The Mountain Grew

Thursday was probably the most scared I've been since we got married.

I got a phone call from B while I was at work stating that because our original "minimum payment" for the largest loan in our Debt Everest didn't include the annually-compounded interest, our new monthly "minimums" would double (DOUBLE) so we will actually be able to pay it off in the 10 year time limit. 

:O

........... :O

So, being me, I crunch numbers. B is just finishing paramedic school, so he hasn't even begun his new career yet, and I'm just starting a new job, so I'm probably looking at keeping my current pay rate for a while. Well, 6 hours, 85 text messages, 2 cuddle breaks with Pippin, and 1 fairly organized spreadsheet later, I settle on the possibility of it being possible to support ourselves. Fortunately, more than 90% of our expenses can be covered on my income at the moment. To get that last <10%, I'm going to try to get some new classes at local dance studios (oh, by the way, we're ballroom dancers, and I teach a class or two a week) and really be able to take on all of our expenses, minus debt. Thaaaat's where B's income comes in. All of it will be going toward debt. A whole full-time job income going toward Debt Ev.

Well, then B comes to me with this crazy, cockamamie, freakin-ridiculous, suicidal idea: he wants to work 2 full-time jobs.

:O

[Insert panic mode here:] No company is going to hire you for a second full-time job. I'll never see you. You'll make yourself sick. There aren't enough hours in a week. Forget vacations. I'm too young to be a widow. 

You know, all that. But he's almost sold me on it. For a paramedic, a standard shift rotation is 24 hours on, 48 hours off. Well, he'd be working 48 hours on, 24 hours off. And apparently, many paramedics and EMTs do this and find life a plausible possibility. And if you think about it, it'd look like this (Company 1, Company 2, and OFF):

12O12O1

2O12O12

O12O12O

So he'd have 2 days off every week, and 3 every third week. Actually, he'd have one weekend day off 2 out of every 3 weeks. He just wouldn't have evenings or typical 2-day "weekends," and I'll spend 5 nights a week sleeping in a bed by myself. (...ooooor with the cat. I might have to let him in to keep me company at night.) Which is sad, but it won't be forever.

Are we delusional? Can you really make a new marriage and running a household, and taking care of a pet, and still being a human with friends and family work with Hubby working 2 full-time jobs and Wifey working 1 full-time job and teaching [hopefully] 3 evenings a week? 

I guess we're going to find out!

PS - Pippin is.... well AWESOME when he's sitting in your lap and purring, and givin' some noggin. But yesterday Pippin bit my face. Not cool kitty. Not cool.