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[Kookaburra]

249. I take care of my disabled relatives

Although I am not paid for it.

Up until 3 years ago, I worked for a company that I helped start up from just an idea in some brilliant minds. After the heart and conscience of the company suddenly died of a heart attack, they sold out to a larger conglomerate, who basically broke them and then threw them out to fend for themselves. A few years later, I fell prey to company wide lay offs. They got rid of all the original people, and brought in refugees from BofA and Wachovia lay offs to take our places -- sigh.

I looked for a job for a while, but nobody seemed interested in hiring -- the market was glutted was people looking, and I'm not exactly right out of college anymore (closer to 50 than I like to believe or admit), and of the thousands of resumes I sent out I received exactly 4 interviews.

Finally, after giving up on finding anything remotely resembling what I used to do, I took a bartending class and was offered a job tending bar at a local restaurant. Woohoo! A job!!! But the Universe has a very dark sense of irony -- on that very day, my brother fell very ill and almost died, and he and my mother had to come live with me. They both have some serious health issues and need my attention so working full time -- or even part time -- outside the home is impossible.

I'm sorry, what was the question again?