5 March 2009 -  Jacksonville, Florida USA                                        

 

Just Working Hard

Has it been this long since I last updated this page? Whew! Another month had passed in what it seems to be a snap… just like that. I guess when you’re so busy doing so many things all at once, you won’t notice the time. That’s exactly how it feels like for me these days. I have been rushed off my feet since I started with a new part-time job three weeks ago at  The all New Tiger Direct/CompUSA.   I am telling you, clocking in 40 hrs a week in my full time job + 28 hrs a week in my part-time job plus on top of these, I also do volunteer job for AARP every Saturday doing taxes for seniors and low-to-middle income folks, are just making me feel like a superwoman.  But before I wear you out with my seemingly exhausting ranting, let me first plug this good piece of information for all taxpayers out there who want to avail free tax service from one of the IRS-sponsored TCE Programs.

Free Tax Help Available Nationwide

AARP, as part of the IRS-sponsored TCE Program, offers the Tax-Aide counseling program for free at nearly 8,000 sites nationwide during the filing season.  We are trained and IRS certified Tax-Aide volunteer counselors who help people of low-to-middle income and people age 60 and older prepare and e-file their tax returns with no charge at all. To locate the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call 1-888-227-7669 or visit AARP's Internet site at https://locator.aarp.org/vmis/sites/tax_aide_locator.jsp

Now back to my ranting.  DH doesn’t particularly like how hard I work these days but he respects everything I personally like doing instead of telling me what and what not to do although he never fails to gently remind me especially when I start drooping.

Apparently, some friends were puzzled why I have to work two jobs when in fact I don’t even have kids to raise not to mention my husband is an RN.  Rumor has it that I married the man with money.  Once and for all, let me just keep the record straight. Guys, whoever spread the gossip around that I married a rich American, they are just being facetious, ok? There’s no single truth to it. Let me say this again, he belongs to the LOWER middle class hard working families.

Contrary to Pinay mentality and belief out there, DH is not making as much as most Filipino Nurses abroad who work round-the-clock, double shifts or work seven days a week on a *PRN basis. (*PRN nurses get paid nearly twice as much hourly compared to permanent/regular nurses because they don’t get any of the company’s benefits at all) That being said, I have never felt the need to begrudge DH for not working the same way most Filipino nurses do because he works as hard as it is on the weekdays and also on-call on some weekends so he'd rather take the time off to unwind from work on the weekend than making even more money. However, I truly believe that if we fall behind on our bills, he won’t mind at all picking up a PRN job or even if it means taking an entry level position at Home Depot, Wal-Mart or in any lumber yard store.

Now, this is not to say all Filipinos are “mukhang pera”... maybe some are but I am definitely not making that stereotype as bad as it sounds. Besides, I don’t see anything wrong with being a workaholic. If you work doubly hard so you could afford the lifestyle you want, then kudos to you... I have more respect and admiration in you for busting your butt off working two to three jobs than those of you sitting on your ass and wait for free government welfare to fend yourself and your family!

Yes, I know it's tough and it is no secret that today's job market is extremely very challenging. With thousands and more and more people losing their jobs everyday, it may seem nearly impossible to get a new job but we all have to persevere and actively look for it and just maybe temporarily settle for an hourly minimum paying job out there even if it’s not the job you would really love to be doing on day to day basis.  As long as it pays the bill that's all it matters especially in this very tough economy.

You know I was raised by parents who’s very dirt poor and could barely fed 15 mouths with two meals a day--heck, oftentimes we didn't even have a clue where our next meal would come from but we never had to rely from the government welfare or handouts from  anyone else for that matter.   Instead, at a very early age, I’ve have learned to work hard and come to realize that if I want to eat, buy, get, go or achieve something in life, I would have to really work hard for it myself and not rely or wait on anybody else to hand it to me for free. That’s how I became very workaholic. Truth to be told, I have achieved my goals, dreams and aspirations in life thru hard work and perseverance. Yes, that includes getting a high school diploma, two college degrees, MBA units and landed a great job I really like to do without "somebody" helping me or backing me up and I was completely debt free, with over P100,000 pesos cash reserved fund in the bank until I come to America and learn to use the words credit and loan but that’s another story of my life. LOL Now, I have two jobs yet I am broke!!!! Go figure.

Needless to say, the very reason I look for part-time job from private company is to make a little extra money for our impending ‘backpacking trip in Europe’ hopefully next year or so but most of all, I do this to complete my social security time retirement (I have 3 more years to go) so that when I retire in 2033, I can hopefully get both Social Security benefits and my government work pension (that’s if the government won’t go bankrupt by then) See? I am thinking ahead.  I am planning and setting goals for my future that’s why I am taking this opportunity while I am still able to do all these things all at once.

So there, even if I work so hard I also look forward to a great adventure in different places to celebrate our wedding anniversary and spend time just for ourselves to relax and have pure fun.

Speaking of which, our planned vacation this year is to fly to LA, do sightseeing in Hollywood and Beverly Hills, then road trip from LA to Las Vegas to Grand Canyon and do a short visit to the city of Phoenix, Arizona.

Oh yeah, our bookings for round trip plane ticket, hotels, car rental and etc have been confirmed already! Yaay!!! I can’t wait to walk to this amazing Grand Canyon Sky Glass-bottomed Horseshoe Bridge.  We'll see if DH and I can actually sustain and complete the round without shutting our eyes out. Remember this is walking on a clear glass bridge 4,000 feet from the ground.

The Grand Canyon Skywalk was opened in March 2007 and is the highest man-made structure in the world — the height of three Empire State Buildings. It’s giant, glass-bottomed horseshoe that overhang 65 feet from the edge of a cliff and suspends courageous visitors 4,000 feet above the canyon floor.  The Grand Canyon Skywalk becomes one of the world's most extraordinary and must-see places.