A Survey for Charity

Proceeds for this survey go to Charity.



I never did truly think that lung cancer was ONLY caused by smoking. It's sad that we only hear about cases that are and not those who get lung cancer who don't even smoke.

I Strongly Disagree

Via In Jennifer's Head (good to know I'm not the only one struggling with Depression out there) comes a story about the government wanting to screen all teenagers for clinical Depression.

BAD IDEA!!!

Most teens are nuts - it's the hormones. Could anyone have really diagnosed me as clinically depressed when I was 15? Maybe but I seriously doubt it. I wasn't any more or less messed up than most of my friends...except I had tried to off myself when I was 12. It wasn't a real serious attempt and I probably wouldn't have even admitted it if asked then.

How many teen girls pine away for the "love of their lives" and feel so depressed that they could "just DIE!" They obsess. They worry. They cave to peer pressure. It's what teenagers DO. They do stupid things. It's part of growing up.

The group recommends research-tested screening tests even for kids without symptoms. It cited two questionnaires that focus on depression tip-offs, such as mood, anxiety, appetite and substance abuse.

Really? REALLY!?! Mood. Anxiety. Appetite. Substance Abuse. Right...no teens act weird with any of those symptoms. No teens experiment with drugs unless they're clinically depressed right? It has nothing to do with peer pressure.

Funnily...their "tip offs" would not have caught me. I acted fine...pretended I was happy, ate plenty, and never once in all my life have I ever touched a drug. Never. Not even cigarettes. My limited alcohol experimentation consisted of Kalua in a Coke and I thought it was the most disgusting thing ever.

So how would the government have "caught" me? I was depressed. Clinically. For as long as I can remember. The really big stuff didn't start hitting me until after I turned 18.

Do you know how much stigma there still is with Depression? Can you imagine being a NORMAL kid with normal hormones and normal anxiety - then being "diagnosed" by some overenthusiastic pill prescriber who wants to "help".

Not to mention...why take responsibility for your life if you can blame it on a disease? Especially one that is so difficult to "prove" and diagnose for real. Everyone feels depressed sometimes. Clinical depression is so different and so much worse but the diagnosis is partly a judgment call.

But let's just all take some pills and blame anyone but ourselves for our problems. The government will take care of us after all.

Misery Loves Company

So join me won't you? I am abso-freaking-lutely miserable today. And I was yesterday too. Between being pregnant and having awful nausea the Lord decided it would be fun if I also caught a bad cold. I can't sleep and I can barely breath.

I wish I could take cold medicine but the baby has put a stop to that. Theraflu is my friend and works so well. I could cry.

But here I am at work...where my computer is giving me fits. My whole system had to be reset so I lost all my personal settings, and yes it bugs me because I like things my way. My Outlook system now looks all funky and weird.

Not to mention I'm coughing and blowing my nose...which I'm sure all my cube mates LOVE just about now.

I don't want to be here but don't have any choice...we should know in a few days about who is getting laid off. Or at least that's the latest ... they keep moving the time line.

Happy Monday.

A Survey for Charity

I picked the Make a Wish Foundation ... all proceeds from my survey will go to them. Every penny helps right?



And a non-charity survey...what's with all the music surveys? I'm just not that into music. Of course, if they had a survey about Harry Potter I'd be all over it!

A Special Dog Needs a Home

Please head over to my other blog Home Zookeeper and read about Otis who needs to find a forever home. I swear if I didn't already have four big dogs I'd scoop up this sweety in a heartbeat.

Good Husband

I feel very fortunate lately. My hubby is still kind of a kid, even though he's turning 40 this year. But lately he has been amazing! This early part of pregnancy is making me absolutely miserable and yesterday was no exception. It was all I could do to get up off the couch (where I have my laptop strategically balanced so I can work) all day.

He scrubbed the kitchen floor, did all the dishes, cleaned off the counters, did several loads of laundry, vacuumed, swept the front porch, and then after all that he went and ran errands for me - picking up my prescription, adjusting my tire pressure, and stopping at Walgreens for more Unisom (probably the only thing keeping me from hurling daily).

He has been just incredible lately. I feel horrible because I literally cannot do anything. This morning I was just walking to the close the back door and starting gagging. No reason. So I had to make my way to the kitchen sink where I retched for several minutes. My sweet Timber Wolf trying to nudge me and find out what was wrong. He's such a wonderful dog.

Being pregnant SUCKS! I'm 13 weeks tomorrow and this nausea had better start going away. Seriously. This kid is SO going to be grounded when he pops out.

Michelle Bachmann is my Hero

This gal kicks ass. And poor widdle Barney doesn't like it so much.

Hearing Frank speak is like hearing nails on a chalkboard.



The people want answers.

Drug Testing for Welfare

I'm ALL for it! If you are taking tax dollars you are "working" for the government. Any other job can drug test. So let's drug test welfare recipients.

It's total bullshit to say that it's "humiliating" and unfair. Give me a break. Those of us who PAY for the welfare are liable for drug tests in our jobs (though I haven't had to do it I think my work could ask me to). So those who take the money should take them too.

I'd rather pay for drug tests than art for the highway or some other stupid government sponsored program.

And Your Little Dog Too!

Stolen from Sandee who stole it from Jana...love this guy!

Thursday Thunks

It's time for Thursday Thunks. Today's questions are actually from Thunkers from last Thursday. :) I think mine was the favorite brand of ice cream question but I can't remember (and I'm too lazy to go look).

