Winning in a Down Economy

Prescription Drugs and No Insurance...now what?

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:01:00 +0000

I find the greatest challenge in taking care of the family... now that I'm not employed, is finding a way to get medications for my wife. She has Crohn's.
If you're not familiar with Crohn's disease, it is a disease that effects the bowels. It causes extreme pain, sometime she has been in so much pain she can't talk and will lie on the floor crying. I have learned over the five years we've been married certain signs she exhibits or talks about and don't wait to call an ambulance now. It is tied to stress and no one knows what causes it or how to cure it. We are always under extreme stress and though I try not to display mine, she carries a lot.

We have been in the hospital several times in the last year. Each time we couldn't afford it, but the hospital has reviewed our income and covered the cost. I don't understand who is paying for it, but I assume it is coming from taxpayers or people who give to the hospital. I am very grateful for this and never in my life expected it. I would have just dealt with the debt for the rest of my life.

Drugs are also the next difficult issue. Getting them as samples has been a strategy, but these drugs are very expensive. One called Humera and advertise on TV costs $1500 a month. I don't know how people that need this can afford it. We approached the company that produces it and they sent us an application that asked for our income information. We were sent the shots through the doctor's office at no cost to us. That surprised me too.

We have found another group locally here in Athens, GA that is run by all medical volunteers. It allows us to see a doctor and get prescriptions through their internal pharmacy. Of course they don't have these drugs, the ones for Crohn's because it is a specialized disease. Today though we started pursuing drug company web sites. I also ran a Google search on where to get the medication for free. There are some sites out there that are scams, but I did track down the company that makes the one drug she takes. They have a program that apparently we could qualify for because of our income. I hope so.

I guess I want to just write that I am very grateful for these companies and services that help those that are really in the low income bracket. I have been just above it too and never get anywhere, but for now it is a real help. Thank you God!

Unemployment is tough, but you can make it

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:02:00 +0000

My wife and I have been living on unemployment now for several months. Each day starts with the checking what web sites we think are valuable. CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com have shown some promise, as the Athenswantedads.com have too, but if you have done this for a while, nothing is working well.

We are going to run out of the weekly payment and we're not sure what will happen next. One argument I have with the current system is that is does not allow me to earn money while I receive the payment. Here is what I mean: I believe that since the formula that determines how much you receive is based on what you have earned before, then the law should allow you to earn that same amount without losing the UI payment. I know the UI is paid into a fund by your employers, but it does not allow you to maintain your past standard of living and it does not reward someone who will take on a part time job to help themselves.

This can be accomplished by a change in the Federal law. That can be changed by our Congressman, so find out who that is and write them to HELP!! I am going through that now and I know, have served with in the Georgia Legislature, Lynn Westmoreland, Tom Price, Phil Gingrich and have worked with John Lewis. It is a piece of legislation that would get folks back in to work. Not working is the worst feeling of lack of self worth. When we get a job there is always a feeling that we are worth something, looking for work can be a real drain on self esteem and confidence.

Living on UI (unemployment Insurance) means you have to find all the fat in your budget. If you smoke or drink, I'd strongly suggest quiting as that will eat through your food budget. We first negotiated our rent and are thankful we have landlords that did this. When you find you'r going to get be hind on Power and other utilities...CALL them. Go see you power company face to face, because the 800 number folks don't have the authority that the lady behind the glass where you make payments does.

Look at your money coming in each week and pay your bills weekly. Trying to stay with monthly will get you in trouble, because the money can drain out quickly on small stuff. Car gas in unreal, because it goes up almost every week. This means you have to cut back somewhere else. The Federal government, especially the White House...Obama, can help control this. They won't because they get more tax revenue to play with as the cost goes up and they'll like having more of our money to spend. Complain!!!

When it comes to a food budget join Kroger, WalMart and Publix or Ingles shopping web sites. If you know you by a product, go to the web site for that product and look for a coupon. Be sure to use your checking account when you pay. WalMart now uses Automated Cash transfers, which are like a debit card on your checking account. At WalMArt, even if you use a debit card, after you swipe it, press the RED X button, this will pop up other options. Now choose CREDIT CARD, which will charge your card like the debit, BUT it won't come out of your account for 2 days, where the debit comes out in 1 Day. This costs Wal Mart more and that is why they have the card machines set to accept every card as a debit. If you use a check there, remember it will come out the next.

Why is this important? You need to manage your cash flow, holding onto your cash as long as you can. This will allow you write a check, knowing that in 2, 3, 4 days it will clear your account, which may be the day your UI payment is direct deposited in your account.

