Tuesday, August 23, 2011

CHANGE

Change happens all the time. Most of the time its subtle and not a big deal. But there are times when change is big and scary and hits you with reality that feels like a Mac truck!

Mike and I are facing a BIG change. Calm down, not divorce....

On July 28, Mike got a layoff notice along with 1900 other people. We were warned ahead of time and knew it was a possibility. We were rattled and talked about it and said "we will cross that bridge when we come to it!" Well, in our arrogance, we didn't REALLY think he would get a notice. We suddenly found ourselves on a rickety suspension bridge made of fraying twine over a chasm filled with the fog of unknown, shards of loss, and choking smoke of panic.

For three days, we holed up in the house, holding each other, staying connected, and having our own private pity party. We promised to make no decisions, commit no actions for two weeks. Any and all ideas were to be written down in a planning notebook and set aside for later review. The ONLY actions to be taken was for Mike to update his resume and apply for jobs.

It has pretty much been life as usual around here. We have tightened our belts where we can. We have laid out "what if" plans. Mike has networked with former co-workers, applied for jobs, and attended job fairs. We are looking into refinancing our house to lower our mortgage payment. By taking a little extra, our monthly payment will still be lower, and we can pay off some additional debt, lowering our total cash outlay further. We are slowly but surely figuring things out. There are two amazing prospects for employment here locally that Mike has applied for.

Millie is for sale and will remain in training until sold.

Bullwinkle will come home from training at the end of September. He has been through everything except actually ridden, due to a couple setbacks. First, the farrier flaked out and it two weeks for him to show up. Then, the equine dentist needed scheduled to remove caps and pull wolf teeth. Finally, there was the fight over accepting the bit. He doesn't want to and because he is so big, the trainer can't MAKE him. So we discussed options and he is going into a sidepull.

The rest of the horses at home are fat grass-fed air puffs, with the exception of Angel. I will try to get pictures this weekend and get them posted. My computer crash and I have to beg Mike to use his...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I feel your pain, the July 27th, we got word that the company my other half was working for decided to close the doors. Thankfully, we are truck drivers, so he found a job within a week. Hoping he finds a new job soon, keep your head up

Shawn said...

Well said...I too know your pain, we are in the same situation! Hope he finds something soon and where you want to be...prayers goin up!

WishIHadAHorsey said...

I am finally caught up and hope that things are going better. You are correct to come up with Plans B, C, D and G (I personally skip F) when things are so topsy turvy. I pray that things are a little better and am glad that you and Mike and such an excellent team.