Ahh...now I remember

Doncha hate it when you're not around the computer, think about a post...almost write the whole thing in your head...then when you do get a chance to post, you've forgotten what the hell you were gonna write about, and the harder you try to remember, you just cant?

But I love it when it just pops back into my head. Kinda makes all that frustration worth it.

Aaaanywho,

Sandy's post

is what gave me the idea. She and I think a lot alike on this subject.

I've been at my new job now for nearly 2 months. In the process of getting to know me, some of my co-workers have expressed a normal curiousity about me and my life. Ya know? Stuff like where I live and am I married and do I have kids and just the sort of "general" type stuff ya ask when you're getting to know someone.

Now there are only two other women that work in the same office as I do that also work part time. All the rest are full-timers. Some work full time out of necessity...they're single mothers and just need to work full time.
Some of them...well, honestly I have no idea why they work full time...or even work at all, to tell ya the truth. A few are already retired from somewhere else and this is just sort of a...I dunno...hobby...for the lack of a better word, for them.

The rest are obviously fairly well-to-do with long marriages to successful men. In other words, they don't need to work. They do it because they like it...I guess. Though ya sure couldn't tell it by hearin 'em talk.

That last little group is the one I have a problem with.

There have been at least four of 'em that have said to me, "Boy, your hours are great! I wish I could just work part time."

Uh. 'Scuse me?

Bein the new gal on the block, I'm not familiar enough with 'em to just come out and ask 'em just exactly why they don't work part time. The fact of the matter is, I don't need to ask 'em.

I already know why they feel like they have to work full time.

They all live in extremely nice homes. They all drive new, fairly expensive vehicles. Most of 'em have a standing weekly manicure appointment. Most of 'em shop at expensive places. They go on cruises. They have mortgages and credit cards and keeping up with the Joneses to contend with.

Now, all that stuff is great...if that's whatcha want. But those things just aren't high on my list of life priorities. In fact, I've never felt a burning desire for a manicure...not ever. Never had one. Don't intend to start now.

We have a great home in a nice neighborhood and we don't hafta worry about property taxes or upkeep. If something breaks, the landlord is here within an hour to fix it. We don't have any neighbors named Jones and even if we did, I wouldn't give a rat's ass about keepin up with them.

My car is 5 years old and was the cheapest thing I could find at the time. It's certainly no luxury car, but it's still more or less dependable and gets me where I wanna go in relative comfort.

We have things like steak and shrimp pretty much whenever we're in the mood for it, but if we feel like eating out, we eat out. I do check out the ads and buy stuff when it's on sale, but I don't not buy something we want if it isn't.

I like nice stuff as much as any other woman. But "nice" doesn't necessarily always mean "expensive". I don't do trendy shit...well, except for the "Crocs". I don't do fancy clothes. I like classic, good quality things that never seem to go out of style.

The other day, one of those particularly annoying, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses gals said to me...again..."I just don't know how you do it...only working part time."

I looked at her, smiled sweetly and just said, "I have a very generous boyfriend."

I think I might've put that subject to rest. Permanently.

#%^&$%@#$!!! I cannot get that damn "show/hide" thingy to work. Sorry.