Part of the Thanksgiving Day 99%
I work full time. That's not 40 hours per week. That's 50 to 60 hours per week.
I drive taxi for a living. It isn't Who I am. It's just what I do.
No. I did not watch the Macy's parade.
When I am working, I don't get home til nearly 6 a.m.
When I am Not working - As has been the case all week - my body clock is still on a similar schedule.
Wednesday night I was lucky to fall asleep at 4:30 a.m.
No. I did not spend Thanksgiving with family or friends.
I didn't even have the extra money to buy ice and a couple of liters of soda for the family dinner.
I don't feel well, and I am getting very, very tired of that.
My nerves are shot. I lived on chips & cookies for the last 3 days because that's all the food I had in the house.
I don't have a $1.00 for a burger, because if I spend it, I won't have enough to pay off everything I need to keep driving taxi.
I am just trying to get all my work ducks in a row.
I spent the last 3 days jumping through hoops trying to renew my Taxi Driver Permit.
1. I was late paying a ticket, partly because I got suspended so many times for booking below average.
I am now forced to "join 'em" and that makes me ill. If I don't, I will get fired.
2. Because I was late, my driver's license had been suspended.
I had to go to the DMV to fix that once I paid the ticket.
I had to then go to a payday loan place because I had to pay the DMV because they charged me $78.00 to lift the suspension.
Once that got done I had just enough time to get back to the DMV.
3. I went to the TA and they want my original pro drivers physical exam papers.
That was done in March!
I have packed all my stuff up 3 times since then due to too much drama here and I have no clue where the original is.
I have the card taped to the back of my TA permit just like always, but that isn't good enough for them.
The office girl at the cab company decided to leave early on Wednesday, so I was not able to retrieve them from my job.
So, because I don't have the damn originals, I now have to go to the doctor & get a new exam - more money.
I can go to the doctor Friday, but the TA is closed until Monday for the Holiday. How nice for them.
4. All in all, this is costing me about $100.00 extra just to re-up my permit.
I will also be charged for my health insurance for the days I'm missing work.
That'll be in the $250.00 range, meaning my paycheck on 11/30/11 will be
about $50.00.
I have my rent to pay & a phone bill.
Thank God those are the only regular bills I have.
But now I have to also make a payment on the payday loan.
This has been a horrible week. Everytime I tried to take care of this self-made problem, I hit all brick walls.
I can't help but wonder if my Higher Power is trying to tell me to get another job.
I'm quite sure He knows how much this one is killing me.
I am Very Grateful to have a gig - don't get me wrong.
It's just that this one is draining me so much - physically, emotionally, & spiritually.
I know there are folks in this universe who are much worse off than I am,
but that's kind of hard to take into consideration when one is hungry.
This is not to seek sympathy. These are just the facts of my life.
I AM THE 99%.
There may be a silver lining in all of this. I can not afford cigarettes now.
Looks like the perfect time to quit.
