Changes . . .

Well let’s see.

The houses are cleaned out and gutted out. (pictures are here.)

I lost my health insurance because I on average worked 29.2 hours a week. Damn that .8 hour.

Upon loosing my health insurance, I thought to myself. What the hell am I doing?

I have been working on my thesis for a year now and I havent finished. I have been teaching because I love teaching and working at the hilton because I love health insurance and trying to finish my thesis.

After Rita, I have only had time to show up for the classes I taught, wait through my hours at the hilton, and in my spare time, throw away all my personal possesions which I foolishly left in the house I never thought would get flooded. Stupid me.

For a month, I didnt look at my thesis material or even guess as to how much of my research had been lost. Not the thesis mind you but the books and notes I stuck inside other books waiting to be used or could have used.

Then I receive this letter telling me I have been terminated from the hilton, which I find out was actually just telling me I wasnt a full time employee anymore and I didnt have health insurance. I ask HR what I could do about it, and he said, “if you work over thirty hours a week for the entire next quarter (3 months) you would have it back by February or April at the latest.

Then I called Dr Rice and asked him if there was any chance I could finish the Thesis. He warned that if he asked for an extension, he would be putting his neck out for me.

Then I started doing some calculations. How much I make, how much I spend, how much I could cut, how much I didnt need, How much I was making at the hilton.

Then I realized, if I finish my thesis get my masters then I could teach full time. I would make more than enough to pay for health insurance. If I could just squeeze by for a few months.

Along with the letter about how I was no longer an employee of the hilton, I also was told I could get COBRA. Highly expensive health insurance, but health insurance nonetheless.

Then my father told me he was having trouble finding anyone to help him. He thought he would have to do most of the work alone. Then I knew what I had to do.

Today I told the Hilton that I would finish out this week, but I had to quit.

I have 15 days to finish the rough draft of my thesis. I have a month to defend it. I have a month and 15 days turn it in to the graduate school to graduate. I have three months to help my parents get back into their home.
I have a lot of work to do.

I have a lot of grading papers to do also.

Wilbur