In this economy, it seems I get more bad news every day. My wife is cut to 30 hours a week for the rest of the year! I am facing the possibility of a $5 an hour paycut, as I am going to go from skilled labor/line leader to(God help me)...a sanitation worker. Yes, because production is low, and steel isn't being bought up, my seniority is going to place me cleaning bathrooms and mopping floors at 40 years old.
I am aware that all things pass...but this is depressing. Just wondering if anyone else is a blue collar man/woman facing this nightmare. I just feel like I am watching the death of 'The American Dream' the way our country is struggling. So now I am going to go watch "Shockwaves". Because like my bosses..."Once, they were almost human!"
Quick answer to your thread title...no.
You're not alone. My regular gig, carpet cleaning, used to bring me anything from $600-1200/week. Now, I'm lucky to get $300 and didn't make a DIME at all last week. There's more to it besides the economy, but having that done is not exactly a priority for a lot of people right now either.
I just got back from my second job, which feels more like my first job at this point, washing dishes back at the restaurant I left for greener pastures over 10 years ago. I don't really mind the work, but it doesn't pay well as you can imagine.
Fortunately, I don't have many responsibilities to worry about. So while I wish I were further ahead than I am, I know things are a lot worse for some.
Nope. The company where I worked for more than 12 years went belly up on April 30th. Now I try to take care of my "Honey Do" list daily. I'll probably try to get back to Ebay selling again to bring some extra $.
Rob
I messed up my shoulder and got surgery the end of Feb. Right after surgery my company let me go and I hear they are on their last leg. With rehab being over in about a month I'm looking for work as we speak...I'd hate to go from disability to unemployment. I also still have a small side business that I was looking to make my full time gig. Its a REALLY hard time to start a business right now so I'm just taking it as it comes and counting my blessings I was smart enough to get almost debt free before surgery.
Hope everyone going through a rough time financially makes it through ok, keep your heads up guys.
Perversely, my workplace is experiencing an upswing. After college and grad school and a Masters in History, I did not have the most marketable education in the world. After a couple of years as a stay-at-home dad (read unemployed) I ended up working two jobs. I worked running a concession stand at the Spokane Arena and at the baseball park. I also managed to find work at the local plasma center (I was a donor there for a while).
Production at the plasma center has increased dramatically in the last two years. My center had 30 employees and we were lucky to have 200 donors on a good day. In the last month, the staff has grown to nearly 80 and we are averaging almost 400 per day. Most plasma donors come in twice a week, and can make about $250-300 per month. And lately, that cash comes in handy for a lot of people.
I work at Chrysler. Nuff Said. ;D
The one thing I cannot deny about the military is job security. After 19+ years of active duty I am set to retire next spring, at which point I will be looking for work for the first time in 2 decades. I'm rather hoping the market is looking better by then.
My son is still living with his mother at age 20, because he can't land a full-time job, even with a trade school education in plumbing under his belt. My daughter is working two part-time jobs, but she's gone through more jobs in the last two years than I've gone through socks... and trust me when I tell you that my nails are not easy on socks.
Nope........ it's not shocking that folks just aren't asking to have pools built or repaired or maintained much these days. Folks who had 20-30 grand to burn installing a pool are now sitting on their money. Folks who need their pools refinished are not as concerned with aesthetics these days. Folks who used to pay to have their pool maintained cut that expense immediately (along with the yard guy and the cleaning service).
I USED to work a second job for the insurance. But now that the insurance has risen to $730 bucks a month for my wife and I, and another $120 per month for Jordan, I can't afford that anymore.
So now I'm working the second job to keep my head above water.
But God has blessed us with a happy, loving monster home (mortgage free) and a couple of cars (paid off), so He's providing in the midst of the storm. If I still had a mortgage and car payments I'd be toast.
Mine is still there but I've only worked about 2 weeks this year and one of those I was being loaned out to another company. The problem now isn't the work, it's the rain, can't put in streets if it doesn't stop raining. Even still if it drys out long enough I doubt there will be enough work to keep busy for even a couple of months.
I was giving it until late June and if I'm not steady back to work I'll definitely have to find something, it's great keeping the kids home with me but I'm just eating up unemployment and will be sh*t out of luck come winter when I'm normally out of work anyway.
