Foo - Today will probably be the day

So ....

Today will probably be the day we find out whether or not my wife will keep her job. It's going to change us big time. We may lose a lot. Maybe everything.

I gotta tell you, I feel like I've been rolled over. Too much s**t has happened to me the last year. The towel is in my hand ready to be thrown in. Sometimes you just feel like saying, "F it." Let the next wave crash on you and let it sweep you out into the sea. But then there's that inkling of hope. Just something to grab a hold of, even for a second, to catch your breath. I have several races scheduled and paid for coming up soon. It's my inkling of hope. It could be a moment of solace in everything I've been battling. Can I harness this pain and anger and use it to my advantage? Can I push all this crap aside and focus just enough to do well? Or am I going to give up, quit, pus out and bellyache? With me it's never an easy answer. I'd like to think I'm strong enough to win this over. Hell, I've battled depression, a rocky marriage, health problems, family problems, and financial problems plus tons of other things this year. What's one more, right? What's one more thing that I have to carry. Just find room on my back and load 'er up. Yeah, my legs are shaky. My f-ing back hurts. Screw it though. If there's room, pile it on. If there's not room. Wedge it in. I can handle it.

Business is brutal. I laid off one person in November, down to one full timer, he may go next. Very hard to concentrate on silly crap like bicycle racing when you're stressed about your income dropping by 50%. Oh well. The scariest thing is how fast it has eroded. From great to nowhere in < six months. Nobody's doing anything. Small companies, big corporations, it is friggin dead. Nobody's spending money (just me for my bicycle, that's it).

Big corporations still have the dough, but their suits have issued the 'pull in the horns' edict, so they stop doing everything, lay off thousands of people - out of well justified fear of everything going on all around them - and then 6-12 months later many of them realize 'we can't stop doing business all together, we'll make less money'. Then some of them re-hire some people and start resuming business practices they've followed for 20+ years. It's surviving the pause that's the hard part.

Scary **** boys. You might as well ride your bikes. While you can.

Hang in there pal. We're all in this together. Actually, you're really on your own, but it feels good to say **** like that when the world is melting down.

Best wishes for you and wour wife today Sub!

good luck Sub. :hug:

Good luck. Waiting for the other shoe to drop is brutal.

In the meantime, maybe she should visit the supply closet one last time?

jim

Hang in there pal. We're all in this together. Actually, you're really on your own, but it feels good to say **** like that when the world is melting down.

That's exactly right.
Every time someone says, "It's going to be OK." I laugh. How the F do you know? You're not going through with it. Sure it's going to be OK for you.

Good luck sub, it has not been a good year for ya'. Hang in there. Hopefully you will be able to find peace while on the bike. It works for me.

Business is brutal. I laid off one person in November, down to one full timer, he may go next. Very hard to concentrate on silly crap like bicycle racing when you're stressed about your income dropping by 50%. Oh well. The scariest thing is how fast it has eroded. From great to nowhere in < six months. Nobody's doing anything. Small companies, big corporations, it is friggin dead. Nobody's spending money (just me for my bicycle, that's it).

Big corporations still have the dough, but their suits have issued the 'pull in the horns' edict, so they stop doing everything, lay off thousands of people - out of well justified fear of everything going on all around them - and then 6-12 months later many of them realize 'we can't stop doing business all together, we'll make less money'. Then some of them re-hire some people and start resuming business practices they've followed for 20+ years. It's surviving the pause that's the hard part.

Scary **** boys. You might as well ride your bikes. While you can.

The company that I worked for just announced bonuses for all eligible employees of 80% of normal annual bonus amounts (I'm not getting one :notamused:), pleased to announce in fact. Only thing is they had to eliminate a quarter of the corporate office staff, outsource the tech help desk to India, a couple of non-published rounds of lay-offs in both the retail and my divisions, and place an indefinite hold on wage increases to do it.

@Sub- Your race entry fees are already paid for. Embrace the Dark Side. Stomp a mud hole in your competition.

best of luck to you and your wife.

I went through this last week with my wife. It is a wee bit stressful to put it mildly.
We could survive half a year on one income. Both of us being layed off would be disastrous.

Good luck to both of you.

Business is brutal. I laid off one person in November, down to one full timer, he may go next. Very hard to concentrate on silly crap like bicycle racing when you're stressed about your income dropping by 50%. Oh well. The scariest thing is how fast it has eroded. From great to nowhere in < six months. Nobody's doing anything. Small companies, big corporations, it is friggin dead. Nobody's spending money (just me for my bicycle, that's it).

Big corporations still have the dough, but their suits have issued the 'pull in the horns' edict, so they stop doing everything, lay off thousands of people - out of well justified fear of everything going on all around them - and then 6-12 months later many of them realize 'we can't stop doing business all together, we'll make less money'. Then some of them re-hire some people and start resuming business practices they've followed for 20+ years. It's surviving the pause that's the hard part.