1. What is your favorite type of soda (if you drink soda)?

Dr Pepper! It's sweet sweet nectar from heaven.

2. Do you believe in astrology? If so, what does your sign say about you?

Hell no. I think it's the devil's work. But I'm an Aries and it is frighteningly accurate. :)

3. Who is John Galt?

Atlas Shrugged right? I haven't read the book but have it and it is on my list to read.

4. What is the last thing you do before you go to sleep at night?

Blow my nose. And watch TV.

5. Who's your Daddy?

Uh...his name is Donald.

6. Jelly beans or Jelly Bellies?

Why not both? I'm not picky. Though I do have some jelly bellies in a baggy at my desk.

7. What do you think about yellow car? Why car manufacturer actually made yellow cars?

I have no idea what this question means.

8. Holding on or Letting go?

Just let go.

9. What kind of underwear, if any, do you wear?

Uh...is this like a boxers or briefs type thing? I'm a gal so ... I have no idea. They're underwear. Not thongs though. NO way!

10. Who is your daddy and what does he do?

Wait, someone already asked this! But my daddy is dead and gone. He was a fisheries biologist though.

11. Spring - is it here yet??

It's just a myth.

12. Does Google Streetview scare you?

What is Google Streetview? I'm quite out of the loop.

13. What is your favorite brand of ice cream?

DOVE!!! Oh my dear God in heaven they make the yummiest ice cream ev-AR!

14. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

It's the Dove toffee chocolate...*drool*

15. Do you ever get tired of your everyday routine?

No...I like routine. The more routine and predictable the happier I am.

16. What inspires you?

Sleep. If I get enough sleep I always feel more inspired.

17. It’s springtime-do you spend more time outdoors?

No. I prefer to stay inside and make jewelry or watch TV...sometimes both at once.

18. When do you think Bud will let us see the DVD of him and the french twins?

??? This question scares me.

19. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you, and why?

Right here in the Great Nation on God's Green Earth...duh. Why would anyone want to be anywhere else?

20. Why do you blog?

To get the crazy voices out of my head. It's therapeutic and cheaper than a psychotherapist.

21. What are electrolytes and why are they good for us?

What do I look like a doctor?

22. Do you twitter? Why or why not?

I started recently...it's kind of fun. Like blogging but limited to a couple of sentences.

23. What did you dream last night?

I can't remember...probably something about getting fired.

24. What is the strangest thing you've eaten?

Cow Intestines...I didn't KNOW that is what they were...no one told me. We were in China at some little out of the way restaurant. I think they served us Dog too but I didn't eat that, Thank God!!!

25. What was the last picture that you took?

Probably of a piece of jewelry. ... Maybe this piece.

26. what is your favorite part of spring?

Tulips. I love Tulips.

27. what is one thing that you did this past week that no one knows about?

Nothing...I'm an open book and I pretty much share everything with anyone who will listen.

28. What kind of bandages do you typically have in your household?

Band Aid...generic bandages suck.

Phew...that's a lot of questions. :)

Stirring Up a Hornet's Nest

I don't know if Bambi and his minions realize the anger they are stirring up in the productive class. Those who would normally just go along to get along are starting to rise up in fury and protest.

We refuse to sit idly by and let our freedom and liberties be taken away any more than they already have been. We are tired of propping up those lazy asses who leach from society - only taking and never creating.

Blaming the "rich" is not productive and will do nothing to help this economy grow. It will merely suck us further down by draining the desire for anyone to create wealth.

Let me just tell you, Congressional/Executive Branch Scumbag, Esq., if you do this... if you take this turn... I won't even think twice. I will move my firm to Switzerland, or to London before the year is out. Those employees who do not follow me, I will have to fire. The corporate taxes I pay will no longer be yours. Instead, they will go to something useful, like a nice tunnel through a mountain for high speed trains that actually work. Further, I will dedicate a substantial portion of my personal time, effort and capital to frustrating your every attempt to collect personal taxes on me thereafter- given your draconian anti-expatriation laws. But that's not all. My job is to make money for my clients, in whatever way I can. I will short your flagging financial firms mercilessly and remorselessly. I will buy QGRI puts to bet against any firm that took bailout money. I will buy credit default swaps on every firm you put your greasy paws on, because I know your fingerprints are laced with poison. For every boneheaded centralist move you make, I will be there, profiting from your lunacy. I will never again take a client who pays taxes in the United States. I will not permit any capital or profit to be diverted to any such. I will do this because in the same way you believe it your divine right to punish "greed," I consider it my duty to punish the stupidity and arrogance that is central planning, and because I believe in economic freedom. I will divert as many of your resources to my new home and its relative economic freedoms as I can. I will promote free markets in this way, and I will never look back. You will have made it clear that you are my enemy, and I do not forget such declarations.

Please go read the whole thing. It really is the sentiment so many of those who produce wealth and create jobs are feeling. Unlike the politicians who are leaches themselves and create nothing but misery and higher taxes.

I Made Pho

I am quite proud of myself.

If you've never had the Vietnamese Beef Noodle soup called "Pho" (pronounced "fa" according to my Vietnamese restaurant) you are totally missing out. It is so flippin' delicious.

Of course, I don't eat it the same way normal people do...because I'm super picky. I don't eat the beef and I prefer to just have the noodles and the broth. I know. I'm weird. That's okay though.

I've been craving it lately but we're saving our money and not eating out. So I ventured online to find a recipe I could try out.

