Well you know it's not all bad. I ended up a "Brady" bunch. Tiny house, ended up a single parent with 2 boys. a few years down the line, I met a wonderful single mother with 2 daughters. Talk about insanity. Went from batching it, to a bunch of women. We had to make the deck a new room, 3 quick walls and a roof. put the girls upstairs and the boys in the basement. Wife and I got the new room on the ground floor. A tiny bit of seperation helps a lot. One bathroom saw a lot of traffic, and even some urgent pounding on the door. Not the guys, we all headed outside in a pinch.

Tolerance goes a long way, they all now are the best of friends. Grown to adults.

Pigs, chickens, good damn dog, all the kids remember this as heaven. Each has approached me, if it would be ok, if they are stuck to head back here. I think you all know my answer. I'm really proud they are all as strong as they are. Gawd talk about assets. Both boys can outshoot me. Better eyes.

Younger son's significant other is born to the crossbow. Not a one of us can come close.

Some days we used to get furious with each other, but threaten us all and we pull together. We do it now all the time. a touch, a hug, a hug for the plott hound. Darn dawg was another stray, we have a pile of strays here. Each says it in their own way. Damn dawg is on duty. Big time.

I clean toilets for work, to get cash. My life is some good.

Don in Maine

Oh by the way I beat you all to that job cleaning toilets, you get to be unemployed. Sounds cool right, you don't collect either.

Unfortunately, employment tends to be binary, either you have a job or you don't and it tends to be a rather large variable in the survival equation.