Greetings From Octoberfest 2008

Brilliant!! Just. Don't. Vote.

Ok, I talked with the Blogger Gods and they are allowing me to write my 3rd post for the day but I have to hand over yet another child... I hope my mom and Paul's mom doesn't mind me making these deals.

This was just too brilliant not to share.
(shhhh!! .. I stole this from Miss Britt- don't tell her)

PS- When a woman gets pregnant, her nose changes- don't ask why or how, it just does ok. And I'm just saying that Eva Longoria's nose is different IN THE VIDEO vs. THIS PICTURE- check it out for yourself....

Oh! and if you haven't registered to vote, you might wanna go do that RIGHT. NOW!! before it's too late.

Ok, for those of that want to know... Here is who I'm voting for and why

This was suppose to be a reply to Dustin from yesterday's post... I turned it into another post for today. Yes, it's my 2nd post for today... It's ok, I cleared it with the Blogger Gods. I just have to hand over my 1st born or something like that.

Dustin-
For a short time when Autumn was little, I had to get private insurance for us both... talk about spending some major $$$$!! It was crazy and I had to stop it because over half of my take home pay was going to pay for healthcare, and it wasn't good healthcare by any means! So, we were without healthcare for a time because my employer at the time did not offer health insurance.
I just wrote a post saying I spend about $10,000 a year on healthcare- which the coverage is decent and McCain now wants to give me a stupid $5,000 check for private insurance which we all know that private insurance totally sucks and is WAY more expensive! Are you kidding me?!?!?
So, instead of spending $10,000 a year I am looking at spending $15,000 (because private insurance is ALWAYS more expensive), $10,000 which would come out of MY pocket. Money I need to be spending on my house, food and gas and the crap I need to keep my house working and livable like electricity, gas and water.
I like the idea of having a $5,000 check to go buy insurance, but when my insurance cost $7,000-$10,000 a year it makes no sense to me AT ALL! Now give me a check for $20,000 and say, "Keep the rest that you don't spend on insurance and use it to pay for your family's need" then we are talking and I would listen.
I think Palin did an excellent job last night, the debate camp sure paid off! However, the $5,000 thing is what did me in... I'd rather keep it the same mess it is now than to make it worse and Dustin, you are the first person I am publicly saying this to, "I, Janelle, am voting for Obama." The healthcare is what means the most to me and my family while we "sitting at the kitchen table" and I have to vote for the plan, not the person, that has a better plan than making my family pay even more towards healthcare cost out of our pockets.
Sorry Shelia, I know this disappoints you. However, I have to do what I think is best for me and my family and the values that hit home for me and my livelihood. I know McCain has some good ideas, for example, I don't think going over the Iraq and "waving the white flag" is the best answer. BUT I know I don’t want our troops over there for another 100+ years as peace keepers. As stupid as I am getting ready to sound, why the hell did we go over there in the first place? Bin Laden was the one responsible for 9/11, there are no WMD’s to be found and yes, Saddam was a horrible, horrible man- but America does not need to be in business of policing every country with an evil dictator “just because we can”. Yes we have the best military in the world and yes we could go blow up every country that doesn’t share the same views as us because Lord forbid they would want to go to war with us- it’s the “let’s get them before they get us” mentality. Well, that probably works in prison yards, but not for world leadership- we don’t live in a prison yard, and we shouldn’t be expected to act like we do (however, the man in prison does get better healthcare than you or I. He gets the best the government can offer AND doesn’t pay a dime, WE PAY FOR HIS HEALTHCARE.) It is not our job to make sure that every country in world has a democracy. It is our job to take care of our own and our own are hurting right now.
To everyone- this vote is VERY hard for me. I have ALWAYS voted republican for president. It is second nature to me because the Republican Party’s views are the ones that closely match my own. It will be very VERY difficult to vote democrat this year... I feel like I'm letting my party down. BUT my party has royally F-upped the America that I love and for that I do have to jump ship.
I worry every payday wither I will have enough to last me till next payday... will I have to do a cash advance this time? How am I gonna make this work? Paul and I were one of the folks that got a mortgage we could not afford. Yes, that is our fault. I knew when the bank said yes, they were wrong. BUT this was my dream house and when you have the bank people saying, "Ok, if Paul works this amount of overtime each week, you guys will have no problem! Go for it! You don't know what the housing market is going to do over the next few years and you know interest rates will rise and the cost of the house will go up, so you mine as well suck it up and just buy it now, cause you don't know what the future holds." So, I went home, played with our numbers and did the, "If we live without this, we can afford this and blah, blah, blah..." So, now “living without” means my girls don’t get to do gymnastics every week like I want them too. I can’t afford a housekeeper, a luxury I promised myself when I got this job. A family trip to Disney World is out of the question. Yes, I know those things are trivial and most families have to live without those things as well, but I graduated from college to get a good job so that I could afford luxuries like housekeepers, Disney World and stuff like that. My husband works Tues- Saturday nights leaving me home alone with no help with the kids and for what? So we can do it all over again next payday?
In my opinion, the fix is easy, take the money we are spending on healthcare now, the working American’s and say, “That’s it.” Janelle’s family pays $300 ever payday and that is all she will this year no matter what/when/how/ why she or her family goes to the doctor. I could take the other $3,000 worth of bills I am sitting on and SPEND IT! Either in the stock market for my retirement, trips for my family or buying healthier food for my family making us be healthy in the first place! Really, when I go to Wal Mart for my grocery shopping and pizzas are on sale 2 for $7 which one pizza is an entire meal and two pizza’s will feed us for two nights or one small ham for $12 that doesn’t include side items like vegetables. A family that is on a budget, which one do you think we are going to buy? I’m gonna buy the two pizzas for $7.00 because I know at least, my family will eat for two nights.
I disagree with the bailout. I think that the market will fix itself just like it is doing right now. Yes, this moment in time for our stock market is horrible, but it will fix itself, I 100% promise. We haven’t dipped below 10,000 points and that is the benchmark, in my opinion. We are not headed for another great depression, but we need a fix and the fix comes from the healthcare market. There is surplus of money in the healthcare and just because John McCain wants to give us a $5,000 check does not fix anything, the price of healthcare WILL NOT GO DOWN! No, you will just have more families throw their hands in the air and say, “I can’t afford it anymore.” And just be without healthcare insurance.
I am so adamant that looking at how our healthcare issues can be fixed is the answer to fixing most of the financial woes in America that I know that I am blind to other issues. But I do not apologize for that.

