Final Post on the Shutdown

Wednesday night I turned on my work alarm for the first time in three weeks. I set out work clothes, for the first time in three weeks. And I prepped lunches for all four of us, for the first time in three weeks. It seems crazy that my part-time schedule + a government shutdown = three weeks away from work for me. But there it is. I returned on Thursday, slightly bummed because I planned to get a pedicure and make some muffins that day. My life is hard.

But of course it's great fine to be back at work actually earning the money they're going to pay me. And for all of those who don't think government workers should be paid, let me tell you something. Maybe Chuck and I don't need my salary. We don't. We like it because it means we can actually save for things, rather than live paycheck to paycheck. We're lucky that Chuck wasn't furloughed, and that we're good with our money so that we have the savings should we need it. But I'm willing to bet that of the nearly one million furloughed employees, this is not the situation for all of them. Their situation is that they do live paycheck-to-paycheck. They are single moms. They are the single wage earners in their family. They are two income families, both of whom work for the federal government. Yes, Chuck and I could probably do without. But so many more couldn't. And remember, we feds didn't choose this "holiday." Our country's congressional members did. You know, those that the entire country voted in. So please be kind and understanding when griping about how I got paid to do nothing for two weeks. And elect different people next year.

P.S. No more shutdown means no more me blogging about it!

P.P.S. Fun weekend ahead: Pumpkin Day is tomorrow!