Either I'm not getting laid off or I just got tricked into quitting - either way is a good time to hunker down and prep!

Work has been very tense lately.  I suppose it's good that they gave people several months notice about the layoffs.  Trouble is they said somewhere around 30% are either getting laid off or will transfer to LA.  I'm not going to LA.  About 10% decided to retire.  That's not me.  I've only been at this job for 10 months.  For those who decided to retire they are all getting a going away bonus of about a year salary on top of their retirement accounts.  Good for them. 

The company is being generous and even for very short time people like me, because of my age, I could raise my hand to have them choose me and get about 5 months salary as a gift when they boot me out the door, plus qualify for unemployment.  It was tempting.  Very, very tempting.  I figured out that I could live on my retirement from my other job, but there wouldn't be much for extras.  That's ok for now, but as the grandkids get a little older, I'd like to have a little more money, not settle for what will barely work now.  So I didn't raise my hand.  I almost did but my supervisor talked me out of it. 

He said that he was told if the company said move to LA or lose the job that they would give us the choice and give us the severance package.  Since that would really be my only reason for not wanting to stay I agreed not to say I'd leave.  As long as this is true...  We've been misled before.

It did get me to thinking though.  If I figured that I could live on my retirement then why am I not putting away more money each month, or at least, why am I not spending as much money on preps each month?  Where has the money gone these past 10 months? 

I bought the slug, I mean Prius, and it's 2/3 paid for.  It will be fully paid for in about five more months.  I gave a lot of money away to friends, family, and charities.  The charities will continue to receive. The friends and family money is getting cut back to nothing!  I'm tired of working hard so they can come over with their hands out.  Army daughter and son-in-law watched the grand kids for me from Friday after school until Saturday evening.  On Friday night they all went, along with son and his family, to the local pizza parlor/arcade.  They spent about $100 yet they all complain how broke they are and can barely pay their bills.  This year for their holiday gifts each kid (adult couple) is getting a Dave Ramsey book!  I don't think they will be happy.  Too bad!  If they follow his advice it will be the best gift they could get. The bank of parent is now closed.

Lately I put off spending money on preps.  I'm not sure why (adult kid moochers with their hands out?) but I'm making a new commitment to spend a certain amount of money each and every week.  Whether I buy something for the house, food storage, trailer accessories, protection, I do have a list.  I just stopped buying a while ago.  I think it was probably the uncertainty of the job.  But that's dumb. 

This weekend we aren't going anywhere other than the football game. The time got changed from 4:00 to 7:00 or 7:30 because one of the ESPN channels picked it up.  This will give me a day to shop and a day for yard work and chores.  Boy wants to dig a root cellar.  He wants to put it by the trees.  I told him the root cellar is a good idea but it can't be by the trees because their roots will get in the way.  He said he would dig around them.  He really thinks a root cellar should include tree roots.  He's 11 and never seen a root cellar, what can I say!  But he does have a good idea.  If I get laid off that would be a good project to tackle. 

Last night we had a huge windstorm plus a trace of rain.  It knocked over the clothesline which still had on it two loads of clothes.  Fortunately they were just about dry and most didn't get dirty from laying on the ground all night.  They got picked up and shaken off.  Only a few need to be rewashed.  More laundry is going on the line tonight.  Hope the wind doesn't repeat itself tonight. 

Because the weather has been warm I've had to supplement the feed for the sheep who are now penned up on our front "lawn".  They are doing a good job of roughing up the ground to get the weeds but the leaves aren't falling off the two mulberries as quickly as I was hoping because the trees having figured out that it's autumn.  Maybe with the change of weather last night the leaves will start to fall.  I hope so because I've been giving them a flake or two each day.  That's still not much, about $30 a month.  I did make a good profit from the sheep I sold even if I do have to buy some hay.  But come on leaves!  Fall already.

I started putting in the winter garden.  I planted onions, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce.  Mustard is a weed so that never has to be planted!  I'm still picking zucchini and eggplant but probably only for another week or so. 

We got about 6 inches of snow at the office today.  The roads were still warm so driving was fine.  The plows were also out.  Winter is coming.  Winter was one of the reasons I was thinking about raising my hand and leaving.  I don't like driving up 5000 feet in elevation to get to the office.  I won't be panicky about the driving like I was last winter.  I have learned to drive in the snow and ice, I just don't care to.  But for now I have a job.  They still are going to make more cuts and want to transfer some people.  Hope it's not me.  If it is, I will be out of a job but we will be ready.