Survey About Me

Another survey...this one about me.

Not a Space to be Seen

What happened to the supposedly horribly bad economic picture?

Driving around this morning to run my few errands I had to go Rite Aid which is by the Target. Holy parking situation batman! I have NEVER seen the lot so full. Every single space from the doors to the street was full. I did manage to get a space in front of Rite Aid but only because it wasn't super early. When I checked out the cashier (who was also the manager) told me that when she got to work at 5:30 a.m. she had to park in the fire lane!

Who are these people?!?!

I got up super early one year...I think around 4 a.m. to go to Mervyns. It was fun but I don't need to do it again. Some lady cut in front of me and elbowed me in the boob! What the hell!?!?!

So people stampeded at a Walmart and someone died!!!! Are there any gifts or deals in the world worth that!!?? I didn't even see anything in the Walmart ad that was worth getting up early for, let alone stampeding for.

Thankfully my errands were much more calm. I got wrapping paper (15 rolls!) for $0.77 each. Really cute paper too. I may stop by tomorrow and get a couple more. We need it at work for our two adopted families. I got a rice cooker for $6.50. And an electric can opener for $6.50. I was pretty happy about that.

Oh and I got Hot Wheels for $0.49 a piece, 64 count Crayola for $0.99, and little Webkinz (buy one get one free) for $6.99 (so basically $3.50 each). These will all go to the adopted families kids at work. They also had stockings on sale buy one get one free so I got 10 for the families.

After taking my Trooper Bear to an agility trial (to get used to the sounds before we actually trial) I headed home. My mother in law and sister in law and I went to lunch and then to the mall. I found a 500 thread count full sheet set, regularly $105 on clearance for $34 and then 40% off and then another 10% off using my Macy's card. How awesome is that!?! It's part of my brother's gift. Mom is getting him a new bed. Thank God. He sleeps on a mattress (with no box spring) on the floor. *sigh* Long story.

Even though I had a good time today I'm feeling incredibly depressed right now. Tears are on the verge at each moment. I'm exhausted and anxious.

But our Christmas tree is up! Lights and decorations up. So all is not lost. I'll take a picture and share soon. =)

Thank God

I Thank God.

I thank God for this country. We are beyond blessed to have been born and raised in this amazing place.

I thank God for my hubby who puts up with more than I can imagine.

I thank God for my doggies who bring so many smiles to my face.

I thank God that I still have a job.

I thank God for the internet and the freedom it allows for me to write and to sell my jewelry.

Thanksgiving is not a day to mourn. Thanksgiving is a day to remember the wonder that is this country and all it's beauty.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Thumb and Wrist Now Hurt

I'm such a girl. I'm sure TND would have been rolling her eyes and shaking her head at me today. Especially when I got excited about the pink grips they had. hahahaha But I am super proud of myself.

For the first time EVER I shot a handgun. Woohoo!!!

I was surprised by how nervous I was. The semi-automatics just about made me wet myself - and that was just holding one, not even shooting it.

I didn't know how expensive it would be ... it cost us over $60! Hubby didn't shoot. And I think it cost extra because I needed to try out several different guns but we weren't sure which ones. So we got the deal to be able to switch out the guns as we went.

And hubby forgot to bring ammo so we had to buy that too. Sheesh.

So the first gun was a 38 Revolver. This was the very first time that I'd shot a hand gun. So I was pretty nervous. Hubby loaded it and shot it first and the sound and muzzle blast made me jump. In fact every time a gun went off I jumped until I got used to it. It's LOUD!

The first time I actually shot it myself made me jump too. The revolver grip is really small and after a little while my hand started to hurt.

Considering I'd never shot a hand gun (and I hadn't shot any gun for nearly 18 years!) I think my aim was pretty dang good. Of course, the first couple of shots we weren't really sure where they went. HA!

I shot about half the box of ammo and then we switched out to the 357!

Just the thought of it made me nervous but I was more calm about shooting. I was worried that the kick would be stronger though...it wasn't.

I managed to hit the target more often than not. =)


Then we switched to the semi-automatic. This one totally made my stomach churn.

First of all, the ones that the guy had me try all felt weird. I had a really hard time pulling back the slide and realized that I'm a total wuss.

But I was able to handle the 9 mm HNK ... except that practically every time I shot it would jam. I asked hubby if I was doing something wrong but he thought the gun just needed oiling or something. Yeah...not so much. It was me.

