Hey! It’s a Blog (and Life) Update

Chel Owens

After crawling through pregnancy and limping through the newborn stage, I have emerged to be a whole, new Chelsea! This model is …a bit more overweight, a lot more tired, and barely has time to read and write.

She’s also taken up employment.

I work in a cafeteria. I applied for a cashier job and was hired at my son’s school. I don’t do much cashiering currently because every child gets free school lunch in America. The job has many perks: free food, free exercise, limited exposure to people, and unlimited latex-free work gloves.

I’ve taken the time I normally laid around the house; irresponsibly folding clothes, washing dishes, getting the baby out of the potted plants, finding shoes, reprimanding children, getting the baby out of the cleaning cupboard, picking up towels, washing pans, getting the baby off of the stairs, planning meals, balancing the budget, getting things out of the baby’s mouth, helping in the dice store, and cleaning cleaning cleaning- and put it to good use doing similar things in a more commercial environment that doesn’t have a baby crawling around.

After paying for day care, I bring home about $10 each day. I haven’t even learned what portion of that Uncle Sam will take; I don’t get my first paycheck till Thanksgiving. Maybe.

But, if you’re still reading, I doubt you clicked on this to learn about the intricacies of folding a towel after lunchlady work while using your foot to push the baby away from the stove dials as a timer goes off and dinner burns. The blog update part of this is that I need to cut back on posting. Frankly, I’ve gotten burned out by the dead-end that writing is for me anyway.

I’ve mentioned this before, I know. I need writing and I NEED this community. I also need sleep.

Here are the blog changes I will implement:

  1. The weekly A Mused Poetry Contest will take place once a month.
  2. I will occasionally answer prompts like Deb’s 42-word story, Girlieontheedge’s Six Sentence story, Carrot Ranch‘s 99-word flash, Colleen Chesebro‘s Tanka Tuesday, Esther Chilton‘s limericks, and maybe a Blog Battle or d’Verse.
    I recommend you check them out and enter, too!
  3. I’ll post COVID-19/Coronavirus updates if you’re interested. We’re now on a statewide mask mandate and all extracurricular school activities are cancelled for two weeks.
  4. Most importantly, I will read my friends’ posts whenever I get a chance.
  5. Even more most importantly, please know that I always mean the very best when I comment or write. I do not look to offend.
  6. I support President Donald J. Trump as I have our other elected leaders, and I dislike people saying offensive things about him (or any other political figure). Be civil.

If you’re still around after those announcements, here’s some cake:

Photo by Marta Dzedyshko on Pexels.com

©2020 Chel Owens

119 thoughts on “Hey! It’s a Blog (and Life) Update”

  1. We all have to adjust to what’s real. Post what you can; As you already know the writing will demand a release at some time. As for six points, well, five out of six we can agree on!

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Well…I am glad to hear that.

        Unfortunately, I am going to be one of the departing. I support people having their opinions and thinking for themselves. But, less aggressively than I had stated last week…I cannot support those who support Trump. He has allowed children to stay in cages and fired those who could keep our own kids safe from COVID and the changing environment. He has blatantly betrayed people who risked their lives for this country. Deciding to stand by him after all of that is something I will not understand, nor is it something I can support.

        Your writing is good and I hope you continue it.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I’m sorry you feel that way. Supporting whoever is elected to represent our nation has very much to do with respect for an office and civility and very less for believing everything I read. 🙂

          I can’t force you to stay, but I would like to suggest you not throw babies out with bathwater. I enjoy your writing.

          Like

  3. Hey, I’m just here for the cake.

    Just kidding! Working moms deserve a purple heart, but mostly you’ll probably get a lot of added stress. I wish you well in finding a balance. Try to leave a few minutes per day to take care of yourself. (This advice comes from the retired workaholic.)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Pete! I’m going to read your book this weekend (I hope). It’s one of a few promises I’ve made that I’ll keep, including owing poor Dumbestblogger a song.

      How’s that balance working for you now?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Since I retired, I’ve been telling people that my life is in balance for the first time in forever. Forgive me if I’ve told you this before. I put 110% into my career, and I make no apologies for that. Teaching was an opportunity to change lives. At the same time, I didn’t want my personal life to suffer. I tried (and succeeded) at being a good husband, father, and friend. The problem is you can only do that for so long before it takes its toll. The one person who I failed to look after was myself, and my health began to suffer. I decided to retire after teaching thirty-one years to focus on caring for myself.