I still have both my jobs. I'm still doing the bookkeeping for my hubby's company. I'll always have that one. And I have my real job, subbing. I have worked more this year than any other. And we've been able to sock it right into the bank. I had a setback to the account of $400 for car repairs (the deductible on my stupid accident), and I'll have another $500 setback in July for some dental work. But we're still doing OK. The bad thing is that my hubby is considered a supplier to the auto companies. Business is very slow, but we're not starving.
Quote from: Fester on May 28, 2009, 12:46:12 AM
Most plasma donors come in twice a week, and can make about $250-300 per month. And lately, that cash comes in handy for a lot of people.
Are you serious? Making $ donating! :o How do I find a place like that? I could use the xtra $.
Hey Lester, here in IA there's an outfit called BioLife where you can donate plasma for $. Google them & see if they're in your area.
My company (a major distributor of power tools) took a BIG hit this year. In Feb we lost nation wide 15% of our sales staff. We also lost an entire dept. out of our location here in IL. Then in Apr we were told that our Atlanta branch was going to bite the dust and the warehouse stock moved to another GA location 1/2 hr away. It will be assimilated by our USA manufacturing plant who's production is down by like 40%. Then the first day in May we got shot outta nowhere that our customer service dept and HR in IL was going bye bye. It was a bad bad day. I've been with the company a long time and to see long time work friends come in like it was a normal day and suddenly some of the ladies are crying and packing up boxes... :'(
One older lady,prob 60 + said to me. $%#(*at*) so after 26 years it comes down to this!
So our location has gone from 40 people in the building to 24 including big guys. I'm pretty sure my job is safe for another 2-3 years anyway especially since we are centrally located and we will as of July 1st be down to only 3 locations.
Even so the expected stellar review was followed by the also expected NO RAISE. Not a problem even tho the health ins. went up. Also my house value has dropped $70,000 in the last 18 mos yet my property taxes have gone UP almost 30% in the last 2 years. My wifes car will be paid off in 3 mos so thats another $300 a month I don't need to worry about..er that I can attach to the CC paymentS or my kids college loans.. It never ends does it?
My heartfelt sympathy to those that are in that WTF I have to survive on Hotdogs Mac & Cheese and cereal and screw the CC bills mode. Did that for many years early on. I still buy a few minor things here and there.
Right now I'm trying to justify to the wife why I NEED a pair of cool Witch hands($40) to go with my Death Studios Swamp Witch mask.
My wife is white collar and makes about 10 G a year more than me. Her dept was outsourced in Mar and she was the only person to be transferred to another dept in the company. Tho she didn't know it til the day after they were told. I can say that it is one hellish feeling to think that you lost your major source of income.
I like how a company uses a simple term like "restructuring" when actually it means "Thanks for all your years of dedication but you don't matter anymore because it's all about a profit so you are now SOL,have a nice life" >:( >:(
Quote from: Wicked Lester on May 28, 2009, 06:44:13 PM
My heartfelt sympathy to those that are in that WTF I have to survive on Hotdogs Mac & Cheese and cereal and screw the CC bills mode. Did that for many years early on. I still buy a few minor things here and there.
Not quite to this point yet...but I did have to borrow out of an already anemic 401k to catch up. See, I went through all of 2006 and the first 1/4 of 2007 "locked out". That's a fancy way of saying the union and the company couldnt agree on who could produce a more virile urine flow. In the interim, no one would hire me because I was blacklisted. Unemployment only lasted for 6 months at that time at 1/2 my salary. I wound up living off of my recently paid off cc's for 17 months. Gas was at its highest rate ever then, my roof
tore up, my cars
tore up, dryer
tore up and wife was
fed up. we thougth when the labor dispute was over we'd get
caught up....but it aint happening in this economy. So now I need to
throw up. ;D ;D ;)
I'm sorry Dr Phibes. I hope that things get better for you and for all of us. When you said that your wife got fed up, I hope that doesn't mean she left you. God Bless, my brother.
My job's holding up (roofing houses)
it's the weather that's killing me >:(
The winter seemed to hold on for a lot longer then usual,
& the weeks of rain aren't helping............
& I just know after this week of rain is over we'll probably head right into
scorching summer temps- :-X
lol.... always something~
I work in a machine shop and got cut back to four days a week and lost our insurance which isn't good because I have lymphedema and still haven't got my compression garments. Right now I have to keep my legs wrapped with compression bandages which makes working a little difficult at times. But I continue on, and we all will with our family, friends, and our friends here at the UMA! Don't give up hope!!!
