Why would anyone sign up for this???

Today marks the start of my fifth week as a newspaper carrier. I decided to start this blog to journal my journey on this adventure.  Things I'm learning about myself, my family and this group of people who work through the night to bring you the paper that rests at your door or in your newspaper tube each morning.  So here we go... Today's post is a little of the back story...how I got to this place and why would anyone sign up for this?!!  

So about a year ago we moved back to my hometown.  After 25 years of being away, fate stepped in a took a hand and we're back!  In this first year of adjusting I haven't really looked too closely at working outside the home.  I did almost take a seasonal job at Kohl's but in the end I found we just weren't ready for me to take that leap again.  I'll probably post more about that later -- but let's just say there were certain emotional issues involved for all of us that needed to be healed before I put myself at the mercy of an uncaring employer again.  

One of my childhood friends who I attend church with has been a newspaper carrier for many years.  We've talked from time to time about their crazy schedule and the constant demands a newspaper route entails.  Then one day when we were talking the thought kept coming to me that this might be something I could do and still be a Stay-at-Home-Mom (SAHM) and also be available to help my mother with her projects...and maybe even start a few of my own.  I asked Jane (name changed to protect the guilty - LOL - just kidding "Jane") a lot of questions especially concerning compensation, the hours required and the schedule.  I asked to put my name to her supervisor as someone interested in doing a route.  After I said that -- I got really excited and anxious to get started -- after all Christmas is coming -- it really doesn't matter what time of the year it is...Christmas is always coming!!!  About a week later I got an early morning text that there was a route that had come open and I should call her supervisor -- which I did right away even though it was only 6:30 in the morning.  Ha -- little did I know that's kind of late for a newspaper person.  I thought I'd jumped all over it but in the end that route went to another carrier who was looking for a bigger route.  But the good news was I got his old route.  Bad news was I started that same day with no chance to look it over or map it out....so that first day was a doozie!  More about that later.  

So the big motivation for starting in this adventure was of course money!!  But I had some conditions -- I still wanted my freedom -- don't we all?!  Our big goal is to become debt free.  We still have a house to sell in our old state -- and a renter in place -- but it's not a comfortable spot to be in.  The real truth is I'm not sure we would qualify for a mortgage even if our old house sold tomorrow.  We really need to pay some stuff down (and close it out!).  So this money is ear marked!!  

Here's the reality though...I need sleep.  So I have my freedom but it's been hindered by body's need for sleep.  I get up at 1:30 and am usually home by 6:30 (that's an average and certain uncontrollable factors are the real determiners).  Then I crash -- I've been crashing until 10:30 or 11 -- but I'm hoping to start getting up a bit earlier.  But the hardest part is getting to sleep for a couple of hours in the evening.  Jane's family goes to bed at 8 pm whenever possible, and gets up at 2 -- and she doesn't go back to bed in the morning.  She's learned how to do this on 6 hours of sleep -- I'm a 7 hour a night girl myself -- but I think I can train my body to go on less it's just going to take some adjusting.  Try as I might I'm not quite in bed by 8 -- I kind of start to get ready for bed then but my lights aren't out until 9 or 9:30.  Then there's the activities that keep us out until after 8 -- and unfortunately they've been numerous. 

The other reality check is the money.  There's not a lot of it with a walking route.  It's more than I had before starting the route though.  So I'm going to take it as a blessing -- hope for a better paying route (SOON!) and a true learning experience.  I'll get in to more of the particulars later -- but let's just say on a per hour basis, I haven't been paid this little in a LONG time.  But I can turn that around and say I'm being paid to go to the gym every day then it's not so bad.  It's all in how you look at it :-)