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Post by Gaidin on Jul 17, 2013 13:24:39 GMT -5
I moved a lot as a kid as did my wife and I can tell you that it doesn't permanently scar anybody or ruin their lives. However, finding a decent school and neighborhood in the end of nowhere could be a challenge and one that I am not sure my parents worried about that much.
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Post by Gaidin on Jul 17, 2013 13:28:24 GMT -5
I wonder what people think of as the rural South? Anywhere outside of Atlanta? I am not trying to pick on you patiently but as a person who lives in what many would describe as the rural South I can tell you that its not always that rural. Still the South obviously for good and ill. Unfortunately, I didn't realize there would be any opportunity to cut down later and cut down to much initially.
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Post by moopigsdad on Jul 17, 2013 13:44:51 GMT -5
Anchorage, Alaska funky??? Nice in the summer, but not so nice in the winter. Funny you should mention Anchorage, MPD. That's the one the wife mentioned as a "wouldn't go there" place. But then we talked it through and decided it might actually be pretty neat. Surely better than east LA, Detroit or Fargo (actually spent a few days in Fargo once as a hostage to the weather). Funny the places, LA and Detroit (Fargo not so much), you mention funky are places I would go to as an ALJ. I would probably go anywhere, but wouldn't want to necessarily go to just about anywhere. I love the Midwest and anywhere there would be great for me. The Anchorage office is very small anyway and you are not likely to get there. I think most of the openings will be in the Midwest or South (not Florida) or Southwest. However, we won't know until the next batch of retirements.
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Post by hopefalj on Jul 17, 2013 13:55:54 GMT -5
Anchorage, Alaska funky??? Nice in the summer, but not so nice in the winter. Funny you should mention Anchorage, MPD. That's the one the wife mentioned as a "wouldn't go there" place. But then we talked it through and decided it might actually be pretty neat. Surely better than east LA, Detroit or Fargo (actually spent a few days in Fargo once as a hostage to the weather). Every time I read east LA, I am invariably reminded of Cheech Marin.
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Post by funkyodar on Jul 17, 2013 13:57:53 GMT -5
I wonder what people think of as the rural South? Anywhere outside of Atlanta? I am not trying to pick on you patiently but as a person who lives in what many would describe as the rural South I can tell you that its not always that rural. Still the South obviously for good and ill. Unfortunately, I didn't realize there would be any opportunity to cut down later and cut down to much initially. I was born in GA and spent the longest period in one place as a kid in TX. Wouldnt mind going back to either, though I have not missed the sweltering summers.
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Post by dropduff on Jul 17, 2013 14:09:14 GMT -5
Anchorage, Alaska funky??? Nice in the summer, but not so nice in the winter. Funny you should mention Anchorage, MPD. That's the one the wife mentioned as a "wouldn't go there" place. But then we talked it through and decided it might actually be pretty neat. Surely better than east LA, Detroit or Fargo (actually spent a few days in Fargo once as a hostage to the weather). Agreed. We are "yes" to Alaska and "no" to Fargo, as well.
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Post by cubbietax on Jul 17, 2013 14:14:20 GMT -5
I know very little about the cert process. My GAL is only the Chicago Metro area. Everyone here says Midwest has lots of openings. The Chicago Metro area seems to have 60 + SSA aljs. Is Chicago Metro desirable? Is it even realistic to dream of an alj spot with such a narrow GAL
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Post by steelrain on Jul 17, 2013 14:17:20 GMT -5
Moving for me is also out of the question...so I am stuck with a very limited GAL of Northern New England (Maine, NH and MA)...so I will need to be hit by lightening twice (once to make the register and once to make an actual cert)...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2013 14:21:19 GMT -5
I have a decent GS-15 gig right now with DoD with the ability to move to desirable locations. If I make the register and get an offer (lottery) I will jump on an ALJ job only if the location will be worthwhile because I am too far along in my life and career to take an undesireable position only to get stuck there--I will be miserable and the extra ~$15K that I would make (as a top pay ALJ vs top pay GS-15) would not be worthwhile to me or my wife.
