The Michael Swayne Story V: King of his Castle

So, I haven't posted in a while. What's new, right? Well, it was partly because I didn't have anything to write, and partly because I didn't have access to do any writing. But I am alive and well, and that's all that matters.

Anyway, let's get down to it, shall we?

Work is going well. My sister has been taking me around on my route for most of the year so far. She hasn't been having the greatest luck with keeping a job, so the little money I give her each week ($25) pays for her gas and some spending money. And right now, I don't have to pay for her gas (I still do, but I don't have to) because I bought her a new set of tires, and materials for an oil change earlier this month. And you know what, it's actually fun working with my sister. Five years ago, I would never have thought I would be able to be in the same room as her, let alone work alongside her. But she has really become a great person lately. She still drinks from time to time, but no drugs, profanity, or violent behavior. I am glad she is turning out to be a better person.

And with her helping me out, it means I can take on more work. I still work with Larry. In fact, I am now no longer getting paid under the table, and getting 50 cents more per hour than before. Unfortunately, I will probably have to give my first check back to Larry because of how they are going to be reporting that I joined as an actual employee on January 1, 2016 instead of yesterday. So, they will be needing the taxed amount from the time I worked up until yesterday back. I don't really understand or like this situation, but I think in the long run it will be a good thing. Maybe.

I have also started helping out Iris' boyfriend at his garage. It started back in January when I helped them take down their Christmas decorations. After we finished, Joe (that's his name) asked about cutting firewood with him. I personally hate cutting and splitting firewood, but I will do almost anything for money. So I agreed, and we have spent three days so far this winter cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood. Or rather, I have spent three days splitting and stacking firewood. Joe can't actually do that. You see, he's in a wheelchair (major car wreck that left him paralyzed), and he isn't able to get around well in the middle of the woods in his chair. That's why I am there to help. I can't run a chainsaw, but he can. So, he cuts it, I run the splitter, then toss it in the trailer, and unload it after he drives us back to his house. He drives using a baseball bat, and that just seems cool to me. If/when I actually get my license, I may have to consider doing that. That way, I don't have to work my hands and feet at the same time. Anyway, I get $8 per hour working with Joe.

*Short update: I actually just received a call minutes ago from Joe asking if I'd be interested in helping him out doing some landscaping work. He'd be running a lawn mower, and I'd be weed-eating. I said I knew how to run a weed-eater, and he said that I could help him. So, yay!)

And this academic semester, I am tutoring Joey's bus driver in math. But not tutoring in a traditional sense. I am actually doing all of the work myself (aka, cheating). She took the course last year, but had to be automatically withdrawn after missing a lot of days in class due to surgery and hospital stays. She knows the material, but doesn't want to do the work again. So, I do for $200. All she has to do is refresh her memory before the midterm and final, and take the tests. I do everything else. And it's actually interesting. It's a course on mathematics in the medical field. Medical dosing and conversions, etc. The work is extremely easy, because it focuses on dimensional analysis, and I finish everything way before it's due. The only time-consuming thing about it keeping up with the notebook. Showing your work is so boring! I get that it helps reinforce the skills needed to complete the course, but why should I do all of that when I know how to do it in my head?

There may be more courses to do after this one (I know an English Composition course is one), and it pays well. If I had known I could get paid to do other people's homework, I would have started a long time ago! No, I'm kidding. This is an extreme case, and normally I would never consent to doing something like this. If I wasn't completely sure she knew the material, I wouldn't have agreed to do it in the first place. It saves her time, and gives me something to do and some money in my pocket.

Now, I am a little worried that I may be spreading myself too thin. I mean, if I am doing all of these things for other people, then when do I get time to do things for myself? I am trying to think long-term at the moment. I want to one day get my own place, and I can't do that without working more. So, I take any work I get, and hope I don't burn myself out in the process.

Speaking of my own place, I am really leaning toward building myself one of those tiny houses I see on TV now. I talked with Larry about getting one of the shed-things we put in at his rental property, and if I work hard, I could afford one for myself. And this area is seeing a big turnover in land, so getting a plot may not be as difficult as I once thought. Then I just have to give the shed-thing water and electrical hookups (both of which I have done with Larry at his properties), and then deck it out with furniture and whatnot. I know Luca and my two cats would like it.

And I guess that's about it for now. I could go on about other things, but that seems like enough information for one sitting (or standing or whatever, I don't know how you read these posts). So, until next time...

Later!

Michael