I hate to come here to whine but...
#203010 - 08/05/05 07:02 PM
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my job has fallen out from under me really. I found out some weeks ago that ny boss lost his contract with the electric company for meter reading. He warned that if I could work for the new contractor (a bigger operation) they would pay way less. He was right. They strung us out waiting to hear if we were hired and what they offered for pay (made promises of telling us long ago and that took the time some would have used to look for other work!). Finally today I was called late and told what they will pay, it is about 1/3 less than I am making now! I can get by on that, not happily but without undue anxiety of bills. Frankly I have been making more for 4 years than I thought I ever would. I cannot really make any more elsewhere, but the job is so hard, dangerous and hard on my vehicle that I need the good pay for this job. I will be going from about $30 an hour to about $20 for the same work. Does anyone know anything about unemployment? I will look into it Monday AM but they won't let you look even on the website on nonbusiness hours. My friend who works with me quit and might take uneployment and go to school for something for 6 months. That is what she thinks anyway. I am still looking at my options but this is pretty upseting. I don't really like the work and some days it is brutal with dogs and the weather and all. To think of making so much less might make it impossible to do the job on a day to day basis. I know I will scowl and snap at customers. At least up until now on bad days I just thought 'well at least I am making over $30 an hour!' Any advice on jobs/unemployment would be helpful. I wouldn't mind getting some training in something that I could work at home. Despite my casual grammar here I am actually pretty school smart and can learn anything. My friend might learn medical encoding. I would do something like that if it could be from home. Ok that is my story. 
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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at least that is how it is in Texas. Even then the unemployment will not come anywhere near $20.00 an hour! Don't you have really reasonable hours? Perhaps you could take the job making $20.00 an hour and then look for other employment on your off days.
$20.00 an hour is great $$ in Houston anyway. I worked in HR and payroll for 4 years and you would not believe how little some people make. $20.00 an hour is a blessing.
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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That's how it worked when I lived in Iowa, too.
I'm sorry you have to deal with this, Minnie.
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I have no advise regarding American labour laws and I apologize, but I did want to say that I am thinking about you. I hate the stress that is affiliated with jobs and job searching, my heart goes out to you.
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Lana_Marie
Proud Mommy to Bentley Taylor
Born May 12, 2004 9lbs, 3oz
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Yup, agreed
#203037 - 08/05/05 08:19 PM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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Anywhere that I've lived (NY, NJ, MD, VA, ME), unemployment works the same way - you have to be actually laid off or fired from your job. And having been on unemp once, I can say that it pretty much sucks... for you, it would be WAY less than $20/hr's worth, and that bit about them paying for school is hogwash.
I know it doesn't help you, but $20/hr is HUGE money up here. My boyfriend works his a$$ off at a stressful job that he truly hates for $7.50/hr, and that's the best a person can get here. I know your situation stinks, but count your blessings before you walk out!
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I'm sorry about your big salary drop. It is hard to take a big cut when you will be doing the same job.
But as others have said, $20 and hour is still fantastic pay. I only make $11 an hour for a pretty "high" demand job that wanted me to get a Masters degree on top, but didn't want to help me pay for that degree.
I would stay put, Little Minnie. I know you feel so cheated after putting in so much time and doing the same work for so less money...and you work hard ! Out in that heat and horrible winters too. I don't think I could do it! I'm a whimp when it comes to hot and cold weather. Give me heat and AC!  But don't leave the job until you are sure there isn't anything better out there.
Good Luck with your decision. 
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Pay cuts suck. Sorry to hear about it. Like everyone else has said, here in IA you can't get unemployment if you quit -- I'm guessing it's probably the same where you are.
I know everyone's heard it before but it's true -- it's much easier to find a new job when you have a job.
In my last job I got sent around to different hospitals and if you are a smart person, you'd probably go crazy doing medical coding/transcription. It is a hideously boring job! Not all hospitals will let you work from home, either, and the one hospital that did have some at-home transcriptionists were pretty tough on them.