Hey Creeper,
I'm sorry to hear about losing your insurance. But I admire your perserverance at keeping your legs wrapped up and working in spite of the problems. I would imagine that being up and around even without the compression garments would be helpful to get that fluid out. Many people would have given up and and stayed in bed all day. You are a good person, my friend.
Quote from: ChattyLMS on May 30, 2009, 09:49:41 AM
Hey Creeper,
I'm sorry to hear about losing your insurance. But I admire your perserverance at keeping your legs wrapped up and working in spite of the problems. I would imagine that being up and around even without the compression garments would be helpful to get that fluid out. Many people would have given up and and stayed in bed all day. You are a good person, my friend.
I agree...........the Creeper rocks!!
I work in retail management, and have for years. I've been with the same company nearly 32 years. I feel my job is relatively safe, and I thank God for that. For the last two months the stress level at work has been nearly unbearable. It actually changed me in certain ways, making me someone I'm not. I've been fighting it, and one way has been to escape to this UMA clubhouse. I spend a few moments here each day, and it's a very nice respite from the rest of the world.
So thanks, guys and gals for posting and sharing all things monster-related. You'll never know how much I appreciate you and this place!!
Mike
I feel all of your pain, being a self employed freelance graphic artist in the metro Detroit area is getting to be a tough gig. Half of my client base has gone belly up the other half are just getting by like the rest of us, its nearly impossible to get anyone to pay for the work they want on a timely basis. All is not lost, things have to get better don't they? At least i have managed to make some extra $ doing some Horror Conventions and some of you out there have been kind enough to purchase some of my art, prints and t-shirts, thanks to all of you
As my name states Iam Harry and I weave hammocks for the Pawleys Island Hammock Co.Been with the company now 14 years,4 of which I was on the loading dock.We are still cranking them out and folks are still buying so so far so good.Both my daughter and wife lost there jobs last year and as of now only my daughter has found a new on for a dentist.My wife, who is on the mend from breast cancer,is still out of work.And we are doing ok.House has been paid for,both cars are also paid off,thanks to my dad's will leaving me enough to do just that.We still watch what we get,if you need it not if you want it kinda deal.I sure hope things get better soon for all of us.
Thank you ChattyLMS and Scatter for the kind words! It's people like you that help give me the strength to keep going! Thank you my friends!
my first reply didn't go through for some reason.
i hope everyone realizes that things do get better. :)
i work for general engine products, a subsidiary of AM general. we have a government contract building military humvee engines. it doesn't pay great, but it's got good benefits (which i pay into quite a bit), and a non-guaranteed yearly bonus of $10K (which has always been paid out).
on top of that, my wife and i own a small convenience store. regardless of the economy people will always buy pop, beer, cigs, chips, lottery and candy. inside the convenience store my wife runs her trophy/awards business, which gets stronger every year (fortunately we've always concentrated on school awards as opposed to corporate stuff ~ with sports programmes costing parents so much these daze, everyone gets a recognition award). we're growing a little, but not at the rate that we should, imo. i've had twice as many people ask if we're hiring this year than the other three combined.
so for now we're holding on, barely. my mother in law just lost her job at MIM, a part of brother, after 18 years. they're moving the remnants of MIM to another brother facility in atlanta, which seems to be the trend.
other trends seem to be pay freezes, even some pay cuts, higher cost of benefits the employee pays, companies stopping paying into 401(K)s, going from 40 to 30 hours, cutting overtime out entirely and keeping some people on even if they push a broom (the idea here being that when the economy picks up the company will need to have experienced people operating things. training new people will cost them more in the long run). the dayton area depended on GM and now they're gone, so i've heard quite a few horror stories.
i don't know where he gets off saying this, but obama claimed last week that the worst of the crisis is over. i'll believe that when i see it, though. 70% of the economy depends on spending, but i don't know who's got money left to spend on anything other than bills, and i fail to see how that generates any kind of velocity needed.