Speaking of you bank account, be sure to cancel Over Draft protection, this will stop the bank taking your money when a check clears on the same day as your Direct deposit. Meet with your bank and let them know you're receiving UI payments on a weekly basis and sometimes the government is late in depositing them. Ask if you can stay in touch with them if you think this will happen. The bank computer will still charge your account and NSF fee, but now they don;t have a place to take it from and if they banker sees you UI check coming in to the account the same day, they'll usually reverse the cost. With Overdraft Protection, they argue they can do it, but a couple of times. Banking is a relationship business, if the banker does help you, send them a thank you note, Stay in touch with email, before a problem arises!!

Back to food buying. If you buy at Kroger or Ingles or Publix, their checks are process through their main offices and take as many as 4 days to clear. You can write a check on Friday and it own't clear until the following Wed or Thursday, the day you get you UI deposit.

I know this isn't as good as winning the lotto.

If you spell God backwards you get...dog!

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:43:00 +0000

We have two dogs, we lost a great cat about a year ago. We have a male rat terrier named Maxwell and a female Shitzu named Molly. Molly is an actual Champion, but what that means I don't know. She was a show dog!

My wife got Molly when she, my wife, was looking for a dog for her son, (now my step-son) and she heard of a lady who raised show dogs. The lady just happened to have a heart attack and her family was trying to place her dogs. My wife took Molly. She is a lovable quiet dog who lays around, except when she goes out to pee. I can always tell when she has done her number 2 business, because she runs back to me with great excitement. As if to say, "I have done it again."

Maxwell or Max as we call him is a rat terrier and he is one loyal, but usually scared dog. We don't know why but if he hears a beep from anything, like a fire alarm, he gets up from wherever he is and hides in the closet. Thunder will do that to them both. We have never scared him with anything.

When I grew up, I had an Irish setter, but he really wan't my dog, he was a family dog and he was kept on a chain in the back yard. He would go on hikes with my brother Geoff and I though, with no chain.

We found him or he found us by sitting at an automatic egg machine that the chicken farm had across the road from us. It was summer and we think he was looking for some shade. We took him in. He was a well behaved dog. We thought he was someone's bird dog, because he was so well behaved and he always stayed with us when we went on hikes. We named him Brownie, but like I said I didn't think of him as mine, but then I never thought I really owned anything in our family. We were a family and families share everything.
I mention this because I didn't have a close relationship with him. He was usually out of sight and out of mind in the backyard. I don't agree with this practice now.

We did get a second Irish Setter when Brownie died. I believe my folks had him put down because of some complications with cancer. The next setter we got we bought and she was the runt of the litter. Her name was Ginger and she was very high strung, but then most puppies are.

When we moved from PA to NJ, my sister, my brother Geoff and I traveled with my Dad in the station wagon. Ginger road in the back. I don't remember why she would not settle down, (she probably had to go to the bath room) but my Dad stopped the car and he was angry. Because we kept telling Ginger to settle down, I assume making a continuous complaining noise in the car, Dad took it out on Ginger. He hit her several times. I felt terrible about that and can still remember the hitting. Puppies and especially Irish Setters are high strung...

Back to Max and Molly. I love them both. Molly is attached to my wife and we understand it is a trait of the dog to attach themselves to the first person they meet. This is why my wife got Max, she wanted a dog for her son. Max is so lovable and I just enjoy him tremendously.

I have lost my temper with him a couple of times and jerked him around in his halter. I don't like that part of me, it is an anger that just spills out when he is being stubborned. Does that anger sound familiar. It is rare with me, but it has happened a couple of times. I am sorry for it too.

Max has always forgiven me and loved me again. This is where I started thinking that maybe our dogs are God. I think a dog lover would understand this, but I am not suggesting a new sect of religion.

They love us always, the forgive us always and are always excited to see us, even if we just went our the door and had to run back in to get something we forgot. In all fairness, the cats I have had in my life we like that. They always were glad to see me and they waited for me to come home. But they never sat with me, in my lap.

Dogs require walking, which at first I found to be a burden, because I never had to walk my cats. But no they are my friends and I enjoy the time alone with them. I actually walk with them or they walk me. I do an early walk at 6:30 AM and I do the evening walk, 10:00 PM with two in between, which usually my wife does, though I also go on most of those too.

