Double Deuce in Summer 2017

The last two years, I’ve written in the month leading up to my birthday.

I also write in November.

I am starting late this year, however.

This week has kind of been a week from hell. My in-laws had to put their dog to sleep on Sunday. Tuesday I got laid off. Again. Third time in the past four and a half years.

While it hurts, I was actually considering whether or not to give them any notice when I got another offer. In the IT world, and I can’t help but think this is one of those unwritten side-effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, companies don’t seem to be hiring full-time employees. Keep everybody as a W2 contractor, and you don’t have to spring for expensive “employer-sponsored” insurance.

The group I was supporting was going through all sorts of fun financial gymnastics, so what was supposed to be a six-month contract-to-hire, became fifteen.

No benefits. No PTO. No sick leave.

No paid time off. That includes Federal holidays. While others were getting paid for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, I was just not working, not getting paid.

That I landed in the hospital three times over the past year probably didn’t help matters. (One night in September, two in October, and another two in June.)

C’est la vie.

But it’s over now. On to other things.

I need to get up my writing prompts. My wife said she was going to help me find some, but I’m still open to suggestions. I will probably dig up stuff from my old diary, and previous writing efforts, but I just haven’t had the time.

I just got my PC up and running. We had to move very unexpectedly in May, and really haven’t gotten the new place fully set up.

Maybe I’ll get some prompts up this afternoon. Maybe.