it takes years of incompetence, corruption and mismanagement to create these situations, but there's never been a time when it didn't end. i think we're looking at a couple more years of slow, steady growth before things start to loosen up to the point where we can indulge in our own little luxuries again. before folk start spending thousands on that fibreglass statue, they'll be getting new(er) cars first (buy american) and remodelling those homes they bought for a song (two stocks i personally would invest in given the money would be GM (yes, general motors) and (ugh) home depot). and, as always, i won't be paying into my 401(K) ~ never did, never will.
and don't listen to all the naysayers out there in the media. every time some good bit of news pops up they *always* have some jerk warning people that massive oblivion is just a sword held on a string right above our heads. there's one in every crowd.
the upside is that companies will want good people working for them when they start hiring again. knowing that all y'all are good people (as far as i can tell :)), you've got that to look forward to. give it time and it'll equal out, just hang on until then.
you humans are a resilient lot, you'll do fine. *crosses arms over chest* end communication.
I'm in real estate. :o
I think that speaks for itself right now. ::)
Although rentals are going crazy now, since so many people can't buy. So it's at least a steady stream of extra income. :)
Barlow:
Speaking of real estate-- Maybe this is a good investment opportunity.
(http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/2889/memories.jpg) (http://img188.imageshack.us/my.php?image=memories.jpg)
By dlhall42 (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/dlhall42)
I got my first ever call from a bill collector in nearly 20 years of marriage today. I called them and told them I would be taking a loan out of my 401k because I knew I was going to be late this month. I also told them in email form.
The caller was from India. No mistaking it. When I told him I had already called and emailed prior to this to forewarn the bank I would be late...he replied:" What is the reson for you inability to pay ontime.?" So...I let him have it.
I explained my job and my wife's are both tied to the automotive industry. I asked did he watch the news? Was he aware that Chrysler was shipping our steel back to us and saying "no thanks", when they were committed to purchase it? I asked him was he unaware that GM just filed bankruptcy today and the US was in an economic crisis. Then I said, give it a break, man. I don't have anybody else's money coming to bail me out like you guys did.
Then I suggested the reason he didn't know any of this was because he was probably sitting in the middle east somewhere doing an outsourced American's job. And I promptly hung up the phone. :-X
this explains why i'm not a financial advisor. then again, if i was i'd probably have known they'd take GM off the stock exchange. still, i'd think that in time GM will be a publically traded stock once more... in years to come... assuming the 31 year old dude they got to basically run the show (and who has absolutely no experience ~ he's never even been inside an auto plant!) doesn't totally muck it up....
every now and then someone asks me my opinion on what kind of business they should start, and i tell them all i'd build funeral urns. they think i'm unsane, and maybe i are!?, but it's no joke that more and more people are being cremated. that photo of a cemetary in foreclosure only reinforces my craziness.
kind of a funny story for ya, anton:
last weekend tina, who works at another convenience store around the corner, comes in and bought some lottery tickets. we got to talking about credit card machines and she said ray's (the arabic owner of the store she works at) was pissed about his running so badly. so ray calls tech support and, naturally, gets an indian dude who, naturally, is practically unintelligible. ray got even more pissed because he, the arabic guy, couldn't understand the indian guy. after hanging up, ray explained what'd happened to tina, who replied, 'hell, ray, i can't understand *you* half the time.'
by the way, here in ohio it's illegal to threaten people who are late with payments, and there's also a statute of limitations. several years ago i got a letter out of the blue threatening to wreck my credit (ha! i'm a business owner ~ my credit is already ruined! sucker!) if i didn't pay this bill from, like, eight years previous. for starters, i didn't think it was even my bill, so i asked them what it was i supposedly put on a credit card that i didn't even think i had. they said they weren't allowed to give out that information. lol! noticing this collection agency was from out of state, i reminded them in letter form that threats were illegal in ohio, not to mention the stature of limitations was seven years. i never heard from them again.
'what was your reason for not paying ontime?' gee, i wonder why, sherlock? anton, build a device that delivers electric shocks to the guy on the other end of the phone and i'll buy one.
As far as bill collectors go thats a good reason to have caller ID and voice mail. I pay all my REAL bills ontime. I have a few people from a few years still trying to collect on things like my wifes cell phone that broke and they refused to honor the warranty but were still charging us to have it. Dr's double charging on some of my wifes medical procedures ; the ins. company and us. I even had a collection place put on my ass for a overlooked $6 blood analysis bill. So when I get a few days of calls. Delete Delete Delete....etc etc. You'd think after all this time they'd figure out they ain't gettin the $$ the DON't deserve.