They're all petty complicated (to me!) and involve things like Anise Star, Ginger, and Fish oil.

So over the last few weeks I've been collecting some ingredients ... I had to buy the Fish Oil. It's not cheap. And I needed the noodles, which aren't the same as Rice Noodles. I tried those but they're too thin. I stopped at the Asian Market today and got the real things. YUM!

And I made some adjustments. Instead of Anise Star I used Anise oil. And instead of real ginger I used ginger powder.

I just finished dinner and it was delicious. I added a bit too much anise oil but it still tastes yummy. =)

Maybe not eating out will help me expand my cooking skills. lol

Ah, Poor Lefty Blogger - Now With an Update

I hurt their widdle feelings. Poor thing.

Someone applied for an EC ad on my blog here and I rejected it. I decide who advertises here and I prefer to NOT have pro Bambi bloggers. My blog. My choice. So I rejected the request ... I generally pick the excuse "not relevant" because it's easier than typing out a response to "other". So I'm lazy.

Oh this blogger did NOT like that one darn bit. I get a message in my EC inbox:

"Not relevant? We may not see eye to eye on the issues, but we both are political bloggers. I accept ads from all sorts of rightwingnut blogs like yours all the time. Politics is politics and blog traffic is blog traffic. So if you're going to be like that about it, I'm going to have to knock on your door to try to sell you on the stimulus plan!"

Boo Hoo.

Calling me a rightwingnut blog isn't the best way to endear yourself.

And hello? I didn't apply to advertise on their site! I do not go around advertising on pro Bambi blogs ever. If I happen to apply for an ad on a blog that does support Obambi it's by accident and probably because that's not ALL they talk about (mostly non political blogs anyway).

I did respond.

"Really? You got your panties in a twist didja?

It's my blog and I will approve who I want and disapprove anyone who I feel like. I prefer to NOT have pro Bambi and looney lefty blogs advertised on mine. If you're so sensitive that you can't handle a little rejection you might want to stop blogging.

And by the way...ever heard of the expression "you catch more flies with honey" ... calling me a rightwingnut blog probably not the best way to go.

Get over yourself. I write my blog for me, not for traffic. Nor do I go around and apply to blogs that completely disagree with my point of view. I certainly didn't apply for an ad with your site. I'm not on EC to gain traffic from just anywhere ... so deal with the rejection and move on."

*sigh*

Please don't poke the pregnant lady. She gets pretty pissy pretty quickly these days.

I've rejected other pro OBambi blogs in the past but none of them had the gall to complain. What a puss.

*UPDATE* Apparently I hit a nerve. Poor widdle blogger boy sent me 20 EC credits with which I am to buy myself a sense of humor. I guess he just can't let go. Poor thing.

*snort* I find it all very amusing.

My Mom is a Bad Influence

I had two doctor's appointments today. I started with an eye exam...not much change but I wanted to use my benefit while I was still insured. My current glasses are getting kind of scratched up and it'll be good to have them as a spare.

Then I had my baby appointment. We heard the heartbeat. 146. :) It's so weird. I'm 12 weeks and 2 days. I hope the nausea ends soon. I'm still pretty miserable.

Then I went to the eye glass section and started looking at new frames. Of course I found the Coach pair...$339 just for the frickin' frames!!! But they were really cute. Crystal "C's" and a pretty dark fuchsia color (which is what I have now). I kept looking but then my mom came down to "help" (she works at my Dr. Office...kind of handy actually).

She is a very bad influence. My new glasses are Coach. =) Just what I needed in these economic times. $300 glasses. *sigh* But I did use my benefit and that helped. And we do have savings for these kinds of expenses. A little less than we used to though. lol

And they do match my purse. heh Gotta have priorities you know.

I Must Have Great Credit

Because I get a crazy amount of credit card offers in the mail.

But But But...I thought credit was impossible to get these days? I thought it was all dried up!

My credit can't be *that* great. I've been late on bills. We have several loans, though I do try to pay them on time. I did pay off my car loan last year.

What is with all the junk mail? It hasn't gone up in volume in the last few months. It's pretty much the same as it was BEFORE the "crisis".

Of course, not being an idiot, I don't apply for credit cards. I have two that I use. One for gasoline and the other for everything else as long as I can pay it off with cash.

So where is my bailout?

Oh that's right...we were responsible and didn't take out too much credit. So we don't qualify.

Survey on Sunday

It's Sunday. So a survey. :)

Where's the Outrage?

I thought Walmart was supposed to be this evil, anti-union, horrible place to work. Yet Walmart is handing out bonuses, pay increases, and retirement contributions to their employees. Yeah, that sounds just awful.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has announced it has paid $2 billion this year to its U.S. employees in bonuses, merchandise discounts and retirement contributions.

It cracks me up that if every single employee got an even amount of the bonus pool they got $666. hahahahahaha

Maybe if I lose my job I'll apply at my local Walmart. I'd cut my commute down from 45 minutes one way to 10 minutes one way. Of course my salary would probably get cut by about the same percentage, but at least I'd have a job.

Another Music Survey

dNeero seems to be focused on Rap and Pop music...neither of which I really listen to.

Thursday Thunks

Thank God Jana does these or I'd forget. I really like doing them though. :)

1. The last flight of stairs you walked up/down - were the carpeted?

Nope...they were a pretty granite. I walk up/down them every day at work to get to/from the parking garage. I just hope that I can continue walking up and down them for many years to come!

2. Green or purple grapes?

Both. Lately green have sounded best and they were on sale for only $0.99 a pound! Score!

