Are you OK?

I recall from about a year or more ago, that a thread was started here, asking people to check in with how they are doing.

Really doing in the current state of things. That poster is no longer here, RIP you know who you are, but that was one of the biggest, most insightful, informative, and compassionate threads I have ever seen here.

I miss him and I would like to re-ask the question:



Are you OK?


Just check in and let us all know how everyone is doing, have your kids all denounced you, have you all denounced your parents, did anyone else lose their home, their job, gain a home, gain a job, etc., etc., etc.




In memory of you know who.




Just my dos centavos


robdogbucky

I lost my job in 2010 and had to move in with my parents.

My dad is more than a month behind on the mortgage and behind on the property taxes. He lives off social security (hes 82)

He also is facing kidney dialysis on both kidney's to start the next few weeks.

I could not afford to insure my car so it sits garaged.

Lost my health insurance even though I am a type 2 diabetic.

I have close to $130,000 in student loan debt.

So I live off unemployment benefits for now. I am an attorney in NY, which right now is the worst place to be one without a job with the largest glut of attorney's in the nation according to the New York Times.

I actually applied at starbucks last week but was it was a no go.

have some better luck - and SOON!

The only thing I can say is hang in there, baby. I know, it's not like you have any other choice. I can say with assurance from the perspective of my 62 years looking back, that I did not have much of a clue in my 20s. So much will change and happen to you, that I would not get too down now.

Wow, that is a lot of bad stuff to have going on all at once though. Will you guys lose your housing if your dad can't make the mortgage? Is re-financing available, or am I being naive? I have been in your shoes re: no health insurance, no car insurance, and no job, but I don't have diabetes or the student loan obligation. You will survive these things in the long run I believe.

Here is my personal pep talk, ala the end of the Old Philosopher radio shows, when he did the long list of laments, only to rally and give a rousing pep talk.

Ok, at least you have the law degree and maybe there is something creative you can do with that still. What area of law were you seeking to get into, or already worked in? I am presuming you are a recent law school grad and bar exam taker, ala the amount of student loan debt you cite. Maybe there is some other kind of law you could get your foot into the door on? I don't mean chasing ambulances or hanging around bail bondsmen's offices, but then again, maybe you could try those. I kid.

I worked for many years with attorneys of all types and ages and genders and abilities. One thing that stood out to me was the large percentage of them that hated doing law. Yup, they just went for the monetary reward dream and left them sometimes hollow even when making oodles of bucks on billables. There were also many creative and energetic and idealistic attorneys as well. Unfortunately almost all of those end up working for peanuts representing people that really need their services, you know, the little guys. I had the chance to volunteer at the beginning of the Reagan regime when he and the Sec of Human Services, Margaret Heckler, tried to eliminate large sections of those collecting SS Disability by re-classifying their impairments and imposing a show of proof for their conditions, etc. We did fair hearings in front of ALJs and we did some good for folks that were indigent and under siege by the initial onslaught of Reaganomics, the precursor to the Baggers of today. That was the most rewarding work I ever did and we managed to clog the appeal system in Washington to the degree that Reagan had re-instate those folks and roll back the attack on categories of impairments they had attacked, like back injuries, emotional impairment, immune disorders, etc. Those were all subjective illnesses to a large degree with hardly any way to measure the damage, hence making easy targets for the put up or shut up folks in D.C. There were cases of veterans with seizures losing their medication under these purges and dying alone from injuries suffered from seizures. Then there were the suicides, etc.

Maybe you won't see monetary gain right away, but hell, fighting the good fight always made being hungry a bit easier to endure.

I know, not much of a suggestion when one needs financial help, but hey, look around you for opportunities. Sometimes a gray cloud does have a silver lining.



Hang in there, baby




rdb

makes me feel better to read what you and the others have said.

Thank you :)

Very sad that it now costs more than $130K to go to school. Best of luck

http://livinglies.wordpress.com
http://4closurefraud.org
www.foreclosurehamlet.org

Naked Capitalism too...
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2010/10/4closurefraud-posts-docx-mortgage-document-fabrication-price-sheet.html

Those above are just as a point of entry, from which you can find others, google "foreclosure defense" to turn up more. Basically in the last several years, a network of attorneys and websites has sprouted up to help homeowners defend themselves against foreclosure. That is an area of law which has more work than they can handle, and they DO win a lot of the time. Some websites keep a list of attorneys to refer people to when asked.

Hook into the "community" and I'm sure eventually you'll find leads to a niche for yourself.

I hope things go better for you.


p.s. Some of the legal techniques successfully used on foreclosure also work on student loans or other notes as well. It's an area worth learning. I myself have stayed in my house now for 3 years using what I learned on the net from these sites and others.

Gonna bookmark and read them :)

Consumer Law is a huge market right now. And trust me, there ARE defenses to most of the difficulties people are in.

Best to you (and your Dad). :)

There is a set legal timeline and procedure for foreclosures. He should get a letter from his mortgage company after he misses three payments.

He can go through the process of formally asking for a loan modification with them. They don't charge anything for it. He can call his mortgage company and ask for a loan modification packet which they'll send to him and they give a month or so for people to get back to them with all the documents, etc. They are very professional and pleasant about it. It's the usual three months worth of banking statements, pay statements, last years tax papers, etc., plus filling out whatever documents they send. There's a financial questionnaire where he gives them all his assets, income and what his bills are and how much he spends on living each month.

If he has a set income he might get it. I did and I really didn't expect to. They lowered my mortgage payment a couple of hundred dollars as well as lowering my equity payments by half. I can now make my mortgage payments even though it's a real struggle.

And with your student loans you can ask for a deferment because you don't have a job. They'll give you up to a year and then you can renew it. They don't try squeezing blood out of a turnip. Nowadays I would be very surprised if they get many people who have jobs and can pay their loans. The interest will accrue but that can't be helped.