Here is our target. Hubby shot all the head shots. I was super impressed. So was one of the other guys standing back watching. =) I was pretty proud of myself too though. Every shot I did make was a body shot.


So then we finished up and went back to the front desk. The guy said that it was jamming because I was pulling it up too much as I shot. So I suck.

But I had a fantastic time. I still am not sure which gun I want to get. I really liked the revolvers but I seemed to have more control with the semi auto. So I guess I'll need to practice more! =)

I Thought They Were Supposed to Like us Now

Wait...the One was elected. So why would gunmen target Westerners in the Mumbai shooting? (as reported just a few minutes ago on Fox News) That doesn't make any sense at all.

/sarc

They Are Listening and Watching

Kids DO learn from the goings on of our government. Want proof?

Check out this conversation overheard at a Best Buy.

Oh My GAWD! Do not let this child watch any more evening news.

What is the government teaching the kids? Run out of money and it's okay...you'll get bailed out. Hold out your hand and whine. Uncle Sam will redistribute some funds your way.

I love the puppy comment too.

Kids are scary sometimes.

Enjoying Myself

I have all kinds of things to write about but since I slept in until 11 today I am kind of behind. *grin* And I have a headache because I slept too late. ha! That'll teach me.

Hubby and I are on our way to help the economy by purchasing new flooring for our living room. We've saved up for it for at least a year. We'll be using our credit card but then paying it off immediately. I like the bonus rewards our cards give us.

And we'll be saving at least $800 on installation by having a buddy help us install it ourselves and giving him some cash. And feeding him of course.

It's going to look SO good I can hardly wait.

So we're on our way to order the flooring now and I want to walk the dogs and get a Papa Murphy's pizza on our way home. I love that stuff.

Two days until Thanksgiving...or as some are calling it a National Day of Mourning. *barf* I definitely have some thoughts on that.

Oh and I'm sorry I haven't visited my regular blog stops. I was knotting pearls all night last night and shopping all day. I'm having withdrawal from my favorites! =)

You Mean They KILL the Turkeys!!!???!!!

Oh the HORROR!

I watched the whole video. While I ate breakfast. What made me sick was the reporter's snarky comments and the ridiculous headlines under their "breaking news" banner. Why is this breaking news exactly? This proves what about Sarah Palin?



What exactly is the big fucking deal?

Was it not obvious to anyone else that the guy doing the "dirty" work was playing for the camera on purpose? Do you think that the news crew did it on purpose? I wouldn't be too surprised. The "murderer" obvious knew where the cameras were and was being pretty dramatic.

So is this going to embarrass SP? I highly doubt it. I think all the moaning and wailing by so called news reporters should embarrass them!

Is this the best they can do against her?

What Am I Going to Do with All This Spare Time?

I'm off all this week! I've never had so much extra vacation time because for the last five years I've used all my days to work craft shows or get ready for shows or travel to buy gems and things.

This year I have only done one show and it was at work. :)

I took three hours off on Friday and I'm off all this next week. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I have a list of things in my head that I'd like to do but I'm almost overwhelmed and not sure where to start.

Of course I have jewelry I want to create. But my work station is a disaster area. I did almost finish a 32 inch pearl necklace last night that I'm tickled with and I have to finish another pearl necklace.

I need to send out a newsletter before "black Friday". I need to work on my profile page on Trunkt. And edit all the photos I took in the last couple of weeks. Including some of my friend's wedding.

Hubby would love if I'd clean. I do plan to do the dishes and I should really do laundry and clean off the kitchen table. Does anyone use their kitchen table for dinner anymore? I use mine as my shipping station. LOL

We're also planning to head to a shooting range where they have guns for people to shoot. I need to shoot a couple different ones to get a feel for them and decide which one I want to purchase.

Oh and it's Thanksgiving week! =) Not that I have to cook. My assigned item to bring for dinner is sparkling cider. Phew.

I'm hoping to get a few sales on Friday but I'll actually be out at an agility trial watching doggies work. I'm going to take Trooper just to get him used to the sounds.

We'll see if I get any of this done. I may end up sitting in front of the TV, rocking back and forth with a blank stare. Or playing video games. =)

Buffy is a Conservative

Found via TND.

Praise God. Sarah Michelle Gellar is a conservative. Or at least a registered Republican.