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Post by sealaw90 on Jul 17, 2013 14:37:23 GMT -5
Funny you should mention Anchorage, MPD. That's the one the wife mentioned as a "wouldn't go there" place. But then we talked it through and decided it might actually be pretty neat. Surely better than east LA, Detroit or Fargo (actually spent a few days in Fargo once as a hostage to the weather). Every time I read east LA, I am invariably reminded of Cheech Marin. That's EXACTLY what I was thinking about - where is that Like button!!! It looks like only a few military folks have posted on this thread, so I will weigh in on the parental dilemma - My kids are now between 8th grade and college, so moving would be traumatic for teenagers to say the least. However, when they were young (pre-school) we moved all over the world, and made it an adventure. They never knew the difference because they had the same stuffed animals, same bedspred/crib, etc. When my ex-husband was deployed for months on a ship, I managed it and looked at the situation as a glass half full - I had all the one-on-one time I could possibly want with my kids. Yes it was exhausting, sometimes lonely and hard, but they knew they were loved. When their dad got home I let him make up the time by having loads of one on one time with the kids (and I got to play golf!). Looking back, the last, best time to make the move is when they leave elementary school and just start middle shool. Everyone I know who moved their kids in late middle school or high school regretted it. I was lucky enough to be able to finish out my career and retire so the kids don't need to move. Of course I screwed myself with such a small GAL I am probably going up to DC more for a practice test and SI than for a job. I'm still waiting for a GAL that has Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas on it. I can dream...
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Post by BagLady on Jul 17, 2013 14:47:24 GMT -5
I seriously considered my family situation when choosing a somewhat limited GAL. I'm a single mother of a second grader and an adult (but that one is out of the house, out of school and on his own). I would prefer to get a gig in my midwest hometown, but there were a few other places that are worth the move (mostly places that are warm and sunny). My selections are all places I would be willing to stick with for the long haul . . . I'm a former military spouse and no longer find the charm in moving every couple of years.
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rayne
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Post by rayne on Jul 17, 2013 14:49:04 GMT -5
Devil Dog....I hope many follow your sound advice. I can clearly see the compassion exuding from both devildog and rayne, which should make them great ALJs (NOT) who understand clients with numerable medical issues. If you can't show understanding and compassion, then you should be looking for a job position other than as an ALJ. I was responding light heartedly to Devil Dog's tongue-in-cheek jibe. I appreciated his joke, since I personally find that a sense of humour is healthy...It helps me deal with stress. You're correct, understanding and compassion are useful traits for an ALJ. I'm not quite so sure that making knee jerk assumptions about peoples' characters based on a single innocuous exchange is.
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Post by gunner on Jul 17, 2013 14:55:26 GMT -5
I moved a lot as a kid as did my wife and I can tell you that it doesn't permanently scar anybody or ruin their lives. However, finding a decent school and neighborhood in the end of nowhere could be a challenge and one that I am not sure my parents worried about that much.Oh the list of the things we worry about for our children that our parents apparently didn't worry about at all.
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Post by bartleby on Jul 17, 2013 15:02:58 GMT -5
Two things, Detroit may not be the cup of tea you are thinking of. One office is in a bad location. The other thing, some offices do not have locality pay, so beginning salary for the first year is $118,000.00 so some may be looking at a cut. Sometimes the Agency can pay more, but it is on a one on one basis and a crap shoot.. Maybe someone else has more info on this.. One other thing, look at real estate and local taxes. REal estate taxes are sky high in some of the northern states, snow removal, road repair, etc. Also local taxes. I paid city, county and state income taxes up north and only state income taxes down in the south. Plus my real estate tax is about $250.00 a year..
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Post by trekker on Jul 17, 2013 15:23:31 GMT -5
Others have already said that every situation is different. I am the daughter of a Marine and the spouse of a retired Army officer. We have two children who are now grown but survived and had experiences that few of their friends did. We were lucky not to move every couple of years but were unlucky in that my spouse had several deployments. The costs associated with each move has left us a little drained. We have a very comfortable life but our friends who didn't move have more options than we do. If you ask any of us where our home is, we speak in the present tense - currently we are living in XYZ city and stated. My husband's post military career has meant several moves and has really messed up my career. It was easier to start over when I was younger. If I get lucky, he will probably not move with me even though he probably wouldn't have any trouble getting a job. We also were able to schedule our moves to coincide with appropriate periods in our children's educational development. But they lost friends although now they are finding them again thanks to the Internet. And we have never lived close to family which made life difficult as our parents aged and died. There is no easy answer but you really have to think about being 2500 or more miles from family. There our pluses and minuses no matter what you do. We no longer have any dogs but our cat has lived in 5 states and seven different homes. He has survived and usually gets to travel in first class when we move him. Good luck in your decision.
