Childless and Broke on a Saturday night...

Quite sadly, I am one of the only single mothers that I know who's child has open contact with his dad.  I'm one of the few that not only gets regular child support payments, but actually gets enough to help with my household. (No joke, I have friends that have gotten $3 child support payments before.)  My ex, whom I'll call CAB, signed himself up for child support and has never failed to pay what was mandated by the state.  However, last October I asked the state to reevaluate CAB's financial situation and they decided that he was obligated to pay more than twice what he was originally mandated.  At that point, CAB decided that he could no longer afford to come visit his son.  More on that later.
I gave that back story to explain why I love CAB's Mother In Law, Grandma L.  Since the day CAB became seriously involved with her daughter, she's gone out of her way to make sure that my son is invited and made part of all  of the grandchildren activities.  She calls and invites the Bear to sleepovers with his cousins.  She ALWAYS gets him on Christmas night so that he can open gifts with the family.  (Even though CAB is not always present at these events.) And yes, the subtext is right, she has my number and I have hers.  I called her direct last year to make sure that she was at the Bear's birthday party. 
We live three states away from all of my son's biological grandparents, so Grandma L has been a godsend.  I don't like being around her for long periods of time as she does annoy the piss out of me.  But she's been a present and loving grandmother for my son.  A lot of steps don't take that role.  Especially since my son is Black and CAB's in-laws are hispanic.  This situation could have been completely different. 
So back to CAB and his BS story about how he can't afford to visit the Bear.  Grandma L and Grandpa M live here in SA with us.  CAB moved his family to Dallas after he married his current wife.  But when he visits, he picks up the Bear and takes him to Grandma L's house where they stay until it is time for CAB to return to Dallas.  So the cost to come see his son is something like $40 for gas.  Room and board are always covered when he gets here.  Since the attorney general decided to increase my child support in October 2009, CAB has seen the Bear one time in March.  Grandma L has seen the Bear at least 6 times.  In fact, she called me yesterday to see if he could come over because she is having all of the grandkids this weekend.  Grandma L rocks!  That's all I'm saying.
I get a rare Saturday to myself, and the Bear is reminded that he has family other than me that love him.  We get a break from the 24/7 us show.  I'm only slightly perturbed that I'm completely broke and can't go anywhere.  Oh well...I have full access to the Wii and I don't have to share.  Drunken Wii Sports anyone?

Gotta start somewhere...

It has been a very long time since I had a blog.  The last one caused a terrible strain in several of my relationships.  Partly because the last blog was not for my benefit.  So I'll say this on my first post.  I'm sarcastic with a penchant for hyperbole.  I'm foul mouthed and I don't like censorship.  I say it like it is with little regard for political correctness.  Please forgive that I don't live in a peachy pretty sunshiny world.  But I believe in respect and decorum.  And if there is real offense taken to what I say, I have no problem with someone sending me a comment or e-mail calling me on it.  I'm all for a good dialogue with other people.
All that said, let's get down to the real business of this blog.  ME.

Hi, I'm Marq.  Or that's what my friend's call me.  I am currently 31 years old and I have a 9 year old son.  I was born and raised in Kansas City, MO.  I've live here in San Antonio, TX for about 8.5 years now.  I just decided that I didn't want to raise my son in Kansas City.  There were various reasons for that, which I can assure you I'll get to down the line if you follow my blog. 

I've been raising my son on my own since he was 1.  The Bear sees his dad sporatically and spends summers in Dallas with him and his new family.  I've never been married.  Hell, up until a couple of years ago I'd never met anyone that PLANNED their child's conception.  When I planned this blog, I had a ton of things that I wanted to say.  At the moment, however, I'm finding that exhaustion and that 2nd glass of wine are keeping me from remembering all I had to say.  So I'll stop here.  Welcome to my world, if by some off chance someone out there is reading this.  Come along on my journey.  And please, feel free to say hi.