Another one seeminly "headed downhill"

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67Dart273

67Dart273

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I have a neighbor who's a real enigma. He drinks a lot and can be a mean drunk. We've been in and out for years, but I guess we've been friendly more than not. He is about or maybe a little less than 10 years my jr. but has something wrong with him, in some ways like me..........joint/ body/ arthritic pain, damaged shoulders, etc. He uses drinking to "self medicate" as well. No idea what or if he takes pain meds. He is not in good shape financially. The place is not paid for and he's banging on the "forced retirement" door. He works for a marina setting up boats, so not an easy job, physically, or for the physically damaged

So I've noticed his rig around here and wondered "must not be working?" And this time of year here should be prime time for getting boats ready

Tonight I caught him out, limping BAD and in pain BAD. he told me something about "draining his calcium" I guess what he meant is something is dropping the calcium levels in his bones. DOES NOT SOUND GOOD. He is in obvious pain, and will be a difficult candidate to retrain for a "desk job."

I do feel for him. Despite his problems, he's maintained his job with this marina for decades, so he must be good at something.
 
Though this may not be the case here. But most of the time these “conditions” people live with are self induced. It’s hard to feel sorry for people in this category.
 
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First thing he should do is quit the booze. It works in the beginning as a poor man's medicine, but you build a tolerance then it takes more to achieve the desired effect. After a while it doesn't work any more and does more harm than good. Being in pain all the time is difficult. It makes you not want to move, and that leads to weight gain, and depression. I wish him well, he may actually start feeling better once the booze is kicked, then follow doctors orders from there.
 
I have seen too many of my peers (age-wise) with ailments that I do not have for all sorts of reasons. One friend of mine has nerve damage in his neck to the point that he can't feel his hands and he spent most of the last 30 years with a desk job (probably contributed to his problems looking at a computer screen all day). We all seem to age a different speeds whether we take care of ourselves or not. Genetics seems to be the biggest contributor...
 
I myself have my "share." I've had arthritic "like" pain for decades. One doc told me he thinks it's "'systemic" instead of "conventionally thought of" arthritis. There is little medication that I can take without getting sick or having stomach problems. I must walk a "balance" between not enough activity and "too much."
 
67Dart273 said:
I myself have my "share." I've had arthritic "like" pain for decades. One doc told me he thinks it's "'systemic" instead of "conventionally thought of" arthritis. There is little medication that I can take without getting sick or having stomach problems. I must walk a "balance" between not enough activity and "too much."
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My wife has a systemic arthritic condition. She has to take an injectable med which is ridiculously
expensive, but it has definitely worked wonders for her. She is on Enbrel.

As I am typing this, my father in law is on his way to Arizona, from Texas (flying). He can barely walk, has blood clots in his legs, has been a raging alky for years, and we really have no idea what exactly to expect once he get's here tonight. Given his history with alcohol abuse, I have hidden any alcohol in the house including Listerine, and hand cleaner... I have also hidden all of our car keys, as he should be in prison right now for extreme DUI, but they let him out when he had a heart attack in prison. Texas didn't want to pay for his care while in their custody.

He told my wife that he wants to get an AZ drivers license. He thinks it's like the old days where if you had a bad license in one state you could just pick up a license in another and keep driving. No way that's going to fly these days.

Let the fun begin...:popcorn:
 
I feel for the guy and wish him well. Hopefully he'll decide to quit drinking.

I'm 58 and in really good health. I've always been very active at home and work. The times I slowed down, I started feeling it in my bones, such as a hurting knee and elbow. As soon as I get extremely active again, the pain goes away.

I'm taking a new job in 2 weeks and I'm concerned since it will be a lot less active. I'm going to look at joining a gym, but I could never get into the gym thing. It's no fun to me, I'd rather be able to get a good workout at work!!

Believe it or not, I'm leaving my job at the hospital. I'm not gone yet and I'm already missing all those tight scrubs walking around. :BangHead:
 
66fyssh said:
I feel for the guy and wish him well. Hopefully he'll decide to quit drinking.

I'm 58 and in really good health. I've always been very active at home and work. The times I slowed down, I started feeling it in my bones, such as a hurting knee and elbow. As soon as I get extremely active again, the pain goes away.

I'm taking a new job in 2 weeks and I'm concerned since it will be a lot less active. I'm going to look at joining a gym, but I could never get into the gym thing. It's no fun to me, I'd rather be able to get a good workout at work!!

