Crowhugger, it's ONLY because of the grandkids that we even have what we have. My parents wouldn't take me in on my own right now for all the tea in China. My mother-in-law would refuse even faster.

As I mentioned earlier, I have a substantial and growing cataract in one eye. I also have an irregular heartbeat that I was born with. Every couple of years, when I have had to go have physical exams, the ol' ticker has freaked the doctors out. I always have to reassure them that I was born with it, I have never had any issues, and it is just what it is. They, however, always go about putting provisos on my commercial driving record letting everyone know about said heart condition.

I passed my last vision exam by the skin of my teeth. I am certain that I will not pass my next one, because my vision has markedly deteriorated since the last exam. I will then not only lose my commercial driver's license, I will also lose my standard driving privilege.

So, long story short, I wouldn't really be able to go back to the old line of work if I wanted to.

My other major experience is in security work, as a night watchman, etc. My abdominal hernias, heart issue and vision issue make those jobs untenable as well. I used to be able to lift up to 50 lbs (you are required to be able to lift in case of emergency situations), and you have to be able to stand for long periods of time. My hernias in my abdomen (the by-product of emergency appendix surgery years ago) put a lot of strain on my back because my posture is poor. I have to stand and walk out-of-whack to avoid putting any unnecessary strain on my abs.

The US Social Security Administration, however, has informed me that even though I cannot do the work I formerly did, I should just "go get" (their words) some non-existent jobs, like "sitting-down security guard" (their job title) or some such. Never mind that even a "sitting-down" guard, if they existed, would still have to stand, walk, run and lift in crisis situations. I'd also still have to be able to SEE clearly and be able to move and bend with ease, things I cannot do. All that aside, the SSA has decided that because they can IMAGINE what I COULD do, if it existed, then I must not be disabled, because they can think of jobs I'd be able to do. I should just "go get" THOSE jobs instead.

See what I am facing? I am damned if I do and if I don't. When I try to get jobs, my physical issues limit my marketability and my potential to the client. When I try to claim disability, I am told to go look for work that doesn't exist. The one thing I could do, make music or teach guitar or harmonica, requires gas to travel and instruments to play. Those instruments are "assets of value" and as such must either be sold or levied against the assistance we receive. If we did not receive the assistance via food stamps, we would have hundreds of dollars a month in food bills that we simply cannot afford by any stretch.

If I sell the gear locally, to the one store that buys used gear, I will get nowhere near what the gear is worth nor anywhere near the amount of money I need to offset the latest financial crisis deadline.