        The short answer is I’m doing great now. My wife (also a career educator) and I retired simultaneously, and we’re happy. We miss our son as we haven’t seen him since February. He’s been in quarantine twice because he’s around many college students who have tested positive for the virus. So far, he’s dodged the bullets. Don’t worry about the book. You’ll get to it when you can. Take care of yourself, Chel. That should be your top priority.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. It pays to organise and have some discipline laid out.
    But I don’t know how it works for the best.

    They say the cart doesn’t lead the horse, and I get that, but it’s the cart, and not the horse, which needs to be somewhere; the horse just provides the means. So what does it mean? 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kevin tells me I needed a life plan than to just be moved along by the current -or the cart and horse. 😀 I’ve too many passengers to claim so much control in the cart’s direction at this point!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You can always put more faith in the horse, they are not randomly adventurous animals by nature.

        I was on this horse once and it wouldn’t obey my directions. Ah, said my instructor, he’s been this way many times before and knows the way home.

        Liked by 1 person

      1. We loved the lunch ladies when I went to elementary school. It was the deep south, so we had to say “Yes, ma’am” or “No, ma’am” when they held the ladle over a particular dish. Since our voices hadn’t changed and we were all talking at once, it was like birds chirping only there was the smell of yellow grits…

        Liked by 1 person

  12. An eloquent personalisation of the challenges facing women writers with children, Chelsea, and my admiration for your achievements (and of all women in your situation) just went up another notch (if that was possible).
    However, your support of Trump, given his attitudes to women, his contempt for veterans, his handling of the Covid crisis and his support for white supremacists doesn’t seem like the Christian-based Chelsea I know. Whether you support him or not, all the independent evidence points to Joe Biden being the newly elected President and deserving of the same civility. Having said that, I have made some of my many American friends less than happy by pointing out that many ordinary Americans, like many ordinary Australians, feel disenfranchised by traditional elites. Trump, just like Xi, Putin etc, has created the illusion that they are going to fix all that. People have a right to their opinions and to express those opinions non-violently and they are not necessarily wrong. It’s called democracy and it is a cry from the heart from people like you that are working for $10 before tax. However, as H L Mencken once said ‘For every problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.’ The ordinary people of the world need to find solutions that involve people whose primary motivation isn’t personal gain and public adulation but a commitment to meet the basic health, educational and economic needs of the people they purport to care about.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Thank you, Doug! ❤

      As to your political assertions and questions: I do not find President Trump’s opinions or approaches as odious as so many others do. I approve of his honest nature, as compared to the lying one many others in public office express. No, he’s not refined, polite, or often tactful.

      I also supported President Obama. He impressed me with an authentic nature behind his actions and goals.

      Did you notice that you automatically assumed I thought President Trump supported white supremacists and that I did not support or intend to extend civility to Joe Biden? I expect and request civility from everyone.

      Utah is very divided between Ben McAdams and Burgess Owens, for example. It’s down to a few votes. The Republican and Democratic parties paid for mudslinging ads all during the campaign; not civil at all. For shame, political parties.

      Like

      1. Hi, Chelsea. I didn’t assume you thought Trump supported white supremacists; I was simply pointing out a fact. I also very much get what appeals to people about Trump; I was one of the few here that saw his 2016 victory coming. We’ve had similar politicians here in Australia but our different electoral system means they are unlikely to reach high office (although they can and do hold the balance of power in some situations). Neither did I assume any lack of civility to Biden on your behalf. And I totally agree that major parties worldwide have reduced civil debate to slogans and mud-slinging, to the detriment of all of us.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. I realize I forgot to address the latter part of your comment. It’s very true, although I think you suggest government ought to fix things like my $10/day take-home pay.

      Yes, we need good leaders. We need wise ones. Fiscally-responsible government would also be nice. Having worked from large corporations to small, however, I see that there is greater waste and necessary inattentiveness in a larger organization. I would not presume to ask for a vote or a tax to fix my wage deficit; I would seek better employ and better skills and education in order to increase that gap. 🙂

      I love simple solutions, and agree that they are best. Why complicate issues?

      Like

      1. I’m not necessarily suggesting it’s entirely government’s responsibility to fix economies (even if they could, which is becoming increasingly doubtful) but tax policy, education and skills development are levers they can pull to give everyone equal opportunity. As for simple solutions, I’ll just repeat Mencken’s quote: ‘For every problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.’ 🙂

        Keep doing what you love and need to do; all your followers are behind you (which when you think about it is logical 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

          1. At the moment I’m tending to drift away from serious poetry (but not parody :-)) and more into stories. I’ve also got a novel struggling to be born but showing some promise. Say tuned, as they say. 🙂

            Liked by 1 person

  13. The civility thing. It’s gone. Someone stopped following me because I said that we should try to work together now because she compared herself to an abused wife and abused anything’s should never forgive and work with the abusers….so…yeah….