With us both being unemployed, (remember that is why I blog now) the walks give us time out of the house and time to be with each other and our dogs. If you don't have a dog, consider getting one. They are a friend and like I said you may find some similarities to the teachings of what God is like.

$$

"We're walking and walking...Oh look it's the Chief of Staff, what an honor for you"

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:54:00 +0000

My wife and I have been walking every day now for about two weeks. We decided to start for health reasons and it seems to be working. We are walking now three miles in the neighborhood. It is not a fast pace as we take almost an hour to make the trip.

I have never been a big fan of running and because I am now over 200 pounds it would be a killer on my sixty year old knees. When I am down to 190, I think I will start to jog and make it a faster pace.

She an I decided to find a 5 K walk in the area and set that event as our goal. I thought I'd let everyone know we are walking and see if anyone else will join with us. I'll let you know what 5K we find. We are in Athens, Georgia so if you know of one and want to make it an event please add your comments.

On a separate note:

I am planning on meeting the owner of some property that would be a possible location of the modular home plant I have spoken about earlier. As I mentioned before I believe it is the future of housing. I wan to give it a good try to get a plant up and running and selling homes. I ideas are welcomed!

See you in the neighborhood as we walk!!

(The title is a quote from a movie, do you know the name of it? )

##

Education for today's children...Cost and Government's failure

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:17:00 +0000

It is always easy to blame the Government for public school failures, but if we look in the mirror we'll see the real reason we are failing our children. We first set around when President Carter, a liberal religious fanatic, established the Education department.

Of course from his small perspective of Plains, Georgia he grew up believing that the best way to fix anything is to give it to the government. You can see this was a failed program and it would take a strong President to un-fund and not appoint a Cabinet position. The problem with this is we now have federal bureaucrats telling local schools how to educate and even feed our children. Of course the Agriculture Department dictates the food diet for our children now. Watch the new TV show, Jamie's Food Revolution and you'll see how ridiculousness the bureaucracy has made the lunch hour.

Further problems have been created by consolidating the schools into larger schools. This was another 60's brain child, ...economies of scale. It did create a new level of managers and with larger schools, now small cities, it has created disciplinary problems that needed to be solved by School Police forces.

Let's see what else can we easily identify as a problem with the large area schools, oh yea...busing. This is a real joke. Go to schools and see how many parent drive their children to school. Why? The buses aren't safe for the children because there is nor way for a driver...one person, to monitor the bus and drive.

So we see a large mass issue reflects unsafe environment for buses, school time in general, diet problems and a larger cost of management. I haven't even mentioned the quality of the education. In a word, it SUCKS.

This year we received a letter form the Clarke County School board that told us the school where our son (my step son) goes to school has not performed to the level of "the no child left behind program." This program worked well in Texas so President Bush moved it to the national level...Wrong move!!! Keep it local. The liberals got their hands on the program...Teddy Kennedy (remember him, letting the young female aid die in his car at Chappiqudic and he never went to court Kennedy) this assured it would get passed, but the value of the program was lost. Remember to keep it local and eliminate the National bureaucracy.

Well ,we got the letter and it told us we could take our son to any other middle school in the county, this according to the Federal law. BUT all the other schools had also failed!!! Let me say that again, all the other middle schools, four in total, have failed as well. I felt terrible.

I married my wife, planning on taking care of her and her son and I can't find him a decent school. The only answer was to see if I could get him into a private school that has a way to help poor families. I say poor because that is where I am. POOR. I was making a strong salary when the company that wanted me to manage this office, Palm Harbor Homes, but after sales continued to disappear because of the economy, I was moved to a sale person. I was actually making less on their salary that I receive now from Unemployment.

Needless to say we were fortunate to get Josh into the Athens Academy, but we still had to come up with $4700 for the year. I believed I could do that in a year as I believed work would turn around. Today I am owed $6500 in consulting fees from a non profit I have been helping for a year and a half and I am still expecting to start the construction ASAP. But I have heard that for a year. If I don't get the funds to AA by April 30, Josh may not show up in school on May 1st.

This has been a tough year. The last eight have been tough financially. I wish God would tell me what I am missing or doing wrong.

I have digressed from the education issue. The poor education in this county, the very county that houses the flag ship of Colleges in the State, UGA; has driven us to a private school and we are on the hook for more money. Hey if you're reading this, send money!! :-)

Mother and her passing

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:33:00 +0000

My children lost both of their Grand Mothers in a two week period. Their mother's mother passed the first week of February of colon cancer, after a long period of suffering. My mother passed February 19 and I was there. I learned from my daughter that it is OK to tell your dieing family member that it is alright to go, so they don't worry about you being alright on your own. I did that and about an hour my Mother left. When she was dieing she looked like no one I ever knew. I guess our death changes us as we decide to move on to the next world.

