When I worked for the South Coast Air Quality management Distric, where MikeZ worked at one time, we didn't pay into SS, we paid into the San Bernardino County Pension Fund. I got that money back when I left, and it started my 401K.

I thought of OR and WA bigger older cities, but I don't think Mike likes to get wet. ;)

Of course it does rain a lot more in Mike's former town of Santa Barbara than Los Angeles.

I hear ya... my new wife is still in Portland until we can move her down here... toyed with the idea of moving up there.

Portland =

Great beer

Nice people (for the most part)

Great beer

Really good coffee

Great beer

Lots of good food and entertainment

Great beer

Lot of beautiful nature

Did I mention the beer?

But being a native So Cal boy don't think I could take the rain... hanging with the locals and they start talking about taking their vitamin D, struggling with depression, most of them know a few people who have taken their own life.

Yeah, I will keep my sunshine.

Mike,

Good luck with this. You might talk with Nostatic and stop posting as mikez and adopt a "nom de plume" that has nothing associated with you for this and all other internet forums. Several others have done this and as long as you do not write wacky like our resident Arizona desert rat you can hide better.

Joe A

Do not know about you guys but I would go home with green paint on my face after that! :)

You forgot strippers, Portland has the best tittie bars anywhere.

[QUOTE=milt;5385971] but I don't think Mike likes to get wet. ;)

QUOTE]

It depends on the circumstances......I've been in a hot tub with him, but there was beers & Betty's involved. :)

A friend of mine plays league pool in Portland. He a team captain, got a titty bar to sponsor the team. For some strange reason, his team won all their "home bar" matches...:rolleyes: True...in Portland, they're really nude bars...no pasties or panties around those poles...or so I've been told.

Even if there was a possiblity of being eligible for a SSD claim, it's possible you would get denied due to a finding by the judge that your skills are transferable to light or sedentary work, like training, teaching or document preparation in the same or similar industry.

Sounds a little like my story Mike.
Don't wait to get an attorney "do it quick" they get paid after you do and I think there's a limit.(that could be S/S w/limit)
DEC will be 4 years for me.
I wish you luck.
P.S. anyone looking for a steal on a good home?

+1. AIG tried to tell me they had me on video lifting something over 100 lbs. Since I was physically unable to lift anything over ~30 lbs at the time, my attorney and I requested a copy of the video (which they refused to show) then they completely dropped the idea when we went into negotiations. Bottom line is that if you do activities that MAY be construed as beyond your limit and they use the threat of video to weasel down your claim, you won't know if they actually DO have it on tape. In my case it was laughable because I had my wife carrying all of the groceries in I was in such bad shape.

Oh yeah... that too...

I don't visit those establishments (see "new wife" comment above) but yeah you can't drive too far without seeing one of those "clubs".

Mike, very sorry to hear about your circumstances. I have been in environmental consulting for the past 32 years and presently into the UST end of the business right now. There are many consultants looking for help, either with report writing, technical reviews or field work. I do not know how many are in your area, but you could consider some type of part time consulting, preferably working our of your house. Experienced help in this industry is hard to come by. Someone out there could use your help!

I wish you the best of luck and I am confident all will work out.

Bob
Gyneageologist

-1.

We've been watching this train wreck develop for what, a year now?

IMO, it's been the failure to "fool around with working" that has lead to where you are now. It almost always does. Instead of focusing your energy on getting a new job and working, you've focused it on jobbing the system. That's a bad path to go down. You're only 53 years old, you need to face the facts that you have a long way to go in the work world if you want to have a decent life.

Yeah, yeah, you're hurt. We've seen the pictures of your car projects, game reffing, bar hopping, coboy hatting etc. and read all about it.

With all sincerity, I hope for the best for you and say the above only in an attempt to be productive. Take it for what it's worth. I know the economy is tough and it has cost you tremendously (financially and in your personal/family life), but don't give up. Don't convince yourself that you are incapable of working or being productive anymore. That will destroy you. You're better than that, you just have to pull yourself off the floor and get going.

Good luck, man.

I'd rather get a job.....but I am trying screwed up.....discs don't heal.

Gotta love those insurance companies, eh? Hire an attorney to sue everyone, until somebody comes up with a satisfactory resolution. In the meantime, fly to a sugar-white beach with asure-blue water and practice collecting sea shells with a drink in one hand.

While i agree with most of the rest of your post to an extent, i do not agree with this.

What does "productive" even mean in a universe with 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars (and i'm probably short several zeros)?

Nothing we do here matters in even the tiniest little bit.

And if you ask me, it's working that destroys the body to begin with. It's certainly destroyed mine.

Getting old is not fun and it does not get any easier as you get older...

True, dat. Up until recently each successive decade seemed to get better and better. I.e., my twenties were better than my teens, my 30's were better than my 20's, my 40's were better than my 30's...jury's still out on my fifties:eek:

My 20s were my best decade so far.

10 years of crazed debauchery. :D