3. Do you like Peeps?

YES! I love sugar and I love marshmallows. Peeps rock.

4. The smell of Vicks - like it?

NO! I hate it.

5. Do you put decorative cling-ons on your windows for different holidays?

Nope...but not because I don't like them. I'm just cheap and haven't bought them in the past. I may end up buying them in the future...kids like them right?

6. Finish the sentence - I spent too much money on ________ .

Beads. Pearls specifically.

7. Which celebrity should be flown into outer space or placed on a desert island?

Oh gosh...I can only pick one? Susan Sarandon would be a good choice. Sean Penn for sure. But most of them deserve a ticket to their own isolated island. I'd be hesitant to send them to space - what if they meet up with intelligent life (notice I didn't say "other" intelligent life) and that life thinks they are representative of our planet. Too scary!

8. Would you support schools changing the "open" time? Such as 10am - 5pm, for example?

I wouldn't mind if school lasted from 8 to 5. If I have to be at work so should they. :) It's just the reality of life. Plus I'm all for year round school. Maybe I'll change my mind when I have my own rug rat.

9. Do you go fishing?

I have in the past and I really enjoy it. But it's an activity I do with my grandpa and we don't really do it much anymore.

10. What question should we ask next week?

What is your favorite brand of ice cream? Because I definitely have an answer to that. =)

I Will Slam the Door in Your Face

If one person DARES approach our house to try to convince us that Obama's budget is imperative to the survival of our country, hubby will have to hold me back because I will be trying to strangle them.

Heard on the radio this morning that "The One" is urging people to go out and campaign for his budget because it's just so dang important.

Excuse me while I vomit.

Veterans Deserve More

I realize that "the One" has never served, and he clearly has no respect for our military personnel. But this decision to take away federal funding for medical treatment of COMBAT injuries is crazy even for him.

I'm against federal funding for most things, but our troops and their families have sacrificed way more than most and deserve the support and funding of our government. This is one expenditure of my tax dollars where I DO approve.

They're way more worthy than any AIG employee.

Is it That Big a Deal?

AIG is still a private company aren't they? But they took government money so I guess it's their own fault that Congress and the White House have their panties in a twist over bonus payouts.

I think it's probably horrible PR to hand out major bonuses like this...but if it's contractual what are they supposed to do? Renege on those contracts? Wouldn't that be just as lame?

Yes, it's "my" money being given out...the taxpayers are funding these bonuses to people who screwed up their company. Why do they even DESERVE bonuses? I know that I wouldn't get a bonus if I'd screwed my job up that badly.

Right now I could care less what AIG is doing. My focus is on MY family and my company. My company isn't taking federal funds and if we fail, we fail. No one is going to prop us up.

Maybe the government should focus less on one company and more on the problems being caused by government meddling.

And the definition of Irony.

More Surveys

I've gotta do what I can to increase our funds so here are some more surveys. :) Enjoy and click on them if you like.






Have a Happy night and here's the start of a new week. =)

Free Music Downloads

I don't have a ton of music on my i Pod...mostly stuff I downloaded from my own CDs and of course my entire set of Harry Potter CDs.

But HotCouponWorld is offering a chance to get 25 free downloads. Just sign up for a free trial period with Emusic and get your free music downloads. If you like their service you can pay their fee of $0.40 per song or $11.99 for up to 30 songs each month.

You can cancel after your free trial and you still get your free downloads. Win win!

Check out all the details at HotCouponWorld.

Living on a Budget Sucks

It's been a LONG time since I've gone to the grocery store with such a strict budget. It really sucks. I went over by about $5, which I'll transfer over from my checking account. I have a few more dollars left there from before we even started this.

Of course, I also bought a TON of food for only around $70 ish bucks. I saved over $90 at Albertsons with all their sales and my coupons. The guy behind me in line was impressed. :)

I bought some fish sauce, which was pretty expensive at $3.99. That was one of the most expensive things I bought. I want to make my own Pho beef noodle soup.

Tonight I'm making chicken noodle soup and will have left over chicken to make chicken quesadillas during the week. We're also going to make BBQ pulled pork with a frozen pork roast.

We will have plenty of food for the next week and a half and should have no need to eat out anywhere (which is good since we don't have any extra cash!).

I will say yesterday that when I went to the mall it was hard to believe we're in a recession. I could not find a parking space for several minutes. And even then it was quite a ways away. The place was packed. I sat around and people watched for awhile. Nearly everyone I saw had bags. I was surprised by the kids walking around with those build a bear boxes. And ladies with bags from Victoria Secret and Nordstroms.

The sandwich shop I had lunch at (I had a coupon!) was non stop busy and it was two o'clock....a bit past lunch time. All sorts of people coming through and buying food.

I was only at the mall to use a gift card so I didn't actually spend more than $7 of my own money while there.

We're working hard to save as much as we can. I should know more about my job in the next two or three weeks. Worst case, I lose my job but get a few months severance package and switch to hubby's insurance. It's hard to think about but it could be reality soon. Best case, I keep my job and go on to get two months of maternity leave in October/November...and my two month sabbatical next year.

I'm hoping but preparing.

I Feel Like I'm 18

And not in a good skinny way.

When I moved out into my own apartment (with a roommate of course) I lived on Top Ramen and Macaroni and Cheese. Almost literally. After each payday I would have at most $20 left after all my bills. I was very adept at only spending $10 when I went to the grocery store.

