June 25, 2005

Yesterday....
Yesterday was negotiating day for me. First, Boss and I discussed a pay raise. I started working there 14 months ago and have not had a single pay raise. Not one. He told me that all companies aren't the same and none are required to give pay raises. I told him I've had 28 jobs due to DH's military career and maybe they aren't required to give pay raises, but EVERY single job I had gave a pay raise at 6 months AND a year (and most jobs I had, and we're talking low end of the pay scale here, gave pay raises every THREE months!). So this is just obfuscation. We dickered back and forth for a bit and he tested the waters by low-balling some figures. I basically told him I need X amount of dollars and if he can't get it, he better be darned close because I can go to an employment agency and be working next week for that amount of money...so we shall see. Next, went to car dealership to turn Richard's car in for AC repairs. We went and looked at trucks on the lot. We looked at used ones, particularly. We found a nice one - 4wd, but some very high mileage. It was a little too much for the price. We test drove it, kicked the tires, discussed the pros and cons and went in to talk to the sales person. We dithered some more to the point he asked us what price we were looking at. I told him my out-the-door quote. He came back with THAT as the list price! Sooo...we don't know if we're buying it yet. We may. Or may not. We shall see on Monday when a friend takes a look to see if its sound mechanically.When we got home, the dog water was back in the house. We'd put the dogs in the garage so people could preview the house without Flint going psycho-fearful. Apparently, the people who looked at it this morning and last week came back while we were gone and took another peek. I know this because I found one little flint-poop in my bedroom. And the dog water was back in the house - the agent was worried they had no water and carried it back inside the house before she left. The whole point is...the viewers made an OFFER!!!! Well, we talked about it and decided no, we'd not accept, but we'd make a counter-offer. Split the difference. THEY TOOK IT. We sign contract today and closing in 3 weeks! ACK! I have to go find an apartment! So - rather than cleaning today for the Sunday showing - we aren't having a showing and will be apartment hunting instead! And that's all the news as of this morning. Now I have to go shower, make the bed and get dressed for the contract signing and apartment hunting!Back later!