I was totally addicted to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and still watch the reruns.

Some of the folks on the list surprise me, but most I knew. I love that Kid Rock is a registered Republican.

Good for Him!

I'm glad someone is standing up to these ridiculous politically correct "training" classes.

I've been trying to avoid a similar training class at my work but I've caved. At first the class was "highly recommended" then it became mandatory. It's supposedly going to teach me how to be more respectful in the workplace.

Uh huh. Sure it is. As if a class is going to change my way of thinking. Or make me a more politically correct person.

I tried to explain to my boss that I think the class is insulting. He didn't get it. I think he thinks I'm just trying to be difficult. Perhaps. Except, as I explained to him, I've had these kinds of classes since I started working. And the same kind of philosophy crammed down my throat since I was in Kindergarten.

But considering the fact that I want to keep my job and the environment isn't exactly stable I am going to take the class. I may take my iPod but I'll take the class. It gives the company cover for lawsuits I suppose. But I still think it's stupid.

Really? This is the Solution?

I thought Ah-nold was a conservative? He sure isn't acting like one.

The Governator proposes a tax on Veterinarians.

Because we all know how much money those fat cat owners have. Hahaha...see what I did there?

What an idiot. This is just wrong on very many levels. Besides the fact that raising taxes is not going to help fix the California economy, it makes it that much more difficult for people trying to be responsible pet owners to do the right thing. The economy sucks and animals are suffering because of it (full disclosure...the link is to my other blog...I wrote about this the other day).

Due to the poor economy and home foreclosures, shelters across the city, state and nation are seeing an increase in animal intake. This new tax for veterinary services will cause some pet owners to be unable to afford proper pet care and others to relinquish their pets to shelters.

Let's punish people who have companion animals. That's the ticket!

Hey Governor...here's a clue...CUT GOVERNMENT SPENDING!!!

Happy VI Day!

My favorite Zombie declares November 22 Victory in Iraq day. I am SO on board with that!

Even if there are still incidents they are and will be dealt with as they were in Germany and Japan after the wars ended there.

I'm so proud of our military men and women and the amazing job they have done in Iraq. I'm also proud of the job they are trying to do in Afghanistan and hope one day we can declare an equally exciting Victory in Afghanistan day! =)

He's Not Even the Dang Blasted President Yet!

You have GOT to be freaking kidding me!

New York elementary school renamed in honor of President Elect Obama.

WTF!?!

I'd Totally Buy This

If I weren't worried about losing my job (hence I'm penny pinching...not that I'd lose my job for buying a t-shirt).

Planet Cools - Liberals Blame Bush

hahahahahaha

This totally cracks me up. Seeing as how all the libtards* think that Bush is the anti-Christ or Hitler or something. And seeing as how they all think our world is dying. Yet somehow, the evil McHitlerBush is about to leave office (peacefully I might add) and our world has cooled.

Not that I think it means all that much. It would be nice to have snow in the winter again ... or at least more than an inch. I think that's all we got last year.

The earth is so complex that I do not think that anyone can predict what is going to happen next year let alone ten years from now. Plus it warms and cools in natural cycles. Cycles that have gone on long before mankind came along to "warm" it up.

*by Libtards I mean crazy people who march in the streets with puppets trying to protest global warming and Bush. Not regular liberals (misguided though they may be) like my own mother.

If You Ignore it Will it Go Away?

I check Instapundit daily...multiples times a day actually. Today Glenn links to a Wall Street Journal article about ignoring the market until February.

I'd love to. I really would.

But I can't. Because I work in the financial world and my job is seriously at risk. We had an e-mail announcement from our current CEO and then a meeting with the head of our department. It's scary. I had a total panic attack yesterday.

I'm feeling a little better today. The fact is that I have no control over what the company decides to do. I don't agree with all of their decisions but it's not my company. I just want to keep my job. So I have to pray that the market starts to even out and we stop bleeding money.

If I do lose my job...the world won't end. The chance of hubby losing his job is slim to none. We'd have to scale back a lot but we'd also save a bit in gas, parking, insurance, etc. Plus with my coupon addiction we've got plenty of food stocked up. =)

If the author of the WSJ article is right December might be even more stressful as people sell off their stocks to take advantage of tax benefits. I can only hope that the company looks into the future and doesn't make short term decisions out of panic.

