn't want to do that over the winter but since nothing is freezing now, it's good. I debated spending the money on fixing the roof but since I was previously looking at renting a storage space, the cost of fixing the roof is only slightly more than renting space for one month, it's worth it. It's also more convenient and will help increase the selling price on the house a little bit more. Not a lot but any small amount helps. I'll also paint the shed when I paint the house. 

Weather over the next week or so will be cooler than it has been. That's okay. It was getting so hot it was uncomfortable. Now it will be a good range to be working outside for at least a few days after my job officially ends. 

I think one of the most difficult things will be painting the bathroom, of all things. Trying not to get paint in the tub and on the tile may be difficult. 

Going to refinish the formica counters in the kitchen. They're old and look shabby. If I was going to stay here I would go with something more expensive. I had considered and researched doing my own concrete counters. Not worth that much time and effort now for this house. Instead, Rustoleum makes a special paint for formica counters which most previous buyers seem happy with and pictures posted online look really good. Doing all the counters will run about $40. 

Of course, all these little expenses keep adding up to not so little. Still, I will have some money to invest for it from what I've earned and pay I have coming. I may pick up just enough shifts to cover living expenses plus more to invest or save. 

I'm pretty happy with how I have been able to save money in the last few months. The bonus has helped but with what I have in the bank right this minute, it's maybe 1/3 of my savings. Have not yet paid all the bills but I've largely been able to save up around $6500 in six months. Then the bonus money on top of that. 

I am not really expecting to be able to save at the same rate after moving to AL. The pay rate is much lower. That's one thing that has me nervous. That's natural. I don't have a safety net. Just me. Nothing new about that.

Dust storm

Weather has been really nice all week. Today I finally get a day off before having to work 6 days in a row, so of course a dust storm blows in. Blowing dust so hard it stings and so dense you cannot see the road surface at times while driving.

Oh, well.

I got out to some places. Tried looking for a new bathroom vanity but could not find one inexpensive. Even at Habitat For Humanity Restore. So, I'll just have to refurbish this one. 

Got some roofing sealant because the shed still keeps leaking. Got a 5 gal bucket this time. Hope this works. I'll have to seal some spots with Great Stuff. I think that should do it. 

Got more plaster. Pre-mixed. I think I should have enough to finish the whole house now. If not, another $8 box will do it. 

Got some metal mesh for the edges of the ceilings where I had to run wires outside the existing walls. (It was that or cut through a lot of cinder block and/or more ceiling.) Once I cover the wires, it will look good. I'm hoping the pneumatic nail gun will drive staples into the cinder block. I'll fire it up and give it a try this evening before attempting it with the mesh. If not, I'll have to use construction adhesive. 

Got a new toilet seat, also. The soft one has split the plastic in a couple of places. New one has an oak finish.

In all, I spent about $140. Not bad. Most expensive things were really roofing sealant and weatherstripping for the door. I'll still have to spend a fair sum for stucco and paint but that will be the most expensive items left to buy. Oh. Floor sealant, too. Both brick and wood. Damn. That's not cheap. 

I have been anxious that my employer would find a way to fire me before I earn my six month bonus. Doesn't look like it now. I started the job on 9/28/16, so technically I will have earned the bonus effective 3/27/17. It will not surprise me if they try to fire me on 3/28/17 because they're not smart enough to figure out the fact that six months ends on 3/27. 

Close but not there

My last check on Fri brought me really close to my savings goal for the move. Close but no cigar.

That's okay. I would have only been there for a few days. I still have to pay bills. 

Right now, bills will be slightly higher than normal. Cost of ending the satellite TV contract early. It winds up cheaper in the long run. No satellite bill next month. That will be slightly offset by the fact I also canceled the gym membership. So, won't have that bill next month, either. 

Weather is improving, so utilities will be lower next month. Still catching up because the bill from the previous month is kinda high. 

My next check should take me over the top of my savings goal. The check after that will include the last part of my bonus, so that takes me ahead. Not sure for how long, as I will have expenses involving regular bills plus house renovations, which I am spending some money on. Of course, I expect that to be an investment, hoping to get a profit from selling the house. 

Zillow estimates the home value right now at $132,000. I'm not expecting to get that much for it. Though I still would like to get a profit of at least $20,000. 

I didn't get as much done as I had hoped this weekend but I did get a decent amount accomplished. Down side is that this is my last full weekend until my last day at work. Blech. 

I did find I have a good number of plastic packing boxes which are still in good shape. That cuts some expenses for moving. I was afraid more would have dry rot and heat damage. 

