You're Fired

My Ex has a long history of being let go from various contracting jobs at the large facility where we both work. It has happened four or five times. Of course, each time she was between contracts, I provided for us both and everything was OK. Now she has a real mortgage payment.

But recently a rumor quietly circulated that she was in hot water for her constant socializing at work. It seems that most of her days consisted of a cubicle talk show and a Macy's cosmetics make-over counter re-enactment. And I'm familiar with this. She attracts lots of the male co-workers, and she loves to flirt with them. The rest of the time she lines up her make up on the desk and works her "art".

The rumor also confirmed that her boyfriend was getting the ax too. I liked this part, and was secretly glad to hear that his cube was now empty.

I worried about the rumor, though, because the money I send her is based on her income. The less money she makes, the less I get to keep of my own. She knows the game and I remember all too well how she can go down to the court house and fill out the I'm Entitled form and get a court hearing. She did this with her last husband a few times and always won.

Then her cube became empty. Oh no. That sucks because I just can't afford to send her more money. And mind you, I know that the money is for child support, but that is not where it goes. At least not all of it. For 15 years I paid 100% of her first daughter's shelter while her mother kept the child support and routinely had it increased. So I know that her demands for child support have little to do with how many Froot Loops my daughter eats when at her house.

I wasn't sure what happened to her job. She didn't say anything to me and I didn't ask. But she did start to keep odd hours. She was always around to pick up our daughter after school. I never saw her at work. Then, eventually, she was at the office. People saw her. So at least she had something.

Then, this week she called me using her Angry Tone. Something was up. She said she was trying to hold onto her job. She knew I had heard this rumor and she was calling to tell me that if someone causes her to lose her job, it will affect me. She repeated this so that I was certain to understand that I would suffer if she lost her job.

Well, she knows that I don't want her to lose her job. I had even suggested (nicely) that she be careful so that she doesn't. But somehow she wanted to either vent to me or threaten me. She didn't say "court" or "sue your ass" but she was clear that she meant to take me downtown again if she could get more money from my ravaged paycheck.

This hangs over my head now, but there is really nothing I can do about it. Sooner of later I will be back there in the court room. Al and I even have a bet going to see if I get the court papers before June 15th or after. Five dollars is riding on this and I might have to borrow that.

Nonetheless, the weather is beautiful today. This weekend I might even get to spend some time on my boating diversion. That would be awesome.