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you. What I don’t get is the hypocrisy of people. Why must we be so polarized! I don’t think people realize that if we don’t work together, the midterms will see the right take Congress. Then they’ll take the presidency. Two years after the left will take Congress. Two years later the left takes the presidency. And nothing will actually change except cabinet officials

        Liked by 3 people

        1. Precisely! A FB friend wrote “thank you, America, for voting with me” and another wrote “Now we see an end to the divisiveness.”

          Did they not see that half of America voted differently? We’re still divided, and encouraged to be so.

          Liked by 2 people

  15. My goodness! You certainly have your hands full. Coordinating a large family and a job can’t be easy! Congrats on joining the ranks of being one of the infamous cafeteria ladies. After a 36 year teaching career I came to know many lovely women who served in various schools’ cafeterias. Your job has evolved over the years but one thing hadn’t changed . The cafeteria ladies always came equipped with a smile! Both students and teachers looked forward to being greeted each day by hard working kind hearted women.
    I assume you were joking about the free lunches. Is that because of the pandemic. There was always a tiny percentage of students who got free lunches and it was kept secret so as not to embarrass them. If that news got out students would get teased. Over the years I had to comfort crying children who were mortified and humiliated by other children when someone in the cafeteria whispered the dreaded free lunch reveal. The program is wonderful. But children can be cruel to others. And so I often admired how careful cafeteria cashiers were about protecting the identities of the percentage of free lunches students to help those students avoid being taunted by their classmates.
    You will likely learn quickly that mean girls was more than just a movie.
    Good luck with your new job. Any job in the school system pays poorly but I imagine it is a nice get away from the doldrums of staying home.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. ❤❤ Thank you, Lesley!

      Yes, free lunches for everybody right now! The federal government began the program, and our state leaders continued it to the end of the school year. Otherwise, my job wouldn’t involve assisting the lovely, smiling lunch ladies in assembling pre-made meals.

      And, yes, this break from my life is at least paid for. 🙂

      Like

  16. No wonder you need to adjust your blogging schedule. I’m amazed that you have the time at all. And you made me laugh at the multi-tasking. I remember those days so well, and working just to pay for daycare. Keep your spirits up and get as much rest as you can… You can’t draw water from an empty well. Hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Great call Chelsea! You need more sleep. 😁
    But seriously, I completely understand the need to pull back, I too have done this with my blog. I also applaud you for getting out of the house and working.
    And even though I’m Canadian, I’m also tired of people putting Trump down. The media is so biased I could puke. For goodness sake, he’s not a saviour or a devil. He’s a businessman at heart who often puts his foot in his mouth, but one who tried his best to improve the US economy.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Argh. I have to admit it’s difficult to hear (read) nice things stated about Donald Trump on your blog as I read through some comments, but frankly it’s not my place to comment about him on your page. I express my frustrations on my own blog because it’s mine and I can do that as my way of coping. But, on someone else’s site? Nope, that is not Unless you ask for political opinions, otherwise I’ll keep my political thoughts to myself. (Which is so hard to do.) lol ✌🏻

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Ha! Yes, it’s pretty obvious how I feel but it wouldn’t be fair to hijack your post. Hopefully, I didn’t do that too much when I was on a chemo high. I’d be speeding for about 48 hours after a 7 hour infusion and I think I temporarily lost my “turn off” button during those times. Lol Then I go straight into a week of vomiting and feeling miserable so politics was the last thing on my mind. Lol it was a viscous cycle.
        However,Either way people voted, I truly believe in the honesty and integrity of the poll workers and poll watchers. I believe in the Democratic process. My father fought for it. He received medals for bravery and the military gave him a 21 gun salute at his funeral. So I have great pride in my country and the principles we stand for.

        In every election I’ve participated in since 1972, I’ve learned that sometimes my candidate wins and other times he or she doesn’t. It stinks when the person we support loses. But that’s what happens in a free society. In 2016 I was devastated. But I never questioned the integrity of the voters or the election. I’d fight and die for freedom and democracy and my right to vote. And I truly hope our country can unite by January so that we can work together to fight this virus, help those in need, and heal this great divide. Americans are strong. I know we can do! ❤️🇺🇸✌🏻

        Liked by 1 person

        1. ❤❤❤ Thank you, Lesley. It means the world to me that you, who are so wise, informed, passionate, and experienced, still talk to me even if we do not agree on everything. I personally do not hate anyone or not talk to them if we disagree, but many feel otherwise. How are we to unite the divisiveness if we keep shutting out opinions? Furthermore, my perspectives and opinions change as I learn; let’s give others a chance to learn.