If you want to go back to school, do it for something you know you will enjoy, rather than just "something you can do at home". I also highly recommend starting out part-time at night to make sure you know you do want to do it before you quit your job.
Good luck! I wouldn't last three days as a meter reader, let alone three years, so I am in awe of you. 
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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Hey, Tamara--
I've heard the same thing about unemployment that everyone else is saying. I don't really have any advice for you, except maybe to try it with the new company to see if it's what you expect, and then make your decision from there.
Good luck!
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Christine
Those who can do; those who want it done better teach.
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I AM getting layed off. I can take the job with the new contractor if I want and it will be my same job I have now. So I AM eligible for unemployment. Another thing I am not getting is -doesn't unemployment pay based on what your income is? So if I made $100,000 a year (for instance) wouldn't I get pretty huge unemployment if laid off? So I make about $1700 a month before taxes, how much do you think I will get for unempployment? I am NOT paid hourly- those are just rough figures. I am paid per meter and have 4 routes (about 1 a week). I can get them done as fast as I want and that works out to about $30 an hour. Route 1 makes about $600 before taxes and I am able to get it done in less than 19 hours. Route 2 pays about $300 before taxes and I can get it done in 9 hours. See how it works? The new company would pay $416 for route 1 and $171 for Route 2. How can I stand to work the same job and make so much less? It will be emotionally difficult while working. No one wants this job despite the seemingly good pay. You put huge money into tyour vehicle, dogs attack you, you work in all weather, you walk through deep snow, people are rude to you and through it all you have to stay nice to everyone you see. It was hard enough before but for close to half as much money I don't know if it is worth it. I used to work with horses almost full time for $8 an hour with 10 years experience. I have been fortunate to be able to work about 55 hours a month and take home over $1500 but it is hard work that no one I know would ever consider doing. The electric company is probably paying the new contractor about what they paid my old boss but the new people are taking way more for themselves and not giving much to the employees.
I need ideas of what will fit into IBS life and working PT. There are just these jobs here and there that are horrible and no one wants them but they pay well. Like cleaning up houses with biohazards/murders or undertakers. I knew 2 guys that did those jobs and made huge money but got quite burned out from it! I just don't have any options. What is out there for careers? What could I learn and do that would be ok for PT? 
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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unemployement is based on your income but it is a fraction of what you made so the money you earn with the new folks will more than likely be more than the unemployment.
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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Well, you could do what my husband does, if there are any openings in your area. He is FT but most of his co-workers are PT. He is a weather observer at our local regional airport. His company is contracted through the government, so he had to fill out miles of paperwork, but that's beside the point at the moment. Basically, as I understand it, what he does is check the weather every so often and confirm what the computer says. Sometimes all he has to do is agree yes, it's clear outside. Sometimes he has to measure wind directions. It's a little more difficult if there's severe weather. What he does at work when he's not checking the weather is reading, watching movies, and painting miniatures. He's the first to admit he gets paid ridiculous amounts of money to do basically nothing.
The hard parts are he often has to work holidays and the training lasted a month but was not paid training.
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In Massachusetts the pmt. is based on what you made in your highest quarter, then they take half of that and divide it by a certain # of weeks, which is based (I think) on how long you worked in the past so many(?) months. You basically get half of what you made in your highest quarter, but if they divide it into too many segments it isn't enough per week. I think the max is 26 weeks. You really are better off money wise taking the job with the new guys till you find something better.
I tried searching the sites for your State, but they are stingy with info there.
Good luck.
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Carol
nós somos o que nós somos e o descanso é merda
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I've known a couple of people on unemployment and they've ended up with 40% of their previous salary. There is also a max of six months, and during that time you have to do paperwork showing that you've applied for two jobs each week. (Might be different where you're at, though.)
