Six months ago today, I boarded a bus in Atlanta bound for Los Angeles. On February 5, 2010, I arrived home to an overcast sky. It had just rained and I was surprised at how happy I was to be home. Even though I enjoyed my stays in Saint Louis and Atlanta, things didn't work out as planned in those cities. I was back home, probably for good.
I wanted to wait until today before resuming my blog. I wanted to see how far I progressed since my las entry. I give myself a C+. I could have done a better job with the money I have earned since returned home. Otherwise, I am doing well.
After I got settled into my sister's old room, I took a tour of my mom's house. My bedroom is now her walk-in closet. The kitchen, living room and hallway were completely redone. And, the biggest surprise, mom installed a top-of-the-line air conditioning system in the house, complete with the best thermostat I have ever used. Her plan is to sell the house when she retires and move to Louisiana, her childhood home.
Mom has made it clear that my last day in her house is January 1, 2011. She loves me, but I gotta get it together and get a place of my own. That's no problem because I am doing all I can to get a place of my own as soon as possible. I already have a few spots in mind. Just saving the money to move in.
I went to the Los Angeles Department of Social Services and applied for assistance the day after I got home. A new DPSS building was built just down the street from my mom's house. I was given 12 bus tokens, $220 on a debit card for food and $178 cash to spend however I saw fit.
I didn't remain on the County for long. I found a job in April at a telemarketing company and officially started my new job selling cell phone services (and phones) at a third party vendor for Verizon Wireless on my birthday.
The job pays $10 an hour and it is giving me the resources needed to take me to the next step in my plan to rebuild myself.
I just started a new home based business ad plan to market it in a very big way. Of all the companies I have been involved with, I have NEVER sent information to friends and family. This one is different. The product is fantastic and the pay plan is simply the best ever. I will do well with this company.
My driver license is still not restored. I miss driving so much!! When I finally saved the money to pay the $808 fine, a little voice in my head told me to hire an attorney for assistance before paying the fine. I found a fantastic traffic court attorney online and paid him $500. I am glad I followed the voice, because if I didn't hire the attorney for his expertise and advice, I would have ended up with a misdemeanor conviction on my criminal record, with no way to get rid of it.
February 2008, I was stopped for driving without registration on my car at the time, a 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid. It was a simple $15 fix-it ticket. In addition to the ticket, I had to register the vehicle to clear the ticket. I didn't have the $636 to register my car. I had just enough for the $700 payment. I was living in my car at the time. When the March 2008 court date arrived, I went to court and was granted an extension till July 2008. I missed that court date due to the emotional turmoil of losing everything in storage and the repossession of the car in May 2008. Then, I moved to Saint Louis in June 2008. When I discovered my license was suspended in October 2008, I scheduled another court date over the phone for March 2009. I missed that date due to my move to Atlanta. With two failure-to-appear citations on my driving record, the California court system was unwilling to release the hold on my license until I paid the fine in full AND appeared in court. If I just paid the fine, my license would have been restored, but I would have automatically plead guilty to the charges, and because of the two FTA's, I would have been stuck with a criminal misdemeanor conviction with no way of fixing it. Hiring the attorney was one of the best decisions I have ever made!
I was given three choices:
1. Pay the fine in full today, get my license restored today, but be stuck with a misdemeanor criminal conviction for life.
2. Schedule a court appearance for the first available date. That date is February 11, 2011 At that time, I, my attorney, or both of us, appear in court to argue the case. The misdemeanor never happens, my license is restored and I have a good chance of paying a reduced fine.
3. I pay the full $808 as soon as possible and demand a speedy trial as required by the law within 45 days after paying the fine. If the court cannot grant me a speedy trial, the state forfeits the case, returns my money and releases my driver license with a clean criminal record.
My attorney filed for the court date on February 11, 2011, and advised me to pay the fine as soon as possible so option 3 could be explored. The $500 is a flat fee, so he will represent me and pay the fines on my behalf. I won't have to show up in court at all.
When I get my license and a car, I will post those here. Meanwhile, because my new business is home based, I will not need a vehicle for some time. I am comfortable waiting till February 2011 if necessary to resolve the driver license issue.
I am making a lot of progress restoring myself. It feels good going to a job making money every two weeks. It feels good putting my business plans in motion. The pay I receive is enough to properly market my online ads for my business. Once I have earned a good amount of money from this venture (I will) I will write about it. For now, I have learned not to tell friends, family or coworkers about it. I am looking strictly for success-motivated individuals who "get it" like I did and just sign up and do the work needed to be successful with this business.
One bad thing has happened to me - I gained 20 pounds since returning home.
I am single. I decided to stay that way till I have something more than nice conversation to offer someone. I'm broke, out of shape, traveling by bus, living at home, with a low paying job. Not the best way to offer someone the incentive to want to get to know me.
One thing I do know - I won't be this way much longer...
7 years ago