One of the next things I have to do is put some actual roll shingles on the shed roof. Be a good idea if I also install new wood on top of the old. I have most of what I need from the solarium, which has to come down. So probably only need one large board, tar paper and shingles. I think I can do that for under $100. 

Going to look at H4H Restore for a new bath cabinet. 

Got a lot of plastering done but I will have to do more of that than I had estimated in other areas. Just for consistency and aesthetics. Luckily, plaster is cheap. 

Most walls will not need a base coat of paint. Only a few places, mostly doors. The rest can be easily spray painted. I am going to add a lot of trim painting. The hardest part will likely be the window frames. Rust has to be sanded down a lot. 

Floors will be a big thing but I got a rechargeable floor scrubber which will help. It will cost a bit of money to refinish the floors but would be very much worth the cost when selling the house. 

Okay, have to get ready for work.

Back to karaoke

I finally have two days off, some energy and decent weather. Plus I am gaining more motivation as time to move gets closer.

I know I could have gotten a lot more done with the house over the winter if I had just gotten off my ass. Still, I don't think it will take all that much time to get the house in selling condition. 

Got a few boxes packed today. Set a bunch of things out for neighborhood kids. Old games and toys which daughter probably would not want. She barely played with them before and will likely forget they existed if they're not present when I move.

One thing I am attached to are her books. Things we used to read together. Saving those for if she ever has children. It would be great if she has them and can read them with her kid/s years down the line. If not, they bring memories back for me any way.

Went to Harbor Freight today. Got a few fairly small items I needed. Or just wanted. Cargo bar to support the ceiling while I do a wall cut out between kitchen and living room. Scraper. New screwdrivers, which I wear out quickly. Paint roller because the one from Dollar Tree won't work with a long handle. I tried and found the handle from an extra broom fits it. LED triangle light for the car. Had one before, stolen by the car thief. New driveway broom, old one stolen by asshole neighbors who can't grasp the idea that if I put crap by the street, it's ONLY the stuff by the street that's free. Surprised they didn't try to take my f*cking car. Plus some new concrete working tools. Just needed those in general. 

I am going to karaoke. Just to get out of the house for a while. This week sucked.

Schedule change

As I come up to the end of my job, they are changing my schedule. That's no surprise. 

I am training my replacement this week. She'll be okay on her own. She seems like a good nurse. Be on her own quickly. 

Since she will be taking over my schedule, they want to change my schedule. Stays the same this week. Next week I do 4 evenings, then off on Thur and work morning on Fri. Then a day off, a morning and then an evening. 

That splits my days off, which truly sucks while I'm trying to get the house in order.

Oh, well. I have been thinking in terms of my current biological schedule and that getting the house in order could take a while once I stop working. That's a mistake. My biological schedule is mostly being determined by my work schedule now. (Since the weather has improved.) Once I stop working, I can alter that schedule to get to bed much earlier and get up earlier. 

So, I think it will take me two weeks or less to get everything done that I want done to sell the house. This weekend, I'm packing a lot of stuff and putting it in the shed. Try and get the main living room finished. Then during those 2 weeks, condense my living quarters down to just the north side of the house and one closet. It will move much faster if I get most of the house cleared out this weekend, leaving only the actual renovation work to be done. That may shorten the time to only a few days. 

I do have more energy than I had. I just hate getting dirty before going to work and that's unavoidable right now. 

I am going to spend a few hundred dollars on supplies to put the house in order and increase the selling price. The price being asked when I bought it was higher than I paid. I negotiated it down because the seller was "motivated". He lived in NY and it was just an investment property which was costing him more than he had been making on it. So I am very hopeful I can get more than what I owe by several thousand dollars. Plus I bought at the bottom of the housing market in 2009 and the market here has increased a lot since then. Between those factors, rewiring and renovations I have done and will do, the selling price should be good. I really hope to get at least $10-20 thousand above what I owe on the mortgage. Even the area has improved since I moved in. Other houses have been renovated, the street repaved, new movie theater and restaurants built nearby, new drainage for the whole subdivision. All that adds up. 

Arrow root

I had of course known arrow root was doing some good for my UC. Either I did not realize just how much or had kind of forgotten. 

Ran out a couple weeks ago. Went to buy more and turned out all the stores near me no longer sell it. So I ordered some in bulk from Amazon. Got 10 lbs. That should last for a while!

Since I got it a couple days ago, I have basically doubled my dose. It really does help more than I expected! Think I'll stay at this dose and see how it works over time.

I am counting down the days until I leave my job. It seems to get worse every day. Right now, 22 days. 16 working days. 