Scary **** boys. You might as well ride your bikes. While you can.

several industries are doing quite well still, like the legal, I turn work away daily

get ye to the non discretionary side of the economy

Uncertainty about your future is what is causing you stress. Imagine the worst that can possibly happen and then quantify it. This eliminates uncertainty and will have a calming effect. For example, if I lose my job I will lose my house and then I will move into my brother's house. That's not so bad. So what if you lose all of your material possessions? Houses, cars, investments and all that other crap are meaningless.

Confirmed. She lost her job.

See ya'll later.

:( very sorry.

Confirmed. She lost her job.

See ya'll later.

so sorry:(

Try not to panic - and you're definitely not alone.

Man. I hope things look up for you guys.

:(

Best wishes for her finding another soon.

So ....

Today will probably be the day we find out whether or not my wife will keep her job. It's going to change us big time. We may lose a lot. Maybe everything.

I gotta tell you, I feel like I've been rolled over. Too much s**t has happened to me the last year. The towel is in my hand ready to be thrown in. Sometimes you just feel like saying, "F it." Let the next wave crash on you and let it sweep you out into the sea. But then there's that inkling of hope. Just something to grab a hold of, even for a second, to catch your breath. I have several races scheduled and paid for coming up soon. It's my inkling of hope. It could be a moment of solace in everything I've been battling. Can I harness this pain and anger and use it to my advantage? Can I push all this crap aside and focus just enough to do well? Or am I going to give up, quit, pus out and bellyache? With me it's never an easy answer. I'd like to think I'm strong enough to win this over. Hell, I've battled depression, a rocky marriage, health problems, family problems, and financial problems plus tons of other things this year. What's one more, right? What's one more thing that I have to carry. Just find room on my back and load 'er up. Yeah, my legs are shaky. My f-ing back hurts. Screw it though. If there's room, pile it on. If there's not room. Wedge it in. I can handle it.


or you can just ride the wave and see where it takes you, the place you end up in may not be as bad as you think. :)

Damn that sucks!

Try to start living with less. What can you cut out of your life? Do you drive or ride a bike around town? Reduce your car usage to bring down your gas bills, if you have two cars maybe consider selling one. You will save on the insurance and have the cash from the sale. Do you eat out for lunch or pack lunch?

Consider what you really need to be happy instead of what society and advertisements tell you you need to be happy. Do you rent or own? If you rent then look into downsizing, my wife and I live comfortably in a studio, which also helps us save money by not buying crap simply because we do not have space.

Check out the living simply thread in the car free forum for ideas on how to save money and live better while doing it.

So sorry Sub....I hope everything works out quickly for you guys.

I will keep your family in my prayers.

Hang in there, pal and don't go making any panic moves. Try not to let the stress cloud your minds as you begin to brainstorm options and contingency plans.

Check out the living simply thread in the car free forum for ideas on how to save money and live better while doing it.

a good thought for all of us - thanks!

Sorry to hear it. Try not to despair. A positive attitude counts for a lot when job hunting.

d@mn - that sucks.

Subby I started working for myself after my last layoff. I'm not two months into the that, but January was fantastic for me. I managed to make more money than I ever had for a 1 month time frame. I've made a good bit this month so far.

Point is, maybe you guys could do something like that? Any bit of income you make might help plus it might help keep your mind off of things?

Sorry to hear it man. Good luck.

I'm just waiting for businesses to get out of Chicken Little mode, so at least the economy bottoms out. I hope the economic stimulus plan helps, but I'm not holding my breath -- tax cuts don't help much when people have $0.00 income.

Worst case, I'm making some prototypes on some salable security inventions, and just hope I find a VC person who doesn't mind helping with a startup company, and won't run off with the ideas (Yes, NDA contracts are present, but a lot of times, the law is on the side with the biggest purse.)

I am sorry this happened. :( Companies are jettisoning their best talent due to fear, and when the economy picks up, it will be their long term detriment.

Sorry Sub....this down turned economy is pissing me the *^$# off. I'm tired of hearing stories like this...from people I consider friends.

Sorry to hear about that sub. At the risk of sounding cliche, events that suck when they happen sometimes lead to better things that you might not have explored otherwise. Try to stay positive, even though it's hard. Best wishes.

That's exactly right.
Every time someone says, "It's going to be OK." I laugh. How the F do you know? You're not going through with it. Sure it's going to be OK for you.

It's going to be OK. How do I know? I've been laid off 4 times. Trust me.


Confirmed. She lost her job.

See ya'll later.

Sorry. If you guys really need some income from her ASAP, tell her to take a week off to "mourn" and then get busy with resumes, Monster.com, networking, newspaper ads, headhunters, etc. She's now working for herself and the product she's trying to sell is... her. I'm hoping to miss the layoffs this time around (although there was a bit of a shakeup in the office today), but I was laid off during the recession of the early 90s. Not as bad as this market, I know, but every time I got a layoff notice, I managed to find something else pretty quick. I got laid off again, and found something quick. Etc. Eventually I settled into the job I've got now. You just gotta keep hustlin'.

Don't forget about unemployment. That might sustain you for a bit. And some people forget they have mortgage insurance...

If you call the water and gas companies, sometimes they let you stretch paying....they might offer discounts for those who are in need right now. Ask about it.