I would focus on ruling out jobs that are bad for IBS, rather than trying to find a job that's good for IBS. If that makes sense. An office job is probably going to be your best bet. But, it is also going to be next to impossible to find a PT job that pays $20/hr, let alone $30. Would you have taken your current job initially if it had paid $20/hr rather than $30? Most of the PT jobs that are out there are also typically low-paying work, i.e. working at retail stores, receptionist, telemarketer.
You can also check out your city's website and watch the job postings. City jobs are more likely to have PT jobs, the pay is a little higher because they're generally unionized, and PT people usually can get benefits. If I worked PT I'd like to work at the library again. The library techs (not librarians) were only allowed 19 hours per week and made about $15/hr, which is paltry compared to what you make now but is still very good for PT.
If you do want to go back to school, now would be a good time. But be careful. I went to a community college so I went to school with a lot of "non-traditional" students who were going back with the hopes of getting a better job. The students who really didn't have much interest in the field and only believed that it would net them more money always ended up fizzling out. Do something you at least sort of want to do. why be miserable at $11/hr when you can be miserable at $20/hr, after all ...
Good luck.
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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Lil Min. So sorry for your troubles. I can't imagine. If it was me, I could not go back to the same job at such a substantial pay cut. It's demeaning. Maybe now is the time for a new job. I know how hard it is, but I would fight to get the unemployment and see what's out there. Let us know how you're doing - keep us posted. I know this is such a rocky time for you. Hugs, Alicia.
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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For unemployment it does not matter if you make $20K a year or $100K. You are capped at $1240 a month in my state, and benefits expire after 7 months. Also you WILL be responsible for paying taxes from that.
I lived off of unemployment until June. Considering I got $1240 a month and my rent alone was $1224, it wasn't really living!! 
Def take the job! You can still look around while you're continuing to work. Remember, it's harder to find a new job when you're unemployed! Good luck--
~nelly~
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Wow
#203359 - 08/07/05 02:56 PM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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When I worked Part Time at the Public Library I only made 7 bucks and hour. And even now in my current job as a Library Aquistions Technician I only make $11 and hour with a college degree. 
Your library paid very well!
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Re: Wow
#203365 - 08/07/05 03:33 PM
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jen1013
Reged: 05/06/05
Posts: 1322
Loc: the wabe
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I went to double-check and they actually have a job opening right now -- how funny is that?
library job opening
The range is actually $13.84-$16.31. The snotty reference librarians get paid more but not sure how much. (I hated the people who worked the reference desk, they always acted like they were one step away from God.)
I always wanted to be a children's librarian, but realized that I would probably end up having to kill someone in order to get a spot to open up.
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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Re: Wow
#203371 - 08/07/05 04:04 PM
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lalala
Reged: 02/14/05
Posts: 2634
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Oh, that sounds like a description of my current job! My position is called "Library Specialist."  I work 20 hrs a week, make a couple dollars more than the starting pay posted (pretty much same pay range), and I also get full benefits (hooray!).
So, are you going to apply for that opening? If you do, I wish you the best of luck!
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I would be upset if I had to take such a drastic pay cut. Especially for such a demanding job and when the new contracter is receiving the same pay. That's ridiculous! Would you be able to meet with management and discuss a higher wage? Do they want to lose good workers and then have to re-train new workers?
Unfortunately, I can't think of another job where you'd get paid so well and keep your own hours except translating for schools and businesses (contracted) and possibly tutoring.
Good luck on deciding a new career path!
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Re: Wow
#203374 - 08/07/05 04:17 PM
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lalala
Reged: 02/14/05
Posts: 2634
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That seems on the low end of the pay scale. Here's a link to the ALA's webpage on Library Technician salary survey. I don't know if the duties described include what you're doing?