Just do what you have to do one step at a time. After my mother died her income stopped so I was left with my salary to cover all the expenses. I declared bankruptcy a few months later because I simply couldn't pay both my mother's and my credit card bills after they cut me off even though I hadn't missed any payments. But I was paying one credit card with another and juggling the payments. and the bankruptcy was was granted which wiped all the credit card balances out. Then I stopped paying my mortgage and equity bills. A few months later I got the letters and dealt with that by asking for a loan modification packet and then just went with that one step at a time. The whole process took a year and in the end they granted me the loan modifications.

If you ever need help just post on DU and you'll get great advice and lots of links.

people here (like you) are the reasons this is a great place.

In addition to his J.D., he also holds an L.L.M Degree, but unfortunately, he also has enormous student loans to pay. I really tried to discourage him from going to law school after he got his Master's in History, but he was determined. (I really did not know, at that point, what wolves the banks and loan companies had become. My youngest son worked his way through college, with some help from scholarships, thank goodness.)

My oldest son's job pays well enough, but in order to pay off those awful debts, he lives with a relative of ours and just helps with groceries, etc. In other words, he doesn't have a mortgage or rent to pay.

I really wish people would realize that just because someone is an attorney they make tons of money. That's just not true. At least, it's not true these days.

You are over-qualified for most jobs, so why not fill out applications, omitting your post university degree. I don't know if that's possible these days with companies knowing so much about us, but it's the only advice I can offer.

I sincerely wish you good luck.

I am sorry to hear the OP is not here anymore, I hope HE is okay.

I am okay, but so many others are not. When I go to the Supermarket in Ventura, I see so many homeless people. It's a shame that this is allowed to happen in this country. That there are no provisions for the homeless, or what is available, is so minimal and demeaning, many don't make use of them.

And we are going to take more away from them! Shameful is too kind a word.

Thank you for asking. :-)

I lost my job in April and I can't find another one because I am partially disabled and awaiting surgery. My daughter just lost hers as well and is actively looking. Thanks for asking though. :hug:

btw - how are YOU?

I will chant for you and your daughter and good luck on the surgery.

I am doing okay compared to last year at this time, although my step-daughter's marriage is dissolving and I am concerned for the grandchild through all this. My MIL is close to the end and my own Mother is going to be 95 in September, so things even out on the family front. My wife is fine and my health is fine/under proper maintenance.

Thanks for asking.


Peace

and I hope things improve for your step daughter and grand child. It's very difficult to lose a parent and i will also send out good thoughts for her, your wife and yourself.

continue to save and watch my savings go down the drain.

60 with no retirement... not a pretty place to be

People asking for money pretty much every time I get gas or walk through the parking lot near retail places.

Thanks for asking!

At least, as far as jobs go. We're dealing with cancer, but we have good insurance, thanks to our socialist public sector jobs.

I didn't get a pay increase this year, for the first time in my 23 years in my job. That doesn't hurt me, because I've gotten an increase every year. But it's hard for the workers at beginner pay levels to get by.

Work is harder now, because a caseworker transferred, and was not replaced because of the economy. I work more (unpaid) overtime these days. This is really just part of the ups and downs of the job, though. I'm actually doing very well, thanks to the protections we still have in public sector jobs.

They haven't taken my security yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can retire in a few years.

Many members of my immediate family raised their families in Wisconsin with civil service types of jobs. That was fallout from having been young in the Great Depression and seeing how folks that were lucky enough to secure jobs in the public sector had benefits and security that private sector was not competing with at the time. They all went the distance and most had offspring that learned the lesson of solidarity, union power and insisting on an honest day's wages for an honest day of work, whether that is teacher, fireman, mailman, street cleaner, janitor, etc.

I know about the concern about SS not being there when we need it. Holy Mackerels, whodathunkit we could have our SS in jeopardy? The teabag mentality and their sponsors must be defeated and eliminated from our public discourse.



Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!



rdb

Who knows what the future holds?

Have a steady job, nice house that I can afford, healthy. My family are mostly frothing-at-the-mouth teabaggers who think that every inch of snow in February completely rules out global warming. One lives entirely on SS, Medicare, and a public school pension, yet sits and laps up Fox news all day. This sort of bone-deep stupidity I don't suffer well. We seldom speak and I don't miss them at all. My own kids are grown-up liberal Dems so at least I did something right.

I am trying to talk my wife into moving to a civilized country where we can grow old and die without worrying about arthritis or diabetes bankrupting us. Getting closer.

My other hoped-for scenario is where a few million of us get our shit together and completely rid the country of every last hate radio and cable "news" personality. Such an extermination would make the US livable again.

So, hunkered down, getting ready to avoid "news" altogether while the nation of FDR, JFK, LBJ circles the bowl, to be replaced by Glenbeckistan.

Thanks for asking

But I'd move to another country if I could.

But not if Hate Radio is going to continue to rule. And we're not getting back to America The Greatest while those cockroaches infest the country.

And glad that poster ate pizza.

Sid

Go Sid!

ANd with his joker avatar gone, I can't quickly recognize his posts so I can skip over them. :-(

I am OK. Right at the moment I have a roof over my head, food in the fridge/pantry, food for the animals, clothes to wear, in decent health, mostly current on my bills, a working net connection, a mostly-functioning vehicle, and am not cold. By next week some of those things may change. But right at this exact moment, I am OK.

Hope the same is true for you.

but like you say, anything can happen and the possibilities are endless.

I hope you can at least stay warm for quite a bit longer at least.



Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!


rdb

...until Fall and Winter hits, and then we scramble for how to pay the heat bills again. But I'll worry about that when it gets here.

Thanks for this thread, btw. It allows those of us who are OK (however temporarily) to be grateful for what we have, and to send good wishes to those who are not.

Going camping with my entire family this week and going away to school for the first time in a couple of weeks. I'm not worried about the debt ceiling bullshit because if anything does happen, theres nothing I can really do about it other then keep calling my elected officials so theres not reason to keep worrying about it.

what's going on..sharing your troubles sometimes lightens the load, and we *did* ask.
How are you?

