10/1/2014: Big Day

Today is October 1, 2014. It is the first day of my 65th birth month, and to the Social Security Administration, it's an important day because it's the day Medicare becomes my primary insurance provider. I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet, but at least I got to this day; neither my mother nor my father saw their 65th birthday (even though my actual birthday isn't until the 11th.)

My visit to the SSA office in Grand Rapids last month went without much surprise. I learned that starting January 1, 2015, I can earn $44,000 a year until October 1, 2015, when there is no income limit. For me, that's a very good thing because my financial health, unlike my physical health, has crumbled and is on life-support. Right now, I am restricted to earning $15,000 a year, which isn't hard to exceed. When I do, my monthly benefit is reduced. I don't "lose" it, though; it is tacked onto the end, so when October 2015 rolls around, my benefit will increase, which will be nice. Until then, however, I have to go back to work as soon as I can and hopefully ease some of this bad juju that's afflicting me.

I have applied to several places, but I guess most businesses are pulling back their staffing in anticipation of reduced sales this Winter. I had an interview with a local snow plowing company as a shoveler; I have not heard back from them and hope they call. They pay $18 an hour for mostly-third shift work shoveling sidewalks at their client businesses after big snowfalls. It's strange but if I get the job, I hope for a very strong winter...getting paid $18 an hour to shovel is pretty sweet.

Thanks for reading. So far, nobody has, but that's not why I'm doing it. For me, it's therapy.

9/10/14: Important visit tomorrow

Tomorrow, 9/11/2014, I have a visit to the local Social Security office. Why, you ask? Dealing face-to-face with them isn't something I would volunteer to do; SSA is not my favorite 3-letter federal agency. So why? Simple. I have to.

I turn 65 in October.

That means I will be put on Medicare as of October 1, which in and of itself isn't a bad thing. What is not good is how much they intend to charge me for the privilege of government-regulated nationwide healthcare coverage. So a refresher is in order.

I retired from federal service 12/31/2011. I had already made up my mind to enroll in Social security early, even though I knew I would take a big hit - and I did. I also planned to withdrew my retirement savings (the third part of federal retirement plan...Social Security, annuity, and retirement savings) to pay off important debts and such, which I did.

Unfortunately for me, SSA uses income from two years prior to compute the initial monthly Medicare payment. Because my retirement savings were substantial - 6 big numbers - my initial payment will be very large. Larger than I can afford, considering my current debt load (I lost a court fight big time) and my current family health insurance plan premium. I provide high-quality health insurance to my under-26 children per the Affordable Care Act, and those premiums continue to rise every January.

So I have to go talk to the SSA and show them my income from last year, 2013, wasn't high enough to kick me into the higher premium brackets. 

I hope to be successful. If not, I will have to cancel my family coverage next Ooen Season and my children will no longer be covered. That will not be a good thing. So wish me luck.

9/9/14: What's Next, Part 1?

I have a cloud-like plan.

The first thing to do is try to write a bit each day. Or at least every couple of days, so that's what I will do. I will share details with you, the readers, that some might find uncomfortable - heck, sharing the details might be uncomfortable - but I assume almost nobody will read, so the only reader will be me.

And the cloud-like plan is coming into clarity. It isn't set in stone, neither the direction nor the path has been picked, and many details have to be made. I have seven months to formulate it (for reasons that will be made clear, too.) I have a pretty big debt to take care of and, honestly, it means having to go back to work.

This blog is all about the journey from here to there. It will be difficult for me - it already is - and I will experience frustration and anger - I already do - and my credit raring is apt to take a bigger hit than it already has, but forward I must move.

So, until next post, thanks for reading.

9/8/14: Reopened

Even though I am no longer driving a truck, I am reopening this blog, mostly because I want to write. I'm not sure there is a "purpose" in it - I'm not a genealogist, aspiring musician, or quilter trying to sell my wares - but putting thoughts down "on paper" is therapeutic.

And who knows? Maybe a purpose will develop.

