WONDER IF I QUALIFY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

Last Thursday at 4:15 pm while driving home from a Probable Cause Hearing in which I had testified and won, my cell phone rang. And, my world--as I know it--ended. I answered the phone. It was my boss telling me that the state had awarded the contract under which I am employed to some other company. My job ends August 16, 2010. My health insurance ends. My malpractice insurance ends.

He's going to check and see if I qualify for COBRA. Meanwhile, I have contacted the State Employees Retirement System and discovered that I can buy decent health insurance for $500.00 a month. Of course, the difficulty is coming up with $500.00 a month when you don't have a job.

At 63, I am an unemployed PhD scrambling to find some way to support myself, support my dogs, contribute to the household, and help other family members through very difficult times. Oh, and I have to continue to pay major legal bills because some inmate sued me for diagnosing him a pedophile. Then, when he lost the first round in federal court, he appealed it to a higher court.

So folks, I may be away for a time. I'm going to be sort of busy looking for work. I got a list of every public defender in Illinois and I plan to send every public defender in the state a vita and a cover letter announcing my availability to do sexually violent predator evaluations for the defense. Going to be just a tad busy scrambling to attempt to find work. And, if push comes to shove (and it very well may), you may find me working as a greeter at the front door of the local Wal Mart.