I know both of those ladies are in heaven. They worked tirelessly for their families. My Mother raised five children and I don't know how she maintained her sanity. She was a saint to deal with five children and her husband. I know I am a handful for my my wife and we only have one boy, hers. I have raised two children on my own and they kept me running all the time. God bless you Mother. As I continue this blog, I am sure I'll have stories to share of my antics as a boy.

At her funeral I spoke of a song I sang as a boy in the church choir on Mother's day. I had one letter to sing and I was very excited and nervous to sing my letter. As my part was coming up, I looked up from the song sheet and saw my mother in the second row crying. There are not many things that make me cry but seeing her cry made my eyes well up and I couldn't see the song sheet. To this day I don't even remember if I got my letter out. The song was written by a man in WWI;

This is the poem: MOTHER

M is for the million things she gave me,

O means that she's only growing old,

T is for the tears she shed to save me,

H is for her heart of pure gold,

E is for her eyes of love sweet shining and

R means right and right she'll always be,

put them all together they spell MOTHER

a word that means the world to me.

I will always miss our early morning coffees!

It's been weeks since my last blog...My Mother, my health, my family and the car

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:53:00 +0000

I know it has been weeks since I last made any comments and for that I apologize because I really want to make this a habit. Not for you the reader, but for me. I want to type better and I want to be a better writer. If you actually read this, thanks.

My wife Kristy went out to her folks in OK a month ago. She and her brother drove to Wagner OK. She was there for 8 days and came home a day early. While she was there she told me she was having fun meeting her parents and other family. It sounded like she was having a great time.

She didn't know that I was having one of my worst colds in a years. I was taking a medication that had an exporate in it and it was making me cough uncontrollably. It was terrible and when she would call I would keep it together and usually listen, but later in the week she started hearing me cough. I knew she would come home early if she thought I was sick and sure enough she decided to come home a day early.

All this week I had been taking care of Josh, her son, my step son and was doing OK remembering all the little things she does for him. The Friday when she had decided to come home I called her after dropping Josh off at school just to see where she was. A few minutes after that call I received a call from my sister who informed me that out Mother had had a stroke and was not expected to live.

Being alone was an odd feeling to take this news, especially when you are used to having a family. I told her I would call our Dad and brothers, all of whom would be alone too. Except Geoff in Dallas. All of us took the news in stride. I double checked with Dad to make sure there was a DNR order in her living will.

The hospital told my sister and brother in law (Chuck) that they did not feel it ethical to keep her on a machine and after telling my sister, Lori that I was sure there was a DNR order, she told the doctor to take her off. At least that was the sequence I thought happened, I believe in retrospect Lori told them to take her off on her own. This bothered her, but when she told me of it, I told her she did the right thing. It is a tough thing to do telling folks to let you parent die.

I should explain that Lori and Chuck had taken care of Mother for about a year as she had Alzheimer's disease and had fallen, thus breaking her leg. This did not allow her to stay in any senior homes, so Lori and Chuck took care of her.

I want to take a break here and write more tomorrow.

Who Dat, say who dat, when I say who dat?

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:35:00 +0000

Who dat was something I heard around the home as a joke. I knew it came from some Negro radio or Vaudeville show. It was funny when you heard two black comedians doing the routine. Still today the saying has been picked up by the fans of the Saints. I know there are some that say it is yet another example of poor English and it represents the poor living in the poorest areas in America, New Orleans.

That is correct, but it is funny to hear and it apparently became a good battle cry for the Saint fans. If you're going to have a battle, you need a song or battle cry to rouse the troops. So Who Dat is it for now and Congratulations to the Saints.

I never really follow sports, but I always watch the Super Bowl as it is to be the best two teams. My only disappointment is when there is a run away game. This past Sunday it was a good game and I did not care who won. I would prefer to be an owner than a player or fan. Since I don't buy sports memorabilia, I think this is one group I am not sending my money to. I can't avoid the government, the utilities and food stores, but I believe I am the winner in this game. I get to watch and don't pay. Well I do have Dish, so there maybe something that goes to the teams from the networks, etc. which I know they make up for in ad revenue, but I don't buy that stuff.

Speaking of ad revenue, the commercials are the best I especially liked the one with Betty White. I have been a fan of hers since the Mary Tyler Moore days. She was always coming onto Ed ??? the director of the show.
I had a chance to meet her at a dinner for the Atlanta Zoo. She is a big supported of animal care.
She has always had a sharp wit in her characters.