6/9/12: The end

Dear readers, I have not written in a while because I am no longer driving a truck. I was disrespected big time by the company for whom I worked, a story I will not share with you; suffice it to say it was much, much worse than the normal abuse drivers get. For me, it was a "quittable offense," as I told my driver manager. Considering this was a 'bucket list' item and I did everything I wanted to do as a driver, I am fulfilled; I doubt I will consider and seek employment with another trucking company.

Thank you for reading. Though there were not many of you, I did enjoy sharing my limited experiences with you. Perhaps there will be more in the future, perhaps not. I wish each of you the best.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

I am sitting in my own living room, typing this on my own Mac for the first time since, well, since the last time! This was not a planned home visit; as with many things in trucking, things can change. The delivery I have was delayed until tomorrow night, so I took the opportunity to "visit" my house, use some of my own hot water, and do my laundry! The only uncomfortable part is having to drop the trailer with a load of pretty expensive dairy products and a minus 10 temperature set on the reefer in a Walmart parking lot 16 miles away. I locked the box, put on a glad-hand and king pin locks, but there's nothing I could do about locking the reefer thermostat, so if some creep wants to crank it up to 40 or so, well, I can't stop him or her. Hopefully, however, the Walmart parking lot security crew will keep an eye out for nefarious goings on.

As I walked into my house, I came to the realization that I like my house. I like my living room and dining room and lawn and I even like the duck that has made a nest in the decorative row boat in my back yard. What that means is this: You, dear reader, probably remember that I retired from federal service last December and have undertaken this "career change" to check of an item on my personal 'bucket list.' I received a commercial driver's license and have been working as an over-the-road driver, which is all I really wanted to do. There are other things on my bucket list, too, including a visit to my deceased parents' hometown, Wilton, New Hampshire.

The bottom line is I don't know how much longer I will do this. There are some compelling reasons not to push my own good humor, not the least of which is the fact that I don't get to see my kids as much as I want, even though I've only been at this a short while. I am getting older and since I do have a very secure pension - well, as secure as anything created by Congress can be - I will drive as long as I want then turn my sites elsewhere.

That, dear reader, is what retirement is all about. Do the kind of work you want to do, as long as it's "fun," then do something else when it's no longer "fun!"

4/13/2012

I see by the listing that I have been remiss in writing about my progress. I shall fix that right now! I'm sitting here in a Flying J truck stop near West Rotterdam, NY, working my way through a 34-hour reset because I...well, let's just say there is a 70-hour maximum in 8 days and leave it at that. No need to talk about 71 1/2 hours or poor record keeping or elog misunderstanding, right?

What have I done on the past month? First, I successfully completed OTR training with Lee, though had I known then what I know now, I might have focused his attention on certain areas of my own development...like using the elog system properly. That would have been difficult because the company does not require ALL drivers to transition to electronic logs, only all NEW drivers like me. This is a problem because in my case, Lee kept paper logs and the day I finished my final road test with the Training Department, I went right on electronic logs. I had no training on the setup, the acronyms within the system, or how they interface. One could come to the conclusion that a new driver fresh to electronic logging and without adequate training and experience could, say, misunderstand WHEN to go "off duty" when at a receiver or shopper. Or the impact of not cutting those hours as much as legal because of the maximum duty time of 70-hours in 8 days.

Needless to say, this first solo week has been frustrating and not much fun. Tight schedules, bad weather - snow on I-88 in Western New York?!? Sup wi' dat, bro? - and not meeting my own high personal standards have not helped. In fact, I've cried out to the Great Freightliner In The Sky for one "normal" week like I had in training. Just one. I'm not greedy.

But I have seen Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Illinois. I'm headed back to Penn to pick up some Kraft rejected goods to take to Byron Center, Michigan - not far from my house, though there is no convenient place to drop a trailer so going home is difficult. Maybe they'll let me leave it there for a day or two. Maybe not.

Oh. The best thing that happened to me this year happened on April 12...my daughter gave birth to my newest granddaughter, Macy! And if you think being here in West Rotterdam, NY, and not there in Oklahoma City with my kids isn't the toughest thing, let me assure you it is.