Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Living in Podunk, I mean Hell!


We have now lived in Miami, OK for 3 months and nothing has changed our minds about wanting to live here. We are still looking for work and with over 40 applications submitted and over 6 job interviews I am nowhere even close to landing a job. One of the interviews I went on make me look at getting a job here with a whole new perspective; The interviewer said "there are plenty of jobs here just not any careers." So, what the heck are we doing here?

I've been told on several occasions by "locals" that this is a great place to raise kids and I can see that with how the school system is structured. Is that enough? I am starting to think that it isn't.

In our neighborhood alone there are approximately 17 registered sex offenders, which in itself makes us uncomfortable and it does not help when the neighbor across the street tells your 6 year old that he has a "girl" bike in his garage. He did not actually invite her but this makes us queasy none-the-less. Was he just being his normal pervert self? Did this mean intention? How do I keep her safe? This neighbor came to be known as pervert long before this incident and this did not help.

Then there is jerk face across the street who took it upon himself to call my 6 year old over and intergate her. He had found a "pad" that goes on a boys bike and wanted to know if it was hers. Duh, her bike is red not black and brand new, so NO it does not belong to her. Then he proceeds to ask her if she has been in his back yard bothering his dogs. She said that she had once to visit them, not bother them, and then went into reading her the riot act. My neighbor saw this and also saw her ride her bike into our backyard looking absolutely terrified. This slug had no right to do that and I have been sitting on my front porch waiting for his return from whatever job he has that takes him away from home for up to a week. How dare he address my daughter like that. I believe that if someone has an issue with a child they should take it up with the parents.

To top it all off; a double and huge sized tree trunk fell from the tree in the backyard taking down our utility lines. The Miami utility company was here within minutes to attach the electrical line back to the house, however, the landlord did not find it an emergency to remove the tree.

I am originally from California and have lived off-and-on in Colorado for most of my life. Arriving here was like arriving in a town stuck in a previous century. There is nothing to do but the bowling alley, Casinos, bars, and Wal-Mart. I'm too afraid to take my kids to the main park for the perverts that are supposed to inhabit it and I cannot stand the laid back and nonchalant attitude that floats around here from people. There is a very dangerous thought process around here that goes something like this: "It could never happen here." Talk about a town full of idiots.

I have so much more to say on this subject so I will save some for later. By-the-way, podunk is between a one-horse-town and a village!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Good Deed or Greed?

So, I was out shopping, ok browsing, at Wally World and happen to be in the bead section just looking to see what is out there. There was an elderly lady looking as well right in front of where I wanted to be. I patiently waited and then decided not to be rude and I asked her if she did beading. She said a little and we started to talk.

Well, come to find out that she is back here for a few more months, just had a lump removed, wasn't sure if it was a good idea to buy a foam top for a 20 year old mattress, and didn't know how to use her Toshiba laptop computer. At the time I really wasn't thinking of making any money helping her out, but I have done things for people in the past on an hourly, really cheap, basis and really wanted to help her out.

I gave her my fee break down and contact information and am now waiting to hear from her. She is all alone here and I feel bad that she should have to take crap from the cell phone company she has and etc. I told her that I could help teach her how to use the laptop, clean behind her couch, set up the foam top on the mattress, call the cell phone company and see about the charges she was being charged for some guy's phone calls that she doesn't even know.

Just to be clear here she asked me how much I would charge and things went from there. I feel like I am doing a good deed but also don't want to seem greedy. I offered her references and she told me that she didn't need them; she likes my face! Is it greedy to do something like this for a fee? Is it also considered a good deed? Or are the two really separate ideas? I love helping others, but I don't have a job right now and could really use the money.

We'll see she may not even call, but I feel good about offering to help her and I'm hoping that is enough!

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