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Post by privateatty on Jul 17, 2013 16:00:39 GMT -5
If it is any consolation, there is an ALJ poster who moved to a whole new area of the country (deep south from industrial northeast) with two young girls. She loved it and they adapted beautifully. But I think that's the exception rather than the norm--the latter being another ALJ who has really struggled with the move, husband and one of two kids at home and commuting hundreds of miles on the weekend. There are just so many stories and alot of knashed teeth.
Oftentimes, becoming a HOCALJ is the only way some folks get to come home or close to it. devildog has tapped into something though and that is the nature of this job, the inherent sacrifice and the potential rewards. If you are this young then you are looking at another 20+ years of a significant increase in salary (for most folks). You may not ever be able to get this job again; after all, it is a big crap shoot. I have read more than a few stories (and personally experienced) of compromise and sacrifice, but I have yet to hear of one who said, screw it, I miss my family too much, I'm going back to private practice or that state job.
The intangible is how you will feel in terms of job satisfaction and pride when you put on the robe. The concerns and ground teeth expressed above made the sweat under the robe that much sweeter.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Jul 17, 2013 16:08:34 GMT -5
If it is any consolation, there is an ALJ poster who moved to a whole new area of the country (deep south from industrial northeast) with two young girls. She loved it and they adapted beautifully. But I think that's the exception rather than the norm--the latter being another ALJ who has really struggled with the move, husband and one of two kids at home and commuting hundreds of miles on the weekend. There are just so many stories and alot of knashed teeth. Oftentimes, becoming a HOCALJ is the only way some folks get to come home or close to it. devildog has tapped into something though and that is the nature of this job, the inherent sacrifice and the potential rewards. If you are this young then you are looking at another 20+ years of a significant increase in salary (for most folks). You may not ever be able to get this job again; after all, it is a big crap shoot. I have read more than a few stories (and personally experienced) of compromise and sacrifice, but I have yet to hear of one who said, screw it, I miss my family too much, I'm going back to private practice or that state job. The intangible is how you will feel in terms of job satisfaction and pride when you put on the robe. The concerns and ground teeth expressed above made the sweat under the robe that much sweeter. Love this post. Gracefully said.
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Post by lurker/dibs on Jul 17, 2013 16:47:34 GMT -5
My situation is probably unique. I have two elementary school aged children. My husband and I currently have a small private practice. Therefore, he can not easily relocate, and would have to sit for another bar if he had to move out if state. So when we selected my GAL we used our regional airports to decide. Any place that had direct flights or was within driving distance of an airport with direct flights was listed on my GAL. The kids will stay with him and I will come home as often as possible, probably every weekend. I will seek a transfer as soon as possible. And luckily there are almost always openings in the multiple ODARs that are a commutable distance from home. If things get out of hand at home or if he gets totally overwhelmed we can always move the kids to my location.
It is a sacrifice. And I can't imagine being separated from my babies for long periods of time. But the benefits and flexibility of the job really seem to outweigh the sacrifices. And, luckily, if the entire situation just doesn't work out, I can always come back home to our practice--though I can not conceive a reason that would happen.
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Post by sportsfan on Jul 17, 2013 18:59:13 GMT -5
I have a 7-year old child who I share custody. Moving is not an option so I had to select local/limited GAL.
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Post by tmgesq on Jul 17, 2013 19:06:56 GMT -5
I am a mom of twin nine month old babies and my Husband basically has a new job that he can't/doesn't want to leave. While not a worry about school yet, I will have to sincerely worry about a nanny or day care for my kids as my Husband will stay behind and I will take the kids. My mom may come with me but she can't handle the kids on her own...my husband and I have gone over it in our heads over and over again and there just doesn't seem to be a simple solution. We just know that the job can't be passed up so we must make the sacrifices.
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