Wednesday, October 17, 2007

This 'n that

The third batch of thunderstorms for the day just passed over.  I like rainy days, unless we get too many of them in a row.  The dog and I even sneaked our morning walk in between showers.  Cliff was deterred from going; he was helping out a neighbor.

The grandson went job-hunting today.  His employers tried to get him to go on salary, rather than hourly pay, several months back.  He refused.  He works for a business that supplies meat to restaurants, so right now, they aren't real busy.  Come Thanksgiving, when Christmas shopping starts, the load picks up.

So they're working him four days a week, for six-hour days (making him drive that gas-guzzler of his all that way for six hours burns me up).  Someone sneaked around and told him that their plan is to wait until busy season and then offer him a ridiculously low salary, which he'll be given no choice but to accept... or else leave.  In other words, they intend to make him quit; they don't want to pay him overtime, and they don't intend for him to receive unemployment.  Prayers would be appreciated for his job search.

This means the grandson won't be going away with us this weekend.  He can't afford to miss work Friday after being off today.  On the bright side, at least he'll be here to babysit the dog.  She doesn't require much watching, but the daughter would have been stuck with the job; now she's off the hook.

I've heard through the neighborhood grapevine that our renters are going to be moving.  Picture me doing a happy dance.  Oh, they're great renters.  It's just that we want that eyesore of a mobile home out of here!  I suppose we'll miss the $275 a month, but really, that isn't much money these days.

My mom and dad bought the trailer house second-hand, when Daddy was dying of cancer.  Mother lived there for several years, and when she moved... first to senior housing, then to a nursing home... we decided to try renting it out.  The same people have been here for ten years or so; we've literally watched their kids grow up.  Originally we said "no pets"; but as that trailer got more run-down, and junkier-looking, we realized that we wouldn't be renting it to anyone else once these folks moved.  So they acquired a cat and two dogs along the way.  A couple of years ago, Cliff told them that he wouldn't  raise their rent, but they'd have to do their own maintenance on the place.  Otherwise, any little repair we had to do would take all the monthly rent, or more.  So that's how it's been.

I do think they're in for a rude awakening when they pay three times the rent, plus pay a water bill, which they've not had here.  But I can't blame them for wanting something better.  I certainly would.

I've heard several other things through the grapevine lately about neighbors, but nothing my readers would be interested in.  And nothing I'm free to divulge.  

Rainy days like this make me want to sit at the computer, and that's mostly what I've done.  Over at Blogger I often participate in Wordless Wednesday.  Today I visited at least a hundred of the participants, leaving comments with many of them.  It's a nice way to find interesting journals and blogs to read.

So that's my day in a nutshell.  In about fifty minutes I'll remove my carcass from this chair and head to the Lazy Boy in the living room, where I'll continue to veg out until bedtime.

I remember an expression of my parents "... ain't worth shootin'."

That's me, today.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

that was one of my Nana's favorite sayings, I've been feeling that way lately myself, but things are getting better.


Derek
http://deveil.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

I can remember someone in my family saying that about himself when you'd ask how he was doing. lol  Rainy days are good for just vegging out, so I'm glad you got to do that.  I hope your grandson finds a better job or that his employers come to their senses and realize what he's worth.
Lori

Anonymous said...

Had too many of those days lately....

Anonymous said...

you are worth to much to "shoot"...and aol has been doing strange things with my journal friends also...sometimes I get a journal that was written last week...no way I pass up a journal reading for that long....I haven't written much lately...but still enjoy reading about my jlanders!!!!  and hope gson has a rewarding time job hunting....ain't easy...but he can do it...and it seems (hopefully) we will get some of that rain from Florida way and from you too...hope not too much...really windy right now...we will see....hang in their veggie...and enjoy LOLOL...hugs to ya...Ora

Anonymous said...

Tonight our weather reports are telling us about tornados in your state, I hope that all is well with you and Cliff, I miss when you don't do an entry.  The grandson is in my prayers.       Vicki

Anonymous said...

I sure do wish that we could get some of that rain here in GA.  We're in an EXTREME DROUGHT.  We thought that we might get some today, but looks like it just passed us by.  I'll be praying for Arick & his job hunt.  Pray that we get rain soon here.  

Hollie

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...to the best of my understanding there are FLSA regulations regarding exempt and non-exempt employees (meaning who gets overtime and who does not).  He may want to check out the Fair Labor Standards definitions on overtime.  Sometimes businesses do not pay attention to the law and these laws have recently been redefined in the last few years.  What they are doing may be illegal and they may not know it.  If so, he could pass the info along in conversation so that management checks it out first... and might avoid the ugly offer to cease OT.
There is a checklist to determine if an employee should be paid hourly or salary.  If he gives reviews, helps make hiring decisions, makes critical decisions that impact the company, supervises 2 or more employees (I think)...then he is not supposed to be an hourly paid employee...but salaried exempt (exempt from OT).  We have had to completely reclassify some of our jobs.  I was on the team to help do this.

Anonymous said...

Your spare time is a luxury.  I know you appreciate it!  I can only drool...

Anonymous said...

I hope your grandson finds something better in the job department! His employers sound like they are awful.

We had some severe weather roll thru wednesday evening, I hope you didnt get the bad stuff we did.

Yep, the renters will be in for a shock, they are getting a huge bargain where they live now! Are they buying a house or renting again? They should have told y'all-geesh!

Anonymous said...

What your son should do is walk around the plant looking for health code violations... then bring up what he saw (and who he'll notify) when the negotiations begin to turn against him.