# So glad this year is almost over.



## rdean (Oct 23, 2016)

I worked at the same company for over 37 years spending the last 20 as a senior design engineer working with the auto and aerospace industries earning 4 patents with two more in the works.

I announced at the beginning of the year I was going to retire at the end of this year.  A few months ago, the head office said they wanted a 10% layoff across the board.  So I was one of the ones laid off.  I couldn't believe how lucky I was.  They probably would have laid off someone else who really needed the job.  I was planning on just giving my notice at the end of the year and leaving with nothing.  But because I was laid off, I was given 30 weeks full pay and health care.  I was so happy.  Visiting HR, I told her I wanted to dance out of the building.  Because I was fired, I didn't even have to spend time training anyone else.  I just grabbed my patents off the wall, took a few things from my desk and left.

But there was one sobering point.  When HR announced I was being let go, I asked if they give me any type of severance pay, when she said 30 weeks, I told her I wanted to hug her, which I did.  She said I was the first person who didn't cry.  That stopped me from openly celebrating.  

And the timing couldn't have been better.  

That very day, I got home early and I wanted to celebrate and my tenant told me his cancer had spread all over his body.  That he was going to be getting Hospice help.  I didn't know what that is.  Well, they come like two days a week to check up on him.  It was lucky for him I retired.  I fed him, I helped him to the toilet, I wiped his bottom, I gave him medicine, I sat with him for the last couple of months while he told me he wished he could die.  That the pain was to great.  I gave him morphine.  A week ago, he finally died.  Luckily, he was a true believer.  He was excited he was going to finally see Jesus and because of that, he wasn't scared at all.  I envy him for that belief.   Fortunately, his 104 year mother and his 79 year old sister and two nieces were able to come and visit him the last two weeks he was lucid.

Then there is this so very long presidential election that has been going on forever.  And the two nominees.  One, being the most attacked over 30 years in the history of the United States.  The other, the most dubious nominee I've ever seen, and I've been voting since Nixon.

And tonight, right across the street from where I live, the Chicago Cubs made it to the World Series for the first time in over 70 years.  The streets are packed with honking cars and mobs of people.  Strangers hugged me and high fived me on the street.  Fireworks going off over head.  

Finally, just a few more months and this year is finally over.  

Looking forward to the new year without all this terrible drama.  I could do with a little less excitement.


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## Andylusion (Oct 23, 2016)

rdean said:


> I worked at the same company for over 37 years spending the last 20 as a senior design engineer working with the auto and aerospace industries earning 4 patents with two more in the works.
> 
> I announced at the beginning of the year I was going to retire at the end of this year.  A few months ago, the head office said they wanted a 10% layoff across the board.  So I was one of the ones laid off.  I couldn't believe how lucky I was.  They probably would have laid off someone else who really needed the job.  I was planning on just giving my notice at the end of the year and leaving with nothing.  But because I was laid off, I was given 30 weeks full pay and health care.  I was so happy.  Visiting HR, I told her I wanted to dance out of the building.  Because I was fired, I didn't even have to spend time training anyone else.  I just grabbed my patents off the wall, took a few things from my desk and left.
> 
> ...



That's fantastic man.  I am glad everything worked out so well for you.    Hopefully you'll find retirement as fulfilling as my parents have.  Drink a cold one for me buddy!   (ironic since I don't drink), and do something to celebrate.   I don't know about dancing, but I'm sure you'll find some way to drink a toast to your good fortune!

And seriously... don't worry much about the elections.  I never do.  Talk about them if you want, but I never get bothered by it.  No matter which terrible idiot we have in office, they'll talk a lot, do little, and leave nothing more than a stain on the underpants of history.  We've survived far worse presidents, and we'll survive this one.


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## rdean (Oct 23, 2016)

Andylusion said:


> rdean said:
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> > I worked at the same company for over 37 years spending the last 20 as a senior design engineer working with the auto and aerospace industries earning 4 patents with two more in the works.
> ...


I stopped drinking when I started going to college over 30 years ago.  Not because it was a problem or anything, it just got boring.  Like with the drugs.  I was a teen in the 60's just out side San Francisco.  But I got tired of being high.  Just wasn't fun anymore.

But the elections?  I still have company insurance.  The cost is $750 a month but they also give me a stipend that covers that.  So I had a colonoscopy and I'm going to the dentist to fix a cracked tooth.  
I was always thin, but a couple of years ago, the company moved to outside the city.  One and a half hours each way.  Then sitting at a desk 9 or 10 hours a day.  No engineer works 8 hours a day.  So now I'm fat.  Not super obese, but embarrassingly big for someone thin most of their life.  My blood pressure is up and I'm borderline in a number of areas.  Then, spending the last several months taking care of a friend in his 80's, not the time to diet and exercise.  
I already talked to a rep about Obamacare.  They said the most expensive policy they offer is just over $500 a month.  So I will have a year before I qualify for medicare and then of course, the cost will drop.  What if Trump got into office and the GOP actually cut health care for millions of Americans including me?  Republicans have already cut veterans benefits.  They cut food stamps for children.  They would rather give tax breaks to billionaires than normal people.  Look at Trump's tax plan.  Any senior like me who will be depending on programs like Medicare, Social Security and so on should be worried.  Republicans have been chomping at the bit for years to "get us".  And with Trump, they will.  The guy stiffs his workers.  Why wouldn't he screw over millions more if given the chance?


