(permission to post this granted by SDMB admins and mods)
Some of you may remember my ride two years ago called the Dallas to Dallas Ride for Wet Noses, which was an 800 mile ride from Texas back to Georgia to advocate the humane society’s “Spay, Neuter and Adopt” project.
I will repeat that ride this September, but this time from Carrollton, TX to Carrollton, GA (where I now live). The ride will once again be to educate the public as to the benefits of “Spay, Neuter and Adopt”, but additionally, I’ll be speaking about making the United States totally “No Kill” in terms of animal shelters.
While I am not soliciting funds here, I would appreciate everyone’s moral support, and visits to my upcoming website.
We’re calling the ride this year “The Carrollton to Carrollton Ride To Care” (C2C R2C).
Just subscribing to this thread for when it’s time for updates. 'Cause I’m hoping to meet the Quasi when he comes to the city that’s only about 5 minutes away from me.
Quasi, we’ve had this discussion before, and I understand how you feel about it. However, if I was the administrative law judge considering a disability claim, and it came to my attention that the claimant either recently completed, or planned to complete in the near future, an 800 mile bicycle ride for any damn reason, I would rule that person not disabled, and thus not eligible for any benefits. I suspect I am not the only person that would see it that way. I don’t know how to say it any clearer than that. At the very least, talk to your lawyers about this now.
You’re a big boy, and you can do what you want. You know I wish you all the best, regardless of what you do about the bike ride.
So, I can’t work, I can’t ride my bike, probably if that judge saw how well I was able to communicate with you here, he’d turn me down on those grounds too.
It sounds like I’d better just stay in bed, then.
WHY does being demented have to be the END of everything?
It’s a handicap (or whatever it’s called these days), and whether it’s mental or physical shouldn’t matter. I can pedal a bike and I’ll have people with me every step of the way. I doubt that those football players whom I recently heard about on the news are going to just lie down and stagnate.
But, as I wrote on my blog and in my e-mail to you, I’m over it. For a year now, I’ve jumped through their hoops, paid money out the ass that I didn’t have, paid an enormous COBRA insurance bill so that I could get my meds and doctor visits at a decent price and watched my wife tire her own disabled self out trying to work so that we could eat, and filled out countless numbers of forms, till I’m sick and tired of it all. Caring about the animals and here is about the only thing that gives me pleasure anymore, so I just really no longer give a flying fuck.
The question the judge must decide is whether you are, or are not, capable of gainful employment. If you’re able to do an 800 mile bike ride, I think the judge is going to have a very hard time finding that you are not capable of working.
The thing you have to decide is whether you want to qualify for disability, and thereby have a source of income to support yourself and your family, or not. If you want disability, this bike ride strikes me as a very bad idea.
Do this for me…call your lawyers…right now…and ask them what they think. Maybe have your wife participate in the conversation as well At least then, you’ll make an informed decision.
I don’t want to upset you, and this is the last comment I’ll make on it. I think you’re risking trading temporary pleasure of the bike ride for long term financial security. I do not think that is in your best interest. Eat your veggies, Quasi.
Oak, I know you said that what you wrote would be your final word on this subject, but I wanted to answer you anyway…
I’m not upset, my friend. What I am is frustrated! I’m frustrated because I think I’m a good guy, who has a mental problem, but who can still be of some use, and I chose the animals to try to help.
You have no idea what my days (and nights) are like here. I sit here in front of this screen and I come here to talk to y’all. The rest of the time is spent eating, sleeping, doing small chores and feeling guilty as hell because I cannot help my wife and wondering what my family thinks of me. I miss caring for my patiens and making them feel better. After 17 years of having done that, I miss it like crazy.
Except for interacting with you all here, I may as well be in jail, because I feel trapped.
It has been almost a year and I cannot stand it anymore. I HAVE to do something, and I already know what my lawyers think of me even volunteering a couple of hours of my time helping to bathe dogs at the shelter: they don’t want me to do it, yet the very next words out of her mouth were “We can’t tell you not to work”.
I wouldn’t wish this kind of life on my worst enemy.
