Big News But It's Not Over

Well, things are changing by the minute over here.

Seriously, it's making me dizzy. No really. Last night I was dizzy I was so exhausted from everything that's been happening.

Christian had an interview yesterday, which led to him getting an offer (YAY!). This means that we will be able to stay in the Bay Area long enough to have the baby. This is a huge relief.

That said, this is NOT a permanent solution. Let me explain why.

The motorcycle industry is special when it comes to compensation, something I didn't understand until we'd been in it for a year or so. Techs (or mechanics to the average person) are typically paid what is called a "flat rate" per task. Each task takes a certain amount of time. Each tech is paid for the time assigned to the task when it is completed, no matter how long it takes. This is "flat rate."

I'll give you an example of how flat rate works in practice. Let's say a standard service on a Ninja 650 is assigned a time of 2 hours to complete. If the tech finishes the service in 1 hour, he's made a bonus. He still gets paid for 2 hours. If something goes wrong with the service for some reason, and he takes 3 hours, he's lost money.

All of this usually works out in the wash during high riding season (summer). Winter however, is a different story.  There isn't as much work. Without as many tasks to complete, it doesn't matter how fast you work. You might only bring home $200 a pay period during a really stormy, cold time.

You see the problem.

We learned this the hard way 2 years ago when we were in Hayward. Now we know what to expect and we know we can't expect to make this work long term, even with lower living costs (our rent is lower than it was at that time) and a higher flat rate salary ($4 increase from what it was in Hayward 2 years ago).

So while this will work right now, it's not going to work forever. We still may have to move down south. We still have to look for something that is hourly for Christian (or at least figure out a safety net situation through family and or something I can do while caring for the baby). We're still praying for my books to take off (Incidentally - if you buy one, PLEASE rate and a review it - even if you hate it. Tell people about it. This is how indies get readers!). While we don't have to worry about figuring out government assistance, we do have to figure out how to pay for all the pediatrician visits that are necessary this fall (because hey, I'm no longer eligible for MediCal. Greeeeaaaat.).

We're doing better than I ever expected in such a short time, but we still need prayers and support. I can see the light through the edge of the forest. There are possibilities. There is no denying it. That said, we need the ones that will lead to a place of security (especially for kiddo's sake).

Still, we couldn't have gotten to where we are now without all of your help. For that, I will be forever grateful. I am grateful for that every day.