The sad thing is, I do remember everything you and John said to me. I say sad because no one, LT, has said it since you guys left. The new Lts sit around and read all day, policies and CSM, etc. They are still trying to learn their job. Some of them actually do know what they are doing, but I think the leashes are so tight, they can not get off the porch.

That is crazy that Mike's Dad trained you, and you trained Mike, so in essence Mike's Dad trained Mike. It is truly a small world. My borther in law is the FSA at Victorville, he left Atwater a week before Ofc Rivera died, but he has been to several joints in the BOP and everytime someone transfers in to coleman, they look me up and say, hey your brother told me to get with you. I guess that is how networking works.

Do u remeber John and I would tell staff don't be stupid, when I'm retired or gone doesn't mean I can't get you. Can u see what we were talking about now. The longer ur in the BOP the more people u meet, plus the ones u know that are still working. Talking about Mike, his dad trained me the first year I started, LTABM also knows his dad. It use to be a tight but small world.

I know things due to we the retired ones meet once a month for lunch and talk. I fish with several staff members and several live in my subdivision. You know how a few beers make people start talking. I see where u and LTABM had a few ball busters. I told him I would give u my back in any situation. (TRUST) important in our field, u were trusted by the older LT's. WE just never told u. If I'm not mistaken Med retirement is TAX free yes or no. There is a group called Narfe for retired and active employees. If you got a question ask they will find out. National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. They are in DC. STAY OFF the KNEE!!!!!

Working on staying off my knee, ironic though had I spent time on them, I may have been promoted by now, lolol. I go Thursday to find out what is up with it. I have mixed emotions about the diagnosis. On one hand, I am young, and have half my life ahead of me, and am a paralegal, so if I had to hang it up, I would not cry too much. Then on the other hand, I do enjoy getting screwed over at every corner, bumped on promotions, and screwed out of qsi's, wait I am try to say how I would love to stay at the job, hmmm.

In the long haul, if I do 30 yrs, I get 44% with FERS. If I had to take a disability retirement, it would be 40%. And I would not have to do the 30 years, and would only lose 4%. But I am sure at my age, I could find something to do to make up the difference. So, I have been looking at my options. I also have people at other joints, that I am in contact with, that are helping me with my options. So that is nice.

I will let you know what happens on Thursday. Also, I meant to say something the other day, you have been retired for a little while now, and you knew about Mike and I, and most of the people we work with everyday still don't know. I just thought that was interesting.

Good days, bad days. Today is a bad day. Pain meds are not working. Your buddy Mondo, LTABM, is busting my balls. He was not at Coleman, right? Can't hardly walk. My oldest is starting college next month. You retired, John retired. Q is retired. Not to get mushy, but you guys were the reason we came to work and gave a sh*t. Never thought I would miss you guys yelling at us to do pat searches on the moves, until this past quarter. Tuck and I were the only ones standing out front. These new rookies would not have made it a year with you and John there. They make me look like Johnny Cop, and you know I am not a superstar. I miss the good old days. Sitting in the parking lot after shift, with everyone from shift, just shooting the sh*t. Going out to eat for a shift party. Comraderie, that is what I miss. Now, these people don't even say good bye, and peel out of the parking lot. You and John did your jobs of teaching us well, and I don't mind teaching the rookies, but damn do I have to teach the buck Lts too? I am senior to most of them. One just got his credentials 2 quarters ago! Sorry for ramblin', like I said I am having a bad day, hell it is 0130 and I am still up.

As in TCW, the guy that opened the Low, then went down to the camp?

I am not Mike Mulligan. Went and saw the Dr. he said he did not agree with the mri report, ordered another one, and I get those results this Thursday. As for medical disability retirement, it is something I have looked at, but am keeping my options open right now.

If you can go out under medical retirement, you will make a higher percentage than if you were to retire under normal retirement. Once your excepted and all the garbage with the GOV. is completed, get a job some where else. I know several that have done it that way.

The only two I know are Mike Mulligan bad back. Shawn Young has knee problems. Which one are you.

I was a union steward and the vice president for the Low until 2008. Now, I am nothing with the union, except for a headache. Thompson is still huggin away. I have no idea why tort claims are not being filed. I have told numerous staff to file them when their pants rip doing pat searches. I do not know if they did file one or not. I have been out of work since June 14, 2008. I hurt my knee at work and hve been getting poked and prodded by doctors since. I hope they figure out what is wrong with me sooner than later.