Extra Money for Bills from Pool?

I don't talk about my job very often on my pool blog, but I think most of you know that I am a meteorologist and that I work for the National Weather Service (NWS).

I've been with the NWS for 26 years as of this month, actually.  Pretty proud of my career :)

The NWS is a part of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which is within the Department of Commerce (DOC).  This means, during the past 3 weeks, I have been directly impacted by the "government shutdown."  Technically referred to as "lapse in appropriations."  AKA - no money.

I am deemed an "essential" employee (we can't just stop issuing forecasts and warnings!) and so I am required to come to work.  But we aren't getting paid.

I have worked for 3 weeks now with no pay, because of the "government shutdown."

If people who work for the government are affected by the shutdown, but are not deemed "essential," they are "furloughed."  Which means they aren't coming to work, and they also aren't getting paid.

One of my coworkers told me I was lucky I at least have a fall back:  I can give pool lessons and bring in some cash.

I just kinda laughed because I don't even charge enough to pay my light bill, lol!  But it does bring up an interesting point that if the shutdown goes on much longer and we aren't getting paid, we will all have to find other ways to make some money to pay our bills.  We all have talents and are smart and could find creative ways to earn cash.  Heck, a lot of us had summer jobs before going to college, and I even know how to flip burgers!  One guy is thinking about tarnishing address plates on houses for $25 each to bring in extra money.  Several are talking about maybe being Uber drivers.  Many of us are cutting out bills that we can live without during this penny-pinching time (like cable/netflix, magazine subscriptions, landscaping, etc).

The people that are furloughed (who don't come to work) could get another job during the shutdown.  For those like me who still need to come to work (which I am glad, btw!), I suppose I could get a part time job at night and on weekends while working full time if this goes on for a long time (well, I would HAVE to).

There are others (like me) who aren't married and therefore I am relying on only one income.  At least some other folks have a second income with their spouses.  But, many of us aren't sitting at home on a nest egg and we do live mostly paycheck to paycheck, which this shutdown will interfere with very soon with our car payments, house payments, electricity, etc.

Hmm....Maybe I should "up" my coaching appointments.  I'm just kidding!  I wouldn't do that; I would work in retail if I needed to start making side money to pay my bills if the shutdown lasts for months.  Pool doesn't bring in money - whether giving lessons, winning tournaments, or running tournaments - there's just not enough money in our sport to make a living.  And we all know this, so it isn't new information.

I gotta go - burgers are burning on the grill!