Let's give it up for the Saints and Betty White. Oh, Doritos had a couple of good ones too. I liked the babies of the past for E*Trade.

On my employment front, I had a lunch with a director of a large university's executive search team. Great guy, very sharp and down to earth. I hope that relationship will lead to a new position.

Anyone won a lottery yet or got a new job recently. How you get the job or how much did you win?

Taxes, Taxes, Taxes

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:53:00 +0000

This is the weekend I planned on doing my taxes and from the looks of how long the server is taking for me to get information onto Turbo Tax, everyone else is trying to do the same.

I have been using Turbo Tax form years and Quicken even longer. I first started using the Intuit products in the early 1980s. I liked it because I could see where my money was going almost in real time, but as soon as the bank saw it. This was because I worked with Dean Witter as an investment broker and they allowed us to sign onto the sever that processed the checks and debit card transactions.

Anyway I'll keep trying to get on tonight and see if it works. Try it is FREE!!

Back from NC and staying with my Dad

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:06:00 +0000

I mentioned earlier that I was spending some time taking care of my father as he recuperated from some minor surgery. First let me again mentions he is 90 years old. I always find him interesting, yet he has always been a handful to speak with. I guess many folks could say that about their parents, but when I am with my Dad he doesn't really listen, he talks...rather teaches or preaches what he believes to be the truth. If you don't agree with him, well you are not that smart.

My Father is a smart man. At 90 he has his own web site where he writes stories of his own creation, stories of his childhood and also his beliefs that there is a conspiracy of Zionist controlling everything. I always listen and even if I don't debate him on his issues, he will go all over the map with his discussions. Many times believing I am ready to rebut him at every turn. The longest I listened this past week was 2 hours and twenty minutes. I finally had to pee so I excused my self from the room, which will usually give him time to relax or regroup on an other rant. Like I said I love him and I am trying to understand his need to constantly focus on the same issues of his poor marriage, lack of trust in all his children's intelligence...each of us has some issue that he can focus on and show how we are not as perfect as he is. At least that is the way is sounds.

My sister for example, changed her report card when she was in high school, so her grades would not be seen by him. Of course at some point a letter from a teacher made it home and there was some real disappointment in her from him. He has never forgiven her for this and to this day does not trust her. She also thinks he doesn't know what he is doing in life either, so they don't even talk to each other any more.

I on the other hand have caused all my problems in life. My divorce, loss of my children from the divorce and a variety of other aspects of my life. I see it as life. We make decisions and there are consequences, we live with them and grow from them. I have learned to cope with the difficulties in life and my mistakes, I don't blame them on anyone else.

There is a difference between my Dad and me. He believes all his problems in life have been others faults, his failures are because of his wife or children or some Jew he had to work for. For a week I listened and am still confused as to how to offer a way for my Dad to be happy. He isn't happy and he never has been. I don't say that lightly, he really hasn't been happy during his life and I don't know what makes a person feel that way. I read somewhere that a traumatic childhood will cause this behavior.

My Dad lost his father when he was 7 years old and his mother had MS all of his life. Obviously this would have an impact on anyone's life, but for me to mention this to him and suggest that he can or could have worked through this years ago, would be responded to with an attitude that I am just stupid or that I don't understand a GD thing and none of us kids do. He also points out quite often that "my generation" is really lost on what is important in the world and have bought into the propaganda of the Jews and Zionists. Of course, at this point I am always lost for words because I don't know how to combat a paranoid mind.

Please don't misunderstand my comments here. I love my Dad and I wish I could offer him an answer that he could digest and he would realize that the past week his oldest son, unemployed for over six months, given a rental car and money by my brother in law to survive for the week stayed in his small apartment on the couch to be sure he was in good health. This is the important time, I think in one's life, good times. It doesn't make sense to me to worry or preach about the Zionists controlling everything. I like to tell him, I think that he and I eating lunch together is "important!" But it falls on deaf ears.

I want to point out, Dad gave me money when I left, something I didn't want to accept, but I knew I didn't have the funds for gas to get home or pay for the groceries I bought for him. He has a good heart and a good mind, he has some real anger issues, that I have no expertize to help him cope with in life.

( I am posting this without a proof read, because I am exhausted and I'll edit later)

I love you Dad!!

Back in NC taking of my Dad

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:27:00 +0000

This past Wednesday (01/27/10) I drove up to NC again, this time to spend about a week with my Dad as he recovers from a double hernia operation. As always, being out of work places a great deal of stress on the situation, because I was supposed to ride up with my brother in law and only stay a couple of days.

