Things Change

Sometimes, just sometimes mind you, I find myself thinking about how much my life has changed in the past 5 years. I've changed jobs 4 times. Keep in mind I'm nearing 40 and only had 12 jobs since I was 16 and 3 of those were at the same time, so roughly 14 jobs. I started in high school with a fast food joint for about 6 months, went on to a busboy job at a hell hole for 3 weeks, cashier at a stop-and-rob, then a shift manager at a truck stop for the same company. I stayed there over a year and got laid off. Next I went to work part time at a swimming pool construction company. I started off washing and painting pools and doing shovel and wheelbarrow work, then ended as general manager over 3 pool supply stores. I was there almost 11 years. When the company sold, I became an insurance agent for about 9 months, then managed a rent-to-own company for about 9 more until I couldn't take it and found a computer operator's job. That job lasted 6 years and ended a year after I met the lady that would be my wife. Next I taught math and computer skills at a medical technology school. I stayed about 18 months, it started good, but managment changed and it became a private hell. Then I went to work for a small company that manufactured bathtubs. I was supposed to be a manager and run things, but everytime I made a decision or tried to change things, the other employees would go over my head or just refuse to accept the changes. It was stupid. I was hired because I knew people and new how to figure the costs and the savings on things. I could have easily cut parts expenses by a third and improved delivery time, and had backup suppliers set up in 90 days, but I couldn't accomplish anything. That lasted about 2 months, then I went to work for the state. Oh, yeah while I was with the rent-to-ripoff people, I also delivered newspapers and babyset a store for a few hours a day.

Anyway, I guess getting married made me get ambitious and start trying to better myself. The nice thing about this job is it is stable, benefits are excellent, and truthfully, I would have to move to a more urban environment to make more money in the private sector and the hours would be killer. I've been at this for 2 and 1/2 years now and it's cool so far.

Other than growing ambitions, I have noticed other changes. First I always slept on the right side of the bed. She wanted the right side, so I got used to sleeping on the left side of the bed. Then she wanted the left side, so now I sleep on the right side of the bed again. WTF?

Formerly, if I wanted a big ticket item, I saved my money for it. I am not the most patient person, so I would become a hermit, no going out, no eating out, no buying anything not absolutely necessary, until I could buy whatever it was, usually a gun or a computer whatsis. Other items like books, movies, small ticket things, I would buy then do without whatever that money would have gone for until payday. It don't work that way now. A single man can live off peanut butter and noodle to buy the fancy video card or the new stainless steel .45. The married man can't seem to do that. Also, why does it cost 3 times as much for twice the people to live. I could see doubling food, detergent, soap, stuff like that, but man, the laundrey alone has at least tripled. And toilet paper, seriously, what do women do with the stuff, 4 little rolls would do me 2 weeks, now I buy 9 triple rolls and I'm lucky to get through the week.

I do the cooking, I was well-trained and I like to cook, most of the time. Sometimes I am tired though. When this happened before marriage, I would just eat cheese and crackers or something simple, unwind with internet or tv then go to bed. Now there has to be a meal. My wife can and sometimes does cook a little. She can make meatloaf, pancakes, and fried eggs, you don't want to push her much beyond that. It's usually safer if I do it. I like to cook and my mother and grandmother taught me how. My juijitsu sensei approved. He claimed that food was too important to be dependant on someone who would spend half her time mad at you anyway.

Also, when you marry, you gain a second family. This has benefits, but also expenses. My family lives near us and seldom asks for much and it is usually not that bad. Her family lives across the county from us and check previous posts for what they expect. Anyway, they reacted like Tasha hit the motherload when we married. Of course, I am bragging, but compared to what the other 2 sisters drag home, I understand. Older sis has been married twice now, and has 3 kids, none with the same father. He first was a lazy worthless bum, who is still a lazy worthless bum but now he draws a ssi check so his kid gets a monthly sum. She accused the second child's father of rape, because she was married to worthless when she got knocked up, but the baby was a little dark-of-complexion to be his. And hubby number 2 was much younger than her, and not old enough to even drink when she hooked up with him. He was pretty much lazy and worthless. His big ambition was to become a drug dealer only he would use up all the merchandise. His kid came out with the attention span of the average tweaker and doesn't seem to be all there, but she is young yet. She divourced him too. Periodicly she makes the rounds and gives them all another try. I think she likes keeping them on a line, in case she has a dry spell on men. Currently she has a semi-live-in boy toy and 2 guys on the side. They just found out about each other and the tire-slashing and window breaking has started.

Sister 2 has a hubby of less than a year. He is the baby daddy of both children. He had a job when they made baby 1, but lost it when the plant closed. He hasn't made any effort to find another one. I actually tried to help him get a job. He is content to do odd jobs and sell some pot on the side. It frustrates me. She seems happy though. It's strange, she was an a student, gymnastics and cheerleading, had scholarship offers out the wazoo, and she gets knocked up.
I guess her life probably is different now than she expected.

I now have stuff in the house I've never had before. Stuff live tampons, pads, makeup, conditioner, dainty underclothes, perfume, ect. I don't ask what some of the stuff is, as I am afraid of too much information.