Hello Icy... Someone recently told me about a company that allows you to work from home, contract work, for other companies, using your own home computer. It isn't much. The name of the company is Alpine Access and I believe that they do have their own website but I have not seen it. You obviously have a computer or access to one but they do have computer hardware requirements that you will have to check on. Good luck with that. ladyfriend Ladyfriend

Have you ever thought of getting a microloan so that you can open up your own coffeshop someday? Or a SBA loan or grant to do the same? A grant might be in order for you right now so that you get a little ahead and stay that way. Your communication skills seem to be pretty good as you had very few typing errors and no grammatical mistakes. That is important in getting financial help from big companies-even if the grammatically challenged don't want to believe it. Maybe someone here has one of those recently published grant books and can give you the information on getting grants. I got into a microloan program in Colo, where I live, a few years ago and I got the information free by calling someplace in the capital building in Colorado (so it was a govt program that your own state probably had as well). You might want to check that out. Perhaps maybe you could work a second job, self employed, from your home to get extra income so that you can remain as barista at Starbucks. Whatever you do, do not let on at Starbucks that you've even considered opening a competing business. It is often used as ammunition to fire people. Maybe Starbucks could move you up so you could have more responsibility and make more, get more experience. You really need mgmt experience and working up where you are is a good way to get it. ladyfriend

I am going to show you the humorous side to the shortfalls of our "family court system" - Did you know that the female black widow kills her mate after mating with him? She must know that it is easier to collect life insurance than child support. LOL No I am not a weirdo. I do sympathize with you ladies-a lot and I am so thankful that I do not have the same issues. However, when we, my husband and I have big arguments he says that I have to leave the kids with him if I leave him because we will have to live on the streets or in my car since I don't have a paying job (no car either so not sure how I would get to work if I had one). However, when things are going well, I can't get him to fill out paperwork for life insurance. The irony is that if he died suddenly, we would be out on the streets or living in the car just the same because he failed to make sure that we had income after his death. Men! I personally think that women are geniuses when you compare the two genders. LOL