Lamar Thames

Now that the  Great Recession is officially over (according to newspaper headlines and television reports, at least), I just want to know one thing: WHERE IS MY JOB?

I understand it will take some time for the unemployed to return to work. I just hope it is sooner rather than for a lot of people. I honestly don’t think I will be able to return to the workforce anytime soon, however. There is the age thing, a lack of qualifications and, well, just the time it will take for the job market to rebound to anything resembling a healthy economy.

Thankfully, I was able to draw unemployment (which may be extended another 13 weeks), so the blow might not have affected my wife and I as much as it did others.

Like I have said before, and news reports are confirming, there are some silver linings to the dark side of the recession. Such as, laid-off construction workers are adapting to different lines of work, prices are coming down (grocers and restaurants are offering considerable discounts) and the nation’s per-person savings rate has more than doubled in the past year.

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By LAMAR THAMES

Uh, oh!

The Jacksonville Jaguars are one step closer to to a disastrous season with their 31-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in front of  a sparse crowd.

But let’s look on the bright side of the ledger. They are also one step closer to winning the Tim Tebow Sweeptakes in next year’s NFL draft.

Some analysts portray the loss as one of the most embarrassing losses of all time by the Jaguars. While I am not a half-empty, half-full type of person, I would tend to agree. The Jaguars simply couldn’t block, tackle or play a simple game of catch against Arizona.

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Lamar Thames

Sorry I haven’t a lot written lately, but I just have been too busy. I hope you will forgive me.

I know; I know. How can a supposedly “retired” person be too busy to write a column at least once a week? Let me count the ways.

1. At least two days a week, my wife and I are the designated sitters for three of our grandchildren as our daughter works at night. Since I am not currently working that means I cook dinner for all five of us. Of course, I am in charge of dinner for my wife and I two or three other days of the week, too, but the meals for the grandchildren are extra challenging trying to find the proper combination of healthy foods that all of us will eat. Since I am still not very good at meal preparation, it takes me longer  (A LOT LONGER) than most people to, a. choose a menu; b. buy the groceries; and  c. actually do the cooking. Time allotment: four hours, or one day a week. (Retirees don’t work eight-hour days, remember.)

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By LAMAR THAMES

I have been a Jacksonville Jaguar season-ticket holder since the beginning. Until this year. Try as I might, I just couldn’t bring myself to sign up for another season. It just wasn’t in the cards.

Can Tim Tebow save the Jaguar franchise? It is a big responsibility, but I think he can do it.

Or should I say, the budget.

I’m sure you have heard of a little thing called the Great Recession? Well, I am one of the victims of it, going on almost a year now. The $700 tab for a pair of tickets for my wife and I was just a bit too steep for our financial portfolio. I know, we could get a four-pack or the new thing they are calling the flex pack, but we have passed on it for now.

I am sure that we will attend some of the games, but I just don’t want to invest several hundred dollars in tickets right now since one source of our family income  — unemployment checks — will be drying up soon. I would rather keep that money in an income-producing vehicle for the time being until one of two things happens: 1) I get a job, or 2) I win the lottery. (The odds of the latter happening are probably greater than the former, if only I would buy a ticket.

Anyway, I feel really bad about not renewing our season tickets. Especially since I keep getting emails from Jaguar owner Wayne Weaver telling me how much he wants me back.  I hate to disappoint him like this, but the reality is that these are tough times. Maybe next year. Read the rest of this entry »