That's how I feel again today. I just got paid but every penny went into our emergency fund where we can't touch it.

And while I've been couponing for almost a year I've never had to be so conscientious of what I'm going to buy at the grocery store this weekend. I literally need to plan it down to the dollar because we only have $65 to work with and it has to last us until the 25th when hubby gets his next paycheck.

It's definitely an interesting experiment to live this way while we still have a choice. And I know that we can do it, and will be glad for doing it if I get let go. I doubled our emergency fund just by putting my paycheck in it today. (No, it wasn't very big to begin with but we have two of them...this is the most accessible and smallest one.)

My plan for the weekend is to get milk (using my $1/1 coupons)...as many as I think we can afford since we go through it fast so let's say $10 for milk. That should get me at least 2 gallons (yes, I'm still buying organic). Then we need bagels because that's what I eat for breakfast (and hubby does too)...those are on sale and I can price match them at Walmart for $2 each. They're normally over $3.50.

I'm planning to get some green grapes - they are on sale at Safeway and Albertsons for $0.99 a pound. I really need to eat some fruit and the thought of these doesn't make me gag.

So I'm up to about $15.

Safeway has bread on sale for $1...it's the cheap stuff but we can eat the cheap stuff.

And Albertsons has a coupon for $1.69 for Kraft Singles and I have $1/1 coupons so I can get them for $0.69 a piece. I'm going to try to find some more coupons and get at least 4 or 5 of them because hubby loves this stuff and it's really expensive normally.

My goal is to spend no more than $30 between the few stores I plan to hit. It doesn't take me that much time to go the different stores because I have a specific list and know exactly what I want - so I'm in and out. Oh and I have a $10 coupon from Albertsons off my next order so that will help a ton.

Walgreens has a few things on sale that I can get for free (or even get paid to take them) so I'm going to try to go there too ... as long as it doesn't cost me any money out of pocket.

I'm a planner so this is actually kind of fun for me. But it does bring me back to my college days. I'm not sure how I feel about living on Top Ramen now.

What's My Favorite Shooter?

This survey cracked me up.

See how I answered the shooter question...hee hee hee. I crack myself up I guess. I don't drink so I don't even know what "shooters" are in relation to alcohol. The only thing "shooter" brings to mind are guns, which I do like.



Nor do I celebrate Spring Break. Nor do I have any idea who is competing for American Idol so my answer to that question is completely random.

Thursday Thunks

I haven't done a Thursday Thunks in awhile but today's questions caught my eye. :)

1. You are walking down the road and you look down. There is a bug. Do you step on it?

No...I hate gooey stuff on my shoes. HATE it I tell you. And the sound/feel of crunching makes me want to run and hide. I do hate bugs though so if it needs to die hubby is the one to do it.

2. What is one fantasy that you want to come true more than any other?

Um...I don't have one. Sorry. I know that's boring, but I just don't have "fantasies". Maybe I'm too realistic or just have no imagination.

Oh wait...if I had to find one I'd say my "fantasy" is to own my own jewelry/bead store and make money doing what I love. :)

3. Someone knocks on your door. Do you look out the window to see who it is before you open it? Do you open it regardless of who it is?

I have a hard time ignoring people. If I'm not expecting anyone I get pretty nervous, especially if I'm home alone. For some reason we have no peep hole and the only window with a view of the front porch is in the kitchen. It's not easy to subtly look out to see who it is without them seeing me.

So most of the time I do open the door, but with my foot at an angle to block it if someone tries to push it in (is that paranoid?) and with four dogs at my feet and one barking wildly. :)

4. Have you ever eaten Play Doh?

Not that I can remember or would ever admit!

5. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon as a child and why?

I can only remember loving to watch Garfield, but I think it was just a video recording that my grandma had. :)

The only other show I remember consistently watching was not a cartoon...it was Saved by the Bell. It's a classic!

6. Are you a "people watcher"?

Oh heck yes! I love to watch people. People are weird and entertaining.

7. I have a bowl of fruit. There are apples, oranges & pears. You help yourself to one - which one do you choose?

Uh...none of the above thanks. I'm not a big fruit person and I don't eat other people's fruit. Thanks.

8. What is your biggest pet peeve in the blogging world?

I agree with Speak Dog Speak...music starting on a blog without permission is the WORST! Why do you think I want to hear your stupid music?!?! Plus I'm usually at work and I don't need the attention drawn to me. Jeez people. Help me out.

9. What is one religion that you could just never see yourself joining?

Islam...I love the scarves honestly but could never follow the rules. Even though I don't drink. :) And if Scientology is considered a real religion that's another one. Though I don't consider a "real" religion. It's a cult really. Oh and Jehovah's Witnesses. I LOVE celebrating holidays.

10. What word do you use far too often?

Hmmm...when I write or when I speak? I'm not sure. I don't really cuss all that much (more so on my blog than anywhere else) and I go through phases of using various words.

Oh I know...hubby says I say "hate" too often. ROFL "I hate this" or "I hate that" ... he doesn't like it. :)

11. How long do you spend in the shower?

As long as I possibly can. Preferably until the hot water runs out. It's been that way my whole entire life. When I was a teenager I would stay in there for 45 minutes. It drove my mom crazy! I have no idea what I did for that long. But even today I take at least 15 to 20 minutes if the water stays hot.

12. If you were to write a personal ad about yourself, what would it say?

Really? I've never written one. I like Jana's answer: "Anti-social recluse seeks own company. Must love dogs." heh.

