... but a bone to pick nonetheless.

Today, again, I had to wait over two hours to use a dryer in my building's laundry facilities.

Not because of over crowding, but because a person puts their clothes in and, even knowing how long it takes, leaves them for hours unattended.

I complain about this to the office of my landlord, with no action taken.

But

Let someone leave a mattress (me) or a chair sitting out by the trash dumpster and they go ballistic.

I see that their priorities are superficial, not practical.

No money to be made in the practical, it seems.

Bone picked. Carry on.

Nothing else to see here.

~

... the hard way.

When I bought my new mattress, I was told my old mattress would be taken away.

WRONG!

The old mattress was just moved to the dumpster where I reside.

Today I got an email from the landlord saying that since they are fined for hauling away trash not in the dumpster, I have to pay the fine - $150.00

Lesson learned:

Whenever you are promised something in a business deal, don't take their word for it.

Get it in writing.

My new mattress arrived today. It came in a box.

I laid it on the box springs and cut the tape that held it rolled up.

It popped out into shape so fast it almost hit me in the eye.

Of course, in my shock, the first thing I thought of was the recurring joke from 'A Christmas Story'.


For future reference, be ready to jump back when opening.

You know what's frustrating?

Accidentally turning off a setting and then trying to find it to turn it back on.

AAAAAAAAARGH!

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.

~