tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55905476958339555362024-03-13T19:38:59.342-04:00FROM HOMELESS TO HOMEOWNEROne woman's journey through disability, job loss, homelessness and eventual homeownership.CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-74267508531580679422009-08-18T09:00:00.004-04:002009-08-18T09:27:18.391-04:00Dealing with Life's ChallengesIt's been one hell of a summer!It's been many months (three to be exact) since I've last posted on this blog. A busy summer - yes! A summer of confusion, upheaval and filled with chaos? Most definitely.Quite frankly, it's difficult to compose when you are biting at the air, while running around in circles while trying to maintain your mental and physical health, manage a house, manage finances CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-73711464787773690262009-05-12T18:40:00.010-04:002009-05-13T01:54:19.615-04:00Pay Back The $900 Billion Borrowed!Could this possibly explain why SSI and SSDI recipients will not receive a cost of living adjustment for the next two years? For me, at $65 per month, that is a loss of $1560.00! More denials at the first and second stages = increased homelessness! And, of course, who is going to be accused of mismanaging money...Social Security and Medicare finances worsen WASHINGTON (AP) -- Social CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-80209852894226773832009-05-09T19:04:00.014-04:002009-05-10T01:59:24.941-04:00What's UP (with) CHUCK?You forgot to mention in your e-newsletter...Every so often I get an e-mail from my Congressman Charlie Wilson of Ohio's 6th Congressional District. He usually gives a brief synopsis of a few statistics and then outlines what a good boy he has been in working for the constituents of our district.I haven't patted Chuck on the head yet but I have written to him and did get a response that he CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-7867277298526201232009-04-30T23:08:00.024-04:002009-05-01T09:58:36.210-04:00News From The HomefrontI received two parking violations...taped to the driver's side window of my truck; found them posted today - in the rain.Toronto Police might as well have TP'd my vehicle because the papers - with the bright neon orange label that screams to all passers by that I have been a naughty girl - were so saturated from the rain that they couldn't be peeled from the glass without falling apart (see CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-13508576655182247412009-04-30T05:25:00.009-04:002009-04-30T11:10:26.213-04:00If Beavis and Butthead Were Human They Would Be...BILL O'REILLY & DENNIS MILLERAm I the only one who has noticed any similarity?They while away their time in sarcastic conversation.They both are extremely obnoxious and rude.They survive their misadventures without serious consequences, and with a generally contented, though critical world view.And they were discussing the Presidential News Conference. Bill O'Reilly doesn't think there are CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-5379809158334780772009-04-28T23:54:00.016-04:002009-04-29T01:34:02.763-04:00Is What's Needed A High Colonic?In T-Town it's not just the hydrants that need flushed out!After a thirty-year absence I purchased a house and moved back to my home town of Toronto, Ohio. Although basically I've moved back into the old neighborhood (my childhood home is exactly two blocks north on the same street), a lot remains the same and a lot has changed and some of that (possibly most) is not necessarily a good CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-45951838943368238722009-04-28T05:15:00.002-04:002009-04-28T10:57:21.675-04:00Another Missed OpportunityWant this badge?CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-59334321624772285882009-04-25T15:38:00.007-04:002009-04-25T15:52:17.642-04:00Goldie Tells His StoryHe is now a bloggerGoldie has gotten the techno bug.It never fails; every night when I am on the computer he sits waiting for me to get up out of the chair so he can have his time.He's pretty smart; observant and I am not surprised that he can use the keyboard although his reach on it is rather limited; he is proficient with the mouse. I handle the photography for him.Anyway, Goldie was once CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-35145373889473425892009-04-25T03:17:00.005-04:002009-04-25T03:28:17.754-04:00Video: Today Show Report: Sacramento Tent CitiesCynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-64034291504608380052009-04-25T02:14:00.009-04:002009-04-25T02:46:15.644-04:00Video From The National Coalition for the HomelessThey are wisely utilizing YouTubeI must applaud the National Coalition for the Homeless on posting the following video on YouTube. No explanation is necessary; just watch the video and learn from it.I would like to know what you learned from this video. Comments are greatly appreciated.More information about The National Coalition for the Homeless can be found in the HELP LINKS section on the CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-1200131878887968932009-04-22T01:10:00.008-04:002009-04-26T12:13:49.390-04:00More On The HomefrontFive new additions to our familySaturday, as I was passing my neighbor's house across the street, they found five kittens in their hedges. Luckily I was there because the neighbors were going to put these kittens in a cardboard box and leave them in the front yard; potentially exposing them to the threat of other animals including the hawks that often circle overhead.Well, the kittens are mine CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-37996446418713829242009-04-20T03:46:00.032-04:002009-04-20T13:50:11.387-04:00On The HomefrontAnother bitchin' rant...Winding along the misinformation highway...On and off the phone with various people at the IRS call center over the past two months. Remember that $300.00 stimulus payment for low income singles last year? I got mine but in order to get that payment you had to have earned a minimum of $3,000 for the year of 2007. Gary’s Social Security Disability hearing was in 2008 and heCynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-63040931516386957412009-04-15T06:29:00.009-04:002009-04-15T09:27:17.493-04:00Susan Boyle: The Packaging May Be Plain and Simple...but, oh, what a beautiful gift inside!I was thinking about how society perceives others by their station in life; career, education, personal appearance, wealth or lack of, and so on.Just two examples of stereotypical images...If a person is homeless they are perceived as lazy, drug addicted, worthless.In one of his blog posts, Brian Davis wrote: “I have thought about how many talented people areCynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-52162531062727206692009-04-03T01:23:00.043-04:002009-04-04T06:43:49.032-04:00MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW: Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless 8th Annual Fundraiser Slated For Friday May 1stFund-raising dinner & silent auction benefits advocacy; essential links to services for the homeless of Greater ClevelandNEOCH is the only non-profit organization in the Greater Cleveland area that assists the homeless by providing civil rights advocacy, a voice for the homeless population and links to essential services through its numerous programs."Hope Blossoms", the theme of this CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-57351857961613051542009-03-30T00:06:00.037-04:002009-03-30T23:41:52.481-04:00More bureaucratic red tapeIt's driving me mad; making me crazy!I'm grabbing at my head about to pull my hair out and am close to losing my freaking mind over crap.No, let me just call a spade a spade; it's not crap, it's BULLSHIT! I'm up to my lower lip in it.I'm being clothes-lined by bureaucratic red tape. It's strangling me! Am I PISSED OFF? Sure I am and I think rightfully so! Read on...I'm dealing with Medicare CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-19799520418253773692009-03-28T12:14:00.004-04:002009-03-30T01:43:17.807-04:00More on President Obama's News ConferenceNortheast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless commentsBrian Davis, Executive Director of NEOCH offers his viewpoint here.CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-53670292482610559872009-03-24T22:59:00.010-04:002009-03-25T02:56:33.348-04:00Homelessness: Clip from Obama news conferenceGlad it was brought up...I was listening from another room when I heard a reporter ask President Obama about addressing homelessness. I grabbed my camera, focused it on the TV screen and this is what I got on video.The president talked about programs for the unemployed; to get people back to work. He mentions the homeless veterans too.From my own personal experience, I met more disabled CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-28756889537520719752009-03-20T07:44:00.031-04:002009-03-20T16:54:02.137-04:00Happenings on the home frontI definitely have something to say about...Why did Nationwide quit being on my side? - In the final planning stages of buying my home, I had to arrange for homeowner’s insurance. I chose to go with Nationwide Insurance and catching up with my former agent (Dick). WELLLLLLLLLLL, my homeowner’s payment is finally due (after one year of home ownership - yea!) so I called Dick’s office and asked CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-85734800712099739742009-03-19T07:31:00.060-04:002009-03-20T21:36:36.630-04:00Why go postal? Go Karma!It has it's own sweet revenge!From Wikipedia: Going postal is an American English slang term, used as a verb meaning to suddenly become extremely and uncontrollably angry, possibly to the point of violence. The term derives from a series of incidents from 1983 onward in which United States Postal Service (USPS) workers shot and killed managers, fellow workers, and members of the police or generalCynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-22911692816255022522009-03-16T20:05:00.034-04:002009-03-17T06:40:09.078-04:00Clinical trials: all in the name of science pays BIG BUCKS!Seeking evidence of disabilityI had some other topics I was planning to write about today but I caught something on the news tonight regarding another drug receiving FDA approval for the treatment of fibromyalgia so I thought I would concentrate on a timely subject by writing about my participation in two clinical trials.Participating in clinical trials for new or existing drugs vying for FDA CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-28967645808993410472009-03-16T02:20:00.011-04:002009-03-17T06:26:31.056-04:00Do you want 30# single or double ply?It's BYOP in Mt. Gilead I've always had a problem with self-serve anything - unless it's a buffet restaurant, of course!Self-serve is supposed to be a time saver for the customer - hey, no waiting in long lines, right?But yet, your (and my) valuable time is often wasted by trying to figure out how to operate the 'ugly cashier', having to scan your own items, listening to those annoying digitallyCynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-56383996578357572772009-03-15T02:32:00.028-04:002009-03-15T22:54:50.539-04:00My CFIDS/Fibromyalgia weekendLiving with the pain & fatigue Damn I'm exhausted; sore (burning and throbbing sore) and those ETs must have visited me while I was asleep in the recliner for 6 hours - the mind is mush. So here I am slumped over my desk - staring vacantly at the monitor, the key board, the wall, my cigarettes. hand eye coordination is awful. Thoughts coming to mind - click, change the channel; another CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-59736767991503691462009-03-14T00:23:00.019-04:002009-03-15T01:32:47.766-04:00In preparation of offending you......please pardon me while I ventI remember several years ago 'Jungle Lips' (his street name) submitted a poem that was published in "The Homeless Grapevine". One FOUR LETTER WORD in the title of his poem outraged some of the stand operators at Cleveland's West Side Market so much that they threatened action not to permit the sale of "The Homeless Grapevine" on the property, a violation of the CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-79968763248227304682009-03-13T10:22:00.008-04:002009-03-13T11:15:06.053-04:00Madoff trades his $7 million penthouse for a tiny jail cellThis woman traded in her home for a couch at someone else's house rather than go to a shelter because she owns a dog.Another casualty of denial for disability benefits by the Social Security Administration, she is diabetic, has osteoarthritis -both conditions affect her ability to walk. Her wheel chair is broken.She was dropped off on Public Square by the person who lets her sleep on his couch. CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590547695833955536.post-49561819560869028122009-03-10T13:32:00.024-04:002009-03-12T20:55:34.968-04:00The isolation of leaving behind homelessness......and why some return to the streets.When you become homeless you exchange one community for another.The community you leave is your neighborhood - once stable housing; the people next door, the people across the street. You might wave to them everyday; they might wave back.Life in the neighborhood isn't like it was years ago. Back then you knew your neighbors quite well. Neighbors were your CynDehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10885639183328406991noreply@blogger.com0