Food For Thoughtful

(It’s mid-November and I’m about to get paid. HR calls me into the office.)

HR: “The unemployment office has decided that it overpaid you $400 a year ago. Sign here so they’ll confirm that you know they’re taking $290 out now and the rest in December.”

(I go back to my desk in near-hysterics because due to finances being tight, I’ve had to put off buying the plane ticket for my trip in two weeks. That night, I buy my plane ticket and have exactly $12 to live on for the next two weeks.)

Roommate: “Did you get the ticket?”

Me: “Yeah, but I wish I could cancel it.”

Roommate: “Don’t you want to go?”

Me: “I haven’t bought food yet and I have $12 until mid-December. I could really use the plane ticket money instead.”

(She sympathized and cheered me up by making cookies. The next day, I went to bed before she got home and woke up just before I had to get up for work. When I got to the landing of the stairs, I couldn’t get through because of bags, so I turned on the light. On the wall was a sign saying that for my birthday next week, she hoped I enjoyed all the food in those bags and the pizza in the freezer.)