We Chuck, my brother in law, decided to rent a car for me and let me stay the week. This saved him coming back up to pick me up, but it meant he'd pay for the car. I sure don't like being this kind of a bind, where everything I need to help family has to come from other family. I wouldn't mind giving to my family, I don't like being on the receiving end. Thank God for my family.

While up here my wife told me our small dog, now about 10 years old had a bulging eye. This meant a visit to the Vet and another bill that will just strain us even more. It places some other bill on the back burner. Like I said before, it is always something and I get tired of the feeling of being on the edge.

I am staying with my Dad, who resides in a retirement home in NC. It is a small place and nothing to do but read and watch old TV movies.

Dad is doing well. He is walking now with the cane and eating. We'll see how he does after going to the bathroom. ( I know not a pleasant thought about a 90 year old man, but this is what the focus of life is at that age)

New posibilities on work...Keeping my fingers crossed.

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:46:00 +0000

Every time I think it can't get worse, I find it does. Today I received information on bills that are needed to be paid and one is a bill for my son's school. Now I know you may not feel any sympathy for me in having a bill due for a private school, but let me explain.

He was accepted on an education and needs scholarship with the agreement that I could pay part of it. Before the school year started, we received a letter telling us his public school had not met minimum standards and we could move him to another middle school in the county, but there was no other school that was not in the same shape. The other thing we learned was that, he acquired a staff infection at the school. They had had several cases over several weeks and never alerted parents to the problem. That was it, we had to find an alternative to public school.

He has been doing well and we can see he is challenged. He has a B to B+ average over all and I believe with his new enthusiasm, he'll make the A list.

Anyway today we got a notice that they want to full bill paid by next week or he'll be dropped. Now that wasn't our agreement, but it is a private school and they make the rules. I hope they will listen to our new plight and work with us longer. Tax time is upon us and we should get some money returned.

I also placed the car, a 2001 Taurus, on Craigslist. The transmission went out last month, so I can't move it and I borrowed on it from Title Max. I am paying now interest on a car I can't drive. I ran a truthful ad and someone may by it, fix it and resell it and make some money.
I also found a new contact that is the senior recruiter at a local "large" employer. I have an introduction and I am in hopes that I'll impress him enough that I'll get a second interview and ultimately a job offer!

I don't know if you're rooting for me/us, but I could sure use your prayers on selling the car, keeping my son in his school by making the money to catch up and the big one...please pray that I find a job that gets us back to our pay grade. God bless you if you are...and even if you aren't.

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:11:00 +0000

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Taking time to see my Dad

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:59:00 +0000

I took some time to visit my Dad in NC. He is 90 years old next week and lives in a retirement center. He looks good but continues to have an issue with a hernia. Not being a doctor, I don't know what the issue is. He says its a hernia, but before it was a blockage and I talked him into a colonoskopy. There was nothing to show from that procedure. So he said it was a hernia, he is also using a carther which can be changed every couple of weeks.

My Dad has been a frustrated writer for most of his life. He is an Amateur Radio operator or HAM and was a pilot, flying Piper Cubs from the factory to the buyers. This he did prior to WWII. He met my mother at Piper.
Each time I visit the conversation is the same. The people living there are all Baptists, Southerners and therefore don't like him. He's from the North. He thinks they are all Zionists or at least sympathizers with them and doesn't get much traction with the other men regarding his beliefs about the Jews. He believes they are destroying the country. I try to stay off the subject as he really like to preach it.

The facility where he is has a nice work out area, Dad doesn't use it. Pretty grounds, he won't walk. The food is good, the rooms are cleaned weekly and they have bus service to the local stores. When he meets with doctors, they don't want to treat him because he is 90 and they don't want to take on any more Medicare patients. That part is true and I believe a direct response by the medical field to the Obama health care initiatives. I don't make suggestions on how he can handle the problems as he can argue against any of them. So he continues to lie in bed most days dealing with a blockage or hernia, which ever comes first.

I love my Dad and think he is one of the few honest men I have met in the world. He is a smart man. A teacher and self taught in many areas, including piano. He has always had his opinions and likes to share them, expecting the world to follow them. He has no solutions to problems but can point them out and believes his ideas are the best and anyone who can't see that is just ignorant. Se la vie!

Do you have a parent still living? Are they in their 80's and 90's? What are they like?

Back home today and looking again for jobs. I started a post to see if other are interested in a Job Network.

Making Applications a Focus of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:20:00 +0000

Today is Sunday and I slept in again. We did not make it to church. I listen to the sermon on the radio however, as I always get something from it.

