I have recently tried to do some online surveys for money to try and supplement my unemployment. Yea, I know kinda lame. Anyway, somehow I got picked up by this organization called Secret Shopper..... They even sent me a check for over $1500 and gave me an assignment. Well, I don't do anything like that without checking into the company and as it turns out.....They are a fraud!!! They get you to deposit the check and then you are supposed to do a money transfer in the guise that you are checking out Western Union.... and then reporting on the customer service of the company. So, what actually happens is that you deposit the check in your account make the transfer and then after a number of days the bank will get in touch with you an let you know the check is no good. Usually long after the transfer is completed. See where this is going. they even do it across National boundaries so effectively you have no recourse in re-cooping the funds.
Needless to say, I didn't fall for this...
Sadly though a lot of people did!!!! It is the old case of if it seems to good to be true it probably is. I am turning all of this over to the local County Attorney's office and I will let them pursue it. I don't know how much they can do because a part of the company is based out of Canada. These folks are pretty tricky!!!!!

It was just a calm and easy day here on Thanksgiving. Star came over with her friends Brian and Ann. Brother Wayne was also here. All in all it was much more layed back than in the past. Kind of a nice change.

I filed for my unemployment last week so, at least I will have that coming in for the time being. I am looking for something new to do for work but, right now it is a little bleak on the job front here in Coolidge. This recession finally caught up to us here. A lot of people have said to take a little time out before going out and really hitting it again. I am in agreement to some extent. THis will be the first time since sometime in 1990 that I have had any significant time off.

To one and all. I have my turkey in the oven now all I have to do is peel the potatos and slice up the zuccini and yellow squash and tomatoes in butter garlic sauce. Not for the faint of heart but, my mashed potatos could really clog up the arteries too. This is my one extravaganza a year so, I always splurge with the non-healthy stuff. I know that's bad but you know what..... SO WHAT........ I don't drink Lite Beer either.

Happy Thanksgiving all.

Regards,
Jim

Layed off!!!

Yes, that's right, from now until January I am layed off the farm. If nothing else, it will give me time to regroup. Beyond all that.... I can maybe find a real job. I guess that isn't really fair. The farm was a real job but, I am going to try to find something that pays a real wage...including benefits. We'll see. It isn't the best time to be out looking but, when is? It always seems to be easier to find a job when you have one but I am not discouraged. Now I just have to tuck in and really look....

As it turns out, I was late getting the info on Noah's Christmas. They had it on Nov 8th and the family is now requesting that no more card and presents be sent. See the link below.

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/medical/biorkman.asp

I had managed to collect some things from other friends and I am going to send them to the Cancer center in Tucson for the kids there. I urge all my friends out there to do the same. I will post an adress here later today for anyone interested....

Jim

THIS IS A SPECIAL REQUEST Special request from a friend of a friend. Diana Harrison Biorkman has a 5-year old son in his last stages of a 2 1/2 year battle with Neuroblastoma Cancer. They are celebrating Christmas NEXT WEEKEND and Noah loves Christmas cards. Please send a card to: Noah Biorkman 1141 Fountain View Circle, South Lyon, MI 48178. Thank you so much PLEASE REPOST. Lets get him a truckload of cards!

The day that Meatloaf auditioned for Jim Steinman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBZDTK9Yhko

I have been watching Meatloaf - To Hell and Back the last couple of days while I have been not working..

I found out late yesterday afternoon that because the accident that I had was an industrial claim, I am not able to get compensated for anything but how it affects my current work situation. Now, if this had happened in a non-work situation, I would be entitled to pain and suffering and loss of other talents as a result of the injury. How fair is this?
So, the fact that I can't play a lot of musical instruments that I used to (and got paid for it) is totally irrelivant. OK, so I have medical for life on this injury.... Not to be ungrateful but, SO WHAT!!!!!! Monday and Tuesday of this week we weren't raking because the fields have been infested with worms(they are spraying the fields and we won't resume cutting until at least next week). I spent about 4 hours each day doing maintenance on the rakes. After the second day the hand swelled up and became hard to manage. It appears this may be a trend so, I am not 15% disabled as was reported to Workman's Comp. I am talking to a lawyer about this but, best case they will review my case and maybe I will get compensation for an extra few months.

Again, I guess(no not I guess) I find this unfair. IT appears the system has been set up not to help the worker but, to bebefit the State and the companies that have injuries on the job. IT doesn't even appear that I can go after the manufacturers even though one of them had no information in their manual regarding safety around high pressure hydrolics and the other had one paragraph regarding such information. Neither company had their equipment placarded with warnings. Now I am going to be living with this again with no recourse....
So, if I sound a bit angry this morning, forgive me I just need to get this out.