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## Andylusion (Oct 23, 2016)

rdean said:


> Andylusion said:
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Dude, medicare is going to be cut, now or later, whether Trump gets in office or not.     Congressional Budget Office itself says the debt will climb to about $27 Trillion in under 10 years.   The unfunded liabilities will be about $84 Trillion, for Medicare alone.

We can't... and won't... afford that.

Doesn't matter who you elect friend.... math doesn't change because you got a (D) or an (R) after your name.  Math doesn't care what your political ideology is.

Greece had the exact same debate in the 90s and 2000s.  They had the exact same arguments "so and so will cut my pensions and my health care!", so they voted them out.    Didn't change the crash did it?  Why?  Because math doesn't care about your political debates or your elections.

Doctors and clinics are already starting to refuse to accept Medicare patients.  Payout is too low.  So medicare costs are going to rise, not drop.

Something will have to be done, and most likely it will be cuts.  You will either be required to pay more monthly, or required to pay a large co-pay on treatment.

Again, it's going to happen whether you worry about it, or not.  So why worry about it?   Save up your money, and do the best you can.   Enjoy your retirement.  Stop worrying about something you can't change anyway, no matter what you do.

If worse comes to worse, you can pack up, live in Mexico, Panama, Cost Rica, or Ecuador.   Here you live a middle income retirement, there you can live as kings, and a pay a fraction of the cost for everything, including health care.   A health care payment over there, is like a car payment here.

And can't complain much about it.  Life on a beach, beautiful people, beautiful weather, and anything you want until you die.   You can forget about medicare.  Won't matter.


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## esthermoon (Oct 23, 2016)

I hope the new year will be better than 2016 for you rdean


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## Andylusion (Oct 23, 2016)

esthermoon said:


> I hope the new year will be better than 2016 for you rdean



Like your photo.  What does Esthermoon mean?  Just curious.


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## rdean (Oct 23, 2016)

Andylusion said:


> rdean said:
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It's not just about rising costs.  It's also about income inequality.  When I was a kid, the owner of a company made 5 to 15 times the salary of the lowest paid worker at that company.  Now they make hundreds or even thousands of times more.  How can I pay 30 to 35% of my income in taxes and Trump pays nothing.  Mitt Romney made 22 million in one year and paid less than 14% and he only paid that much because that was the single year of his tax returns he released to the public.  How can you have trillions in tax cuts, like the Bush tax cuts where 85 or 90% goes to the top 5% and you have an entire political party, the GOP base, saying, "But they make the most money" like the unfortunate minions they are. 

There is lots of blame.  There is the GOP.  Working for corporations.  Screwing over the rest of the country and being happy about it.  Then you have the GOP base going along with the GOP leadership because they are so ignorant, they believe the GOP leadership supports them because of race when the GOP only supports the uber wealthy.

The GOP had been skewing the economy towards the super wealthy for years, but it was under Bush they took off on steroids.  Who do you go from a government a few billion in debt to a government many trillions in debt in just 8 years?  Remove the source of revenue (Bush tax cuts and corporate tax loopholes) and then throw the entire mess at the first black president, don't help him in any way and then claim it was his fault.  And the racist minions eat it up. 

Democrats have to wise up.  Work to end gerrymandering, get Republicans out of office and we can clean things up.  But we need to get those monsters out of our government.

And the first step is to get those ignorant dumbass mother fuckers to stop saying "Obama had a super majority in congress for his first two years".  So sick of these slimes repeating that lie.


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## esthermoon (Oct 24, 2016)

Andylusion said:


> esthermoon said:
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> > I hope the new year will be better than 2016 for you rdean
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Hey! 
I'm glad you like my face Andylusion 
Esther is my real name because (that's what my parents told me) my mum loved this name when she was pregnant 
Moon is just "the moon" 
I like our natural satellite


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## Andylusion (Oct 26, 2016)

esthermoon said:


> Andylusion said:
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I was going to say, if your last name is Moon that is super cool.   So Esther, as in the woman in the Bible?  Is your mother Christian?


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## esthermoon (Oct 26, 2016)

No she's Buddhist 
She gave me that name because when she was pregnant she read a book
The character she loved more than the others was Esther


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## Andylusion (Oct 26, 2016)

esthermoon said:


> No she's Buddhist
> She gave me that name because when she was pregnant she read a book
> The character she loved more than the others was Esther



Ah ok!


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