In Class Proofreading Exercise, Jenny Nielsen

"When a neighbor loses his job it is a recession; when you lose your job it is a depression." (cite quote)

My husband got into "the trades" because the economy of the millennium was thriving, and there was a bold promise from the government, and the business sector that trades workers would never be out of work. Although Jay planned on a career in engineering eventually, working towards his Journeyman Welding ticket seemed like the perfect opportunity to get ahead until I graduated with my degree. Initially the money was plentiful, and we moved our family of five to Edmonton, so I could attend Macewan, and he could work in a Mod yard as an apprentice welder. The dream of attending the U of A's(University of Alberta) engineering (Engineering)program was ever present in his mind, and we were able to begin saving for his education. Our teenage son, who is an aspiring actor and musician, was thrilled to attend Victoria school of Performing and Visual Arts, and our younger children were happy with all of the parks and festivals that Edmonton has to offer.
Everything was going as planned, until a cold day in January of 2009(two thousand and nine). Jay called me on a regular work day at about noon to say that he had lost his job, and that he was on his way home. There was no warning, and we were completely dumbfounded. Yes, we had heard rumors that the economy had been in a state of decline, but we hadn't given too much heed to them. Jay was "out of work" for about 7 (seven)months. Writing cover letters, printing off resumes, and calling potential employers became a sadly discouraging pastime for both of us. He did eventually get a job, albeit in Fort McMurray for 18 (? spell out?)days at a time. Last week he was layed off again, with the promise of a phone call when things begin to pick up. (capital)how long can a family of five wait around for a phone call?
Our experiences bring up many important questions about the banks, the government, and the resource based economy of Alberta, and Canada.

I think that I need to review when to use capitals, and when to spell out numbers. Although, I still write with grammar and punctuation errors I feel that I have come a long way since the beginning of the term. I find that I am still slightly confused about some issues, and will most likely need to refer to my "Correct Writing" text while writing my essay. Writing to express is more descriptive creative, and personal; whereas, writing to evaluate is more objective and observational.