Wow it has been a long time since I posted my last bit. I feel red faced about that but I was really busy. I had many courses on the go at Coursera (never ever going to do that again), as well as things in my real world taking up my time that I forgot to check in here.

The latest news from our corner of the world is simple. My older two found work. It is only temporary so don't start celebrating yet. The jobs are ones created by work programs but I remain hopeful that they will get something after these jobs expire (or perhaps that they will get hired on by the company that took them in).

I was busy trying to get a response back from our worker about getting clothes for work. Now before the worker just said "submit the amount you need to me and I will get it to you", but at some point they changed their minds or realized that they were doing it all wrong, and instead of responding to the email request for money for pants and shoes, we got no responses at all. A quick email saying "you need to get a written letter from the store with the amount you need in order for us to process your request" would have been much better than that and would have allowed us to get right on it.

I think that having a letter from a store is simply humiliating. Imagine having to go to the store, look at the merchandise and then having to find someone (good luck with that in Walmart), and have them write or sign a note saying that the cost of the clothing is x amount and that the total will be y amount. Then having to submit that to a worker who will then decide if you qualify for the clothing help you need.

Worse yet, they put my kid's jobs in jeopardy since the employer requires the clothing, in one kid's case black pants for the other kid...jeans. It seems to me that they could simply ask for an estimate, then we go and get the clothing, because if we find it cheaper ELSEWHERE then we could get it there. Then submit receipts as proof we used the money as it was intended. It would save the humiliation and allow us to go forward with dignity.

Other news...we were suspended again because they didn't have enough information. We submitted a letter from me stating I earned money from my artwork, and the paystub from my son. My daughter only got her first pay AFTER their deadline...so now I sit and wait for a phone call to try to straighten out this mess once again.

Why is it when WE have a problem we have a hard time or long wait hearing back from them, but the instant they lose a report or they don't think they have enough information the check is INSTANTLY cut off?