Believe it or not, I'm leaving my job at the hospital. I'm not gone yet and I'm already missing all those tight scrubs walking around. :BangHead:
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Well damn Terry, what are you going to be doing now?
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
Well damn Terry, what are you going to be doing now?
Click to expand...

I'm going back to the last company I worked at. My old boss called and offered me a district manager position covering 8 locations in western Georgia and 3 around Tuscaloosa. They do industrial cleaning and have contracts to clean those plants. I'll be working from a home office but plan to visit the on-site managers at each location regularly.

I'll have a lot more "flexibility " in my schedule and it's more money. I have a great working relationship with my boss so that's a plus. I'm excited...except for the scrubs thing, lol.
 
And yet another person finds a great job in this supposed piss poor post Covid I need another stimulus check world.
 
Thanks Roy.

The Environmental Services (cleaning) department at Floyd Medical Center is short 15 people right now.

Can't get anyone to work for ONLY $10.50/hr. They are guaranteed 40 hours a week and the work is not that bad.

People confirm interview and don't show up. Some are hired, background check and drug test approved and don't show up for the first day. Others work a day or two and dissappear. I see it first hand. Give me, give me, give me...
 
Had a targeted minority hiring at Tampa Fire Dept. wanted 26 could only get 11 to pass polygraph, back ground check and pass a drug test. This was out of a pool of more than 50. Lost one of the 11 when he was told to show up at drill grounds at 0730 hrs the following Monday. His reply was “ I have to show up every day at 7:30?” To which the training chief said yes. Candidate said I don’t think I can do that and walked out of the room!
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
Had a targeted minority hiring at Tampa Fire Dept. wanted 26 could only get 11 to pass polygraph, back ground check and pass a drug test. This was out of a pool of more than 50. Lost one of the 11 when he was told to show up at drill grounds at 0730 hrs the following Monday. His reply was “ I have to show up every day at 7:30?” To which the training chief said yes. Candidate said I don’t think I can do that and walked out of the room!
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.

I can believe it.
 
I'll be 73 in June and I go to work (2 days a week) at 6AM I'll tell ya tho, in this day and age, 10/hr is not **** for wages.
 
67Dart273 said:
I'll be 73 in June and I go to work (2 days a week) at 6AM I'll tell ya tho, in this day and age, 10/hr is not **** for wages.
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I agree with you Del.

I don't know how people do it. But...they need to at least start somewhere. They should get up and go to work every day. Work hard each day and good things will happen. It's much easier to find a job when you already have a job!!
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
Had a targeted minority hiring at Tampa Fire Dept.
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I'm a Federal wildland firefighter. Once upon a time I wanted to be a municipal firefighter and applied to the City of Austin. I travelled 1,800 miles to take the test. Passed the test. Got called back for an interview. Travelled 1,800 miles back to Austin to do the interview, nailed it.
I got a letter about a month later and was hoping for a "Congratulations" letter but it was a letter to tell me that they were calling the whole thing off. Some minorities complained that the test was biased towards white folk. I'm technically a minority because I have a couple drops of Indian blood and am an actual citizen of the Cherokee Nation, legit. That didn't count. Gotta be brown.

Well, decided to stay with the Feds because I have military time and it counts toward retirement. Bullshit is starting to happen here too though. I got passed over for an Engineer job on my own Engine by an outsider who is female and doesn't even qual for the job. She's not even qualified as an Incident Commander Type 5, which is the lowest level and a requirement.

Back to the topic at hand, I live by the philosophy a SEAL told me when I was a young Pollywog. Do something to challenge your body everyday. Another mantra I live by is from a Green Beret I knew. Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest until your 'Good' is 'Better' and your 'Better' is 'Best'.

Weak people can't quit drinking, can't change their diet, and won't put in the work at the lowest level to climb their way up to where they want to be. Being able to be flexible in your actions in order to adapt to change is a strength you must possess to overcome adversity.

I see my severely obese Mother In Law cry because her life sucks. It seems to me that she has been living life thinking there is a do over button you get to push or at some point she would start getting younger and thinner. Guess, what. You can't build a legacy on what you were going to do.

Then there's cancer. Seen some very healthy people get cancer at no fault of their own. That just sucks and is hard to take.
 
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SGBARRACUDA said:
And yet another person finds a great job in this supposed piss poor post Covid I need another stimulus check world.
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Evidently that's what society now wants.... We just sent someone packing Friday because he yelled at a girl in production for sneezing... He's ate up with mask, shots, Covid cards, and getting another Stimi.... Well he can get in line with the rest of them. But he is an example of making a mountain out of a molehill and it's because of the Media plain and simple.