This goofball presented a veiled threat also when he stated "Would you like us to reach you at either of these two numbers or the one I am calling you from now(and threw out my/wife's work numbers.) That's when I blew my cool and said I have had this loan for 10 years---and never been late one time. I am only 20 days late and you are threatening me? Then I told him to go ahead and call my work if he thought that would get him some money---because all it would get me is fired---then he'd be sure to get paid. All of this because they won't let me defer a month because of an ailing economy.
What makes me sick is up until this point I had perfect credit and had never been late on anything---ever. Since they know everything there is to know about you by looking at your credit report, you would think that might make them go, Hmmmmnnnnn. >:(
Quote from: Anton Phibes on June 01, 2009, 08:05:21 PM
This goofball presented a veiled threat also when he stated "Would you like us to reach you at either of these two numbers or the one I am calling you from now(and threw out my/wife's work numbers.) That's when I blew my cool and said I have had this loan for 10 years---and never been late one time. I am only 20 days late and you are threatening me? Then I told him to go ahead and call my work if he thought that would get him some money---because all it would get me is fired---then he'd be sure to get paid. All of this because they won't let me defer a month because of an ailing economy.
What makes me sick is up until this point I had perfect credit and had never been late on anything---ever. Since they know everything there is to know about you by looking at your credit report, you would think that might make them go, Hmmmmnnnnn. >:(
Anton
I could tell you what to REALLY say to them but would get banned if I did. The few times I actually pick up the phone when I KNOW full well who it is I make Regan from the Exorcist blush in what I tell them. I DESPISE these people and if someone is willing to take this job then either they are waaay desperate or they know full well they could feel the wrath of someone like me. " No remosre No regret ..."Wink wink get the idea? The little Bill collector pests have very little neg effect on your credit score and realistically unless you are going to buy something big soon it don't mean diddlywah. BTDT for many years. Scare tactics and annoying everyday calls that in a few secs can be deleted. As Mr. Natural once said " It don't mean S(*at*)(*at*)T bro.
Quote from: Anton Phibes on June 01, 2009, 03:12:38 PM
I got my first ever call from a bill collector in nearly 20 years of marriage today. I called them and told them I would be taking a loan out of my 401k because I knew I was going to be late this month. I also told them in email form.
The caller was from India. No mistaking it. When I told him I had already called and emailed prior to this to forewarn the bank I would be late...he replied:" What is the reson for you inability to pay ontime.?" So...I let him have it.
I explained my job and my wife's are both tied to the automotive industry. I asked did he watch the news? Was he aware that Chrysler was shipping our steel back to us and saying "no thanks", when they were committed to purchase it? I asked him was he unaware that GM just filed bankruptcy today and the US was in an economic crisis. Then I said, give it a break, man. I don't have anybody else's money coming to bail me out like you guys did.
Then I suggested the reason he didn't know any of this was because he was probably sitting in the middle east somewhere doing an outsourced American's job. And I promptly hung up the phone. :-X
That made ME feel better, and I didn't even make the call!!
Fester wrote:
QuoteBarlow:
Speaking of real estate-- Maybe this is a good investment opportunity.
LOL! I love that! Thanks. I gotta bring that to the office! ;D
I guess I'm "lucky" to be on a Social Security disability and on Medicare. I retired with a "disability" retirement from GM. Now, after over 75 years with the UAW, the federal government did what GM has always tried to do and take away their workers health benefits. One thing is assured is that the first day collective bargaining starts, the number one item on the agenda with the UAW is the reinstatement of their health care.
It has alway upset me when people bad mouth the unions because they are what gave this country a middle class. The owners didn't give us benefits from the goodness of their own hearts. We had to fight and sometimes die for the right to decent treatment. I recently researched the difference of todays money compared with what I made in 1973. In other words what I can buy now against what I could buy then, or the rise in the cost of living.