13. Your favorite flavor of soup is....?

Recently Campbell's Tomato with noodles. YUM!!! I had it for dinner last night with some shredded cheese sprinkled on top. But I also love the Lipton Noodle Soup (with no fake chicken pieces). It's very relaxing and soothing.

14. You are sitting on a bench in the park and a bug walks in front of your feet.... do you squash him?

See answer #1. Any crunching is unacceptable.

Why Encourage Bad Behavior?

I'm an admitted TV junkie. It's always on at our house ... from the moment I wake up (it's usually the first thing I do actually...turn the TV on) to after I fall asleep (thank goodness for the timer).

So I also end up watching a lot of commercials - when I'm not watching a recorded program so I can fast forward through them of course.

I've noticed lately that there are a lot of commercials that seem to promote bad behavior.

The one that bugs me the most is the Cheetos commercial. In all the recent commercials "Papa Chester" says he's proud of some person who has done something quite rude or at least socially unacceptable. The worst one (to me) is the lady who wipes her orange cheesy fingers on a (admittedly snotty) lady's white jacket. After which the cartoon tiger says "Papa Chesters Proud of You."

But why? He's proud because she wiped her dirty hands on someone's jacket? Why is that a good thing? It's okay to let your Id out now?

Then there's the new Kleenex commercials for their lotion Kleenexes. Which I do love by the way...I swear we should own stock in Kleenex as much as we use them. But as the people go on "touching" things throughout their day and finally "feel" the Kleenex ... they then swipe the whole box of Kleenexes.

Why is that a good thing? Kleenex wants people to steal their products from others? Huh?

The latest one I've seen is for Dannon Yogurt (which I really like by the way) Light n Fit. A lady is in the grocery store and the yogurt is just SO good that she slurps it all up right there in the store.

Um...hello? My mom taught me that that was called STEALING!

A new little message has appeared in small print at the bottom of the ad now though...I noticed it last night ... something about always paying for products. ha! Well, duh. Except your commercial is telling people that it's somehow okay to eat food before paying for it.

Which you probably know is one of my many pet peeves. I HATE seeing people (even kids) eat or drink food before paying for it. DRIVES me batty.

So what is with these commercials? Do we really need to enforce the idea that bad behavior is acceptable in society? Don't we have enough problems with people not behaving properly?

I certainly plan to pass on to my children the same message my mom gave me ... stealing is WRONG. Taking samples in the bulk section or fruit section is stealing. Eating or drinking something before you pay for it is stealing.

It really boggles my mind that companies are encouraging such anti social behavior.

RIP Mr Medved

Michael Medved's father died. :( He was 84 and Michael had just been to Israel celebrating his birthday last week.

He sounded like an amazing man. It brings tears to my eyes to hear Michael talk about him (as he did on his show today).

He had been battling Lymphoma for 14 years and lost the fight last night.

My dad died when I was 8...he was only 36 years old. It's never easy losing a parent, no matter what age they pass on.

It's interesting how people influence you in your life. I've never met Michael Medved but he has a huge impact on my life. He lives in Seattle and is an incredibly wise person (not that I *always* agree with him) who I love to listen to every single day.

It makes me very sad to hear that his father has passed, even as I hear about the great and amazing life he led.

Rest in Peace Mr. Medved.

First Day - One Salary

For the next two weeks, hubby and I have $70 left. He got paid yesterday and after paying all the bills due before his next pay period we were in the hole over $450. So, since it's the first day I transferred money from his savings account. And we're left with $70 bucks.

The next payday will be less painful although we will still have bills due. They shouldn't be as high. We had some residual bills from the month before (hubby's Visa for one) that shouldn't be as large next time. And I'll set some money aside to help pay the majority of bills that hit for hubby's first paycheck of the month.

Last night hubby called and asked permission to buy coffee (he's working night shifts again). LOL I told him he had to make that decision but we have two weeks until his next payday. We have to buy milk and bread and staples. I'll still be paying for my gasoline from my paycheck...without my job I won't have that expense so it makes since to cover it for now. But we'll still need gas for the truck, which we won't use very often. That coffee is over $2.50. So we're down to $67.50.

We still have a few days left on our daycare package for the dogs but Timber will be the only one going. And only once a week at most. When those days are out we will re-evaluate our situation. With our schedules (hubby has been working some overtime shifts) we are having a hard time exercising the dogs enough. Timber needs the most as he is the youngest and has the most energy.

So our experiment begins. My hope is that we won't be forced to live off of one salary and that we can continue to do so voluntarily. If I do get to keep my job we'll have that much more to save toward our future log cabin. :)

What if We All Worked for the Government?

So...Obama claims he's going to "create jobs" ... and quite a few of those seem to be government jobs.

I'm not against government jobs per say. I worked for the State and for a local City for a combined 4+ years. Were my jobs really necessary? Without a doubt NO. I was an intern for two years then worked as an assistant (working my way up to Office Assistant) and then moving to the City where I was an assistant to a director. I was SO bored.

And I saw a lot of people "working" at government jobs where their time could have been more productive in the private sector. It's very easy to get lazy working for the government.

If so many more people start working for the government, who is going to pay their salaries? The government doesn't generate taxes. It TAKES. It does not create. Unless you count creating bureaucracy. More rules, regulations, and taxes for businesses does not inspire greater creativity. So where will the new tax burden fall?

I was actually glad that my jewelry sales from last year had dropped in comparison to 2007. It meant that I got to send a smaller check to the government.

