Unemployment "Benefits" and Knitted Stuff

On Thursday I had lunch with my former co-worker, current friend and fellow blogger, Bonnie. We traded barbs about our former company and talked about the woes and hassles of filing for unemployment. Good God, people...the hoops you have to jump through. File online, so they can send you a form to fill out with the exact same questions that you filled out in the online form. Fax that form back to a fax number that is always busy. You have to do with within FIVE business days, or your claim may be denied or delayed!

They also send you a lovely pamphlet titled something like "Welcome To Your Unemployment." There's another form to sign stating that you have read the entire pamphlet, you have had an opportunity to have any questions answered, and that you understand it all completely. For some reason, this particular form must be mailed back, not faxed. Within the same five business days. Or, you know, your claim may be denied or delayed.

Plus, Arizona's unemployment compensation is pathetic. Out of 50 states, I think we're number 54 in terms of good unemployment benefits. Because even though they're not states, I think Puerto Rico, Guam, and probably Guantanamo Bay have better benefits. In Arizona, the maximum benefit you can receive is $240 a week. That's like...um...$960 a month. You could have been making $150,000 a year, and that's still all you get. Although under the recently-signed federal stimulus package, that may go up...to $265 a week. Hot damn.

Anyway, the main reason I mentioned having lunch with Bonnie is this. When she first found out we were moving to Colorado, she decided to knit a hat, scarf and booties for all five of us. She knitted, with her own hands...for all five of us. That just blows my mind, because it sounds like a helluvalotta work. So Bonnie, thank you so much. Shannon absolutely LOVED her bright purple booties. And as I told her, the kids and I are driving to CO in about three weeks for spring break to visit Steve. As the weather in Denver is highly unpredictable, those hats and scarves may get used very soon. The booties are being used already!

Of course, Kylie is the only one I could get to actually pose for a picture with her new hat and scarf:

Bonnie, she loves that hat. She wore it to school on Friday. With capris and a t-shirt. I wish I had a picture of that.

Speaking of driving to Denver in a couple of weeks, Steve is home this weekend, and as I am still in bed typing this, he is over at Discount Tire equiping my van with four brand-new, all-weather tires. Isn't that sweet? $550.00. GAH. Sorry kids, there will be no eating this week. Actually, that's more than I spend on groceries in a whole month. Ouch.

Edited: Steve just got back with my four brand new Goodyear all-weather awesome tires. It seems that my monster van is big enough *cough* to qualify for SUV tires, and they happened to have a $100 rebate on four Goodyear tires that size. Total cost with balancing, tax, road hazard, etc...$496!! We're still not eating this week, but hey, he saved $50 AND got the good tires. Yay!