New name, new stuff

I mentioned on Twitter the other day that I just made myself a new goal.

Blog everyday, even if it's just to say HI!

I neglected this blog for a while because with life changes comes blog changes. I started a new blog. This one was more personal. It was about my new life as a truckers wife. A truckers wife with 3 kids at home trying to used to their daddy being gone for 6 weeks at a time. Compelling stuff I tell ya.

My life suddenly went from organized couponer with a rock solid budget to a frazzled wife trying to keep it together in my day to day life. My life, in essence, took a complete 180.

I considered abandoning this blog and just keeping my other one since I wasn't really doing any heavy duty shopping. Chris was always the one to go get the papers on Sunday while I cooked breakfast. Sunday afternoons were spent playing with the kids while I matched, clipped and sorted the coupons. Now I just get a paper if I remember or I'll print out the occasional coupon from online.

I don't have a budget anymore. I don't know from one week to the other how much Chris will make. I actually just reinstalled some budgeting software last night in hopes to at least track where our money is going. We essentially have two households here. One at home and one on the road. Keeping track of expenses takes time and I have just been too lazy busy to do it.

The thought of putting my personal rant of being a truckers wife kinda worried me.

I ranted.

I complained.

I said thing I wouldn't normally say on my serious, budgeting blog.

I needed to get things off my chest and without anyone to talk to, the blog was my catch all.

I started thinking that maybe I should just start a new blog. A random, catchall blog that really had no meaning.

But after realizing how much work it would be to start all over much consideration, I decided to keep this blog and just transfer my other blog posts here. Hence the new look and name.

This will now be my place to share my real life. Both sides of me that were once separated online.

I may come across as negative. I really don't care. When your life does a back flip and suddenly your husband is gone for 6 weeks at a time and you have 3 kids to take care of on a wage so low that it would make your head spin, THEN you will see why I am the way I am.

I don't love the situation we are in at the moment, but aren't in this for the moment. We are in this for the long run. It will get better, but right now, I am just keeping it real.

And sometimes, real... sucks big time.

Wordless Wednesday

The honeymoon is over...

I should really stop saying nice things about who my husband works for. It bit me in the rear last year and it's about to do it again!

Let me just tell you about this.

Right before Chris came home at Thanksgiving he got a message over his Qualcomm letting drivers know about a bonus they were giving. The bonus was for anyone wanting to stay out on the roads over the Christmas holidays in exchange for $$. I knew we would be driving to my dads house and knew he wouldn't really want to spend his home time driving, so I said go for it!

He would be home for New Years and we get some extra cash! Yes please!

Well, now this is where is gets aggravating. Apparently while Chris was home in November, a message was sent out that the cutoff to get your name on the list for the bonus was December 1st. Since he was at home, he didn't get that message. When he contacted his dispatcher to change his home time, the guy made NO mention that it was past the cutoff time.

Chris stayed out at Christmas. Sat for nearly 3 days. For those of you that aren't truckers, when your truck is stopped, you don't make money. He doesn't get paid by the hour. There is no pay. Period.

Fast forward to last week. Chris called payroll to check on the Christmas bonus we thought he was getting. Payroll informed him that the bonus would be paid this coming week but that he should have gotten an authorization number from his dispatcher.

UGH.

Of course his dispatcher is playing dumb to the whole thing.

What is most upsetting to me is that not that the money, but rather that he missed Christmas with his kids. We celebrated when he got home of course, but it just wasn't the same. We made a sacrifice thinking it would be best for the family, but it feels like a big ol' slap in the face to me.

And because if you got to the end of this post without dying from boredom, you deserve a prize!

  

Yes I know this isn't a REAL prize. It's a store. But I thought it fit right into this post.

Back to the grind

I fully intended to have a blog post ready to publish while Chris was home but once again, my intentions were better than my actions. I get so wrapped up on when he will be home that my mind just kinda goes to mush about a week before he actually gets home.

He was scheduled to be home the Wednesday before New Years. He got home New Years Eve. That was cutting it close.

It's so nice to have him home. Everything just flows better. He is so even tempered and well... I'm not.

I know for certain I am a much better parent when he is around.

He was scheduled to go back out on Wednesday but on Tuesday he got a text message from his co-driver saying that his license was suspended. What's more is that it had been since the 15th of December! Oh my word.

Chris has been wanting a new co-driver for a while. The guy he is with should NOT be driving a truck. This bit of information was perfect! Surely he would be fired if the company found out his license was suspended. Not to mention he had just gotten into an incident at a truck stop where he hit another driver's trailer and ripped the hinges off the doors.

Yeah he shouldn't be driving.

So as of this moment, Chris is sitting in the safety department of his carrier explaining to them why he needs another co-driver.