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This is a really hard time for me. I am just stressed about making the best decision and not regretting anything. And I have to decide pretty quickly. The new company (purposely) gave us very little time before our job ends and we need to start for them. Tuesday we have a big group meeting, so if I am in I need to be in by then! Eeek! Tomorrow morning at 6 I am looking up the unemployment claim stuff- (they open online at 6) and then I have to skidaddle to work before it gets too hot (will be 90 degrees). I am not stuck on not taking the new job. I might take it. I would have to add back some work that I had given to my friend last year and I will switch one of my routes for her faster one. That will be more work and still not close to the money I have been making. But remember folks, I don't take home huge bucks or anything, I just don't work very many hours. Spring and fall I work about 51-52 per month. Summer 55 hours and deep winter it could be more than 60-65 depending on the snow. I take home over $1500 a month that is all. That is about what I would like to make, but could live on $900-1000. So 150 hours for $1500 at $10 an hour might be what I end up doing versus my 55 now! or if I take the new job it will be about $1300 and I will be working like 67 hours! Ugh from 55 to 67 for less money. You can see why that is so annoying! I also should mention that the new office where I would pick up routes is 20 min further than I go now- so more time and gas there.
Anyway thanks for all the posts and advice and I will tell you what I find out from unemployment in the morning.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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I love weather! There is a little airport 30 min from here and a big one 60 min+ from here where my dad worked 25 years. Just think I could write more novels on a laptop while I occasionally checked the weather. Very cool indeed. 
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Maria?
#203414 - 08/07/05 07:20 PM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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Where do you live? Is this a common salary for library jobs in your area of the world?
I am fighting for more money, but they won't budge. Cheap skates!
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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I'm in Oregon. Well, I've only looked for such positions in two cities here and they offered a similar pay range. However, I'm not sure about the rest of the Northwest or even the rest of the state!
Do you work for a university library? I hear their pay scales are usually a lot lower. I'm currently working at a public library about 45-50 miles from where I'm living. I don't like the commute (especially with the anxiety and worrying about IBS), but it's only three or four days a week. I'm not complaining!
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Re: Maria?
#203556 - 08/08/05 10:27 AM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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Do you mind me asking where in Oregon you live? Do you like it? I'm thinking of doing a relocation and I am considering the West!
I do, indeed, work at a college library.
Do you have a degree or an LTA? I am so underpaid it's pathetic!
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Beth
#203574 - 08/08/05 10:50 AM
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lalala
Reged: 02/14/05
Posts: 2634
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Are you still at this email address: deerbeth@yahoo.com
I hope it's okay, but I found it recently on another post. Do you mind if I email you about library jobs and Oregon?
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I did an online application for unemployment (I was so freaked out this morning- the website was down and I planned on finding out my benefits before work so I would know if I should take the job. It was up about noon and so I did it after work.) and I would get $125 a week. That is too low. $200 a week would still have been doable, with gas prices as they are a lot of my wage will go to that and so $800 a month would still be very good comparitively. So I will take the job. I am going to try to have the wage for at least one route raised before I start. It is very hard work but I will still try to look around while working. I am going to have to work about 12 hours more per month and I will have to drive further to the office as well. Gas is now $2.49 a gallon here and I am thinking I will have to use about $400 a month on gas out of around $1200 take home pay (that is why $800 from unemployment would have been pretty equal but $500 is no good). I have left a message with the manager of the company. they are putzes! I had an appointment with him and he didn't call and is not available. I hope he calls me back and sorts this out. Well at least I have made the decision and I don't have the uncertainty anymore. Today's work went good and I think it was a sign to keep going. Wish me luck in finding something else someday and not getting bit in the meantime! 
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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But only if you have time!
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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I think that you have chosen the "lesser of two evils" and in your off time you can look for something comparable. I wish you luck!
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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They already raised the amount they are offering me. It is not what I am used to but it is closer. I am going to try to raise the one lowest route a little more. So I am pretty happy, considering.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Oh, that's good! I'm glad to hear things are turning out a bit better.
Best wishes!
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