Some Good News!

I think I wrote that we are now able to pay our bills for the summer, right? I was able to withdraw the money from my supplemental retirement account from my old job. I know some of you might think that was a bad idea (when I mentioned it last year, making the withdrawal to buy a car, my aunt and uncle flipped out, and I didn't get the money), but it was just sitting there, not earning interest, not doing anything. Sure, I could have rolled it over (which I'm going to do with the account that I can't withdraw because that's just sitting there, too. What do I need $4k sitting in a non-interest bearing account for for 20 years?), but anyway, it would go a long way in helping us a) pay the bills we currently have, b) continuing eating through September, and c) and we thought it might help us pay off a couple of smaller outstanding debts (like $200 here, $350 there--they start to add up, yo). I called the company and a nice check was cut for me and mailed on Tuesday, so that should be here any day now. Just knowing that that's taken care of is HUGE, right? I thought I was getting both, but while the debt repayment portion of it might be on hold (the extra $4k would have taken care of everything!), what I am getting is certainly enough to get us through the end of September comfortably and still allow me to put a couple bucks away toward next summer so that I don't have to teach again in the summer.

This is all fine and great and helpful. Not ideal, but still, way better than where we were on Monday.

Plus, we'll have the husband's GI Bill at the end of the month. He still has another paycheck coming in from the Guard, and then he'll have three drill weekends (not a lot of money, but enough for food) to help out with, too. So we were making plans to go to Home City for a couple of weeks in between his summer quarter and the start of fall quarter. The husband had applied for four jobs almost a month ago. He found out while he was gone that one was filled. We heard from one of his Guard buddies who was a reference for him from his old unit that no one had contacted him about the husband, so we were like, "well, oh well. Let's go to Home City for a couple of weeks instead."

We're headed out the door to go check out this sale, and the J gets a phone call. Rather than conducting interviews for these positions, one of the units just put together a hiring committee and chose him! He got one of the jobs!! Not in the unit in our city (which would have been just about ideal), but this one is about 25-30 minutes away, and it's in an engineering unit, so as soon as the next rank up is open, he doesn't have to be a medic anymore!

Here's what this means: this is a full-time career like job that he will have until he decides to retire or quit. If something happens and the unit has to "downsize" (or whatever), then the Guard has to find him a job somewhere around here for his contract (I believe this is how this works). It means that his retirement is taken care of. It means that since it's a full-time guard job, we don't have to pay for our insurance! That's part of his benefit package!!* He'll make about as much as I do (has much more room for promotion and pay raises) which means that for the next year at least, we should be able to live off his paycheck and use mine to get caught up, pay stuff off, get out of debt! Could it be true?? I can't imagine what this will be like! He was so excited that he gave himself a headache yesterday and then slept in the den last night because he couldn't sleep. I love that he's excited about this. He's back in a unit that's more like his old unit in Home City (he really doesn't like the one he got transferred to, but would have been fine there if he were being paid full time). It also means that since his job is year round, we get a 12 month salary from some means now! I get my summers back for my own work! We get to have Christmas this year!** I mean, he was just beaming! He was bummed when he didn't get the one in his current unit because he thought he had the best shot there, and that would have sucked actually. 75 minute commute, one way, 4 days a week, at 7 am. The extra money we would have gotten for the housing allowance would have been eaten up in gas. So this is a much better deal here!

This also means that he might have to drop out of school. It also means that he might be able to transfer to the uni 30 minutes away and try to take night classes or something, like if he can take a 4:30-6:30 type class. I know he wants his degree, but at least for this career move, he doesn't need it. It's not going to increase his pay or his rank or anything like that. He's too old to go to officer's school, but I know he wants to finish. We'll keep working on that.

This is the first time that we will both have had two good jobs while together and be in the same city! The last time we were both gainfully employed was because he was in Afghanistan. And then that brief time last year, but he was still in Home City. But now, we're both employed in the same city! And we get to live together and both work! And his job isn't a temporary fix to a larger problem!

We don't know when he starts yet, but he goes in Tuesday to fill out his paperwork, sign his contract and all that jazz, and we'll find out when he starts. It actually may not be until September, but since he gets paid twice a month, even if that first paycheck is Sept. 15th, you know that's fine.

I should be able to finish losing the weight now, right? That major financial burden is gone. I haven't slept as good as I have last night in a really really long time.

I think the thing that we are most excited about is that it feels like finally we get to live adult lives. Like we won't be living like students or financially irresponsible people (which is why we're in the mess we're in actually in part--part is unemployment which has nothing to do with irresponsibility, don't misunderstand my position here). I mean, we may be able to "settle down" in a year. This academic year then is about gaining financial stability, paying shit off, not being stupid. I'm cautious about being too excited about living an adult life, but it's been a looooooooooong time coming for the both of us, so we'll see. But I hope he doesn't start until August 15th, so he can finish this quarter and go to my cousin's wedding with us.

We spent yesterday celebrating by doing nothing but lounging around and enjoying each others' company.

*I hate to say how cheap our insurance is already. Truth be told we have no idea how good it is either because we're both pretty healthy and haven't had to use it since we've been here with the exception of going to the eye doctor. So it could be that it's terrible, but I think we chose the more "expensive" one anyway to get the greatest amount of benefits. But it's still a fraction (seriously) of what the university offers. But, and I feel like I'm rubbing it in, it's going to be nice to get that money back though. 

**I'm not even talking about presents or anything either here. We spent all last Christmas fighting because of money, because I was upset that the husband hadn't been more on the ball with school, and because I was exhausted. I'm excited that this means that we won't be fighting over break about money. I don't care about presents. I care more about quality time not fighting with the husband.