This is an absolutely true story Book Index
(click on video to turn off music)"Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. That sentence is the leper's bell of an approaching looter. " Ayn Rand
I worked contract jobs at anywhere from $50 to $75 an hour. But we were ALWAYS broke.
Worse, Mel was missing truck payments.
When we first set up housekeeping together, Mel took care of the bills, I gave her my paycheck and she took it from there. I know Devon costs a tidy sum, but we were also getting $800 dollars a month from her Devon’s dad.
When Devon" finally arrived home safe and sound from Hawaii, she was bitter and wrote a very "legalese" letter to her father demanding her child support.
Jackie and I had not been together since Devon was four. So he owed a tidy sum. I didn’t ask much of him in the divorce papers, only $100 a month. I didn’t want him to fight me for custody. Being gay in Texas was a sure fire way for this to happen. As a rule the contentious parent sues for custody thinking they can do a better job parenting for cheaper. I also really preferred he not have visitation and he was the sort that would not mind if it saved him money.
Devon also helped with information to Supportkids and they got an award of $800 a month after their fee of an additional 33%. It's a wonderful organization that goes whereever the unpaying parent is and takes them to court We are in Texas. He was in Hawaii. There is no way we could have otherwise done this.
So…Mel not making her payments on her truck was very disconcerting. As I have stated, I didn’t like argument or dissention, so I did what I could to keep the peace and solve this puzzle.
I got up at 3 or 4am made it to my sites by 5 and working until 7 or 8, maybe later at night. Mel worked from 3pm to 11pm at The Methodist Hospital, so she never knew when I arrived home. She did notice though, that I was getting home at weird hours and she actually accused me of cheating. Of course.
During one of confrontations, not only was I working tiring hours to make extra cash, but I had also been shopping at several malls and shopping centers for the materials needed to matt and frame all of her awards from the Coast Guard. It included photos I had enlarged. We didn’t have printing availabilities we have now and I would need to use a reprographics firm to get the final product. I was going to give these to her for X-mas.
“I know you are cheating”, I ended up showing her what I was doing to shut her up.
But I didn’t disclose the extra work hours.
I was also having a problem with her haranguing my clients for money. All my contracts had a turnaround of 45 days, but I found she was contacting them sometimes only after a week of my working for someone. It costs me projects and I had to confront her about it. She got quite upset with me, but she let up for those few weeks and I was able to get my money first hand instead of having her pick it up. No, I didn’t know she was getting the money early, I thought she was getting the checks in the mail. Turns out she was picking them up directly from my clients.
I picked up the most current check, and deposited in our account the amount she expected. I took the remainder, $5000, paid her late truck notes including astronomical fees, paying three months to Ford Motor Credit in advance. I also paid her insurance three months in advance. I didn’t want her to know, but soon she figured it out, and it wasn’t long before it happened again…and again I did the same thing. Essentially, she was not only spending the money she was supposed to be targeting these bills with, but she was spending the money I was paying in advance. An endless loop.
I was so frustrated by this turn of events. I started to get horrific migraines. Probably from lack of sleep, too much coffee, too many hours staring at a computer, too many contentious property and project managers, visiting project sights and lack of sleep.
Mel got very concerned and was certain it was my neck. She had the same symptoms when her neck needed surgery years past and she was convinced I needed the same.
One of these attacked piqued suddenly. On the way to a party at the Rheingold’s, a party we absolutely had to make, my neck was so bad I couldn’t turn my head. On the way there she stopped at a hospital in Houston where a friend worked in the pharmacy and she asked him for SOMA. We picked up the muscle relaxer and I took one on the way there.
Oh….My…God…..
They are like Quaaludes. If you are a child of the 60’s you understand.
Needless to say, I could get used to this.
And I did.
By the way IISTG means If It Seems Too Good to be True
Our Salon commercial
This is an absolutely true story Book Index
(click on video to turn off music)"Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. That sentence is the leper's bell of an approaching looter. " Ayn Rand
I worked contract jobs at anywhere from $50 to $75 an hour. But we were ALWAYS broke.
Worse, Mel was missing truck payments.
When we first set up housekeeping together, Mel took care of the bills, I gave her my paycheck and she took it from there. I know Devon costs a tidy sum, but we were also getting $800 dollars a month from her Devon’s dad.
When Devon" finally arrived home safe and sound from Hawaii, she was bitter and wrote a very "legalese" letter to her father demanding her child support.
Jackie and I had not been together since Devon was four. So he owed a tidy sum. I didn’t ask much of him in the divorce papers, only $100 a month. I didn’t want him to fight me for custody. Being gay in Texas was a sure fire way for this to happen. As a rule the contentious parent sues for custody thinking they can do a better job parenting for cheaper. I also really preferred he not have visitation and he was the sort that would not mind if it saved him money.
Devon also helped with information to Supportkids and they got an award of $800 a month after their fee of an additional 33%. It's a wonderful organization that goes whereever the unpaying parent is and takes them to court We are in Texas. He was in Hawaii. There is no way we could have otherwise done this.
So…Mel not making her payments on her truck was very disconcerting. As I have stated, I didn’t like argument or dissention, so I did what I could to keep the peace and solve this puzzle.
I got up at 3 or 4am made it to my sites by 5 and working until 7 or 8, maybe later at night. Mel worked from 3pm to 11pm at The Methodist Hospital, so she never knew when I arrived home. She did notice though, that I was getting home at weird hours and she actually accused me of cheating. Of course.
During one of confrontations, not only was I working tiring hours to make extra cash, but I had also been shopping at several malls and shopping centers for the materials needed to matt and frame all of her awards from the Coast Guard. It included photos I had enlarged. We didn’t have printing availabilities we have now and I would need to use a reprographics firm to get the final product. I was going to give these to her for X-mas.
“I know you are cheating”, I ended up showing her what I was doing to shut her up.
But I didn’t disclose the extra work hours.
I was also having a problem with her haranguing my clients for money. All my contracts had a turnaround of 45 days, but I found she was contacting them sometimes only after a week of my working for someone. It costs me projects and I had to confront her about it. She got quite upset with me, but she let up for those few weeks and I was able to get my money first hand instead of having her pick it up. No, I didn’t know she was getting the money early, I thought she was getting the checks in the mail. Turns out she was picking them up directly from my clients.
I picked up the most current check, and deposited in our account the amount she expected. I took the remainder, $5000, paid her late truck notes including astronomical fees, paying three months to Ford Motor Credit in advance. I also paid her insurance three months in advance. I didn’t want her to know, but soon she figured it out, and it wasn’t long before it happened again…and again I did the same thing. Essentially, she was not only spending the money she was supposed to be targeting these bills with, but she was spending the money I was paying in advance. An endless loop.
I was so frustrated by this turn of events. I started to get horrific migraines. Probably from lack of sleep, too much coffee, too many hours staring at a computer, too many contentious property and project managers, visiting project sights and lack of sleep.
Mel got very concerned and was certain it was my neck. She had the same symptoms when her neck needed surgery years past and she was convinced I needed the same.
One of these attacked piqued suddenly. On the way to a party at the Rheingold’s, a party we absolutely had to make, my neck was so bad I couldn’t turn my head. On the way there she stopped at a hospital in Houston where a friend worked in the pharmacy and she asked him for SOMA. We picked up the muscle relaxer and I took one on the way there.
Oh….My…God…..
They are like Quaaludes. If you are a child of the 60’s you understand.
Needless to say, I could get used to this.
And I did.
By the way IISTG means If It Seems Too Good to be True
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Comments
BTW, I'm glad you managed to survive all of this.
Another good one, thank you!