I was getting personal w/out giving details.

My DH was in real estate and appraising until he wanted "more steady and reliable" work and went back to school to earn his engineering degree. He got his degree and his full time job at GM in 2000 when he turned 40.

In March of 2005 he was laid off/down sized/ whatever euphamism you'd like to call let go. He has been working off and on at non engineering type jobs ever since. He just went back to school for a technical type job in medical machine repair.

I really get the outsourcing stress and the government's lack of attenion to the manufacturing industries... especially automotive as that is where my dad retired from, my one brother-in-law still clings and my husband and other B-i-l used to love.

Hope I didn't appear insensitive, just trying to make light of a serious situation. And who knows, it might actually work.

ps... we do need a new roof, a new bathroom(partially covered by insurance) and our cars are 7 and 4 years old so there will surely be a repair coming soon.