How many business people will decrease their productivity? How many will have no choice?

If we all work for the government where will our paychecks come from?

Genius

This should be "borrowed" and spread throughout the inter-webz. The Liberty Zone 'stole' it and now I'm stealing it from her and sharing it here.

The logic is undeniable and it astounds me that the politicians in Washington do not get it. Read the whole thing...

Memo: Job Security

Distribution: To All My Valued Employees

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company. More specifically, your job. As you know, the changing economy presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interest.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that, for every business owner, there is a Back Story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You’ve seen my big home at last year’s Christmas party. I’m sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.

However, what you don’t see is the BACK STORY:

I started this company 28 years ago. I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. I converted my entire apartment into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building my company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I saved went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn’t have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business — hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week, made a modest $50K a year, and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars, lived in expensive homes, and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom’s for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn’t look like fashion from the 70’s. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

You physically arrive at the office at 9 AM, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5 PM, I don’t. There is no “off” button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. I attach this business to my hip every day like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of my labor — the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations… you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I’ve made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn’t. The people who overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed more than a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

The government taxes me to death and thinks I don’t pay enough. I have State taxes, Federal taxes, Property taxes, Sales and use taxes, Payroll taxes, Workers compensation taxes, and Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulates all the accounting that goes with it, which now occupies much of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my “stimulus” check was. Zero… Nada… Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business or the single mother, sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the real economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted 50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why should you? That’s nuts. Who wants only 50% of their hard work rewarded? Well, I agree, which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don’t understand … to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Guess what would happen if the government mandated I didn’t need to pay taxes. Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. You can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don’t defibrillate and shock his thumb, thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? No, you defibrillate his heart. Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth.

So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. My reaction will be swift and simple when the governments impose new taxes on me, or my company. I’ll fire you and I’ll fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child’s future. Frankly, it isn’t my problem anymore. I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I’m done. I’m done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. That destroys my motivation to work and to provide jobs and it will cost me my citizenship.

If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steam-rolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about.

Signed,

THE BOSS

Since I'm one of those employees who could be losing her job soon I take the side of the Boss. What happens when all the bosses are taxed out of existence?

Thank you Al Gore

It's March 9. What did I wake up to this morning?

A bunch of white stuff falling from the sky.

March 9 people. It's way past snow season here.

Thank you Al Gore and all your global warming minions.

MY EYES! My Eyes!!!

Hubby is in big trouble for polluting my mind with these images.

Honestly I wish she were President right now. She couldn't be doing worse than The Messiah.

Survey

So Michael Jackson is planning another concert? What's up with that?




I was a huge fan of MJ when I was a little girl. My friend and I used to dance around our living room singing Thriller.

You know...when he was still a black man.

Off the Wagon

Well, I lasted over two months without a single drop of chocolate.

I didn't give in to any sort of craving. Hubby had a cupcake with chocolate frosting and didn't eat the frosting. I couldn't let it go to waste. I think it's practically a sin to not eat frosting!

So that ended my New Year's Resolution of 2009.

But honestly? Did ANYONE expect a pregnant lady to avoid chocolate? Really?

This pregnant lady is sobbing. I can't stop tonight. Hubby is at work. And as I was dropping Entrecards I ran across one of the pet blogs and they had a sinfully depressing story of hounds in Georgia. Not a good thing. I think sad dog stories (and cat stories) make me more sad than sad human stories. Why is that?

So now I'm sitting here crying. The doggies are sleeping. And I will probably go to bed early.

The good news is that I got some jewelry finished and started some new pieces too.

At least something good happened tonight. *sigh*

One Salary

Hubby and I have decided to try to live on one salary while we still have two of them. It's not going to be easy. I calculated our "regular" bills from February and his salary from February (not counting any overtime) and we had less than $400 left for the entire month. That has to cover groceries, dog food, gas, and anything else that comes up. Not to mention savings accounts.

We'll see how closely we can stick to it, while we still have a choice. If I hadn't paid off my car last year we'd be in serious trouble since that payment was nearly $400.

Living on one salary will be a challenge and we'll have to scale a lot of things back. We eat out too much - in fact we ordered pizza just last night. Hubby will definitely have to learn not to eat out or hit the coffee drive in as much.

One thing we won't do is cut down on the quality of the dog food we buy. Inexpensive dog food will not save us money in the long run. It would lead to the poorer health of our dogs and more expensive vet bills. I'm not willing to sacrifice their health for our budget until we have absolutely no choice. Until then we will buy them the best food we can afford. Right now that costs us $50 a bag and we need at least two bags a month.

I see a lot of Top Ramen in our future.

Thank you, Mr. Obama for making all this possible.

/Sarc

Glad for Healthcare

I was extremely nervous on Tuesday. For some reason, it hadn't occurred to me yet, but if I lost my job in the next couple of months I wouldn't have health insurance when I have the baby.

Open enrollment for hubby's insurance isn't until October, but I'm due October 4th. No way we'd make it in time (especially if the rascal comes early). I was under the impression that the only way to add or take someone off of a policy is in the case of birth, death, marriage, or divorce. I joked that we could get divorced for a day and then re-marry.

Losing my job is bad enough but the thought of relying on government or Indian health services (God forbid) freaked me out. Thankfully hubby confirmed that losing a job is something that they consider a life changing event and I would be able to sign up on his plan.

All I can say is Thank God.

And all I can think is that our country is screwed if the government nationalizes health care the way Bambi wants.