Better than last time this thread came around. I did a lot of bitching in that one.

I'm writing (let me know if you need articles anyone!) and I'm hoping that will keep the bills paid at least. I'm a single parent and it's been rough going for a while--I used to be in the real estate industry and we all know what happened to that.

Thank you for doing it again. I hope you and yours are doing ok.

Not doing so well here... about the same level of badness as at the time of the last thread, but it is a little different now. Sigh. I quit my job last night unfortunately, but it had to be done. I am a waitress and it just got to be too much for way too little. I think I may have lost two dear friends over it too, which makes it that much worse. It is a really bad idea for friends to work for friends, fyi. Off the clock/on the clock relations become very problematic. I have learned that if I cannot work where I was, then I cannot wait tables anymore, anywhere. That alone is trouble because restaurants are all I really know and the only job I can get relatively easily.... but you still have to know someone to get in at a decent place. I have an associates degree, cannot pass a credit check, have little experience outside food service and I am not a spring chicken. In short, my resume sucks and the likelihood of finding gainful employment, even in "booming" Texas, is very slim.


Other than that... we are on day 30 (or so) consecutive of 100+ temps and zero rain, and the forecast is for even hotter temps for the foreseeable future. Just shoot me.

I worked in it a lot over the course of my life, in high school, in college, after college when trying to start a career, etc. I washed dishes, bussed tables, room service waiter, porter, waiter, bartender, dining room manager, bar manager, etc. I was always a gabber, so to be a host in a restaurant or bar with lots of public contact was a natural for me. I also usually always had some change in my pocket as well. In your case it sounds like familiarity bred contempt a little bit, no?

I once moved to a new town and heard the airport had just expanded and needed employees. Well, me and 2,000 others applied and I got the gig tending bar in a departure lounge. This was one of those hover while SO decides on where she wants to continue her education, etc. and I didn't really care, only that it was a job with tips again. It was also a union job and it paid well and I enjoyed myself while doing it. Point being, keep beating the bushes and use all of your contacts, and if you have schmoozed enough, you should be able to chat some friends up for hopefully some leads. I never thought I would be working in an airport, but there I was, having a pretty good time doing it too.

Back when I was in a college town and tending bar, we usually had Monday night off and used it to visit all the other places, you know, a pub crawl among regulars. We knew someone that was working at every stop we made and we got the inside scoop on what was happening to whom, where, and when. Invaluable for keeping tabs on the changes.

The corporate sector is contracting now from what I hear about food & beverage, but try the local little neighborhood places too. Networking is by far the best job search advice I think anyone could ever hear. There is stuff out there that you may not even know about, but if you have your ear to the ground, you may luck into something like I did in a strange town.

By the way, restaurants are NOT all you know. You might try stepping out and looking for and even interviewing if you can get it, a job in a different line of work? Retail comes to mind, but sales in general would be a natural for someone used to dealing with people like waiting on tables does. Sometimes you just gotta beat the bricks until they start to crumble, then maybe head to another city.

Good luck and try to stay cool for Chrissakes!




Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!



rdb

I do have retail experience. On top of that...As a side job I work with one lady that does a couple of trunk shows a year and a mineralogist who does three shows a year. My plan is to build on those gigs and/or find a regular job doing that vs a regular retail outlet. I am NOT a people person/gabber lol. It doesn't really come naturally to me. I give good service, but I am the type that gets your order right, gets it done on time and it is right (most of the time) I am not a chatter, except in rare cases. :) That is a big part of why I can't do it anymore... and the wretched aches and pains. We'll see what happens. I am trying not to panic. :)

edit: spell check

despair regarding the state of the country.:(

I am trying to cope, with this next week shaping up to be quite a roller-coaster ride, with all the treats the Baggers want to bestow. Hang in there, and I hope we can have a thread like this in 6 months and look back with wisdom.

Peace, Love and Understanding






Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!


rdb

I hope we can ride this one out too, and be here discussing the whole mess in January 2012.

Peace, love and understanding back at ya.:hug:

I lost my part time job last month but it was our going out travel money. We have money to pay bills so its tight now and we stay home. But I am grateful for what I have. I have nice home in mountains and good friends to hike with. We are healthy now.

I just take it week by week. Like I said we can pay normal stuff but anything happens medically or housewise and we are in trouble...

I am starting volunteering next month at fair trade store that gives all profits to local charities.

I would love to spend some quality time fishing some of those wild mountain streams, some with summer steelhead runs.

It does seem better to be living a bit off the beaten path, especially when the rest of the country appears on edge of nervous breakdown.

Good luck on the volunteering gig at the trade fair. I have a retired woman friend that has devised a dance/exercise class regimen for seniors and she attended a senior fair and networked. She has her first gig on Wednesday in a facility that is part of a chain. She may have struck gold for herself and I sure hope so. She deserves it. May you have similar successes.





Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!


rdb

job hunting before the shit hits the fan. it's "self-promotion weekend" here -- polishing up resumes and such.

until then, we're good. dogs are happy. we've got insurance thru my job and enough money for gas and food. building up the emergence fund for the inevitable.

Just check in and let us all know how everyone is doing, have your kids all denounced you, have you all denounced your parents, did anyone else lose their home, their job, gain a home, gain a job, etc., etc., etc.

Yes to all the above....

Please fill us in if you can, we'd love to hear.



Hands off my Social Security!
Handa off Latin America!



rdb

I'm a single highly educated and long-term unemployed 50ish woman. A licensed attorney with work experience in the insurance industry and in investment management. I've collected over a thousand rejection letters. I've done what I can to earn a few bucks and in the process have discovered that the desk that resides in a corner of a spare bedroom represents job creation even though it does not generate enough funds to pay basic housing expenses. There was no capital available to finance a real business start-up to try to replace my lost income. I don't qualify for any kind of assistance and my unemployment predates that of the 99ers. I have lived frugally and exhausted considerable savings. Given that employers are permitted to discriminate against unemployed folks in hiring I have lost all hope of ever again finding traditional employment. I'd be absolutely delighted to find work paying half (or less) of my former salary.

