As many know, I am helping teach apprentices two nighta a week. I won't deny it: this work has made a huge difference in my situation. I took the job for fun; it has turned out to be critical. December was particularly grim.
In the past week, many of the larger contractors have had to cut back; most of my students are working 20 hour weeks. The trade association is trying to keep other occupied, with haz-mat classes and the like.
On the positive side, I am beginning to see the return of a few trade-related classifieds in the paper. How serious these ads are is open to question .... but the classifieds were empty for December and January.
One cannot understate the importance of attitude in a time like this. Today, we got hit with a whopper of a snowstorm - this is GREAT news. Why? Because, in one fell swoop, our water reserves have been restored to 'normal,' giving us one less thing to be glum about. Heck, I may even volunteer some time, teaching our fish how to swim again
