How come I don't post much anymore

[jgcable]

The reason... fairly depressed. I have been with my company for 25 years and last month we had a layoff and a mandatory 10% paycut. This past monday we had another doom meeting and we are having another layoff and most likely another paycut. With 1 kid in college, another starting medical school next year, another kid starting 2 years later and all the problems I have been having with mdeical bills, cars and house repairs lately I am dead broke and actually sinking pretty fast. Its really tough around here and I am pretty depressed and embarrased about it. I have never owed so many people so much money. I am hoping and praying that my bands newest CD will do something.... anything. I have been looking for a part time job to add to my 55 hour per week job now but no luck. It seems all the retirees have the part time jobs so that they can have extra money to blow on the lotto and the local casinos.
Anyway.... just wanted to let you guys know. I have alot of friends around here.

[Jason1212]

I can relate to where you are at to a degree. I dont have the kids going into school, but I went through the total uncertainty with work. I ended up getting laid off and went through a pretty financialy tough and depressing 3 years. I didnt post much during that time at all. I didnt have anything good to say and I didnt feel like trying to commiserate with others online. It wasnt all low there would good times in there but for the most part it was a struggle. I still have not recovered financially but things are good and looking better everyday. Mentally I am as good or better than I have ever been. Hang in there, you will get through it. Hell you have raised 3 kids that are either in or have college aspirations and to me that speaks volumes about you.

[Scooter]

Hey man, don't let life get you down. My kids aren't in college, but I feel you there, grants and loans will help them, as would a part-time job (I did it.) Ya gotta have a vehicle though, I now drive a 1997 Cavalier, easy on gas and insurance. I feel like I owe everybody too, but things will always turn around. If it makes you feel any better, I was forced into retirement after 15 years for having a heart attack last March, and I'm only 38! SOB's cut my pension 30% too. I said forget the medical bills for now, they have some understanding. Times are tough man, just gotta keep pluggin along. It will get better.

[Wayniac]

Good luck John.
I hear ya man - it is expensive and uncertain times here in CT.
We had furloughs last year, and deferred pay raises. Looks like that will be a repeat this year as well.
My belt has tightened a little too , with my disposable income dropping quite a bit, since my girlfriend and i split up... now paying my entire mortgage on my own, as well as utilities, etc.

hang in there bud...

[wilkinsi]

I don't have kids or a mortgage to pay, so I can only empathise. The job scene is getting worse. Every application involves a credit score. And even if you get in, you're expected to sell sell sell, or they try to manage you out of the job. Makes me sick. I'm grateful to be living with parents again in that I'll still have a roof over my head if I lose my job.

[atomic charvel guy]

Hey John,
on the bright side you have a kid in college and another in medical school. Not too shabby dude, in fact, that's hot shit. I don't want to get into it here, but if you want to feel better I can do that for you, PM me if you wish. I'm referring to making you feel better with words by the way-lol, trust me you're in great shape from what I can see. my life has been , well, how do I put it? Let's just say I got jackrolled, and even though the toughest part seems to be coming to a close, and i have taken a few positives from it all, it has sucked the sweat off a yaks balls overall, in fact it has sucked even more than that, it has sucked the mites off the sweat off a yaks balls-lol.

[RacerX]

Hey John, I thought about you today: Caribbean Queen came on the radio/muzak here at work right before lunch...I mentioned to my co-worker "I know the guy that played the guitar on this song"

[donf]

The reason... fairly depressed. I have been with my company for 25 years and last month we had a layoff and a mandatory 10% paycut. This past monday we had another doom meeting and we are having another layoff and most likely another paycut. With 1 kid in college, another starting medical school next year, another kid starting 2 years later and all the problems I have been having with mdeical bills, cars and house repairs lately I am dead broke and actually sinking pretty fast. Its really tough around here and I am pretty depressed and embarrased about it. I have never owed so many people so much money. I am hoping and praying that my bands newest CD will do something.... anything. I have been looking for a part time job to add to my 55 hour per week job now but no luck. It seems all the retirees have the part time jobs so that they can have extra money to blow on the lotto and the local casinos.
Anyway.... just wanted to let you guys know. I have alot of friends around here.

John
Know how you feel. After 33 years with the military, both active and as an civilian instructor, As of 23 Jan, I'm on the unemployment line. A mortgage, kid in college, bills to pay. Wondering whats gonna happen next. Keep your head up. I've been propping mine up with a 2x4....lol.

[DonP]

I feel the same way. My company is ran by morons, with little chance of survival. One stupid decision after the next. Same as the last company I worked for (that went bankrupt). For work, I've had to live 5 days a week in Cleveland for a year and a half, and Nashville for the past year and a half. Sucks balls, but you gotta pay the bills.

Yeah, congrats on the kids doing well. My 14 year old is highly intellegent, highly spoiled, and very lazy. He ace's all of his test, yet gets crappy grades because he refuses to do homework. I get to meet with all of his teachers tomorrow - fun. He won't listen when I tell him his future will be a trash collector. What does he love? Playing games 24/7. You should have seen the temper tantrum when we took the games away.

[guitarsjb]

Sorry to hear John. Things are rough now a days for sure. Here too. Sending ya some happy thoughts

[jgcable]

Thanks everybody.

[Grandturk]

Hope all works out for you! I'm switching jobs now - going from uncertain to uncertain and for the first time I can remember, was surrounded by unemployed folks at a Super Bowl party. Its nuts out there.

[stevieb91]

It's tough, but it gets better, trust me. After three years of overtime, weekly production bonuses, and more overtime, we were down to as little as 16 hours of production a week. It has been a tough year, have had to make a lot of difficult choices, but things are beginning to turn around.

Sometimes when life grabs you by the throat, you have to grab it by the balls and slap it in the face.....

[FusionFarmer]

Things have never been this bad in my 50 plus year life,, I'm in construction management and it is completely dead right now, been making ends meet by doing remodel work, but everyone seems to be short on money so thats real slow right now, Most people i know right now would be very grateful if they had a 55 hour a week job, unfortunatly the days of being able to do the things we would like to do for our kids such as putting em thru school may not be feasible anymore, and working 2 jobs won't help anyone if the strain damages your health or worse leaves your family without you,, I know there are no easy answers but I can relate to the depressed thing, My livein Girlfriend of 3 years was putting in 12 hours days including a 50 mile each way commute at a minium wage job for the last 2 1/2 years to try and help out and it took such a toll on her physically that she started to abuse pain killers and unfortunatly she died a couple weeks ago from this, Try to keep the things that matter the most in focus and realize you can only do so much...

[toejam]

Sorry to hear, John. Chin up, things usually always have a strange way of working out.