I started looking at the listing of jobs on the DOL list and filled out the application for one and another job I found on the internet, I think it was Yahoo. The first was for a position in management with the university (UGA) and the second was for a position with a convenience store corporation. I know I can do both jobs, it will be great if I get a call for an interview.

I also filed for the weeks DOL report. I am on the extended version of the UI benefits and I therefore lose the additional $25 a week, which equates to a tank full of gas for the week. It hurts.

Kristy and I went grocery shopping and again lowered the amount of what we could buy. I still had to write a check that would clear when I received the DOL direct deposit amount. I have faith that this will always work, I have faith that someone will see the application I filed and I'll get a call and get the position.

When I miss church, I feel like I have short changed God for all he is doing in my life, but I also take several moments to say thanks. I pray he hears me.

This week will be a great week!

Staying in touch with Friends

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:13:00 +0000

During a time of unemployment it's a great idea to let friends and family know that you are looking for a new position. Have the "elevator" speech ready for everyone you meet as one never knows who may have the next lead.

With that in mind, I got a call from John T who is a friend of mine from high school days and college. He lives in New Jersey, which is where we went to high school, Somerville to be exact. He was one of the main reasons I went to Clemson. He was already there one year and I worked with him over the summer of his freshman year at a landscape shop. There are many stories from that summer working there, but I'll leave that to another day.

John called me in response to a you tube video I sent him. You may enjoy this, it will at least get you thinking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtjfMjjce2Y So John called and we talked about college, his work in the building industry there in New Jersey and what I was doing to find new work.

We both went to Clemson. From where I lived, it was a college some 17 hours away by car, over night by train and many hours to fly to Greenville and then drive to Clemson. It was a college I knew I couldn't get home from on a weekend, it would be a new beginning fro me. As a Freshman, we were all treated to being a RAT, which meant that our hair was trimmed to a burr cut and we wore an orange beanie. Every upper classman could order you around and we had to do ridiculous stuff, especially in the cafeteria.
For example, when you set down to eat a meal someone would tell you to get on the table and start a specific football cheer. This meant you first needed to know the cheer and second you had to humiliate yourself in from of those eating. The other Rats had to cheer with you, but you were usually alone on the table if you were the first to be seen. Imagine every day going to eat and being harassed while you ate. One of the worst for me and I think the last was when I was told to ask a fellow female Rat to marry me. I had to go to her table, get on one knee and loudly ask her to marry me. " Will you marry me?" She just looks embarrassed and won't respond. Louder Rat some upper class man would yell!" "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" Again she is laughing and just looking, I said, "Look this isn't real, just say yes so I can eat and leave," she said "yes." There were cheers and then some other Rat had to lead a cheer.

I said it was my last as I learned to eat in the line as I got food off the display line. That way I had eaten by the time I was at the end of the line and paid. I walked to the return tray line, placed the try there and left. I did that for about five weeks. Of course this didn't get you out of walking along the edge of the side walk to class, having to lead a cheer somewhere in the dorms, etc. Needless to say it was about six weeks of hell, unless you knew an upper class man who took care of you.

This brings me back to John T, my friend from summer work and I should mention the older brother of my best friend in high school.

I was walking down his dorm hall way on the way to my room and he saw me. "Hey Rat," he said with a laugh. "What are you up to,? he asked. " I headed to my room, why? Whacha need?" "Run to the canteen and get me something to eat," he said with a big smile. "Are you kidding me,...okay, what do you want," I added with a friendly voice knowing I would have to run anyway or the other guys sitting around would start in on me. "Get me some fries, a coke and a fur burger, with no ketchup," he added. "What the heck is a fur burger?" I asked. "It's their specialty at the Canteen, get on for yourself if you want, here's some money," he said handing me a ten dollar bill. Looking at him to see if he was Sh*ting me, I took the money and was off.

I went to the Canteen which was always busy. It was a small restaurant on the lower floor of the quadrangle and usually packed with students getting something late to eat. I work my way to the front of the line, standing there in a loud mass of freshman and upper class man ordering. I scan the wall menu quickly, but the guy asks me what do I want to order. Slowly I say, "Fries, a coke," and still scanning I don't see it but I say loudly, "and a fur burger."

The guy taking the order started to laugh, "I have waited two weeks for someone to come in and order this," the crowd go a little quiet and then started to laugh too, "The Rat wants a fur burger," some unknown voice repeated. What was a cackle of ordering sounds became a burst of laughter and I was the reason. "I didn't think there was really one, but I was told to order it, give me a regular burger then," I asked. "What is a fur burger?" I added. Still laughing, the attendant said it a burger with pubic hair on it. "Well that's disgusting." I said with a red face I am sure.