While my home has not appreciated it has held its value. But it is a small older home in a transitional neighborhood. In the past few years it has required some major maintenance (new heat and air system, new water main, relocation of the gas meter due to leak, new washer and dryer and hot water tank). My homeowner taxes have skyrocketed (doubled in the last 8 years).

My old house and 10 year old car are paid for. But I now carry a credit card balance. It is small and I could pay it off. But it is easier not to when you have no money coming in and when your credit history is a criteria for employment. One has to have and use credit to have such a history. Credit cards and a student loan several decades ago are the only forms of credit I have ever had. I'm disciplined and limit my purchases.

I am partially sighted and have a hearing impairment. I haven't seen a doctor in nearly 15 years and I need to have some dental work done. Oh well.

I enrolled in a technical college - one of the largest ones in this state - and completed one full year of training before the school terminated the program without offering any refunds to students - or the opportunity to complete the program. That was a waste of time, effort and money.

Last year I went to 11 funerals. Those included 3 suicides, a sibling, an uncle, a close friend, a neighbor, a beloved pet.

With the death of my sibling, I am now an only child. My parents live in another state and are approaching 80 years of age. I feel certain that I will need to relocate to attend to them. I'm not sure I can sell my home < and it needs some updates and some work before being listed. The cost of living there is higher and I have little faith that I will be able to find employment there. Dad is in declining health - Mom is not known to have any notable medical challenges.[br />
My life circumstances pretty much suck right now.

I hope you'll consider foreclosure defense, or consumer law in general. Lots of people in every state need help, and many can pay a reasonable fee, just not an arm and a leg.

See post above -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1614196&mesg_id=1614493

:hug:

Foreclosure was one thing I did not mention.

I saved my pennies for many years and lived well below my means. The result was that I bought a small old house in need of repair. I own it outright. It needs some work but it's paid for. No threat of foreclosure looming. Though I may have to relocate to care for my parents.

Just a suggestion, hoping it might help.

I worked in private legal practice briefly a couple of decades ago before building a career in the insurance industry and then in investment management. While I have a legal education and a license to practice law my practice skills are outdated.

I know you are trying to make helpful suggestions and be encouraging. I appreciate that. Thanks.

I'm over 50, and I know I'll be in deep shit if I ever lose my job. I still feel like a kid, but the world sees an old guy.

I hope things work out for you.

Does the class that you took a year's worth before they pulled the rug out have any comparable schools for continuation of that training near where your folks are? I say that because my wife and I had to relocate her mother, who was in a corporate assisted living situation on the other coast and it was just too much to manage, so we went and got her a couple years ago. But not before researching facilities and options. We for sure thought that California would be prohibitively expensive but we had to weigh that against the expense and difficulty of trying to see after her while she was so far away. This situation actually came about unexpectedly when my wife's sister, who had been the POA and executor, etc. of the mother's life, died suddenly. There we were, a mess with my wife's mom stuck on the other coast.

Well, research revealed that if we didn't go the more expensive corporate route that there were quality alernatives out here in Cal that actually were half the price of the corporate place she had been in. We moved her, she has prospered under better care in a smaller home setting here nearby and until recently she was happy we made the move. The ratio of caregiver to resident is about 3-1 compared to the corporate ratio of about 15-1. She is now in hospice as the end is near, but these last 2 1/2 years would have been hell as well as this phase we are entering with her now, if we had not researched and discovered a better and much cheaper alternative.

If you don't move the folks near you, you have to rightly consider moving near them. In your case it would mean trying to sell if you can't afford to keep the house, and even though it may pain you to lose what you had worked for and enjoyed for so long, sometimes stepping off and researching a situation can reveal unknown possibilities. Don't give up on making this work, both a new possible career (you can always practice law as long as you can take the bar or go to a state that will grandfather you in or has reciprocity with the state you are currently licensed in, no?) and a new living situation, either where you are or where they are.

What was the skill you were learning in tech school? Does it interest you enough for you to pursue it more?

Lawyering can be such a drag.



Hang in there,




Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!



rdb

There is no doubt that when it becomes necessary that I will have to relocate. My mother still lives within 20 miles of where she grew up and has lived out most of her life there. That is where Mom and Dad's friends and contemporaries are. More importantly, that is also where their grandchildren are. Mom and Dad's home is newer, larger and far better designed to accomodate mobility issues should that become necessary. Fortunately, they do have long-term care insurance should it necessary for either of them to be placed in a facility.

I have a legal education and a license to practice law. However, it has been a couple of decades since I have worked in private practice. I made my career in the insurance industry and in investment management. I have investigated what would be required for me to practice law should I move to Mom and Dad's state. The licensing requirement would necessitate me getting considerable continuing education - enough that I would probably have to go back to law school for at least a one full-time semester of classes. That would require a two hour commute from Mom and Dad's and the payment of out of state tuition. That is a lot of time, effort and expense to get into a high pressure career that would only detract from my ability to be a caretaker.

The metropolitan area where Mom and Dad live is considerably smaller than where I currently live. The economy there is not particularly diverse. It is dominated by a couple of large companies. Most of the business there is small.

Several years ago I started working with glass doing leaded and foiled stained glass and learning how to work with warm kiln formed glass. To my knowledge, there are no formal training programs in the US that teach this trade/skill. In the yearts since I began working with with glass I have known two art glass professionals that have been forced out of business. I know another two that are just barely hanging on - and the hobbyists and professionals who earn their livlihood working the arts and crafts circuit in this part of the country have largely given that up because they no longer can make enough money.