If there has ever been an exaggeration of a given situation in the world this is it.... Covid is real and so is the manipulation and money grab that was quickly realized when it all started...

JW
 
go-fish said:
I'm a Federal wildland firefighter. Once upon a time I wanted to be a municipal firefighter and applied to the City of Austin. I travelled 1,800 miles to take the test. Passed the test. Got called back for an interview. Travelled 1,800 miles back to Austin to do the interview, nailed it.
I got a letter about a month later and was hoping for a "Congratulations" letter but it was a letter to tell me that they were calling the whole thing off. Some minorities complained that the test was biased towards white folk. I'm technically a minority because I have a couple drops of Indian blood and am an actual citizen of the Cherokee Nation, legit. That didn't count. Gotta be brown.

Well, decided to stay with the Feds because I have military time and it counts toward retirement. Bullshit is starting to happen here too though. I got passed over for an Engineer job on my own Engine by an outsider who is female and doesn't even qual for the job. She's not even qualified as an Incident Commander Type 5, which is the lowest level and a requirement.

Back to the topic at hand, I live by the philosophy a SEAL told me when I was a young Pollywog. Do something to challenge your body everyday. Another mantra I live by is from a Green Beret I knew. Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest until your 'Good' is 'Better' and your 'Better' is 'Best'.

Weak people can't quit drinking, can't change their diet, and won't put in the work at the lowest level to climb their way up to where they want to be. Being able to be flexible in your actions in order to adapt to change is a strength you must possess to overcome adversity.

I see my severely obese Mother In Law cry because her life sucks. It seems to me that she has been living life thinking there is a do over button you get to push or at some point she would start getting younger and thinner. Guess, what. You can't build a legacy on what you were going to do.

Then there's cancer. Seen some very healthy people get cancer at no fault of their own. That just sucks and is hard to take.
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I make it a point to never use the words, “ I know how you feel” unless i have walked a mile in your shoes. 33 years as a F//F? I have experienced every bit of reverse discrimination that you have.
 
66fyssh said:
I feel for the guy and wish him well. Hopefully he'll decide to quit drinking.

I'm 58 and in really good health. I've always been very active at home and work. The times I slowed down, I started feeling it in my bones, such as a hurting knee and elbow. As soon as I get extremely active again, the pain goes away.

I'm taking a new job in 2 weeks and I'm concerned since it will be a lot less active. I'm going to look at joining a gym, but I could never get into the gym thing. It's no fun to me, I'd rather be able to get a good workout at work!!

Believe it or not, I'm leaving my job at the hospital. I'm not gone yet and I'm already missing all those tight scrubs walking around. :BangHead:
Click to expand...

I could not stand the gym also. But tell yay what, after about 3 weeks of an hour 5x a week. I looked forward to it. Just use lighter weights to start and a little bit of cardio. The sightseeing is mostly worth it....
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
33 years as a F//F? I have experienced every bit of reverse discrimination that you have.
Click to expand...

I had always wanted to be a municipal firefighter and never even knew about forest/ wildland fire until the Granite Mountain incident. I am really thankful to whatever crybaby that was that complained about "discriminatory" hiring practices at Austin City. I am so happy where I'm at. THings will ALWAYS work out if you work hard and keep a positive attitude. Getting passed over is a lemonade out of lemons type situation for me. This female that got the job needs some help, sure, but I have some skills to teach her. She's accepting of my help and wants to learn. I recognize that I can be better and I have a renewed drive to become even better.
For the OP's neighbor, what is his recognition of his situation like. If he recognizes that he put himself in a hole is it too late? Sure, too late to return to being young and healthy but it's not too late to be better.
 
I had a good friend and hunting buddy that was a Federal F/F. He died in 2004 from cancer. But I remember that he sure didn’t make much money for the job he did. He was a smoke jumper too so he made hazardous pay. I sure miss him.
 
Scody21 said:
I could not stand the gym also. But tell yay what, after about 3 weeks of an hour 5x a week. I looked forward to it. Just use lighter weights to start and a little bit of cardio. The sightseeing is mostly worth it....
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Thanks.

There is a CrossFit place close to me. They do a lot of "non-traditional" stuff like the tractor tire. I think I'll give them a try after I start my new job.
 
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