Ok, stepping off my soapbox now and once again going to hid in a big ol ditch somewhere and try to shield myself from the incoming shrapnel and if I'm wrong on any of this, please send me links to correct me so that I can get the facts straight.

Here is my link to pass onto you... Fact Checker

Top 10 Reasons Why I "Heart" Twitter

10) It's like being in a 24/7 chat room with your friends.

9) When people put up a new post on their blog, they usually put a message on Twitter letting the rest of us know, therefore, making it easier for us to see who has a new post. It's better than the feeder thingy I was using.

8) I always get a kick out of how witty people can be in 140 characters or less.

7) I am starting to have conversations with real life people in one or two sentences. This is good because I don’t like most people in my real life.

6) It's a great support system! You've had a bad day? Just let your twitter friends know and they will totally cheer you up.

5) If something major happens, CNN will send out a tweet and even if they don't, your twitter friends will start making comments about said event, therefore, always keeping you in the loop of current events.

4) Watching the Debates while tweeting at the same time. One of the funniest things you can do, ever.

3) You stay current with your blogging friends and what they are doing, what they are feeling, what their plans are and so on...

2) Finding some local friends via twitter and knowing that just a few miles down the road from you, you know what someone is doing this very second, what they are feeling, ... wait, I already said that didn't I?

1) It's totally 100% addicting AND all the cool kids are doing it!! But you gotta get it on your phone or it's not nearly as fun!

See you in twitter world!-
Find me on twitter @ http://twitter.com/pipper7600

We don't have Healthcare??? So. What.

I think we live in the greatest country, I really do. America has freedoms that other countries can only dream about and freedoms I take for granted without realizing. As cheesy as it sounds, yes, I would die for my country if I ever had too. Though for the life of me (no pun intended) I don't know why the fate of America would fall on my shoulders and depending on if I lived or died, but hey, if it ever did come down to that you can rest assure that I would gladly give up my life for my country (and my hubby and my kids).

But America does have some issues. To me, the answers seem clear, but I'm not in congress and haven't a clue how to get there. I mean, I know I pull a Sarah Palin and get involved in the PTA which would lead itself to my local council and so on and so on... but I don't wanna. I just want to get elected Right. Now. to something that would put me in a position now to help America be as great as it should be.

We are in crisis mode folks, the cost of EVERYTHING is rising and yet our paychecks are staying the same and when your healthcare goes up and your paycheck stays the same, you actually are getting paid less. Yes, in January of '08 my paycheck went down $70 bucks a paycheck because of healthcare. That $70 is equal to $1,960.00 a year. We were supposed to get a 2% step increase in July. We did not get that step. I know I'm not alone.