We are down to 2 rakes that are functional so, I have been driving one full time. This year a lot of the fields are rougher than last year so, I come home feeling like I have gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson(even though I haven't had my ear bitten). I am going to actively pursue a new line of work because I don't think my body will continue to put up with the abuse. Let's face it, I ain't getting any younger(much as I hate to admit it)!
They came in with an offer on my hand(less than $10,000). I feel it is way to low so, I am going to actively pursue a much higher settlement with the help of an attorney. They did not take into consideration that my hand is much scarred internally and that the strength is not returning as expected and that I have other talents that have been either limited or completely taken away by this accident. Things like I cannot play keyboards or woodwind instruments anymore and that my fingerstyle playing of the guitar is severly limited and that even Bass playing is going to take a number of years to re-orient my had to playing. All in all, I am not very happy with this outcome at present!

There was a mid-air collision here in Coolidge today. A Cessna 150 and a Piper Cherokee 140(I think) collided. Fortunately it missed my neighborhood and the one East of us. Not by much I might add. Sadly one of the passengers of one of the planes was eject out of the plane at 100 feet and died. The reports said that there were 2 student pilots involved. I am wondering if both of them were in the same plane. If that is the case, they were flying illegally. A student pilot can(once they have soloed) fly alone or with a fully certified pilot or CFI. However, a student pilot is not allowed to fly a passenger even if the passenger is a student pilot. By the looks of the crash site, it appears that the Cherokee cut the tail off of the Cessna. If that is the case the Cessna would have been nothing more than a falling can of metal(with the rear control surfaces gone. All involved were heros for keeping the crash out of the houses. It was close!
I am going to be real curious to see The NTSB report on this crash.

And lastly.

My heart goes out to my brother who stopped flying today. may your wings now carry you throughout the Universe.

Desermann

I really appreciate all the support that you all have shown Dottie and me over this trying time. At the present she is doing fine. We are going to be doing a bunch of follow up stuff over the next couple of weeks. From what I can gather...ie...talking to the doctors and hospital staff, this is going to be an on-going situation related to her having Valley Fever and having had pneumonia a number of time. We will have to be ever vigilant and just make sure she doesn't over stress herself and we have to watch what kind of pain relievers she uses.

Regards,
Jim

Looks like Dottie will be coming home tomorrow. That is at least what I have been told. So, at this point they are saying no major surgery. Very cool!!! Now we have to find out what the follow up is going to be.

They are planning o moving Dottie out of ICU tonight. THis means that she is(for the time) out of the woods. We will find out at the beginning of the week what they intend to do on the lung situation. Chances are they will not have to remove it but, it is yet to be determined. I will let you all know as soon as I do.
Thank you all for your concern.

Jim

She has had recurring bouts over the past 10 years with Valley Fever(A respiratory condition particular to the Southwest). When it happens, she coughs up a little blood(Typical for this condition and Valley Fever is not completely curable). Well in the past couple of days this condition has gotten worse. It happened Sunday and we took her to the ER and by the time she got there it had subsided again. So the checked her over and sent her home. Last night it got really bad. I took her to the Emergency Room and they admittted her to the hospital. She had a C T scan done and they are seeing new "nodules" in her lungs. So tomorrow morning they are doing an Orthoscopie on her lungs. They will also do a biopsie at the same time. Please, keep her in your thoughts.

Jim

I am going to try to relate a situation from this past weekend. It involves arbitrary stops by Maricopa City Police in the town of Stanfield associated with the Department of Homeland Security and What I would classify as profiling on their part. Stay tuned!

Ok, now that the final surgery is over. I am going to let you that want to see what I have been dealing with.

( before the last surgery )

Since the last surgery(last Monday) there has been a substantial reduction in the swelling of the hand. The fingers that are left really look like fingers and the movement in my hand is substantially improved. Now I just have to continue to go to therapy to get back what I can of my dexterity.
Ok that's done. Now I can get back to my real life.

They removed the first 2 joints of my forefinger last Monday. So far it seems to be ok. My hand is feeling fine and my mental state with this is also ok. Just before I was knocked out, I had a little twinge of anxiety but, I realized that there was nothing that could be done about itand I calmed right down and fell asleep while waiting for the anstesiologist.
So there you are. I will post a pic after I am allowed to unwrap the hand.

Happy to Starlyn and Andrea.Needless to say I can't type a lot right now so I am going to keep this kind of short. Mon and I are very proud of you both.


Love You,
Dad

Puna piniete! Somehow it sounds so much more elegant than jacking off...:-D

On the day I was getting released from the hospital, I was going to have Brother Doug dugster pick me up and take me home. Well, ihad to make other arrangements as Doug got recalled as he was coming out of Tucson after getting his MRI and such. It turns out that there is some sort of anomily on his MRI which is not good(if you have been following any of his sojourn here in my journal).
So, my wish. That I could take all of the trials and tribulations that he is going to encounter on myself and for the universal powers that be would leave him alone.

All of you that know me, please, please, keep dugster in your thoughts and prayers.
At this point what is going on with me is just inconvient(try dressing with the use of one hand). His situation is much more critical!

Regards,
DesertMann