I hired in at GM at $7.26 per hour (not including benefits). When I retired, I made $32.00 per hour (again, not including benefits). But if you figured the real cost of living (buying, selling, etc.) that $7.26 per hour figures out in todays money as $35.00 per hour. And back in 1973 our benefits were of a greater quality than now. So when I retired, I was actually loosing money! For the most part, we gave away our raises in favour of a slightly unrealistic "cost-of-living" allowance
Those of our people who make all of $8.00 to $10.00 per hour are actually making only pennies on the dollar compared to 1973 dollars. With minimum wage set at below $6.00 per hour, life can not only be bad but impossible. Please don't mistake this as a partisan, political statement because both parties are responsible.
So...how is my job holding up? I'm okay but how others are getting along is beside me.
Uncula
I remember my first prototype job in high school back in 1972. Minimum wage in Utah was $1.65/hr. I was a busboy at the last of the grand hotels in Salt Lake and was paid $1.30/hr. The law allowed it because they figured busboys made $.35/hr in tips. Later I moved up to a job at the phone company at $90/week or $2.25/hr.
Back then, the minimum wage was supposedly for kids first jobs or entry level positions. But somewhere along the line, it became the minimum amount employers could get away with paying people.
At the plasma center where I work, most of the donors were in their 20s and 30s and almost all were working at around the minimum wage. After the Kaiser Aluminum plant (a major employer here in Spokane) shut down, suddenly scores of folks in their 40s and 50s were competing with the teens and 20-somethings for jobs at the local Arby's. Now they are supplementing their meager incomes donating plasma.
The sad part is the demoralized attitudes many have when they come into the center for the first time. Our company has a policy of promoting the position that donating plasm saves lives. And for many that is a a saving grace. The idea that they are doing something good for someone seems to be a moral liferaft to many donors. We always try to treat the donors with as much dignity and respect as possible. It is one of the more pleasant aspects of my job: helping people see beyond their immediate need for cash. The bigger picture is: EVERYONE benefits from plasma donors. Tetanus and Rabies vaccines as well as gamma globulin and some varieties of insulin are plasma derived. Burn victims and haemophiliacs and those with damaged immune systems all survive because of plasma based therapies. Somehow these donors aren't part of the story when the numbers of unemployed and underemployed are given on the nightly economic news.
Sorry about the soapbox speech. But this is how some people are coping with the current economy in my corner of the world.
Dave
Hi Fester!
It's a shame that people have to supplement their income by donating plasma. But I liked the way up put it, that it halps the community and the donors. That's much better than supplementing your income by selling drugs. Thank goodnes you guys are there. Are you affiliated with the Red Cross?
Not Red Cross. Those guys usually collect whole blood for free, supply whole blood, concentrated red cells and some plasma to local hospitals for transfusions. They are the front line for immediate need in emergencies.
I work for one of several corporations that pay the donors, collects the plasma, and converts it to pharmaceuticals. We are part of a worldwide manufacturing system. I am not sure of the ethics of advertising one's work place in these forums.
If you would like to know more specific info I'll be happy to reply by PM.
Dave
When the chips are down, make dip.
I am reluctant to write. I was a business owner and shut my business down due to the ailing economy and I follow the news very close. I watch for all business that are closing their doors and have even been impacted by a few that I favored that closed down. I miss them.
One of the backlashes to closing businesses is our loss of choice. While everyone is struggling to stay afloat, keep paying bills and have a roof over your heads our choices are dissapearing. If we ever recover what will we get to go buy. All our favorite places will be gone and unlikely to come back.
As for my wife and I, well, we are doing very well. This is one of the reasons I have been reluctant to post. I decided that if any of you would like to hear a success story then I would offer one.
I shut my business down to take the firefighting job in Iraq. With a bad economy I was willing to put myself in harms way for two reasons, first to protect our soldiers who have no choice in being there and the second for the money I would make to give my wife a better life. I was paid four times the amount I would make at home doing the same job. After completing my year in Iraq I took a similar position in Kuwait. Same money, less getting shot at and blown up (we had three firefighters killed and all from my duty station), more time off and much better living conditions.
With these jobs I was able to buy a new home in a nice affluent neighborhood. My former house is under contract and I stand to make over three times what I paid for the house while inflating my bank account considerably.
My wife has a very secure job as a boat Captain for Army Corps of Engineers. She is the most valuable Captain they have since she can operate all of their vessels in both sections. She is an Army veteran and works very hard taking all the overtime they offer. I do the same here and in fact working overtime as I write.
