Man, that was a short job search; it’s almost like fate.
Mrs. Rimshot has been a stay-at-home Mom for the last ten years or so, with the exception of a brief stint helping a friend organize a badly floundering business.
Not that she’s living the life of a bon-bon queen; she filled her time with volunteer work at church and in the kids’ schools, with sitting on a School Board committee (defining the Health Education curriculum, and that’s a Pit thread in its own right) teaching Kung Fu, and various other non-paid but time-and-energy-consuming jobs and activities. The little Rimshots got where they needed to be, had a ready shoulder available at the end of each stressful school day, and generally had terrific grade-school through middle-school careers, mom-wise.
But, the plan had always been that she would go back into the paid working world when the oldest child neared college age. He’s a sophomore in High School now, and we’re buried in brochures from schools from all over (as a Sophomore, he’s in the 99th percentile of High School Juniors on his PSATs (I know, I’m bragging. I’ll stop)). So it looks like college will be a reality for him, and we’d dearly love to send him someplace that’ll actually give him a shot at studying what he wants, and that’ll give him a legitimate “college experience”. Her income was always intended to pay for college, but in these uncertain times . . . let’s just say I was a little worried.
To make a long story short (“too late!” you say - I know, sorry), Mrs. Rimshot was checking out Monster the other day, and came across a position. The position. It’s an Executive Assistant job requiring organizational and computer-literacy skills, basic liberal-arts-education type overall smarts and flexibility. She went in for an interview, almost on a whim. They liked her. A lot. They brought her back for a second interview today, and they still liked her. A lot.
She starts in two days.
It’s almost too good to be true. It’s in our town - five minutes from the house if she does the speed limit and stops at all the lights. The hours are flexible - she can still teach Kung Fu a couple of afternoons, and the little Rimshots won’t be mom-less for too much of any day.
The people seem nice, the place is professional, and she has a window office with a nice view. And the money is good. Really good. Eight years of college good (there’s two little Rimshots, four years apart).
And, should something ever happen to me, she’s got income. Yeah, I’m insured to the hilt, but I still worry.
So tonight, we celebrate. I’m taking her out - steaks, wine, candlelight.
This one’s on me.
