3 Months! So Far, So Good....

So far working for FAG Automotive isn't too bad. I've worked in worse places for less money.

I'm pretty sure the Fischer AG bearing plant in Schweinfurt was a major target for Bomber Command....

I had my 3 month PER the other week. The Supervisor didn't go into details but so far I am "Meeting expectations" or "Exceeding expectations" in all areas. So I'm on track to permanent hire in May, which means more money and being able to post for job openings within the company. Even staying where I am grinding inner and outer bearing rings, in a couple of years I'll be a 'Setter-Operator Level I' and back up to $20 something an hour, which I last made back in 2008.

The benefits package kicked in back in December and it covers more, for less cost to me, than my previous package. Mrs. Rabbitman got her prescriptions filled and it only cost us $4. I had almost 10 days off at Christmas, which was nice since Daughter No.1 was home, and I only got paid for the three holidays. I still cleared a hundred bucks more on that pay than at my previous job, where I would've had to work Christmas Eve  (working close on Christmas Eve really blows too) and all the days between then and New Year's. Mrs. Rabbitman is really quite enjoying not having an anemic bank account. She's been able to replace her threadbare clothes. I've even got her looking at party dresses to wear for next year's Mess Dinner.

Working 6 days a week does cut into life somewhat however. To make sure I get weekends off for Cadet FTXs or Hotlead I have to use vacation days. My new reality is maybe gaming once a month. Working alternating days and afternoons is opening up more time to paint (once I get Hotlead done with that is), but is cutting into my cadet time. When I'm on day shift I'm kinda tired and paint maybe one night a week. Cadets are on Tuesday night, so Monday night is some prep work. The other nights are catching up on our shows with Mrs. Rabbitman (I have discovered though that assembling PSC tanks upstairs while watching Netflix is pretty workable). On afternoon shift I have Mikey over somewhere between 1 and 3 mornings in the week to paint for a few hours before lunch. Other mornings are spent doing Cadet stuff (two Ops plans for FTXs this spring had to be written), store stuff (three big orders came in to stock up for Hotlead), and this time of year planning Hotlead (I still need to draw up a hall layout). Of course in the summer there will be grass to cut too.

Life has moved into a new phase, as it does. We'll just "improvise, adapt and overcome" like we've done before. At least in this phase we should be able to build up our savings account.