And now for some holiday stress...

My husband is a painter. A self-employed painter. This time of year is a killer for us because no one wants their house painted over the holidays. Some years have just about killed me because of the stress level/cost-of-living thing. This year is extra stressful because business was already slow.

The weird thing about our relationship is that we freak out at opposite times. When business is good, my husband will stress out because there is too much to do and he worries about how he'll get it all done. During those times I am usually skipping around throwing confetti because I am just thrilled that he is working. When the work dies - and we are talking DEAD right now - he is pretty calm and has all of the faith in the world while I am freaking out, having nightmares and generally feel like throwing up all day long. Each and every day we prove how it is that opposites attract.

We have two friends that make us crazy in their seemingly endless ways of having no work. One was laid off over a year and a half ago. He has taken random jobs and they last about a week and then he quits. How can he afford to do this? He mooches off of his girlfriend. Seriously, she has PAID him to do work around her house, her family has paid him to help them out, I mean, it's a pretty sweet deal if you can get it, but Dude, have some respect will ya? The second friend went back to school to achieve a life-long dream and upon graduation some four months ago, still has no job. Why? Let's see, there was the job he turned down that was 5 minutes from his home but it was 9-5 and he didn't like that. Or there was the one that only was starting at like sixty grand a year and he wanted eighty. The sad thing is that these men don't seem to realize that they should be THANKFUL for ANY job offered to them in these economic times! How does friend number two survive? He lives with his MOM and mooches off her AND his girlfriend too!

So here is my husband with a family to support, no job options in the foreseeable future and these two idiots are passing up work! I honestly want to slap them both and tell them to man-up! Our savings is almost gone and there is no "girlfriend" to mooch off of! And these men have the audacity to complain to us! The one guy has even asked us for gas money! SERIOUSLY! I don't mind helping someone out who is genuinely in need but not working because you're lazy does not qualify - especially when our savings is just about gone and I want my children to have a place to live, food on the table, and a decent Christmas.

Pray for my hubby. Or maybe I should say pray for me...I'm the one struggling to keep the faith about how we'll survive another slow winter.