My grandfather and sister each had colorectal cancer, so everyone in our family gets regular colonoscopies, about once every three or four years. I

As an artist, I never thought my work was outsourceable. But since working in animation graphics, I’ve learned differently.

My former employer shipped my job to India. Like the Bangalore jockeys know what a Tron invading Beverly Hills looks like? But I digress. I kicked around for months going on interviews, submitting my portfolio

I didn

It was one of those situations where the problem became the solution.

I live and worked (past tense) in South Pasadena. I had a car accident. Then I lost my job. Then I found a new job

I bought a Dodge Ram 3500 truck because I have friends with a cabin out toward Sierra Madre. We would go out there every other weekend, do work, haul firewood and just relax. A great break from life in LA.

But I’d heard there is recovery work where they need freelance truckers like me after a fire has swept through communities. Well, I don’t wish for fires anywhere. But the work has to get done and the pay is very good. Double what I make in my regular job. Which comes in real handy, given how a medical emergency with one of my kids has left us with bills to pay and bad credit.

So my company has been going through a slow period, and I asked my supervisor if I could take a leave of absence during the fire season. He thanked me, said yes, in this economy that would help them a lot (it’s a family owned business). They don’t promise my job will be there when I get back, but they’d give me priority if the work was there.

The question is, what would we do while waiting for the pay from the recovery work? I’d be a sub to a sub, the lowest on the food chain and therefore the last to get paid, AFTER the insurance claims are settled. So there would be a lag time of six or eight weeks before the checks come.

How would my wife and me pay our bills over that time? My wife is at home taking care of the kids. There is the rent, truck payments, health insurance, food and old debt. What I needed is fast cash.

And no bank would loan me money

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