The tech school program I enrolled in was a fine jewelry program. I completed the gemology, fabrication and casting components - but was not given the opportunity to acquire the stone setting skills or to learn many of the artistic or technical skills. There are not many of those programs in the US. The nearest program is over 200 miles from me - and about 6 hours from my parents. The casting skills are transferrable to the dental industry and the fabrication of caps and crowns. However, the nearest dental program is even farther away - and my visual impariment impacts my depth perception impairing my ability to work with 3D modeling. It may not be much of an issue with flat, relatively thin jewelry pieces but it is a considerable impediment with objects having greater depth.

I'd be delighted to have the opportunity to write and be published and I have some very specific political and social interest projects in mind. The inquiries I have made have gone without notice. I am not acquainted with anyone who has been published and have no contacts in the industry. I figure having that opportunity is about as likely as winning the lottery.

I have a friend who recently became a permanent resident of another country. She had been a peace corp volunteer but left to work with another much smaller humanitarian group. The group she is with does humanitarian work (teaching literacy, trade skills, automotive skills, self-sufficiency in food production and preservation, etc) but she is legally considered a missionary(!). Makes me think that maybe I should go off to Bible school to pave the way fo my entry into another country at some point in the future. I'm beginning to think that the alternatives are working as a Wal-Mart greeter or reinventing myself as some sort of starving artist.

Other than that, not bad.

Just a little lonely. Loving family members have passed away and close friends have moved. It doesn't help matters that I'm terribly shy. I do have an exceptionally wonderful husband :)

Thank you for asking.
:hug:

It's been a rough year. My company initiated a Mandatory Time Off program. I had my hours cut from 40 to 32, and I was down to about 6 checks out. But a couple months ago I got my hours back and I'm at about 6.5 checks out and climbing.

Also, my brother's girlfriend is (officially) moving in. So my rent's going down.

All-in-all, things are looking a little more up than they were 6 months ago.

For a couple of years I was the only one in my immediate family circle with a job, that felt weird. Two relatives have finally found employment, one loved one is still searching. We live pretty close to the bone, books are my only vice after food. I have to force myself to buy good shoes so I don't pauperize myself trying to use health insurance for any foot or back problems from standing all day teaching.

I miss the ol' so-and-so who started the thread last year, thank you for starting a new one.

it was so insightful and honest and kind of puts flesh on folks that just project an image from what they write here.

I love learning about people that I only know from the web. It also really opens the eyes as to the real state of conditions here in the good ol' USA. So refreshing just to have people talk to each other in a more normal mode than just political one-upmanship and nastiness, etc. that too often becomes the case on line.

Plus I love learning about the people I interact with, insult and get insulted by. Sometimes when the guard comes down you realize just how some folks lives are and you wonder how they can go on, etc., that you can appreciate what you yourself have and also appreciate how quickly it can all go away. Life is full of seconds where a single event can irrevocably change the entire course. Amazing and quite a ride to be on when you ponder it all.

Ha ha, I do the same with reliance on food and books to provide quality cheap living. As cheap as it can be these days, have you checked out the grocery store prices lately? Sticker shock for me every time I go.

I think you have coined a new word there, "Pauperize," and I like it. I think it can catch on, unfortunately, much too easily with things the way they are going.

I am going to say something here that is out of character for any message board that I have read. I think that what makes DU so good and so interesting is the fact that there are so many women here. There I said it. I think that factor makes for a more civil and sane discussion.

Women have had it much harder than men through the ages and I really respect the pluck and intelligence displayed by so many here. I also know the difference between here and boards that are dominated by men. Just an observation as to what makes DU different and more civil. Also the mods must be complimented. Even I have been slammed and had posts deleted when I went over the edge with insults, etc. Being Irish and kind of thick-headed will do that for ya. Rant over.



Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!


rdb

but sad to see aging and death around me and VERY scared by Tea Party politics.

my brother had been living with us for awhile but he was able to go back to a former employer and is doing well again.

My immediate situation is good, husband working, I run the kids around. I do have a chronic disease but I have had very little pain the past 6 months and other than needing to lose some weight (and getting tired from the meds) I am feeling pretty good.

Our parents are aging though, so that stress is getting to be worse. Not just older, but in nursing homes, one of them we actually got a call from the neighbor recently because she was out wandering around lost - dealing with that right now. We are far away from them so that makes it worse - getting time off and having to fly to get there.

I would say overall ok and blessed considering the circumstances of some, but definitely stretched thin and very tired at times.

even with the mountain of uncovered expenses to work on paying off.

Until that happens and we have an actual investigation into the ENTIRE debacle that was the GWB Era, I will never sleep well at night. So no, I am not all right. I won't probably be 'okay' ever again, just a little pissed off. That is what I've whittled it down to over the years.

I have passed year 4 after being laid off of my job of 20 years, with no permanent job, or even another temp job in sight. I have one month left to the temp job I am in now, which will last a grand total of 4 months. There are no other jobs out there in my field. And, I'm not even seeing any retail or other low-wage jobs. My money is gone. I have a mortgage, and live in a neighborhood where homes are not selling. After Sept. 1, I will be riding up Shit Creek without a paddle. I'd slit my wrists if it wouldn't void my life insurance policy. Not to mention that nobody can take in my cat, and I'm not going to abandon her.

Thanks for asking. My so-called friends don't seem to give a shit, and my family all have their own problems, some job-related, and some health-related.

I'm glad you have your cat and that you won't abandon her. Animals help us through all kinds of things and I hope things start working out better for you.

It's as much that I would not inflict her on anyone else, other than my younger sister, who is probably the only one would put up with her. ;-) I had two cats until early May. Had to send the old man to a better place because his kidneys failed. He would have been 17 this past week, if he had made it that far. I miss him terribly, but it's one less thing to have to worry about.

I lost one earlier in spring, and miss him terribly but it has given me more freedom too.

Good luck to you.

...living at 50% of the poverty level, but we are good at getting by with it, and healthy.