          Like

  24. Yum gooey looks good.

    I take it you mean using mean words like “orange” but I hope you do not mean telling truth about candidates.

    I’m glad you are able to get away from crazy baby days. Funny enough, I had a dream last night of trying to take care of a young VERY over active little girl. I was exhausted and scared.

    I’m glad you are taking care of yourself.

    I did not know there was a limerick prompt. I will have to check that out.

    I came here to find this week’s poetry challenge.. I’m assuming you will do this one and then not another one until next month?

    ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi, Ruth! ❤❤ I’m sorry for not reading all of your poems like I could do last year. You’re getting better and better; keep writing!

      Yes, I mean name-calling. I mean a lack of respect. I don’t agree with everything political leaders do and say, but disagree with rudeness.

      The poetry challenge is from Saturday and is due Friday. This week is “bad luck.” 🙂 I would be honored to have you enter! I’ll start a one-month deadline after this one.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you! The job definitely feels odd; for example, I had to really think about what I wear. So many people would be seeing all sides of me and I wasn’t used to that!

      Like

  26. My initial question is if it is only $10 a day, why bother, though I guess it’s good to get out of the house and maybe good work experience if you want to do something down the road.

    That is a brave admission to say which candidate you support. You know, sometimes I think about switching gears and starting a political blog instead of the humor blog I write on that only 3.5 people read, but I fear people will hunt me down with pitchforks and torches like Frankenstein. In my books, I tend to mock both sides, so I get nervous about publishing them but the good news is it is taking forever anyway.

    For example, in the perpetually upcoming Toilet Gator, the Trump like candidate wants to drop a nuke on the toilet gator while the Hillary like candidate wants to talk to the toilet gator about its feelings. Yes, that’s how long ago I wrote this thing. I guess all the references will be stale now.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Your initial question is one I ask myself frequently. My only consolation is that it’s a break I make money at, compared to taking a break and paying the babysitter. I don’t intend to continue down the lunchlady career path; but, given my lack of any recent job experience, it will do something for my resume.

      I support President Trump for many reasons, but generally disagree with insulting or disrespecting those who represent us. It’s rude, besides reflecting badly on an American people not willing to show civility or cohesion.

      I think your T.G. lampooning will find a classical place in time since those sorts of personalities come around again.

      Like

  29. Cake is always good. Politics I try and steer clear of, though it is considered a nicety to accept those who won in whatever office they were running for.

    When my children were little I got out from under it all by a) working part time – and then Dad took over, as well as belonging to a choir. I’m quite happy to be retired now. I’ve earned it.

    Take care of yourself and visit when you can. ((Hugs)).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree with your first point, as well; my assertion was from literal years of reading rude comments that escalated (for me) to having had enough and feeling I ought to say something.

      Your second sounds exactly like what I’m doing! My grandfather asked why, if I’m so busy, did I take a job! -but then admitted my grandmother had had a ‘nervous breakdown’ near my age… 🙂

      You take care, as well! I’m getting good tips from reading your Banking stories; I read some from your blog when you first posted it, too. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Did I send you the ‘clean’ version – if not I can do that. I’ve got a doc I keep them in. One doesn’t have any links or notes. Starts at the beginning and I just add to it. So if you ever want the whole she bang – let me know.

        (Hugs)

        Liked by 1 person

  30. Pingback: Hey! It’s a Blog (and Life) Update – goweb

  31. As much as I enjoy your fiction and poetry, I equally appreciate your true life update and your honesty.
    Life is not always glamorous for us writers but the real world hopefully makes us better at creating imaginary ones. SG

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you! I know you are a busy lady but if you ever have a few minutes you can check out my blog and find out how I got my nickname. I enjoy your blog so much even though I am not a poet myself. I like to write short stories. But I appreciate the talent of poets and especially enjoyed the funny poems about vacations. SG

        Liked by 1 person

  33. Well darn it all. I’m happy you got a job and will be getting out of the house and do some new stuff, but I’m going to miss your blogs and the poetry contest so darn it all. But I’m all for free meals so that’s a pretty good thing. Way to go on getting free meals! Yeah, I know, I’m like two weeks late reading this but that’s OK. Late replies kind of distort time in a good way. Hopefully you still have the job? 🙂

    This remark is interesting and maybe one day you’ll blog about it. “burned out by the dead-end that writing is for me anyway.”

    Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Better late than never as always, Fishman! I still have the job but its duties change as the school experience “soft closures” for coronavirus case increases. 🙂

      Please come participate in the poetry contests; I’ve changed them to monthly.

      Like

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