Lore

I was laid off a few days ago. I immediately filed for UCB here in the state of CT. They sent me a booklet which describes how I am responsible to make 3 employer contacts seeking a new job per week. Fine, I will do my part. But does anyone know if it counts as a when you apply for a job via an online source such as monster or careerbuilder? Is it considered an "employer contact?" If I print out the documentation proving that I applied and am willing to submit that, is that enough? The brochure makes it sound as if I am supposed to go out and and do this physically, but most employers these days field prospective employees through faxed resumes and other online resources, and discourage walk-ins.

They also indicate that if I am offered a position and I refuse it, they will cut off my benefit. Does that mean that if I am offered a job seventy-five miles away they will cut off my unemployment if I refuse the position because I consider it to be an unreasonable commute?

Does anyone have any experience or guidance navigating through Connecticut Unemployment that they could share with me?

I am traveling to see a friend of mine out in Utah.

Delta seems to have the cheapest airfares, but the layovers are 39 minutes! It's the same airline there and back, but I'm a little concerned. Is 39 minutes long enough to make a connecting flight if I'm using the same airline?

The connections are in Atlanta on the way there, and Detroit on the way back, if the airport makes a difference.

I'd appreciate any input. I don't travel much, so this vacation is a big deal!

Thanks!

I had a credit card debt cancellation agreement in which I paid about 500.00. The rest of the amount was charged off. (about 650.00)

Now, the credit folks and my debt negotiators reached a settlement agreement in October of 2007. I finished paying off the agreement in January of 2008, so would that fall under 2007 income or 2008 income?

I did not receive a 1099C for this year so far (I know they are supposed to be postmarked by 1/31/08) , nor did I get one for last year, either, and filed my 2007 Taxes without incident or audit.

I'm fully prepared to claim the balance as income, I know I do not qualify for any sort of exemptions on the amount as I am not insolvent and it is over 600.00, but since the agreement and the conclusion of it happened in 2 different years, I'm not quite sure if I really do have to claim it and should continue to wait for a 1099C, or just go ahead and file my taxes.

Does anyone know? Bueller? Bueller?

Just wondering, how long after your divorce was final did you start dating again? Would you consider marriage again in the future?

My mother has been drinking 5 liters of wine every week, more or less, for the last 10 years. She also smokes about half a pack of cigarettes a day, for the last 40 years.

Lately, she has not been feeling well. I have noticed edema around her ankles, her pallor is not normal, it looks almost gray to me. She's been having cold/flu-like symptoms for the last few months off and on, and she's been coughing and hacking something horrible. She's also very fatigued, suffers from frequent chills, and she hasn't been off the couch in a few days now.

The frequency in which she suffers from these bouts has started to increase. She ABSOLUTELY REFUSES to seek medical attention. She figures if she doesn't go to the doctor, then nothing's wrong, although my family and I have expressed to her our concern for her health, meaning the drinking and smoking, she will refuse to discuss it, and either minimizes the issue, or reacts with the hostility of a rabid lion. She is often nasty and mean when she's been drinking, and turns herself into a "martyr", how nobody cares about her, nobody loves her, and we're all unappreciative cretins. I will never understand what anyone in our family has done to make her think any of those things are true. Other times, she will berate me for my inability to do anything right. She can be a real self-esteem slayer. I now leave the subject alone for my own sanity. I should probably mention that my sister and I strongly suspect that she is bi-polar as well.

She has her first glass of wine at noon, often remarking "is it noon, yet?" and consumes several glasses throughout the day, is asleep by 7pm, awake at 11 and up all night. She then complains that she can't sleep because she has leg cramps.

I don't know how much longer it will be until the more serious physical deterioration starts to manifest, but I'm thinking it probably won't be too long. Thoughts, anyone? I was wondering if anyone out there has had a similar situation with a loved one, and how you deal with them slowly killing themselves with their unshakable denial?

I was wondering (and no judgements whatsoever) who would do their life differently if they had the chance to, and for what reason?

If you had the chance to have kids or to have waited that extra year, if you had the chance to pay better attention in high school or college, or even go to college at all? And what would you tell that younger version of yourself if you had the chance? I really want to hear from the M & F group, because this is the place I usually spend my time. I consider you all as coffee friends, and I'm interested in your views.

Take care all ,

)0( Lore

Last year I signed up with a debt settlement agency. I had very little money and used credit cards to live off of while I was in school, thinking I could catch up. It was that or starve, basically. I had to work part time for the last 5 months of school to complete an externship, which is basically working for free.Working full time would have prevented me from completing my education. I thought debt settlement was my only option other than bankruptcy, based on the reduced amount of income I was generating. Hindsight is always 20/20, and ignorance is expensive.

Anyway, I learned too late and I realize now that I should have really researched it a lot better. For example, I didn't know that the IRS can tax you on amounts over a certain dollar value that you saved by settling the account. The DS agency never mentioned it. Why would they, right? I didn't realize a lot of things, like how my credit is pretty much going to be destroyed after this. The debt settlement agency has told me that my credit should be better after this, but I am not optimistic that they are being truthful at this point. Suze Orman said to stay away from debt settlement agenices, but she never gave advice on what to do if you already took the fatal step into credit suicide. I have a good job now, and make decent money. Has anyone out there gone through debt settlement, and if so, how did you clean up your credit after? Also, has anyone left debt settlement in order to try to clean up the rest of their debts themselves? If so, what happened? I still have 2 accounts left to settle. Should I break up with my debt settlement agency and try to clean the rest of it up myself? Any helpful non-admonishing advice would be appreciated.