I've worked as a mechanic for many years, and its still steady work, though definitely not getting rich. I could make more in a bigger city, but that would mean selling the house - which would be next to impossible right now. Living reasonably in a quiet town was more the idea to begin with anyway...

I had to quit smoking and drinking some time ago, as I just couldn't afford it. Or rather, with the kids getting older it was increasingly hard to explain sacrifice and moderation and health to them, while not exactly walking the walk myself. In any case, quit all that and all things are better - money situation, family situation, and certainly health. Which is good, because we have no health insurance, but that's another story...

Lonely in a deep, profound way, but nothing unusual there. I'll come out of whatever life throws at me. It's all part of my fundamental philosophy:

I know one day something will kill me.
But it won't be today.
And it won't be tomorrow.

I'm 8-months into treatment and aftercare for stage 4 cancer (squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil / HPV positive type) and freaking out. If not for my family and my young kids (3 and 5 yrs. old), I would have driven to Terra del Fuego to cliff dive off a precipice. It's weird living one's life with reduced longevity odds.

J

I hope everything works out for you and glad to see you are keeping your sense of humor, Pastafarian.

Oral sex may have long-term consequences. <blush>

J

I should get my tonsils checked. :blush:

:hug: :hug:

The dentists now have a liquid that you swish around then a non-harmful laser light device will highlight any tissue of concern. I believe it runs about $75.00 out of pocket to get the test. Trust me...it's worth it!

:hug: NoodleyAppendage & family

Ramen.

J

Take it one day at a time and draw strength from others. I have seen people in similar situations go far on that, exceeding all expectations. Very far. Believe in it.

Keep it touch. Although it's a bit public on DU, it still is good to feel the support here if you need it. So many people have medical problems or someone close to them does. I just found out a friend has a brain tumor. I know it changes one's outlook. Knocks you sideways. But really, the future is an illusion--all any of us have is this one day. If there are any creative visualization groups where you are & you are open to it, try it. Imagine expanding time, practice going to the (mental) place where there is no time. I have seen it help people. A lot. :hug:

The absurdism of Camus sits well with how I'm viewing life these days. I'm staying positive, focusing upon my work (Sisyphian distraction), and giving maximum time and love to my family and friends. I hope my journey is long so I may profit from my newfound wisdom.

J

Thank you for inspiring me to look up Camus' Sisyphus. Many moons since I read it in college. After refreshing my memory I understand exactly what you are talking about--in fact I had the realization that when I had advocated "expand time" -- that's getting close to Camus philosophy. Living in the eternal present is not easy. But that's what Sisyphus was compelled to do. (I guess for Camus, the gods were the forces of nature). The way I interpret the philosophy is--whatever time anyone has--can still be lived with as much bravery and grace as can be mustered in light of the existential fact that we cannot know why (the hell) we are here. Despair is as pointless as anything else. I think your journey will be long because you have already given yourself the gift of time, Noodley. Be well and thank you for the insights. mg

What can be said but I LOVE YOU.

:grouphug:

:grouphug:

any dependents and no big bills to pay, so I'm still able to make ends meet. I've just had to tighten my belt a little.

The family is all doing OK, too. Everyone is still working and everyone is healthy.

lost my job, wife left me, kid lives with her, i dont think i will ever retire ever, i cannot even begin my career

but I'm sorry so many people aren't. I feel bad probably things for those struggling will only get worse. :-(

and have given up looking.

Husband still has a job, but I'm worried about the stress and his health.

Daughter 1 has job but am worried about some of her medical issues because her husband lost his job, and they have no medical insurance now.

Daughter 2 takes care of a friend's dog once a day for $30 a week. She keeps dropping out of community college classes because of anxiety issues. At wit's end with her.

Am worried about the future of Social security and Medicare, not only for us, but for future generations. Also disgusted with current political climate, and deeply concerned about the environment.

Out of debt, good health, no kids, wonderful wife, bit of a nest egg, good public-sector job, and less than a year away from retirement.

Still acutely aware every day how lucky that is and take nothing for granted about the future.

But I'm ok. Wife lost her job last month and it's been rough, but Im thankful that I'm finding enough side work outside my regular job to keep us going. Not the first time I've had to work 70-80 hours a week, but damn, I'm really getting to old for this shit...

I was laid off my job in 2010, but I had been thinking of retiring. So I was forced into retirement. I am collecting SS and unemployment. And I have enough savings to tide me over for a few years before I have to eat cat food.

I am still working beyond my "planned" retirement age mainly to keep our health care benefits. Husband lost his job due to age-discrimination a couple of years ago, but he enjoys working part-time.

The best part is that the kids are OK too. Both finally out on their own and gainfully employed. :)

My best thoughts and wishes to those who are struggling. I sincerely hope that the days and weeks ahead will bring you better fortune and improved health. :hug:s

I do have a few relatives who have lost their jobs, but overall everyone I know is doing okay.

We're doing okay. Head mostly above water, if not getting any closer to shore.

the addict child is sober and doing very well...for a sober-addict young teen. Our older child will be a senior next month...

I'm not an addict but I'll start 12-stepping next month. Yeah, recovery's for the whole family.

Hubs getting busy at work, me too.

The pets are happy & healthy.

Lots up in the air still but all is well enough.

Employed right now, but not quite the long-term stability of the job I had for 15 years and was laid off from a few years back.

played by those in government, disgusted with with all of the lies, hypocrisy and blame, and firm in my commitment to fight and take our government back from the corporations, rich, and powerful who have taken it hostage to represent themselves. Scared of a further decline in the living standards of the poor and middle class due to continuous tax cuts for the rich and corporations, and cut, upon cut, upon cut, to social programs for the poor and middle class, but no corporations creating new jobs and no one in government pushing jobs legislation. Sorry for the long rant, but the only reason I'm ok, is because I still have a well paying job, with excellent benefits and job security. It not only allows me to pay my bills, but it also affords me the ability to continue in helping the community food banks, food kitchens and animal shelters with funding to help lessen the burden on their already stressed finances which have fallen during these difficult times and a dramatic increase in need for those struggling without in the community. I'm fortunate to be able to help two communities, one in Palm Springs California and the other in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles California. I know almost everyone is struggling, but do what you can, even it that means sharing a kind word or a moment of compassion with another as this is food for the soul and can make all the difference in someones difficult day. Thanks for this post robdogbucky.