I pay out of every check to for me and family to be covered by health insurance. Earlier this year I had to have surgery and Emily had a 3 day hospital stay. On top of the crap I pay out of my check monthly-which is about $600 a month ($7,200 A FREAKING YEAR); I now am sitting on about $3,000 worth of hospital bills. Yeah, the hospital will get their money when they get it, I'm in no rush to pay them because ya know, I have a mortgage, food, gas... all of which is going up at alarming rates- well expect for my mortgage. I did not get one of those adjustable rate mortgages.

America needs a change, a major change... I for one think it all starts with the healthcare costs. This year alone I will pay over $10,000 for healthcare. That $10,000 does not include dentist appointments or eye exams. I know my cousin's family is in the same boat, though they pay a bit more because I am fortunate enough to work at a company that employs over 2,000 people therefore giving us a bigger healthcare cost discount than other companies. My mom, the same boat... so between my family, my cousin's family and my mom we pay roughly $30,000 in healthcare premiums and that does not include the deductibles, co pays and 20% we are left to pay after the healthcare company is done paying on our behalf.... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

I pay for the healthcare cost for my family because I get the bigger discount between Paul and I's jobs. My cousin's husband pays for their healthcare cost and my mom pays for her... that is 3 people paying $30,000 or more a year just to say, "Yes I have healthcare." How ridiculous is that? We have people that can't pay their mortgage payments yet, we are paying this much in healthcare costs. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! It makes me sick.

If you times what I pay a year for my mortgage and divide it by 1/2, I pay more than half of my mortgage for healthcare costs. So in a sense, I work for my house and healthcare. Yay Me.

I know we don't want healthcare to be a government thing because whenever the government gets involved things have a way of messing up, I understand. However, there are things that the government deems as an American right that all American's have access to...

Police Protection
Fire Department Rescue
Ambulance Rescue
The use of 911
Your child MUST get an education
I do not have a choice what electric company I use, or my gas and water company. BUT I have to pay those bills each month or they, the government, can say that my house isn't suitable for me to live in and kick me out.
My state government tells me if my drinking water is ok enough to drink.
My grass has to be mowed or my local government will come mow it for me at the cost of about $1,000 bucks and put a lien on my house if I don't pay the bill.
The government makes sure all of American's pay for our tags on our car or we can be fined.

My point is that the government makes sure we as American's do this and do that to make sure and we have to play by their rules or we have steep fines to pay, yet Healthcare isn't a God Give American Right? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? The government will make sure that my child has the right to an education till she is 18, yet she does not have the right to free healthcare?

My government makes sure that if I'm in a car accident, the police, fire and ambulance will come as quickly as they can to save my life, but yet once I'm out of the hospital it's all on me to pay the bills... hell, with medical bills like these, just let me die.

My government makes sure it gets my tax money before I even get my paycheck, yet it can't make sure that I get the proper medical attention should I find a lump in my breast. Nope, that one is all on me and my checkbook, but the goverment got my money.

My government makes sure that the pot holes in the road on my way to work get fixed with the proper asphalt, yet if I break my leg walking to work- I'm on my own.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?

I pay over $7,000 just for a few checkups, a few sore throats and throw in an ear infection or two... but when I need I really need that $7,000 to cover my surgery or Emily's hospital stay I'm on my own. This isn't right.

It should be our God Given American Right that we have free healthcare for every single American with a social security card.

Seriously, I'd give my government that $10,000 I'm paying Cigna and then NEVER have another bill from the hospital, surgeon, and 'band aid put it on' person, or clerk who had to type my name a few times... really... I would give my government that $10,000 to never have to worry about another bill from any hospital or doctor. I think my social security card SHOULD be my health insurance card. If you don't have a social security card, then you don't have healthcare.

I'm just sick of it. We need a fix. We need rid of all healthcare companies and start completely over.

I’m just so pissed right now. Yesterday when I came home I saw a "foreclosure" sign on a house in my neighborhood, the first sign like that to go up in my neighborhood. I used to wave at this family in the mornings. I took my kids to that house for trick or treating on Halloween. And it just hit home. I saw so many more with the 'For Sale by Owner' signs. People are just trying to get out from under there mortgages right now... but yet if they are still working, I am sure the freakin' healthcare company is getting their $7,000+ a year... a family can be homeless, no biggie but damn them if they lose their healthcare coverage.

It is our right to demand healthcare for ever American with a social security card. If you show up at a hospital without a social security card, well then I don't mind seeing America go into $700 billion debt shipping those people back to whence they came from.

Like I said, I'm just pissed and want to move to Canada right now.

AND if you have the time, here is an excellent post to ponder...

Love from Canada

And on a lighter note....