Here's hoping!

I Weep for Our Future

Oh MY GAWD I want to smack these people upside the head!!! They are so frackin' ignorant. I think I knew more about the (then) current government when I was 16 than these morons.



And what the fuck is with the Palin hatred? The one girl rolling her eyes and saying that "it sounds like something Sarah Palin would say" when it was actually Obama who said there were 57 states!!?!?!! Give me a big fucking break.

But there's no media bias. None whatsoever. NPR and PBS? Totally non biased of course.

Hope Change!

(Thank you LibertyZone for posting this. Although it made me sick to my stomach.)

I Won't Be a Victim

I think any woman abused by a man (or a woman for that matter) should immediately learn how to defend themselves with a gun.

Maybe if this woman had done that she wouldn't be dead.

Investigators say a 26-year-old man armed with a gun forced his way into an apartment early Tuesday and killed his estranged wife before turning the gun on himself.

Then again, this guy gives gun owners a bad name.

A man who fatally shot his 6-year-old daughter while cleaning guns Sunday evening was drinking at the time of the incident, prosecutors said in court on Monday

First of all ... who cleans their gun (while drinking) with their 6 year old daughter? Unless it's to explain to the daughter how the gun is not a toy.

Of course, gun grabbers will use his case as a reason to NOT allow people to have guns instead of realizing that he was an idiot who killed his daughter due to his bad decisions.

Isn't This What Got Us in This Position?

Seattle Savings Bank gets slapped for not handing out enough money to low income projects.

Seriously?

Isn't this why the banks got in the financial crap hole they are in now? Loaning money based on socially acceptable traits versus the ability to repay!?!

For more than three decades, banks have been required to meet CRA requirements as a way to promote their involvement in the community, a regulation that hasn’t changed, even during the rough economic environment that banks operate in today, according to the FDIC.

Banks are audited once every three years to make sure they’re in compliance and are judged based on the number and amount of loans they make to low-income and affordable housing groups, their investments in the community and the services they provide, such as housing counseling.

Um...BARF.

Maybe it's time to change that rule. How about this crazy idea? If you can't prove the ability to repay a loan you DON'T GET A LOAN!!!

I know that is just mind blowingly outrageous but I mean really. Is logic just not accessible in DC?

Thank You President Lincoln

Today is the anniversary of the date that President Abraham Lincoln addressed his fellow Americans at Gettysburg to honor those who died fighting for this great nation.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled, here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here.

It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this national shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Incredible. Powerful. Beautiful. Would that we had such speakers who could produce such patriotic words today...and convey those words to America and remind people why this is a great country.

Listening to the radio this morning, Kirby Wilbur (who is a history geek) talked about how there was a "peace" movement during the civil war, led by ... this may shock you ... The Democrats!

I know, shocking right? They thought that the price was too great and the war should end and the south should be allowed to secede. The more things change...

Happy National Ammo Day!

Let's celebrate now while it's still legal.

The goals of Ammo Day:

The goal of National Ammo Day is to empty the ammunition from the shelves of your local gun store, sporting goods, or hardware store and put that ammunition in the hands of law-abiding citizens. Make your support of the Second Amendment known--by voting with your dollars!

Survey - Tell Me Something I Don't Know

I love taking surveys. I really like dNeero ... you get paid to post the survey on your blog and can earn more if people click on it / view it. Plus sometimes they're pretty interesting. :)

Biting the Hand that Feeds You

Unions really piss me off. Hubby belongs to one and they piss me off. My mom belongs to one and for some reason I hate them less. But I still think they suck.

Car worker unions REALLY piss me off. Especially lately.

I do believe that at one time in our history unions were necessary. Businesses were treating their employees like dispensable products and unions helped get us better quality treatment. But once the mob got involved they started to become irrelevant. Today they are less relevant to real life than ever before, and are actually harmful to companies and by extension the employees they claim to help.

Lori Stillwagon Roman was on my local radio station this morning as I drove in to work talking about the behavior of the workers she supervised at a GM facility. Her stories were horrifying. To think that these people get paid to behave in ways that would get them fired at any other non-union shop is a testament to the union's practice of defending the worst employees to the detriment of the good employees.