. . . .two unemployed 20-something kids.

feeling um. . brink-ish.

But my job is being transferred to another city and I can't/won't take the transfer, so in a few months I'll be taking an early retirement. Earlier than I wanted. My house is paid for and I have some savings, so I'll be all right for awhile -- but who knows what will happen later?

Maybe I'll go back to school and learn yet another career, but even if I do that, who gets a job at my age?

Really, I'm a lot more worried about the crazy shit that's going on in this country. Whether or not things will work out for me, obviously things are not going well for a lot of people and that's just so wrong. I wish I could help everybody who needs it.

Dh and I still have the same jobs we had last year.

I paid off my student loan this month.

We've been remodeling, having an unemployed friend do/coordinate the work.

Everyone seems to be in good health.

....are treading water but surviving....our middle-aged daughters both got divorced and lost their homes and they're just barely surviving....

....but it's for this current generation of children I feel the most sorry; they're having a hard time understanding the turmoil and trauma in their lives and the adjustments they must make....this will affect their psyche for the rest of their lives....

....this needless, self-inflicted, corporate economic crashed has been devastating for most people in this country....I hope they will forever remember it was the Republicans and corporate Dems serving their capitalist masters that brought these terrible economic conditions upon the world....

he and granny took me in when my parents had other priorities . They gave me a Stable homelife for some of
early years.

My husband after being unemployed since last October got his job back same dealership new owners.
The new owners seem real family oriented and nice.

I'm pretty scared for the future feel like no matter what we cut in our family budget we never can save.
live pay check to pay check and those checks never seem to go as far thay need to.

Also, Congress and the president look to be deliberately crashing the ecomony with "austerity".

I just wish everyone else was doing ok; you can't really ever be doing well when so many folks are hurting.

Honestly, republicans have fucked everything up, and they have been fucking everything up since before I was born.

If it wasn't for republicans, everyone would be doing better, and I wouldn't have to be thinking about how to prevent them from hurting people all the time.

Around 18 months ago, I learned I have some sort of recurrent retinal bleed in one eye caused by a tumor blood vessel condition, being treated as idiopathic macular degeneration. The treatments consist of direct chemo injections into the eyeball and/or a combination of injection and laser treatment to try to preserve what vision is left. Hideously expensive, since we have a high insurance deductible to be able to afford the the premiums at all, which have gone up in the meantime in the insurance company free-for-all. It will eventually suck us dry in the way of whatever meager little savings we have set aside.

I know everything in my life and in that of those I love could be much much worse, but I really grieve for the future of what our kids and their kids appear to be facing after the political and economic ravages of the last 10+ years. especially, and so many days am so sad and fearful for so many already so terribly impacted as every day of it goes on.

P.S. My typing is getting more and more atrocious with decent vision in only one eye and I'm too lazy for spell-check, so everything I type gets edited a couple few times. I'm not illiterate, honest. All in all, though, as someone in one of the health care/social security gallows humor threads quipped recently, depth perception is vastly over-rated. :-)

When I think of all the real hardships all around me, I'm almost feel foolish mentioning it in hindsight. Someday they're going to find a more effective treatment, for this, and a lot of other things. Let's end the wars and killing, and work on sickness and poverty instead. Our kids deserve so much more than what we're leaving them.

DAMN I HATE rEPUBLI-CONS!!!!!

And teabaggers even MORE!!!!!!!!!

:puke:

I remember that one, as well - and the friend who started it.

hugs all around for the various challenges people are facing. I'm so grateful for so, so many of you here for your posts, insights and for sharing yourselves.

..and hope you're doing well, robdogbucky.

I hope.

I start (hopefully) graduate school on August 23, and I need to pay off my $1,000 school bill before I can register for classes. I have no idea how I'm going to pay that off in three weeks. I'll try to figure it out...but other than that, I'm doing okay.

forward to is getting on disability and getting Medicare and a check for $1000/month, but a bunch of slimy GOP Republicans want to take even that from them and give it to the Koch Brothers.

What kind of evil shit did Stalin teach Daddy Koch? Did he teach him how to starve millions of people without a bit of remorse?

and few prospects. I've been out of work for a year and I have no prospects. We'll be able to pull it together for maybe another 3 months then that's it. The retirement is depleted. The savings is depleted. This is the only home I've ever had (I bought it all by myself when I was 44) and if I lose it I don't think I'll be able to bear it. I don't know what will happen to my animals. I can't sleep and I cry all the time. When people IRL ask me If I'm OK I just say, "Good, and you?" and leave it at that. For some reason, here on DU, I just don't feel like putting on the happy face anymore.

Could you rent out a room in your house? One time we actually rented a room in our house for two years to an organization that wanted to have extended meetings there 3X a week. It was a serious help to paying the mortgage early on. If you knew someone in transition who couldn't quite afford the high rental of apartments, could you put them up for a lower rent for awhile? So how can you exploit the assets you do have?

What kind of skill or service could you & your husband provide that is always in demand? Do you have job experience that can be translated into income in a way you might not have considered? If you have exhausted all those avenues (it sounds like you might have already done that) and are willing to consider anything at all, then look at what is essential to people. Companions for the elderly are needed, for example. Even though my dad is on a very low income, he is alone, can't drive, and needs somebody to help out part time (3X per week). The woman who comes is retired but needs the money. She picks up food, takes him to the doctor, organizes him. (ie. this is in-home assisted living for those who can't afford retirement villages but can afford a bit of assistance). And sometimes wealthy people want to stay in their homes also, but need relatively unskilled help. Just an example of looking for the niches that are still out there.