Although our life is financially doing better than ever, all bills paid off and no debt there is a severe price we are paying. I have not been home nor been able to spend time with my wife for more than two weeks in the past year and a half. We have lived apart for too long and it has been a strain on both of us. I have a wonderful new home that I have only seen for a short time and won't get to see it again for a long time to come. We have no children but my pets are getting older and my time to spend with them getting shorter. My wife has also had to deal with every aspect of our life, moving from the old house to the new, dealing with fixing up the old house to sell and now selling it. She has been a real trooper but I know it gets to her sometimes. She tells me how a simple phone call makes her feel better since I always have a plan and am able to guide her if only a little bit. We miss each other terribly and sometimes it seems this seperation will never end. In this rotten economy though this is what we must do to not just get by but come out of this smelling like a rose, or wolfbane.
I can't stress enough how much I miss my wife, my home, all aspects of my life including holidays and most importantly to my wife and I, Halloween.
My heart always goes out to those who are struggling and I follow business and their financial woes daily. I made the personal decision to go where the money is and as I said in the beginning, when the chips are down, make dip.
I will offer this to you all. There is every kind of job here and also in Iraq and Afganistan. There were jobs I could take that would pay 12,000 a month and even one where I could make 300,000 for nine months work. I can't really go over the details of those jobs and how I qualify for them but any of you who are willing to travel and turn your lives around I will help you with all the information you will need to apply for some of these jobs. If you have the strength to make the sacrifice and endure a long seperation and harsh conditions at times then contact me. They need people in every field you can imagine, from janitors to mechanics to teachers and everything in between. I am here to help in any way I can. We all have to stick together and show some true loyalty to each other as Americans.
Quote from: Wolf Man on June 07, 2009, 12:09:30 PM
When the chips are down, make dip.
I am reluctant to write. I was a business owner and shut my business down due to the ailing economy and I follow the news very close. I watch for all business that are closing their doors and have even been impacted by a few that I favored that closed down. I miss them.
One of the backlashes to closing businesses is our loss of choice. While everyone is struggling to stay afloat, keep paying bills and have a roof over your heads our choices are dissapearing. If we ever recover what will we get to go buy. All our favorite places will be gone and unlikely to come back.
As for my wife and I, well, we are doing very well. This is one of the reasons I have been reluctant to post. I decided that if any of you would like to hear a success story then I would offer one.
I shut my business down to take the firefighting job in Iraq. With a bad economy I was willing to put myself in harms way for two reasons, first to protect our soldiers who have no choice in being there and the second for the money I would make to give my wife a better life. I was paid four times the amount I would make at home doing the same job. After completing my year in Iraq I took a similar position in Kuwait. Same money, less getting shot at and blown up (we had three firefighters killed and all from my duty station), more time off and much better living conditions.
With these jobs I was able to buy a new home in a nice affluent neighborhood. My former house is under contract and I stand to make over three times what I paid for the house while inflating my bank account considerably.
My wife has a very secure job as a boat Captain for Army Corps of Engineers. She is the most valuable Captain they have since she can operate all of their vessels in both sections. She is an Army veteran and works very hard taking all the overtime they offer. I do the same here and in fact working overtime as I write.
Although our life is financially doing better than ever, all bills paid off and no debt there is a severe price we are paying. I have not been home nor been able to spend time with my wife for more than two weeks in the past year and a half. We have lived apart for too long and it has been a strain on both of us. I have a wonderful new home that I have only seen for a short time and won't get to see it again for a long time to come. We have no children but my pets are getting older and my time to spend with them getting shorter. My wife has also had to deal with every aspect of our life, moving from the old house to the new, dealing with fixing up the old house to sell and now selling it. She has been a real trooper but I know it gets to her sometimes. She tells me how a simple phone call makes her feel better since I always have a plan and am able to guide her if only a little bit. We miss each other terribly and sometimes it seems this seperation will never end. In this rotten economy though this is what we must do to not just get by but come out of this smelling like a rose, or wolfbane.
I can't stress enough how much I miss my wife, my home, all aspects of my life including holidays and most importantly to my wife and I, Halloween.
My heart always goes out to those who are struggling and I follow business and their financial woes daily. I made the personal decision to go where the money is and as I said in the beginning, when the chips are down, make dip.