"I had an employee who punched in his time card and then disappeared.The rules were such that I had to spend hours documenting that this man was not in his three foot by three foot work area. I needed witnesses, timed reports, calls over the intercom and a plant wide search all documented in detail. After this absurdity I decided to go my own route; I called the corner bar and paged him and he came to the phone. I gave him a 30 day unpaid disciplinary lay off because he was a “repeat offender”. When he returned he thanked me for the PAID vacation. I scoffed, until he explained: (1) He had tried to get the lay off because it was fishing season; (2) The UAW negotiated with GM Labor Relations Department to give him the time WITH PAY."

Wow...nice deal if you can get it. Goof off and spend time at the local bar (well, I'd be at the mall) and get a 30 day paid vacation. In what world does this make sense???

"One afternoon I was helping oversee the plant while upper management was off site. The workers brought an RV into the loading yard with a female “entertainer” who danced for them and then “entertained” them in the RV. With no other management around, I went to Labor Relations for assistance. As a twenty five year old woman, I was not about to try to break up a crowd of fifty rowdy men. The Labor Relations Rep pulled out the work rules and asked me which of the rules the men were breaking. I read through the rules and none applied directly of course. Who wrote work rules to cover prostitutes at lunch? The only “legal” cause I had was an unauthorized vehicle and person and that blame did not fall on the union workers who were being “entertained” but on the security guards at the gate. Not one person suffered any consequence."

Someone tell me why this was okay and why the union had no problems with this behavior? I think I may have called some of those guys' wives. :)

Is it any wonder that GM is bleeding money? The parasites cared more about getting as much blood from the company as they could with no concern for the overall health of their host. And now that their host is dying they are screaming about pensions and health care.

Guess what leeches? If the host dies there's NO health care. NO pension. And NO job to have protected by the thugs of the union.

As hubby is a member of the union I do see this mentality a lot. Who cares about the overall health of the State of Washington. As long as they get theirs. Our state is facing a $4 BILLION dollar deficit. [I still can't comprehend why Queen Christine was re-elected after squandering the state's finances, but that's another story.]

Oh but don't worry. The Troopers (and other unions) were all bribed...*cough* I mean promised ... big raises if they gave the Queen their support. So they'll get theirs. And the rest of us can suffer with higher taxes (which will eat those raises right up), worse roads, and more regulations. I tried explaining to hubby that the raise he'll get won't really be a raise if it's then spent on higher taxes or worse ... if they are forced to cut positions.

I pray that the Feds smack down the hands of the Auto Companies begging for MY tax dollars. They can sink or swim just like the rest of us as far as I'm concerned.

Wow...Someone Owes Peter Shiff a Drink and an Apology

Via Ann Althouse, an interesting compilation of Peter Shiff trying to warn us of impending doom and being laughed at ... sometimes that guy on the street corning yelling about the world ending is right.



Not that I think the world is ending. But he's right ... medicine doesn't always taste good but it is something that we have to take in order to heal. The economy is sick and needs to take the medicine in the form of a recession.

Bailout for the Yellow Pages!

Since the government seems to want to save every business, regardless of relevance of business model, the yellow pages industry might as well jump in with their hands out.

Is it any wonder that Yellow Pages publishers are struggling (WSJ paid subscription required)? When was the last time you actually pulled out that big brick of a book to look something up?

Well, actually I did use it on Friday. They have coupons and I wanted Chinese food. =) But I had to search for it because I wasn't sure where hubby had stashed it. And even if I hadn't been able to find it I'd still have ordered because it was Friday and I deserved a treat (or so I justified).

"Print and online ad spending on yellow pages will plummet 6.3% next year, more than double the rate of decline expected for broadcast TV, according to forecasts by Wachovia analyst John Janedis. Within the next four years, ad spending will fall 39% in print directories alone -- the steepest projected decline across all local-media categories, according to media-research firm Borrell Associates.
...

Facing the real prospect of extinction, the publishers, many of which have considerable debt, have been slashing jobs, scrapping dividends and exiting unprofitable markets. Shares of two of the biggest publishers, R.H. Donnelley and Idearc, have plummeted 99% in the past year."

Maybe instead of delivering these ridiculously large books every six months they should make delivery optional and charge people a few dollars. If they really want one then they can pay for it. And if it is a product that people are not willing to pay for then it should go the way of the horse and buggy.

