Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Lightning Strikes

A little more than a year ago Big Yankee crammed everything he could into his black car, hugged us tight, backed out of the driveway of what we thought was our forever home, and drove 1230+ miles to a new job and a new life for us. 

We were starting over. I spent nine long months solo parenting, trying to sell our house and make it through the day and to the next bedtime. Our three children spent nine months navigating life with a long distance dad and fearing the day we would finally move thousands of miles away from life long friends and family. Big Yankee worked his ass off, missing birthdays, band concerts and Thanksgiving and counting the minutes until we could all live under one roof.

Our house finally sold and by Memorial Day we were fitting the pieces of our fractured family back together. I found a job I loved and we discovered new places and past times in the great outdoors. We breathed a little easier. Life was less stressful and we were getting our groove back. 

And last week it all came crashing down.

 Big Yankee's job-the one we upended our life for-is no longer his. It came out of nowhere and happened instantly. We were shocked, devastated and angry. How could this happen again? How many times did we have to endure this? It felt like some kind of sick joke-living the great American nightmare. I was physically ill and angry and crying and wondering what we did to deserve this over again, and again.

We've had a few days to gain perspective. We're still angry but that won't change anything. We have a roof over our heads and are grateful it's a rental payment and not a mortgage. We're in a better position financially than we were when this happened before. I have a job that will likely go full time in a few months. There are a few job leads and though we don't know many people in town we seem to know a few people in the right places. We've done this before and we can do it again. 

We HAVE to do it again.






46 comments:

NPRMommy said...

i am SO sorry...that is absolutely exhausting. i hope Big Yankee is able to find work again soon. sounds like you have the strength as a family to weather yet another storm. Good luck!

christina said...

ugh, soooo sorry you guys are going through all of this! how maddening!

Unknown said...

That's really tough, I'm sorry. It sounds like you and your family are strong people though, and you'll be able to overcome this.

Caitlin MidAtlantic said...

Oh man, what devastating news. My husband has had jobs just disappear twice now - always at really important turning points of our lives. We haven't had the moving like you have, but it's still so difficult to work through! In the end, the change has always been for the better for us - I hope the same is true for you.

Shell said...

Oh, I'm so sorry! I hope that he is able to find something else soon.

AudreyN said...

I am so sorry to hear this news. I hope he is able to find something else soon.

The Preppy Girl in Pink said...

Holy Moley! I can understand your anger...I am angry for you guys! I hope that Big Yankee will find something soon and that it will be something amazing. Take care!

Treading Water in the Kiddie Pool said...

Oh no Robbie! So sad to hear this. I loved hearing about your annoyances with selling the house and then discovering your new "home" and your new town and to hear that this happened...I'm so sorry but your willpower is very impressive and to be admired. Hugs.

@dkotucker said...

Oh man! So sorry to hear this Robbie. Hopefully just a temporary setback for something bigger and better. Hang in there my friend.

Take care, Di

Tayarra said...

So sorry to hear about this. I'm a firm believer in everything happens when it is supposed to happen. I know it isn't the easiest thing to accept in the midst of trials, but I believe it to be true if you keep doing what you know how to be doing. I wish you luck on what is coming next.

Fritter said...

WHAT?!?! I am SO angry right now for you! I just read this in my email and had to double check the dates. I thought for sure it was an old post.

Seriously dude. Not cool. Sending you vibes from the universe to help y'all out.

Julie said...

I really feel your pain. I'm on my 2nd round of losing my job due to whatever reasons they want to give me (position eliminated was this one) and I'm still trying to establish a life with my husband and its hard. Very hard, esp when I didn't expect this. But I hope that I can overcome this one day.

Stopping by from Shell's PYHO :)

Stacie @ Snaps and Bits said...

I am so sorry Robbie! I feel your pain on the first part but my husband still has the job we moved for. I can't imagine how hard this must be on you. Here's hoping it will all work out even better! But in the meantime, I'm sending you a virtual case of wine ;)

Anonymous said...

Big Yankee here ... thanks to all for the kind words and realization that I'm not the only one that this has happened to. And thanks for giving my wife her proper due and credit with her blog -- she does a great job with everything she does.

Unknown said...

So sorry you have to deal with all of this! Hope things work out quickly for you!

Robbie K said...

Thanks. It sucks but we've done it before and we'll do it again.

Robbie K said...

Thanks. We're finding out how strong we are.

Robbie K said...

Sadly it seems like this has happened to many people. At least my family is living under one roof again which we weren't a year ago.

Robbie K said...

Thanks for your thoughts.

Robbie K said...

Thank you. We're hoping the same.

Robbie K said...

It just feels like we keep getting the short end of the stick. Thanks for your thoughts.

Robbie K said...

Thanks for your encouragement. I can't believe it happened again but we're in a better place than we were last time this happened.

Robbie K said...

Thank you so much for your words of support.

Robbie K said...

Thank you. I've tried to move beyond the anger and remember that this too shall pass.

Robbie K said...

Maybe I should round up the angry blog mob and open up a can of whoop ass on the powers that be that screwed things up for us.

Vibes are much appreciated.

Robbie K said...

Sorry to hear about your job loss. I was laid off a year ago too but was able to find a job I love when we moved here.

We're get through this.

Robbie K said...

Thanks for the encouragement and wine :)

Robbie K said...

Love you :)

Robbie K said...

Thanks. We're hoping for a quick change for the better as well.

Robbie K said...

You said it exactly. We did things right and we still get screwed. I wanted to throw a big fit and scream how unfair it is.

Kimberly said...

Oh no, I am so sorry! I know that sting of thinking you're doing what you should and going where you need to be, only to find out it isn't working out after all. I hope he finds something soon. Hugs to you!

carrie said...

I'm sorry this is happening to you again. Sometimes life can be such a monumental bitch!!

I hope you get on full time soon and that your hubs gets another job.

Wayne W Smith said...

That is brutal. It is amazing how people can be treated like pieces of meat. I hope all works out well for you and that this will become a 'funny story' you tell one day.

Missy | Literal Mom said...

I am so, so sorry. Gawd, that sucks. Please know my thoughts are with you.

Robbie K said...

Thank you very much. You are so right. We based all of our decisions on what we thought was best and now we're getting screwed.

Robbie K said...

Life is a bitch!!

In a few months my employer may get expansion $$ for the grant I work under and then I can go 40 hours. Hoping he will have a job by then as well.

Robbie K said...

Brutal is a perfect description of it. I too hope this will be one of those bumps in the road that becomes insignificant as time goes on.

Robbie K said...

Thank you very much for your thoughts. It means a lot.

Michelle Longo said...

Oh no Robbie!! I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope things start looking up again soon. Sending warm thoughts your way!

Thauna said...

Hope things turn around for your hubby and family quickly!!

Robbie K said...

Thanks so much for your warm thoughts. It sucks hard but we will survive!

Robbie K said...

Thanks so much. It helps to have so many ppl cheering us on.

Unknown said...

This is incredibly unfair and frustrating. It makes me want to find your husbands employer and kick him or her in the shins. At least you are all together. At least you know you will get through this. Let's just hope this is an opening for bigger and better things to come. In the meantime, scream, "This is so unfair!!!" You've earned that right, especially if it makes you feel better.

Robbie K said...

I was so angry at first...and still am if I think about it for very long so I'd welcome an angry mob of shin kickers.

Thanks for your support.

AnnMarie said...

I can't believe it! After all that to have it happen again, Robbie...I feel like kicking someone's ass, too! It sounds like you have a great outlook but man...it's so unfair.

Xiomara said...

Wow! That is so frustrating. I'm wishing the best for you all.