More Politics

more politics - only one more and then I will move on - I promise.  Well, maybe I don't promise, but I will try. *wink*

I saw this on twitter today.

It is on the abortion issue:

video with the words of both candidates

Both seem a bit extreme.

I don't believe an unwanted pregnancy quite deserves the term "pregnancy as punishment" and as an adoptive mom I've got some pretty strong feelings about that.

However, I do believe in allowances for extreme cases.  Health risks (which needs a bit more definition), cases of abuse.  And I strongly believe that this country seriously lacks support for pregnant woman who choose to go to term and place their child.  WHERE are they supposed to go?  That is something I hope to tackle when all my kids are in school.  In the meantime... well... they both seem extreme.  But I do believe "infanticide" is the right word here.  

Oh, and I'd like to note that at least one of them, is willing to go on record with his belief.  Right or wrong, he will state it in plain English so you know what it is.  I like that in a person.

Politics -

Okay - truthfully Sarah Palin kind of does freak me out a little, although she seems like she is smart enough to stick to what she knows and seek help in the areas where she is a little shaky.  But Palin aside... I have Republican tendencies.  Somehow this shocks the heck out of people I know.  It does?  Yes, it does.  Something about my being an artist makes me a candidate for being a Democrat.  Apparently so does my innate femaleness.  (umm... how many Republican FEMALES are in the House and Senate?)  And so does my five kids. It does?  And then there is the transracial adoption thing that so makes me a democrat.  Really.  Somehow my republicanism just surprises (and inevitably disappoints) everybody.

But I really am not sure why this makes me evil or delusional.

Hello people.

My husband owns a small business.  He employs less than 100 people.  This is small.  Big business is General Motors or Coca Cola.  We are small.  Tiny. Microscopic.  And YET... the whole tax those making over 250K well, based on the legality of an LLC, that would be my husband.  Yeah, I know.  Nice to be me right?  

Well, kinda.  Except it is actually cheaper for my family to have catastrophic medical insurance than it is to have a normal family plan.  We can't afford a family plan.  So to require my husband's business to provide medical insurance to each employee without REQUIRING the INSURANCE COMPANY to make it affordable is insane.  Think about this for a minute, a guy who falls into the 250K bracket because of how an LLC is taxed paid out of pocket prenatal and hospital maternity bills because it is MORE AFFORDABLE than family insurance as a business owner.  

Luckily I pull off a vaginal delivery fairly well so our bills were low.

While not all small business owners treat people the way my husband does, I have to say, I get really really sick of the "entitlement" mentality of the people who work for him as well as others I meet.  My husband works nearly 7 days a week on his business.  All kinds of crazy hours.  His kids sacrifice a LOT.  When ever there is a cash flow shortage he shorts himself.  His employees all get paid first.  I cannot tell you how many times, and this year it has been basically all year, that he pays himself enough to cover the mortgage on the house and our utilities.  A guy who falls in the 250K bracket because he owns an LLC hasn't allowed his kids to use the air conditioning this summer because the electric bills are too high since the price of electricity has doubled.

So that is all I am gonna say about the 250K thing.  

As far as the rest of it.  If you read your History, the more Roosevelt and Hoover tried to mess with the countries economics, the bigger the mess became.  People were spending money they did not have.  Sure, you can "blame it all on wall street greed" but seriously people.  Almost EVERYBODY I KNOW has been living beyond their means since college graduation.  Nice houses, nicer cars, the clothes people buy for their kids OMG!  If the kids raised in the 80's and 90's actually got their credit cards under control than there would be fewer house issues, and the SUVs don't get me started.  I've been saying since 1989 that unless you actually live in the Mountains you don't need an SUV - and the suburban housewives who drive them to soccer practice drive me nuts.  A minivan may not be sexy but it doesn't gussle gas and it fits all the kids and it gets the job done people.  

So sure, Wall Street maybe greedy, but Main Street is just as bad in my opinion.  Don't bail out Wall Street, don't bail out Main Street.  If you are paying your mortgage it should be safe (my grandfather's father lost his house to his bank - and his mortgage was almost paid OFF and he'd been paying it.  But the bank failed and recalled all loans.  Now that sucks.  I'm not advocating that at all.)  But this whole tax credit that is looking suspiciously like a government welfare check.  Sorry not getting it. 

 And you are telling me that not only can I not buy my kids Christmas presents this year but that I have to foot the bill for 95% of the nation's tax cut, because of how an LLC gets set up?  And that voting Republican makes me evil?

Look wench, I hope your man does win.  And I hope you go down with me.

I'm sick of High School antics

I don't get it.  I really don't.  And I don't know WHY it bothers me SO friggin much.  It has been three weeks now.  THREE WEEKS and I'm still wondering what the heck I ever did to A.H. to make her be so friggin rude to me?  And to A.A. who has known me since back in the days of psycho step dad and some other weird stuff.  And then there is just M.L. who is stiff and socially inept and to whom I am always pleasant and who hangs with A.H. and WHATEVER!  Go away people.  

