Send money and beer

Well, that's it, folks. At 4:08 pm yesterday, hubby's entire company was laid off. He's now officially unemployed.

The videogame industry is spectacularly volatile, but even so, there were very few indications that the company was that unstable. Based on what hubby has told me, I place all the blame squarely at the feet of the Rhode Island government. I have no doubt that the current governor, for whatever reason, essentially forced the company to close; and he's now forcing everyone who voted for the deal in the first place to resign. It makes no sense--the only way the taxpayers would be on the hook for the loan guarantees is if the company failed, and he forced it to fail, despite the fact that is in no one's financial interest. Now he's got 300 more people collecting unemployment and food stamps, in a state that already has 11% unemployment.

So, you know what? Fuck you, Rhode Island. I have never been in a state that was so hostile to outsiders. Oh, the people of Providence have been lovely. Really nice. But the government is breathtakingly incompetent, inefficient, hostile to outsiders, and now it looks like childish, on top of that. Even if hubs does get another job in the area, he really wants to move back across the border, into Massachusetts, just to avoid paying RI another cent in taxes. I can't say I blame him.

He's filing for unemployment as we speak, so between that and my increased earnings, we may just be able to squeak by--his ex has graciously agreed not to cash her child support checks from us for the time being. I'm having a huge yard sale next weekend, and at some point, hubs' defunct company will have to pay us his missing paycheck plus time worked. All that money can be set aside for future bill paying/possible moving expenses. I'll look into getting the student loans into forbearance, too. And I hate to say it, but we've got over $20,000 in credit we can tap if things get desperate.

The good news is that the videogame industry is rallying to find all everyone a job. So hopefully hubs will have a new, better, better-paying position posthaste.

Let's all keep our fingers crossed that a) we don't have to move cross-country in two weeks again, b) that if we do, it's to a cool city where I can work in an amazing restaurant, c) that we don't have to go further into debt than we already are, d) that since we are officially without health insurance now, that no one gets sick or gets hit by a bus.

In the meantime, send money and beer.

And consider this blog The Unemployment Chronicles.