Your feel good video of the day:


Who doesn't like puppies?

The 'in' thing now is for people my age to harp on people drawing unemployment.

Supposedly there are jobs everywhere and no one is taking them.

I have a feeling that people are not taking into account that while the news is saying there are jobs out there (which I'm sure there are), those jobs are in larger populated areas.

I pay attention to job postings. I have since I first graduated from high school. Any time someone is hiring locally, I see lines for job applicants, when there are few openings.

There are quite a few minimum wage jobs available, but a lot of adults hold out for the chance at higher paying jobs as long as their unemployment holds out.

I can see their logic. Once you go back to work at a low paying job, you're at a loss of income you were receiving through unemployment and that's hard to stomach when you have a family to support.

This is how much the money has changed over the years:

For years (in my state) you could draw up to $84.00 a week single, up to $125.00 a week if you had dependents.

This was true when I was laid off from GM in the early 1980s. I was laid off for three years and my unemployment ran out after a year, so I had to find a low paying job to help support my wife and I.

In the mid '90s, there was more money. I hurt my back on my job at that time, but tried to work through it. Finally, I told my boss and he had me fill out a workman's comp claim. Since I didn't file a claim right away, I was denied and as soon as the boss found out I was fired. For being late to work for the first time in almost 6 years working there. I immediately filed for unemployment, but had to wait for two weeks while my former boss was questioned about my termination. Being late was not grounds for dismissal, so I cold draw... a whopping $140.00 a week. Because the guy had been such a prick I drew for an entire year, supplementing my income by house painting for cash. I had a really good year income wise that year.

When the money ran out, I got the job I've held for the last 25 years, the one I plan on retiring from soon.

Now, unemployment in my state is figured on a percentage of your wages, so the more you earned, the more you draw. Still tough on the little guy. I've seen people and know people who work two jobs just trying to get by for their families' sake.

My main point is that a lot of people my age have forgotten how much of a struggle it is for younger people to get by... especially when you don't have a college degree.

I would tell all of them the same things I've just written, but you know how it is today - people only hear what they want to hear and don't pay attention to anything else that contradict's them.

And so it goes. Life goes on.

~

Seems like a cookin', eatin' weekend.

Today it's homemade tacos, with chocolate cake for desert.

Next weeks' workouts will have to be stepped up to lose the extra calories I'm consuming.

With every gain I make, it takes pain to lose it.

Salmon patties, fried 'taters, green beans & cornbread.

Now THAT'S good eatin'!

When I was MUCH younger, I used to follow girls around that I liked.

Today it's called stalking.

Another lesson learned by trial and error.

~

I'm not going to bore you with all the information I found on health care in the world.

The United States has the second highest cost for medical care behind Switzerland.

The cheapest is in South America.

The United States has the best doctors (the U.K. is second) and the best innovation in medicine.

I'm just glad I've got medicare now, which is cheap and covers everything except 20% of drug costs.

I can live with that.

~

Humorous, but informative:


I did not know that 60% of mattresses are made by the same two companies.

A whole lot more included to think about before you buy your next mattress.

~

This is how it's done:

The weather has warmed up into the '70s and I once again find myself fighting the urge to stay away from work.

I remember what my father used to tell me:

"Those bills don't pay themselves, son."

My Monday and fair weather mantra.

~

I woke up at 5:30 this morning in gastric pain.

Knowing I would be spending some time on the throne soon, I passed time waiting to make the move by trying to figure out what I had eaten that was bad.

By process of elimination, I figured out the onion I had diced up to put on my grilled cheese must have been going before I used it.

I have gotten into the habit, since I live alone, of wasting food - i.e. if I don't eat it today and don't want it for tomorrow, then throw it out.

I miscalculated how long I'd held onto the onion.

Remember folks... always give your food the sniff test if it's been setting in your refrigerator more than a week.

After an hour and a half cleaning myself out this morning, the old biblical saying is true:

'This, too, shall pass'.

~