# How's everyone doing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 31, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978 "2010-10-31T16:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/1 "2010-10-31T16:03:18Z")
Greetings all. I’ve been away from the boards for a while, so I thought I’d post a brief update. You may recall that for the past 2 years or so I was applying for and being rejected from a job. Well, 3d time proved to be a charm, and I landed a new gig a couple of months ago as a federal administrative law judge. The interviewing and then the waiting were pretty stressful and interminable. Got the word 2 hours before my wife and I were to head to the airport for a 25th anniversary trip to Alaska. Then after the trip I had 2 weeks to close up the office I’d been in for 24 years, then 2 weeks of training followed by 4 weeks of training in DC. I’m now working in a small town about 1.5 hours from my home. I rented a 1 bedroom apt, and am driving there Monday a.m. and back Friday p.m. until we decide what we want to do - where we want to end up. Don’t really need 5 bedrooms anymore, but it sure is nice to have the room when the kiddos come home. At the end of the month I can put in for a transfer either back home or elsewhere, but there’s no guarantee when that would happen. Our current situation is working well. It is just nice to have SOME steady situation after the hectic last few months. I’m not posting here much because for the first time in a quarter century I have a job I don’t hate and that doesn’t bore me to tears. I used to do most of my posting from work - now I actually have work to do that I don’t HATE! Feels Weird! 😃 Being a judge is really cool. I think I’m doing a pretty good job of not letting the robe go to my head. My work is in a town of about 30k, and my apt is maybe 7 minutes from work. It is ASTOUNDING how quickly you DO NOPT MISS big city traffic. During the height of the “rush hour” you might have 4-5 cars ahead of you at the light at the busiest intersection … Our offices are in a brand new uber-green building, which is pretty cool as well. Didn’t get to play much golf this summer. Sliced a tendon in my thumb in early June, which pissed away June and July, and then August and September went crazy. Heading out tomorrow for a final round of the year and to celebrate my and my best buddy’s eligibility this month for the senior tour (50). As a present, I bought myself an upright bass, and am enjoying thumping away as my wife fiddles around. On the home front, my oldest has set a date to get married next July. She’s finishing up student teaching. The boy is a junior at UofI still studying Aero Engineering, and the youngest is still digging Molecular and Cellular Biology. Scored a lab gig where she is removing and slicing up mouse brains. Mmm - BRAINS! So basically all is well at casa Dinsadle. Hope all is well with all of you. Have an extra spooky Samhein! ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/2 "2010-10-31T16:37:51Z")
Hi Dinsdale! So glad you’ve found a job you love! Sounds like things are going great for you … apart from your thumb, of course. Welcome back! ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/3 "2010-10-31T16:51:15Z")
If you cross paths with a Judge Judy (Federal and not television) say howdy for me. And glad your situation is all worked out good. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/4 "2010-11-01T02:06:04Z")
Huh… I could have sworn you were the guy who recently got divorced. Okay, what Doper am I thinking of, then? The Dinsdale doppelganger, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/5 "2010-11-01T02:33:59Z")
Welcome Back, **Dins**. Do you like the work part of your new job? Do you have either dog with you? You might notice that **Marley’s** brother died Friday. StG ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/6 "2010-11-01T03:37:40Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > Huh… I could have sworn you were the guy who recently got divorced. Okay, what Doper am I thinking of, then? The Dinsdale doppelganger, apparently. **Asimovian**? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/7 "2010-11-01T04:15:17Z")
Good to hear from you, **Dinsdale.** Also good to hear that things are going well for you guys. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/8 "2010-11-01T04:30:08Z")
Good to hear things are going well. It’s heartening to read that chances can be taken and changes be made, say, after 40, 🙂 and it turns out for the better. Spooky Samhain to you, too! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/9 "2010-11-02T00:42:40Z")
So, are you going to change your custom title to “Your Honor”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/10 "2010-11-02T12:32:52Z")
“A job I love”?! Let’s not get carried away here. There’s plenty of territory north of “a job I hate and that bores me silly every second of the day” before we start talking about love! Nope, no divorce for me, tho we did go through some rocky times the past couple/few/25 years. Gotta say, spending 3-4 days in different states might be just what my marriage needed! 😛 No pups with me. I’m in a dinky little 1-bedroom apt, as opposed to the fenced in yard at our house. My complex allows mutts, tho, so they may come and visit sometime. The first time I golfed after getting this gig, my hysterical partners couldn’t get enough out of saying “It’s your honor, your honor.” Got old mighty quick. The guys I was golfing with yesterday prefer “judgy-wudgy” a la the Stooges. Oh well - gotta go do some justice… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/11 "2010-11-02T13:14:30Z")
Sounds like you’re doing pretty great! Always glad to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/12 "2010-11-02T13:49:10Z")
Congrats on the new job! so what exactly does a federal administrative judge do? does an appeal lie to the District Court or to the Circuit? and, did you have to have a confirmation hearing? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/13 "2010-11-02T14:10:42Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > so what exactly does a federal administrative judge do? does an appeal lie to the District Court or to the Circuit? and, did you have to have a confirmation hearing? No hearing (but a lifetime appointment!) 😉 Just an incredibly onerous application/testing/interviewing/fraternal hazing process seemingly reflecting blind luck at least as much as ability. ALJs decide claims concerning programs administered by a particular agency. The vast majority of ALJs work for SSA, with a distant 2d group working for (I believe) HHS/medicare. Could be considered a glorified hearing officer, but the title is ALJ. Appeals go to the D.Cts. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/14 "2010-11-02T14:13:38Z")
Congrats! Sounds like a great change! I would swap your traffic for the crappy drivers in my particular suburb, never mind Chicago’s! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/15 "2010-11-02T15:26:09Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > No hearing (but a lifetime appointment!) Shucks, I was hoping that maybe there would have been a major congressional doo-whaa, with opposition beased on obscure points in your résumé, like whether you participated in panty-raids, leading to the phrase: “Did So-and-So get appointed?” “Yes, but there was a major fight - he was almost Dinsdaled!” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-everyone-doing/558978/16 "2010-11-02T17:40:23Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > \The guys I was golfing with yesterday prefer “judgy-wudgy” a la the Stooges.\ Can I take up a collection for your custom title of Judgy Wudgy?