Mixed News

The sort of news where you aren't sure if you should celebrate, or cry tears of despair.

Got a letter from Social Security yesterday. They've approved the medical basis for my disability claim, and are now dealing with the non-medical portion. My translation of the latter part is that now they look at my work history to see how much time I've put into Social Security, and how much I was making, to determine how much they're going to start disbursing. Given that I've surpassed the requisite 40 credits, or whatever they call them, it'll be the full load. Just wish the Oregon Historical Society had paid comparably with The City of Chicago, especially since The City of Chicago doesn't participate in Social Security; governmental entities are the only folks who can opt out of Social Security, OK, them and religious organizations, anyway it would have been nice if the calculations were based on what I made at The Chicago Public Library, I took a $10,000.00 pay cut when I hired on at OHS, and that was before I found out I'd been hired at step -2 on the pay scale, made it more like a $14,000.00 pay cut; never did get around to checking to see if they had mentioned that fact to me before I accepted their offer, I'm pretty sure they hadn't, but given accepting an oral job offer over the phone there was no way I'd have been able to prove they hadn't, I admit it should have clued me into just how reliable their administration was going to be.

Anyway, sometime in the not-so-distant future I'll be receiving a four year back payment on Social Security Disability, and then monthly benefits. Like I said, not sure if I should celebrate or cry. Celebrate that they agree I'm no longer employable due to various physical ailments, or cry because they agree I'm no longer employable due to various physical ailments...

So I expect I'll do neither, and just be glad that this particular stress-source is over, except for the periodic reviews to confirm my status until I reach normal retirement age.

Not much else to say right now, except that I harvested the last apples this morning, and then started pruning the trees. Given how long since they'd last been pruned, the yard is covered almost as much by the pruned branches as it'd been covered by blackberries earlier. Scary, that.

Interesting bit on the pruning, one section looks like if I keep being careful on how I do it I'll end up with a one-piece carcase for a new desk, just need to put a top on it.

Anyway.

Post this Puppy!