Got word back from the corporate office that they do not pay out unused PTO on termination. That being the policy is okay. That being legal is okay. The fact that the employee handbook saying otherwise and no policy that says the real policy being posted or available is not okay and not legal. So I wrote to three elected state officials. If it benefits nothing else, should they try and fire me before 3/28/17, it provides a documented timeline to show my termination was retaliation. What that would do is give me grounds to get unemployment approved. From there, they would have to give me the bonus I would otherwise be entitled to.

Though it does not look like that will happen in current circumstances. They're too short of staff and everyone is burned out on working extra hours to cover the shifts. At least one manager is having to work the floor almost every day. They don't want to pay for agency nurses. I was told they hired two more nurses, one to replace me, whom I will train. I don't think the new nurses have even started orientation yet. So those nurses will not be able to take shifts until they are trained and oriented. Meaning at least 2 weeks, maybe more. 

I see more signs of financial distress every day, also. They are cutting back on supplies in stock. We're having big problems getting saline flushes for IVs and colostomy bags! Some of these supplies are indispensable! 

I need to get my ass in gear and get more done around the house. Maybe after this weekend. Going to make huge advances this weekend and that will give me more organization so things I can do during the week before or after work will be easier. Then, after the job ends, I think it will take a very short time to finish the house and increase the value. 

On savings, I have 84% of the amount I wanted to have for the move. At the moment. Still have to pay bills this month. That amount is reduced by about $100 with the cancellation of the gym and satellite. Three more paychecks, which cover more than the bills easily. Then my bonus. So I will definitely overshoot my goal. How much expenses will be until the house sells depends on how quickly the house sells, of course. Somehow I think it will sell quickly. I'm still hoping to walk away with a profit. 

Daughter is acting strange. Can't get her to call me back. She's emailed me a couple of times but that's all. I am afraid of her becoming too antisocial. I am a recluse but not as much as she is. Hmm. Though, come to think of it, I may have been just as bad at her age. 

Feel like caca

I feel like caca today. Not entirely sure why. Could be something I ate, could be stress eating my guts, could be I have been out of arrow root for a little while.

Whatever the case, going to go shopping at a few places later, followed by karaoke for the first time in a long, long while.

Not too much surprise I feel bad, since I worked 7 days in a row and then got hit with stress over my bonus and PTO. It would not surprise me if they try and fire me on 3/27/17 to deny me my bonus. If that happens, I think at least one other nurse will follow me out the door because she is on the same bonus program. There are probably several others who it would apply to as well. If the company does that to me, they would do it to others. 

On the arrow root thing, the stores near me stopped selling it. Guess just not a big seller in this area. Where I could find it, it was really expensive. So, found a seller on Amazon that sells it for a decent price. If you buy in bulk. So, I ordered 10 lbs of it. That should last a while!

It is appearing like the house where my attacker lives is vacant. I could be wrong but it looks that way. No signs of life. Bunch of abandoned vehicles in the back, including a fairly new truck which has not moved from the same place and position for weeks now. I am hoping. Haven't seen his scroungy ass for a while. Maybe he is finally dead or in jail. If in jail, I would have hoped the police would include the assault charges but whatever gets him off the street works for me. Until I move away. Then he's someone else's problem. 

Talked with one of the neighbor kids a couple weeks ago. He said, "Yeah, my mom saw you on the ground." Great. So that would have been the vehicle which passed by while the attacker was still standing over me and they just left me there, possibly to die. 

Fuck these people. 

Crap employer

My employer is trying to screw me over any way they can. What's really sad is that I'm not even surprised.

First the HR woman told me I would not be eligible for my sign-on bonus if I resign. I pointed out that I started on 9/28/16, meaning my six month point is 3/28/17. My last day is 3/30/17. Her response? "Oh. Okay."

Now I submitted a request for my PTO. Yesterday she told me it would not be paid if I resign. Direct quote from the employee handbook says, "Paid time off is paid out at termination in accordance with state law." I highlighted that statement and will present it to her when I go to work today.

Savings took a dip. Now at about $6300. However, that's mostly because I paid all the bills before this paycheck. So at least one paycheck of three this month will not have to go to bills at all. I have a total of three OT shifts to be paid for, two on the check this weekend. I think. It may be one this check and two next check. 

I ordered some special paint to refinish the bathtub and kitchen sink. It is expensive but it's an epoxy paint made just for that purpose. 

Going to try and get the house in condition to get the absolute best price I can. Since home values have increased a lot since I bought the house at the bottom of the market, I am hoping to walk away with at least $15-20k profit. Then I can use part of that as a down payment on another house in AL. Maybe use some to furnish and fix the place up if needed. It would be pretty cool if I could just buy a house outright at auction for that money. Looks like a lot of houses there go up for auction. I feel really bad for the people who lose their homes but it would be better if I bought one of them than some distant investor.