For you phone bill, get the minimum allowed on minutes or get the kind that is only for emergencies.

If your health coverage did not expire yet, go get your checkups, your dental, your glasses and all your prescriptions filled NOW.

If you have to, change your car insurance to the minimum, and drive the car that takes less gas.

And keep in mind, any job right now, no matter how menial, will put food on the table.

Good luck to you both, Sub.

D'oh. Very sorry to hear it, SS. Best wishes for bigger and better things.

Sorry to hear it, man! I've been without employment since October. My wife's company is going through their second significant round of layoffs in a year. Today was potential armageddon....my wife was lucky (if hard work and dedication are lucky) to keep her job. seriously..i'm sorry to hear it.

Sorry to hear that.
Hang in there...
one door closes and another opens - who knows what could be around the corner.

Confirmed. She lost her job.

See ya'll later.

F. I'm sorry to hear this Sub. :hug:

I'm here at work. It's gonna be tough just to concentrate on any task.
My wife is beating herself up pretty bad right now. I don't want to get into it, but it wasn't the economy. And honestly - truly honestly - nothing she could have done to make a difference. But she blames herself. I don't blame her though. I love her and hate to see her this way. I've been really trying to encourage her and let her know that this is an "us" thing not a "her" thing.

The past few weeks have really drawn us together. I know that there will be tough times and we may be at each other. But I think through this the wife and I will become closer.

I lost a job in 1991 and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Forces you into a new direction, sometimes that direction turns out to be a very good thing. I hope that's how this episode works out for you guys. You do have it right though, as long as you have each other, you'll get to the other side of all this crap.

Well it looks like there is a good chance that Cheri may get laid off next week too. She works in Patient Finance of a hospital...they are part of the Steelworkers union (ain't that a hoot). Well besides the fact that the union ain't done squat for them but roll over and let management make the place a sweat shop, of course layoffs will be determined by seniority, not merit. So despite being the best worker in the department, she'll probably get the axe because she's the second most junior. To make matters worse, if someone from another department is senior to her and minimally qualified to do the same job, they can bump her as well.

I'm looking at it as an opportunity for her to get something better with an employer who treats her better, especially considering that next week she'll also pass the exam for a highly sought-after certification.

Of course my job isn't at all safe either...I just started here in November! :eek:

Point is, despite the gloomy outlook, I am confident that things will work out for the best in the long run, not only for Cheri and I, but for you and your wife too, Sub. That don't mean there won't be any pain along the way, but you know what they say about pain and gain. ;) Hang in there, brada.

The past few weeks have really drawn us together. I know that there will be tough times and we may be at each other. But I think through this the wife and I will become closer.

don't underestimate this.

After all, what else do we work and strive for, but to experience life together? Money helps but it's not everything. Sometimes these tough experiences remind us very well what really matters. You're fortunate to have each other and that is so much more precious than any job, etc.

Be there for each other and you will get through this.

Thanks Chip.

My wife is very talented. Very creative. I'm hoping she can put a few things together and take them to local stores to show off her abilities. Maybe get a booth. She's always been a great decorator and can make crafty things out of nothing. It amazes me sometimes. That and she got a call to do some photo shoots for a local salon I think.

I'll be praying for you and your wife. It's good to know we don't have to go through this alone. Hang in there.

don't underestimate this.

After all, what else do we work and strive for, but to experience life together? Money helps but it's not everything. Sometimes these tough experiences remind us very well what really matters. You're fortunate to have each other and that is so much more precious than any job, etc.

Be there for each other and you will get through this.

Thank you. I appreciate all your kind words, man. You're a good soul. A little odd. But a good soul nonetheless. ;)

A little odd.

ain't we all?:o

ain't we all?:o

Yeah, and the world would be a very boring place if that were not true.

damn...

I have been out of work for about a month. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of jobs in my field, especially at my level. We will see what the future brings.

I'm here at work. It's gonna be tough just to concentrate on any task.
My wife is beating herself up pretty bad right now. I don't want to get into it, but it wasn't the economy. And honestly - truly honestly - nothing she could have done to make a difference. But she blames herself. I don't blame her though. I love her and hate to see her this way. I've been really trying to encourage her and let her know that this is an "us" thing not a "her" thing.

The past few weeks have really drawn us together. I know that there will be tough times and we may be at each other. But I think through this the wife and I will become closer.


Good man. She needs you more than ever right now.

Thanks Chip.

My wife is very talented. Very creative.


It might get rough in the short term, but in the long run she will look back and think this is the best turning point. creative people need to be self employed and are unlikely to feel fulfilled in a corporate machine. such types often never get the chance to explore their own potential when the pay packet is so certain.


good luck and use that creativity.

right there with ya mate, wife just got notified she is getting the axe at the end of february, there goes a big chunk of income when things were looking up

right there with ya mate, wife just got notified she is getting the axe at the end of february, there goes a big chunk of income when things were looking up

We were just now digging out of a big hole. Then this.

Hang in there too. A lot of us are going through the same crap.