Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!

(Happy St. Patrick's Day)

 

Sláinte!

 

UR

How the weather in your area?

How the weather in your area?

In my area on east coast the temps vary from the low 20s in the morning to upper 30s lower 40s in the afternoons. Winds vary from calm one day to 30 mile hours. Wind chills as you know make it feel a lot colder.

We had a little snow here and there but nothing in the upper northeast or out west. We have been fairly lucky the last two years. I believe two years ago we had a total close to 70 inches or so.

Unlike most of the country we've been faring well.

Let me know how you're winter has been or what ever your weather is in your part of the world.

UR

2013

Well it’s 2013 and the Mayas screwed me. That’s the last time I trust in a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican calendar that was supposed to predict the end of life on 12/21/12. Man did I have to scramble to get Christmas gifts on 12/22/12. For those that I couldn’t get gifts in time I simple wrote out cards and wrapped them in boxes, the cards said “Sorry, no presents. Blame the Mayas.”  Well, I can tell you that didn’t go over well with the kids. I should have listen to my mother when she told me that you can’t trust the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Indians and that they love pulling practical jokes on suckers even takes a thousand years.

All kidding aside the reason I haven’t been blogging much is because in November of 2011 I lost my job of 13 years thanks to the economy. I went on UC (Unemployment Compensation) and even though I full compensation it was less than what I use to make. So I was hoping by spring 2012 I would get my job back but that didn’t happen. I applied every week for work and by the end of July 2012 I got a part time job doing morning maintenance for a non-profit organization. I get up at 4am and work from 5am to 10am Monday thru Friday. Hourly pay wise I get less than that I use to get but UC made up for it. Then in November 2012 I got a second part time job working evenings and weekends for a retail store hours started of ok but as decreased in recent weeks and I get the same hourly pay as the maintenance job. I basically work two part time jobs to equal one full time 40 hours a week job and I get no health benefits and make far less than I did on UC and I can’t collect UC as long as I get 40 hours a week regardless that they are two part time jobs and get less than I did on UC. But it really doesn’t matter because my UC is basically up. I may be able to reapply for UC if I drop under 40 hours but my reopen claim will be based on what I have made with the two part time jobs and that will even be less. And now on top of things my pay checks will get smaller because the 2% of my pay will go back to social security which I doubt I’ll ever collect because it won’t exist by the time I can collect.

So anyway the last year was not great for me and even though I knew the Maya doomsday was not going to happen part of me wouldn’t mind if the Mayas were right. As for health insurance the plus side is still have my old insurance through my old employer but I pay a COBRA for it but the downside is I’m going to have to pay more for it this year.

So it’s 2013 and I keep chugging along and I keep looking for full time work or better pay and benefits.

I hope to do more blogging but it seems if I’m not working I’m sleeping or looking for work.

I thank all of you who keep checking in and I’m sorry my blog is not very active but I’ll keep checking for new comments and try coming up with new posts.

Side note:  Someone asked me if I had a New Year Resolution I said yes and it was not to have a New Year Resolution because I never keep them. I wonder if I can keep it.

Your friend,

UR