DISPATCHES FROM THE GHOST MOOSE

Much to be thankful for: health, family, friends. Thanksgiving is such a nice holiday - free of the pretense that is to follow. I still have to get my car situation fixed one of these days. My son starts playing basketball games tomorrow. For the first time in years I am not coaching. Better to leave that to professionals at the high school level, I suppose. I have not touched a basketball since I hurt my hamstring 8 weeks ago. and my weight gain would attest to that. As I sit here typing, I remember back to 2002 and again to 2008. Out of work....on the computer at 6 am sending resumes to postings I knew would not even read my submission. A waste of a good holiday, but when you are unemployed, there is no such thing as a holiday. As a friend said to me years ago, unemployment is the scar that never heals. anyone that has been through it knows the feeling. I suppose that is why I continue to write of it. A friend that has been off since January just emailed me that he had lan...

Sitting here watching a hockey game. NFL season in 10 games old now - 6 reg season games left. Went to my son's basketball scrimmage tonight. I hope the winter passes as quickly as my son's football season went by. but probably not. I gassed up the snowblower last weekend. I hope I don't have to use it too much this winter. still have to get my car fixed, or buy a new one. can't afford to do either, unfortunately. but have to take the lesser of 2 evils, I suppose. and so I shall. Thanksgiving this Thursday. and then the march to Christmas. I guess it is almost 2 years that I started writing this blog. I remember it well (as I have written many times). if every unfortunate out of work professional started a blog, we'd probably need a second internet to house them all. there is next to no coverage of the unemployment problem. I guess we are supposed to accept 10% as the norm. and of course, the salaries of govt workers has risen since the economic col...

Marching right into winter. The time change was last week, the leaves are all off the trees, and it is now getting cold. I spent last weekend very sick with the flu - what a horrible feeling that is. the extra hour on Saturday night was not welcome. but, that was last week. Watching the Bears game. It is better to be inside wasting time watching tv when the weather outside is not good. Most Sundays so far this football season have been nice, so staying inside seemed like a waste. Reading how there are some signs of inflation - gee, what a surprise. Since I shop regularly at Wal Mart, I see a lot of prices that have gone up quite a bit. A bag of candy I used to buy for 2.97 is now 3.97. Coffee that was $6 per can is now $8 for the same thing. I still have a car that I can't afford to get fixed. and watch for our taxes to increase to pay for social justice....and change....what a crock. Bears are up by 14 - I guess I should go outside and do some lawnwork for the next hal...

I stopped on the way to work to vote today. I remember in 2008 - because I was out of work, I was at Walmart early the day after the election. All the buzz about Obama winning....Change you can count on....Social Justice...... Two years later, I am earning 40% less than I was before I was laid off....I had my house appraised for a re-fi and it was significantly less than it had appraised for a few years back. My car needs an expensive repair that I cannot afford. My 401k in a joke, having lost 33% in the meltdown. So, as Dr. Phil would say "how's that hope and change working for us now". and I am one of the lucky ones - I have a job. I am not losing my house. But barely surviving should not be the short term goal of a 52 year old man. Certainly the problems of today cannot be attributed to one or even multiple administrations. But the middle class, who's taxes support everything, are the ones most damaged by the sorry state of things today. French citizens are rioting...