Also --how could you work with someone you know who's in your same boat for your mutual benefit? If there's not a support group around--then start one.

People at DU could have many more creative ideas--suggest you put it out as a topic that would help others as well. Don't think of it as a selfish thing. Ask how people have averted disaster or what they would do if they had to. We need another thread on this as the country slides further downhill. You are certainly NOT alone. (Advice is cheap, I know, but it's a start).

This country is in a Depression no matter how much they want to call it a "deep recession." People have to band together to get through it. Don't be afraid to ask others for help. You indicate that you have 3 months, give or take. Don't wait for the ship to hit the pier, start bailing now :grouphug:

I come from the streets and am an expert at survival. We would have lost everything 5 years ago if I didn't have that ability. I've considered all the suggestions you mention and more but I thank you so much for taking the time to think about it and post back. I haven't given up -- it's not in my nature. I'll keep pounding as I always do but right now I'm scared and worried and this damned budget impasse isn't helping anything (potential employers/investors are waiting for the outcome).

Keep good thoughts for me and the millions who are in similar or worse situations and I'll do the same. :grouphug:

:thumbsup: Not only do I care but am very aware how many people (including in my family) are on the edge of where you are. Just one bump and over the edge.

hang in there -

:grouphug:

and I am really anxious and worried. Kind of like I am all the time though anyway. I am not quite ready to take the bridge though either. There is other things in life like my family, my dog, my creative writing group, etc, that keeps me willing to ride it out, and keep hoping for better days to come.

So I'm an example of how things can kind of work out if you just take it all one day at a time and do what you can each step of the way. In 2009 my entire department was laid off when they decided to consolidate all the research department under one. This is UC Berkeley. They let us know two months before they sent us a letter that then told us the lay off would be effective in 2 months. So that gave us 4 months to stew and/or try to make plans. In our little department the Director's wife was a professional resume consultant who offered to do ours for free. She is damn good and made my resume look quite impressive. So when the consolidating department was rehiring a few people back to administer the 60 or so departments they were taking on they hired me. So the job situation ended well.

Before I was rehired my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the doctors put her on home hospice care. I think there should be a fast lane going into heaven for home hospice workers. Everyone else may have to stop for St. Peter's approval and to pay the toll, but hospice personnel should get in without any questions asked and for free.

My mother died in January of 2010 and that's when my financial problems started because we were living together and pooled her pension and my salary. Within a few months I had to declare bankruptcy which was granted and within a few months of that I had to stop paying my mortgage which started the foreclosure process. I applied for a loan modification with my mortgage company (GMAC). The short version is that a couple of months ago I got the loan modification. I still struggle to make the mortgage and make it through the last two weeks of the month, but I just take it one day at a time. So far it's worked so I consider myself fortunate because the alternative is homelessness. There is no way I can afford the rents in the Bay Area.

Meanwhile at work the department keeps on taking on more and more units without hiring more employees so the workload is getting heavier and heavier. And this year the State has cut more millions of dollars for the second time, which will entail another round of layoffs in a couple of months. We sit and wait to see who gets axed this time and having no clue as to what's in the works for us or how they're planning to reorganize the department units.

I own my car because I saw all this coming years ago because people in DU warned all of us, but someone broke the passenger window which I can't fix so it's taped up with plastic. The upside of that is that no one breaks into it anymore since it looks like crap. I had to fix the brakes which put us in the hole even deeper. We live one pay check away from disaster. Everything suffers. I also can't afford to get a tooth capped because I can't afford my share of the expense.

But I'm healthy and I'm employed and have a roof over my head. That makes me extremely lucky.

My children and I now live with my fiance and his ex-wife ( we are good friends) and their son and daughterinlaw. We are going to sell the big house and buy some acreage in northern VT to go green, organic and energy self sufficient.

Its great not to be a single parent. It's great sharing the load with other adults.

My oldest son is 18, in college and in the Mass Air Guard as a hi tech communications guy, they are paying for school, he already did one year of college in the air force tech school ( started when he was 17). No worries for him, he has a bright future in physical sciences and engineering.

Thats the upside

The downside is that I am having some health issues and the small progressive company I work for may be out of business any day. I am down to 24 hours a week. We are all just hoping to get the house sold and moved before things get so bad that we are stuck in the city.

story of people pooling resources to make things better. We are all so isolated and a lot of families don't even care about or can't get along with each other. Refreshing to see a family group realizing they are better off pulling together instead of fighting each other. Kind of unusual these days. I certainly don't have that in my family, where nobody wants to share even the most minor problems and everyone is out for themselves & their own kids.

Nothing new for me.

Don

A few years ago he was laid-off at the large aerospace company where he had worked since he was 21. He had to take a job paying much less for several years.

Just a few months ago, he was called back from lay-off, so we're planning on building our savings back up.

However, the fear has never left us. There is so little security left in this country.

I just want to send positive thoughts, vibes, etc to all of you who are struggling ... it's reminded me that things could always be worse in my life.

I just want to send positive thoughts, vibes, etc to all of you who are struggling ... it's reminded me that things could always be worse in my life.

http://youtu.be/blppKS-nz9g

Yeah, pretty good considering.

Lost my job six years ago, and my home before it became trendy. After fruitlessly looking for work for five years, I took my retirement and social security. It's enough to get by, though not enough to repair my thirteen-year-old car, or replace the three dental crowns that broke. Oh, and I owe the IRS over $1000, and have no idea where the money will come from. I haven't been able to afford to see my doctor for a year, and I'm still a year too young for medicare. Oh, and did I mention I have diabetes? And a badly herniated disc, that would make it impossible for me to work as a nurse, even if there were jobs available?

But at least I have a roof and a computer - even if it's over six years old and getting more unreliable by the day. I'm not living in a van by the river - yet. And I don't have small children: how those trying to raise them in this economy get by is beyond me.

but if we lose Social Security it'll be beans and rice in the back of my old van.

Woof