The Other Work

Feeding 3 kids during “the gap" between checks

Last night when I finally got home, I felt fully defeated. I’d tried to reason with the call center folks to please reassign this delivery.

Their own GPS had given me bad directions, which used up most of my gas. I wasn’t going to be paid what I actually drove, but only to the original address the app actually directed me to (which was an empty field.)

By the time I handed the customer his food, the paper bag was all messed up, and I was trying to conceal the fact that the fruitless begging with the “care” team left me in tears, and had resulted in nothing for the customer either. I’d hoped to tell him I was so sorry, but that this was on us. You’ll get a refund, and you can still eat this cold, sloppy meal if you want. I had to eat the cost of the gas, probably five bucks.

What’s five bucks? I hear a collective voice asking. Why am I being so petty?

Glad you asked.

About 5 days before the end of every month,I’ve usually reached flat broke. I can make my checks last almost the whole month, but that little stretch of days between the last of the money and the next check are really hard.

WORK

I’m trying to do the dinner dishes from last night using the last of the dish soap. I was hoping I could add a little water, make it last the whole gap, save the dollar. I sigh, wiping my hands on my cutoffs (lest I waste a paper towel.) I grab…