I will offer this to you all. There is every kind of job here and also in Iraq and Afganistan. There were jobs I could take that would pay 12,000 a month and even one where I could make 300,000 for nine months work. I can't really go over the details of those jobs and how I qualify for them but any of you who are willing to travel and turn your lives around I will help you with all the information you will need to apply for some of these jobs. If you have the strength to make the sacrifice and endure a long seperation and harsh conditions at times then contact me. They need people in every field you can imagine, from janitors to mechanics to teachers and everything in between. I am here to help in any way I can. We all have to stick together and show some true loyalty to each other as Americans.
Wolfie, if I were a single man I would do it in a second. In fact, I'm a marine mechanic (or WAS one) and had a contract to go to Saudi Arabia and refit some billionaire in the royal family's yacht backin the day......but then the Gulf War broke out first.
Now, I just couldn't be away from my wife and kids. My wife would probably be happy to see less of me ;), but my kids need their daddy.
L.A.'s unemployment rate is almost 12%. If things don't pick up, we're looking at a pitchfork and torch uprising.
It's ironic in a way, because even though we're suffering from this recession, I haven't cut back on monster spending, in fact I've increased spending because it's frankly the one thing I have left to enjoy.
Looking at my collection makes me happy.
I am pulling for you guys, especially the vendors in here. Let me know when you guys set up shop at a near-by convention and I'll try to help you out and buy some stuff.
Wolfman, no slight at you, but something isn't right when all this money is being spent rebuilding other countries other than our own.
Quote from: Inkfink on June 10, 2009, 07:18:11 AM
Wolfman, no slight at you, but something isn't right when all this money is being spent rebuilding other countries other than our own.
When confiscatory and punitive tax structures that inhibit business investment here are changed, we can rebuild here too. Not a political statement, because both major parties are equally to blame, rhetoric and spin aside.
Trust me when I say that even though the money is awesome, I have been against the war in Iraq from the day someone got on TV and lied to get us into it. It is even worse now that I have been in Iraq and see the rediculous spending and even here in Kuwait. If the US masses only knew what I know there would indeed be an uprising and perhaps a good old fashioned lynching of politicians. This has become an absurd world and our leaders are indeed to blame, all of them. We think we have smart people running the show but it just aint true folks.
So I don't take a slight at all. I am with all of you all the way. I came here to take a fools money so to speak. Unfortunately I can't provide the conscience for the country, if the powers to be are willing to pay then I am willing to take it. They not only owe it to me but to all of you as well. Not trying to make a political speach here or anything, we all feel the same in most aspects. Frustration.
Quote from: Wolf Man on June 10, 2009, 03:15:19 PM
Trust me when I say that even though the money is awesome, I have been against the war in Iraq from the day someone got on TV and lied to get us into it. It is even worse now that I have been in Iraq and see the rediculous spending and even here in Kuwait. If the US masses only knew what I know there would indeed be an uprising and perhaps a good old fashioned lynching of politicians. This has become an absurd world and our leaders are indeed to blame, all of them. We think we have smart people running the show but it just aint true folks.
So I don't take a slight at all. I am with all of you all the way. I came here to take a fools money so to speak. Unfortunately I can't provide the conscience for the country, if the powers to be are willing to pay then I am willing to take it. They not only owe it to me but to all of you as well. Not trying to make a political speach here or anything, we all feel the same in most aspects. Frustration.
And the church said "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEN"
I bow in agreement.
As an active duty serviceman, I cannot legally comment.
But I sure am glad I'll be retiring next year.
Quote from: Crazy1van on June 11, 2009, 05:27:29 PM
As an active duty serviceman, I cannot legally comment.
But I sure am glad I'll be retiring next year.
Keep your head down, your powder dry, and come back to us safely my friend.
Thanks, Scat-man. Good thing is, I won't be going overseas again between now and April 2010, so I'll spend the rest of my tour in the relative safety of the United States and its coastal waters, with a slight chance of hitting the Carribean just before I retire.
Quote from: Crazy1van on June 11, 2009, 10:27:59 PM
Thanks, Scat-man. Good thing is, I won't be going overseas again between now and April 2010, so I'll spend the rest of my tour in the relative safety of the United States and its coastal waters, with a slight chance of hitting the Carribean just before I retire.
Sadly, you have a better chance of being killed in New York than if you rented a room in full uniform from Al Qaeda in Pakistan .