Needless to say I was embarrased and I couldn't believe John had betrayed my trust. When I say him, he was standing in the hall talking with someone. He saw me and started to laugh, "Did you get the fur burger?" I wasn't laughing, I was embarrassed and tossed him the food and kept walking.

When John and talked on the phone this time we laugh about it. He said in retrospect he felt like he had betrayed my trust, but he was still OK with it since it was Rat season. I agreed, with him. It was funny and I think I could have taken the joke better. It was all part of the experience of starting college and the whole process of being a Rat, made you part of the brotherhood of being a Clemson man.

Staying in touch with your friends during a difficult time is a great way to keep your spirits up. I try to call a friend every week or two. We always end up laughing about the good old days.

Back from the Mall walk

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:33:00 +0000

I went mall walking with my wife Kristy. It isn't really the mall walking you'd think, as in really keeping up a pace. First we didn't go until after noon. Real mall walkers are there in the morning and maintain a brisk pace. I'll be getting back to that as its good for the heart.

Mall walking with my wife consists of walking around the mall once and then into Macy's to see what the sales are. She wanted a specific white coat and some gloves and sweaters. We could't get them this time, because we focused on her son's and her families presents. So when we go to the mall she likes to check on them and see if they are still there and at what price. She is like a little girl as she reviews the posibilities. I enjoy watching her.

We then trekked over to Starbucks for a coffee. We got two cards for Christmas. Kristy like to get a decaf, tall, soy seasonal coffee with whip and I always get a tall, mild blend with heavy whipping cream. Her is about $3.50 and mine is about $1.60. My theory is to enjoy the time out more often then enjoying the treat a few amount of times. She says I'm cheap, I am actually.

While out this time I thought I should focus on setting up a job network meeting that will meet weekly here in Athens. It may bring me some contacts that would fit my background. In checking on the possible structures, I have found two concepts, one in a church environment and the in a local restaurant, but with a faith based focused too. I like that as I have found my faith in God has been challenged during tough times and both Kristy and I see that is not good. How do we bring the positive into our lives if we keep thinking we only get the worst that life has to offer.

Day two of the New Year 2010

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:12:00 +0000

Waking up this morning, (6AM) I walked our two dogs.. Max and Molly. This morning it was 9 degrees, figuring the wind chill factor. Needless to say it was cold. I had some coffee, store brand and way too strong today. I got sick on it. Usually I use some store brand of coffee creamer, but today I thought I could save some money and start to drink it with just some honey. I'll have to rethink the amount of grounds to water ration.

This stomach problem persisted and I went back to bed. Woke up at 10. My wife also came back to bed after driving her son to school. He's 13. She was not feeling well either. Through out the Christmas and New Year's week, we were sleeping late. I didn't worry about the time as no one was talking about hiring people, and Josh her son was off from school. I still walked the dogs every morning at 6:30 though.

Now I am up, I checked email and found a response to an inquiry from a friend. He told me to use him as a reference and look at the State jobs listing. I've been doing that for about an hour and updating my resume on the site.

One trick I have learned is to update the resume or re-certify it so the system picks it up for employers as a new one. We'll see if I get any interest now. Kristy just suggested we go to the mall and walk so we keep our spirits up and "let's not think we don't deserve good things, she added. "I know, let's be positive and envision the jobs we want."
$$$

I won the Mega Lottery!! or the dreams of an unemployed 60 year old Father

noreply@blogger.com (LADY) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:01:00 +0000

I have been unemployed now for six months and as I start the new year (2010) I thought I'd start to write this blog. One it gives me something to start my day with and two, who knows maybe some will read it.

Being unemployed at 60 is a frustrating process. I can meet requirements of many positions but I can see the employer is looking for someone younger. Of course they never say that, but having been in sales for most of my career, I can read someone's face quickly.

I like the dream of winning the Mega Lotto, so I buy two tickets a week. It gives me a few days to dream of what I'd do with the money. I enjoy seeing the TV shows of Lotto winners and what they have done with their money and many times I see how they lost it. I wouldn't lose it!!??

I have asked family members what they would do if they won a large lottery and my thoughts are that if I won, I would know what they are expecting and I wouldn't feel guilty for not meeting their expectations. Of course, this would mean I won the BIG money, because if I won a small lotto amount I have to cover my own bills first.

I think about the process of managing the money instead of just giving it away. A gift like that is one that could go on for generations if managed right.

What would you do with the money?