I Hope These People are Embarressed Someday

If you've never visited Etsy I highly recommend taking a moment to check it out. It's an online space for artists and crafty folk to sell their wares. It also allows people to request items to be made ... maybe it's something you just can't find anywhere else. Someone on Etsy can probably make it for you.

However, lately when browsing through these Custom requests I've been feeling queasy. Maybe it's due to the people requesting all sorts of Obama items. From hair bows for their little girls to a guitar strap.


What is WRONG with these people?!?!

Was there ever a craze for George Bush hair bows? Somehow I don't think so. Or wall decals with his face? Talk about birth control.

And I can promise you that I will never make a Sarah Palin necklace.


I don't even want to wear MY name around my neck. Why in the world would I want the name of a politician on a necklace?

Talk about hero worship. I hope these people look back on their adoration of this man and blush in their embarrassment.

Not every artist on the site is brain dead like this ... but unfortunately it seems that the artistic world is over run with these zombies. I guess we now know how they're going to replace the thriving anti-Bush/Cheney shirts, buttons, and other merchandise.

I wonder if there will be marches on Washington with pro-Obama puppets.

What Recession?

Driving home from work on Friday night the Olive Garden parking lot was absolutely packed. I suppose if people are especially depressed they're looking for comfort food.

My mom went to the mall this weekend and said that it was much busier than she expected. I'm sure the sales are helping to get people in to shop. And it seems that the same is happening in other regions as well.

We had our annual craft show on Friday at work and I expected fewer sales than previous years. I lowered my goal for the day and did notice that there weren't quite the crowds as we've had in the past. Thankfully I did make my sales goal. Which means that I can buy more supplies and keep those economic wheels turning.

And as soon as I apply for my gun permit we'll be looking for my first gun ever and doing our part to make sure gun sellers have a great Christmas.

Speaking of Clutter

I'm not sure where to begin. I have so much to talk about and get out of my head, but yet can't seem to find a starting point. There's so much going on in the world and this country it is almost overwhelming.

My mom called tonight and once again she's stressing out after watching the alphabet channel news. I keep telling her to not watch that crap. All they care about is ratings and bad news sells. The more she watches the more stressed out and anxious she gets. Some talking head said that the economy was heading towards a depression like that of the 1930s. Talk about bad news. And that it would last 10 years or more.

*sigh*

At least we both agree on one thing. The idea of a bail out for some companies in the Auto Industry is infuriating. Beyond infuriating. It pisses me the hell off. If a company makes bad decisions and (some would say) bad products then they should fall to the consequences of those. Survival of the fittest. I don't necessarily think American cars suck. We have a Ford F150. We love it. But we also have a Toyota Rav4, which I drive every day for my 50 mile round trip commute.

Allowing companies to fail is painful. It affects people's lives and that of their families. But that is life. What would this country be if the government had propped up the dying horse and buggy business?

One of the reasons that drove me deeper into conservatism is the idea of fiscal responsibility. The GOP of the last decade has not exactly exercised it, though hopefully in the minority they can rediscover their ideals. Maybe they can start by working to NOT pass any more bailouts.

Like I Need Another Hole in My Head

Blog #3.

As if I don't already have enough on my plate. But the decision to create a new blog was made to separate out my business blog from my political rants...I mean thoughts. =) I also have a blog called Home Zookeeper where I chat randomly about animals...mostly my dogs.

A little about me just to have it on the record.

I grew up with liberal and Democrat leanings. I voted for Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

I met my (now) husband who horrified me by voting for Bush in 2000. I began working in the private sector in 2000 and my boss was also horrifyingly conservative. Many interesting conversations (arguments?) ensued.

Then 9/11 hit and all the ideas that had been soaking into my brain from the conservatives now surrounding me fell into place. I had been denying my conservatism.

I think a lot of people deny that they are conservative even when their ideas fall more in line with conservative thought. My mom is one.

Hubby and I have four dogs...Kodiak, Quinn, Trooper Bear, and Timber Wolf. I love dogs! And cats. But mostly dogs.

I plan to use this blog randomly for political and cultural thoughts and rants. Sometimes I get pissed. I plan to actually let myself cuss here. I don't normally cuss in real life and I don't think I've ever cursed on my other two blogs.

I work full time in the investment world but I also design and sell jewelry. I think it keeps me sane and it's cheaper to buy supplies than pay for therapy.

I'm Bipolar and I'm sure I'll talk about that as well.