Ugh.

I am stuck bumping into these girls at all sorts of places.  I see them at preschool.  I see them at church.  I have tried, unsuccessfully to go to church elsewhere.  Because of them.  Because of Mr. A. who tries to run the place.  Because of my in-laws who know everybody and are into my business all the time.  Nothing like being IN CHURCH and hearing your mother-in-law say to another woman in the building that she was on the vacation with her son when you got pregnant with number 4 and the kids were in her hotel room and she thought "they just needed to catch up on their sleep" they meaning your husband and yourself.  Nice.

But them aside... it frustrates me that A.H. only looks at me when necessary.  That she only speaks to me when necessary.  She is so sweetly nice to my husband.  What did I do to her?  Yes, when I met her she already knew SAP Geek, but she was also already MARRIED.  So not like I stepped in where I should not have.  And A.A. I'm over.  Really and truly over.  We've bought her art work.  We've been supportive and pleasant.  I've made her dinners when her kids were born.  I've asked nothing of her ever.  

So girls, go drink the cool-aid.  Gloves are off.  I'll be as big a witch as I feel like being.

And by the way, I'm prettier than you are too.

money money money

Ah so.

I am needing to find a mode of employment.

My life as a spoiled brat has come to a screeching halt.

Not that there have not been warning signs along the way, yes I saw them, *YAWN* but reality has hit.  My husband, about whom I complain a lot here but in reality he is a great guy who works his butt off, had let me know that it will likely take 3 years for us to pull out of this rough spot.  3 years.  I was hoping he'd say something like 3 months.  ARGH!

Did I mention that for the first time ever in my life we have been invited to a "society event'

one of the girls from the consulting network is getting married.  It is a 3 day event in NYC.  Seriously.  Pre- kid me would have a shopping extravaganza to prepare!  You need a day bag, an evening bag, a day outfit and an evening outfit for each day PLUS accessories!!! OMG!  Shopping heaven.  Except no.  There is a credit crunch.  The business has been operating negatively for two quarters and probably will continue to do so this quarter and if the stock market keeps crashing that means out clients will continue to be nervous.... NO!  So my dear husband will go to NY and hobnob with his business contacts and I will stay home and wipe butts and mop floors because I have nothing to wear.  The agony!!!

I need a friggin job.  MMM HHMMM.  Did I mention I have no skills? nada. zip. I make a great receptionist front desk girl but that doesn't pay enough for day care so there is no point.  

agony.

Women - honestly

Somehow, not sure how but somehow, I ended up on the preschool auction committee this year.  I have to admit, our preschool is one of two in the area that give scholarships/financial aid to families in need and that is pretty cool.  And this is funded by the auction committee.  But somehow this year it is turning into drama fest.

Last year's auction chair and this year's auction chair do not get along.

Lovely.

Neither one of them is doing the best job following up on stuff.

And so somehow we dropped the ball on the class art projects.  The class art projects were started way back when as a cute and sentimental thing and have turned into a ridiculous expenditure of time, talent and sometimes money and they maybe fetch $100.00 at auction.  There are several parents of preschoolers who are artists who get recruited to paint on something and then finger prints or hand prints are added to give the parent an over priced sentimental item that their kid "made."  I'm much more into giving the class a tube of paint each and letting them go "Jackson Pollack" on a table than having an adult paint it and "allow" the kids to put a finger print or two on it.  Just too cheesy for me but whatever.

Apparently last year the auction chair got the artists together for drinks and they brainstormed ideas and decided as a group who was doing what.  This year we just handed out assignments. 

I was told today - that our artists are feeling taken for granted.

I need to put my day into perspective.

This morning I got up at 5 and took the dog for a run.  I got the boys up at 7 Am for breakfast and my 10 yr old daughter told me she didn't feel well.  Took her temperature, 100.4.  yeah, go back to bed kid.  Got the three year old up fed and dressed and the 23 month old.  Boys on bus at 8 am, in car at 8:30 Am.  Three year old to preschool at 9 AM.  Got to "Mother's day out" at 9:15 with 23 month old.  It is my day to stay and be snack mom.  At around 10 Am one of the kids starts screaming.  screaming.  Something is very wrong.  She is hysterical.  The teachers try to carry, comfort and appease this child.  nada.  FINALLY they call her mother.  Mother arrives around 11:30.  I wanted to scream "where the HELL have you been???"  Finish up at Mother's day out at 12 and return to preschool to collect my 3 year old.  We have a picnic lunch on the play ground until 1 PM when the afternoon class arrives.  We troop inside with the after noon class and I set up the class craft project for Mrs. O's class.  I spend an hour painting on kid's hands and getting their hand prints on a 36" square to be used in the class quilt.  During this time I am told that our artists are feeling neglected.  I want to scream.

I do not have time or patience for prima donnas.  Seriously.  I do not.