The Recession Hits Home

It was just a matter of time until this recession became personal. That happened last night when my manager at the hotel where I work informed me that my hours will be cut in half. Instead of work Mondays and Thursdays on the 3 to 11 PM shift, I will now only work the Monday night shift. This change in hours will continue until business picks up at the hotel. My co-worker, the other retired “elderly gentleman who works part-time” also had his hours cut in half. I know the owner of the hotel was reluctant to make these changes but he had little choice. My co-worker and I can manage because we have other sources of income (retirement pensions and Social Security.) The full-time employees don’t, their only source of income is their job. Of course I will have to do a little belt tightening. Maybe I won’t go out to dinner as often or buy a new passel of books from Amazon.com. I’ll survive.

Actually, yesterday was a “Bad news, good news” kind of day. I also received a phone call from the Census Bureau. Right now we’re playing telephone tag but I suspect they’re calling as a result of the Census Bureau worker application test that I took last month. Hopefully they’re offering me a job. I’ve always been interesting in the census because of my work in genealogy research. When I read about Census Bureau jobs in my AARP magazine, I thought “Why not?” It seemed like a job I would be interested in and I can certainly use the extra income. I won’t mind working the odd hours (evenings and weekends.) Seems like a no brainer to me. The only downside would be if I would have to work in a neighborhood that is either too far away from me or a different socio-economic group than I am. Not to seem stuck up or priggish, but it would not interest me to travel all way to Milford or Dagsboro and exploring strange neighborhoods with potential unknown dangers. Nor would I be interested in a supervisory position. I’ve had just about all the supervisory positions I need for my lifetime, thank you. It’s just about all I can do to manage myself and Bill.

The snow is still on the ground outside but it is melting rapidly. 70’s are forecast today. Maybe by the end of the day this dirty, nasty snow will be gone. Even though the economy is falling all around us, I am thankful for where I am now. Just a few weeks ago a friend informed us that he had “the big C.” One never knows when one’s number will turn up. I may have lost hours at my job yesterday, thus closing one door. However, another door may open soon for me. As long as I have my health I have hope. I got some aches and pains and I may not look as pretty as I did thirty years ago but I still have few days ahead of me. I have my friends, family and home and health. I am rich.

11:04 am

Yesterday a friend of mine sent me one of those e-mails informing me that something good was going to happen to me at precisely 11:04 am today. Actually, the e-mail said that I would “receive good news at 11:04 am.” All I had to do was to pass it on to at least seven of me e-mail friends. My friend said he normally doesn’t forward e-mails like that but something told him to forward that one yesterday. He also asked me to let him know if anything happened at 11:04 am today. Well……………………I did get good news at 11:04 am.

Actually, I didn’t think of his e-mail until about an hour later when I was getting haircut in Rehoboth Beach. Earlier in the morning I had taken a test at the Inn (where I also happen to work coincidentally) to be a census taker. One friend of mine told me “an idiot could pass that test.” Another friend told me “it’s no problem” (or something along those lines – he will be sure to correct me if I misquote him thus the disclaimer.)

Well, I was somewhat surprised to find that the test was harder than I anticipated. There were 30 questions that we had 30 minutes to complete. I was on question 10 when the test giver informed us we were half way through our 30 minutes. I was getting slowed down on the mathematical questions. No calculators were allowed and it was taking me quite a while to do some simple math multiplication with decimals. I decided to skip through the test and answer first the easy questions as the test giver had suggested. The rest of the questions weren’t that easy for me either. This old 67 year old brain is out of practice for test taking. I was getting nervous.

Then the test was over. I hadn’t answered seven questions. One question I didn’t even get to read. I was sure I failed. Oh the shame. The test giver informed us she could give us our test score if we wanted to wait a few minutes. Oh, why not? She called my name 3rd from last. I was sure I failed. As I approached her she had a smile on her face and said “You passed. Have a good day!” Great surprise! Now I could face my co-workers (who were standing by the front desk) and tell them I passed rather than be a miserable failure. As I approached the front desk I saw the owner also there with a smile on his face. He asked “How did you do Ron?” I said “I passed!” I was so excited that I forgot my man bag (a semi brief case – actually like a large purse.) Walking outside I hear a ferocious knock on the window. It was the owner motioning me back in the hotel. I thought “What now?” He handed me by bag and said “You’re going to need your make-up kit.” Funny.

Next stop was a haircut. After getting myself settled in the barber’s chair I replayed the morning’s events in my mind. It was then I realized that my friend’s prediction did indeed come true. I receive the information that I had passed the test at right about 11:04 am. The test was at 10 on the dot. It was over at 10:30. Gathering the test papers and scoring them took about 20 minutes. By the time the test giver called me (3rd from last, remember?) it was just after 11 am.

I’ve long suspected that I have a guardian angel. Now I know. I’ll have to give him a name.