For Becky, This is one of the best video's ever! Love it too- it's too funny!. And ya know, this is kinda the way I'm feeling about America and Healthcare, Mortgages, and Gas Prices right now- just really, really pissed but more disappointed that our government thinks so low of us that working American's don't have the same right to medical care as someone who is in prison for killing his kids- we, US WORKING LAW ABIDING AMERICAN'S, just deserve better. Don't we?

(Direct Link)

The Marriage Song

One of the things I love most about being married to Paul is all our little inside jokes. He can look at me and I can look him and with the cut of our eyes we know what the other is thinking or getting ready to say.

With one word I can instantly break his bad mood and make him crack a smile because one word can bring make him think of an entire story, a inside joke, a comedy routine by our favorite comedian, and good memories that only he and I "get."

Paul and I have our own language. I can talk to him about YOU right in front of your face and you'd never know because Paul and I just "get it." Though I would never do that with any of my blogger friends.... just people in I know from real life, promise!.

I hesitate to share any of my inside jokes with the blogger world because they are so very valuable to me and I cherish each and every one because it's just one more thing that Paul and I alone share.

But there is one inside joke that I just can't keep to myself... its Paul and I's "marriage song." What is a marriage song you ask? Well, it's a song that totally captures our marriage and what it's like to be married to each other.

(Direct Link)

When I told Paul that this is our "marriage song", we just busted out laughing and now I can't listen to it without getting the giggles even though the song tries to be so serious and dark, I always laugh!

I mean when you put this song into the perspective of "this is what it's like to be married to you" how can you not laugh?? Or is it just me and Paul that find this kind of thing beyond funny?

It's stuff like this that makes me love Paul even more than I ever thought I could.

Ahhh... Another Milestone Moment

When I was young, about 8ish or so I went through a scary movie faze which lasted about 5 years.

My cousin let me watch my very first scary movie, Carrie. We watched it in the bright, bright daylight sitting on my living room couch at my house. I am sure she was supposed to be babysitting me or something; she is 4 years older than me which would have made her about 12 or 13 depending on the time of year.

As I watched this movie and horror before my eyes, the ending came upon us. I sat and watched and I am sure my heart was beating out of my tiny little 8 year old chest and I am sure I was already planning on how I was gonna sneak into my mom's room that night because ya know, when you are kid absolutely NOTHING bad can happen if you are sleeping with Mommy, right? So, the ending. Carrie's hand comes out of the grave and GRABS! Sue's arm and the scary music is endless. At the exact same moment my cousin grabs my leg!!!!! No, not because she was scared- oh no- she had seen the movie before. She grabbed me to scare the hell out of me and it f'ing WORKED!

For days afterwards, I was scared to even walk on my floor for fear that an arm would reach out of the floor and grab my leg. It was pretty bad.

So, fast forward to my 8 year old going through her own scary movie faze, like I did at her age, it was time to pass the torch to the up and coming generation. So, yes, I let my 8 year old watch Carrie.

Ok, so you think I'm a bad mom, it's ok.
It gets worse.

As we were watching the movie I went back and forth, "Do I pull the same trick my cousin did to me and scar my child for life? Or do I let that moment slip away".... As I the ending was coming closer, I knew what lay ahead... I knew this was my one shot to GRAB! my child and scare the hibbie jebbies out of her. I saw her chest start to breathe in and out just a tad faster... I knew my child was feeling the fear that only a great scary movie can make you feel. So, the scene was just a few seconds away... do I grab her like my cousin did me? ....

No..... I couldn't do it. And the scene was not nearly as impressive to Autumn as it was to me at her age. The impact was lost because I did not grab her leg I suppose. But the true fear of the movie was not lost....

Like I said, it gets worse.....

About 3/4 of the way through the movie and who shows up? Emily, my 4 year old. She comes in at the very beginning of the prom scene and asks about the bucket and the red stuff and I was quite impressed that Autumn answered all her questions correctly... only Autumn told Emily that they just cut a pig to get its blood. I know. I know. This is not a normal conversation my children should be having with me sitting right there. I. know. BUT the only reason I let Emily come sit on my lap in the first place is because I was sure she would fall asleep in no time. How was I to know that my 4 year old would actually get involved in a movie like Carrie? Emily is very picky about what she will dedicate her TV viewing to and I thought that Carrie would never in a million years hold her interest. I was wrong. So, so, wrong.

After the credits rolled, Emily, my 4 year old asked if she could cuss. I was like, "Um. OK? Sure. What do you want to say?" (I mean I just let my children watch Carrie for goodness sake, a little cussing is nothing!) My baby girl looks up at me and says, "That movie scared the hell out of me." in the sweetest little 4 year old voice ever.

Next weekend I'm giving Emily beer and Autumn some whiskey.

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