I was very worried for a good 24 hours, but we would have figured something out. My very last desire is to go on any kind of government health care plan. Who knows what kind of actual care my baby and I would get ... or whether they'd stop my bipolar medication because it's "too expensive". After all, my medication is "life prolonging" (in the sense that I'd probably off myself without it. And governments are all about deciding who gets to live and die now.

When are people going to wake up and realize that government is NOT the solution to their problems!!!??!!!!

What Does a Dollar Get You?

Kirby Wilbur mentioned a blog called Carpe Diem this morning so I decided to check it out. The first post I saw is fascinating.

I was arguing with someone earlier on another blog with whether or not we are better off than our parents generation. I certainly am, and the charge on Carpe Diem shows just one reason why.

The comments are fascinating though...tread there if you dare. :)

At Least McCain Gets It

I'm not a huge fan...but at least he's ranting against the insane Budget proposed by the Messiah.

Listening to a snippet on Hugh Hewitt's show today - McCain is pissed about all the Pork Barrel spending.

Pig Odor Research in Iowa...that'll increase employment! Astronomy in Hawaii...that's an important government concern.

Why do politicians think that we constituents WANT them to "bring home the pork"? I don't. I want them to stay the hell away.

$1.7M for a honeybee factory in Texas.

I love honey but is this really necessary for the FEDERAL government??!!??

So much for Obomessiah's promise to get rid of pork spending. So much for going line by line. One more lie on top of too many to count. I'm sure he went line by line and added more!

9,000 earmarks! MY money! Your money!

Boy did he go off on "the one." It's too bad he couldn't have had that energy throughout his campaign. *sigh*

Looking Forward

I am a planner. I hate not knowing what my future will bring (well, of course we can never really know).

My company is working right now to restructure and plans to lay off 20% of the workforce. And if the market continues to tank it may lay off even more. Thanks, Obama. And thanks to all you rubes who voted this Socialist asshole into office. You should be sorry!

My blogging may become a little lighter ... especially during the work day. For obvious reasons.

There really isn't anything I can do to save my job. If the company is restructured and the teams I support are gotten rid of, there's no need for me.

The biggest stress, obviously, is being pregnant and worrying about insurance. Hubby is checking on whether or not losing a job is enough of a life changing event to add me to his insurance. It's my understanding that you can only make changes once a year except in the cases of death, birth, marriage, or divorce. Hopefully loss of job counts too.

If not, I'm going to have a whole lot of new things to learn...buying insurance, dealing with paying for it out of pocket...I'll do it. I'd rather not go on the government dole. Nor do I want to take advantage of the fact that I am a tribal member and can get "free" health care through them. I'd rather go without. *sigh*

It really sucks and I'm trying not to stress.

There's nothing I can do to control the situation...it is in God's hands right now. Whatever happens we will deal with and move forward with life.

It's amazing how the threat of losing your job makes you realize how much you LIKE your job. =)

Win a Free Purse from Olive Juice Bags

Did you know that I love purses? LOVE them. I was addicted to the Purse Forum a couple of years ago but was able to get some great deals.

Now my tastes run more to handmade goodness...and what could be better than a free purse?!?

And Olive Juice Bags is announcing an amazing Free Bag Giveaway for one of their incredible U.S. designed and created goodies. My favorite one (and it is HARD to choose) so far is this one.


Olive Juice Bags is a manufacturer of funky affordable fabric bags, Made in the USA. Olive Juice Bags is holding a Bag-of-the-Month giveaway and you can help spread the word. Olive Juice Bags are eco-friendly because the company has found a way to utilize overrun fabric and keep it out from being thrown away. Repurposing the fabric into a functional and fashionable product means less waste in the landfills. Because of this, many of the bags are unique: five-of-a kind, two-of-a kind or even one-of-a kind.

If you see an Olive Juice Bag you like, snag it quickly because you may not see the same bag ever again. Olive Juice Bags is also a socially conscious company that supports real-wage jobs. Local families benefit from jobs provided by companies that manufacture in the US-- and Olive Juice Bags is one of them.

This contest is easy to enter...just blog about the Olive Juice Bags monthly Bag Giveaway and send them the link. That's it. You'll be entered. You could conceivably blog about their contest every single day and earn an entry every day...but that might make your blog boring. ha!

I plan to blog and remind all of you about their contest at least once a month. So, visit the rules of their contest HERE and get blogging!

Oh and if you win...I won't make you feel guilty about not sharing your purse with me. *grin*

F'ing Brilliant!

I am DYING...this is so funny and yet so sad.



I LOVE THIS!!!!!

The people chanting Obama...until they realize what they've actually won. hahahahaha

Olympia Snow seemed clueless. Schumer was pissed. Geitner just kept walking. What? Can't face reality? Can't understand why the "little" people are upset?

I guess they expect us to just "take it" and do what we're told.

No thanks. I've never been one to just take it.

Found via Primordial Slack a truly kick ass blog.

Women Are Sacred

*sigh*

That's the bumper sticker I got to see on my way to work this morning. Of course, it was next to a "Women for Obama" sticker. Shocking, right?

But what kind of statement is that? Women are sacred...what about men? What if some little boy reads that ... what is he going to think ... that he's chop liver?

How about that ALL life is sacred?

Oh but that would be too controversial because how do you define life?

Well, for this pregnant lady I define the little bean inside me as life. I've heard its heart beat and seen it flutter.

Life is sacred. Not just women. Not just men. All people, even the unborn ones.

I hate radical feminism.