Oh Boy.
I'm taking a cla-ass, I'm taking a cla-ass. I'm going to schoo-llll, I'm going to schoo-llll. I'm X-sigh-ted, I'm X-sigh-ted.
I hope I do all right. It's just one class to see how I like it, if I do, I may pursue more classes in that field. If not, well, I'll do something else by golly, I'm just not going to waste these brains of mine anymore. It finally dawned on me, hey, I'm not beautiful, I'm not skinny, I'm not particularly interesting, but I've always been pretty smart, I think I'll try getting by on my brain for once rather than my good looks which haven't taken me far. Heh.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Bare It, We'll Share It
Kiss My...
Fricken Bold Stuck. P.M.S. Don't Mess with me. Deal with it. I'm having a bad freakin' week. Oh, there it stopped, good gosh.
Yeah uh, I was reading a rant about boomers at Kim du Toit's place, and I couldn't help but agree wholeheartedly. I've always sort of felt that viagra and the like were nothing more than a curse on old women. Many old women I've known have pretty much said after a certain age sex is just something they do to keep hubby from getting cranky. Hubby's hate to hear stuff like that, but honestly, those old broads have got no use for it at all. It's hormones men, it only makes sense. Now now, hush, I'm sure there are some oldies who still want to do it, okay? I readily acknowledge the existence of horny old chicks, all right, I'm sure they are out there somewhere.
Of course I wouldn't know, I'm not at that point in my life yet, and I'm really only speaking of a very small sampling of older post-menopausal women. Seems to me that it only makes sense that God would make us that way. It's always seemed pretty simple to me, he gave men the drive, and women the brakes. Otherwise we would spend so much time reproducing, and very little time doing anything else. I don't know that's just my simple way of thinking about things.
Excuse me if this is too much information, but I don't suppose at 80 getting it on will be all that important to me. By then hubby and I, if we are still alive, and still together may want to, but I'm not all that worried about if we don't, or can't either. Heck, I'll be surprised if we get around to more than hollering "just wait til my social security check get's here, I'm leaving," at each other at various times throughout the day.
I really can't talk about this anymore, I'm getting grossed out. Anyway, yes, I'm sick of the dumb ads for e.d. as well. Oh, and they took $900.00 out of my husband's last paycheck for taxes. We are officially paying enough to support a whole 'nother family now. Actually, two families really given my tax burdens as well. That's for a 2 week pay period. $900 to these mother fuckers.
Retirement? Umm, we don't have one. I guess we'll be too busy working until the day we fucking die to worry about if hubby can still get it up or not.
Fricken Bold Stuck. P.M.S. Don't Mess with me. Deal with it. I'm having a bad freakin' week. Oh, there it stopped, good gosh.
Yeah uh, I was reading a rant about boomers at Kim du Toit's place, and I couldn't help but agree wholeheartedly. I've always sort of felt that viagra and the like were nothing more than a curse on old women. Many old women I've known have pretty much said after a certain age sex is just something they do to keep hubby from getting cranky. Hubby's hate to hear stuff like that, but honestly, those old broads have got no use for it at all. It's hormones men, it only makes sense. Now now, hush, I'm sure there are some oldies who still want to do it, okay? I readily acknowledge the existence of horny old chicks, all right, I'm sure they are out there somewhere.
Of course I wouldn't know, I'm not at that point in my life yet, and I'm really only speaking of a very small sampling of older post-menopausal women. Seems to me that it only makes sense that God would make us that way. It's always seemed pretty simple to me, he gave men the drive, and women the brakes. Otherwise we would spend so much time reproducing, and very little time doing anything else. I don't know that's just my simple way of thinking about things.
Excuse me if this is too much information, but I don't suppose at 80 getting it on will be all that important to me. By then hubby and I, if we are still alive, and still together may want to, but I'm not all that worried about if we don't, or can't either. Heck, I'll be surprised if we get around to more than hollering "just wait til my social security check get's here, I'm leaving," at each other at various times throughout the day.
I really can't talk about this anymore, I'm getting grossed out. Anyway, yes, I'm sick of the dumb ads for e.d. as well. Oh, and they took $900.00 out of my husband's last paycheck for taxes. We are officially paying enough to support a whole 'nother family now. Actually, two families really given my tax burdens as well. That's for a 2 week pay period. $900 to these mother fuckers.
Retirement? Umm, we don't have one. I guess we'll be too busy working until the day we fucking die to worry about if hubby can still get it up or not.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Welcome To Our Town
You DO Feel Welcome Don't You?
Yes, Yes, Yes, I remember the times my mother would take us back to visit relatives, and in our yearly drive across Kansas we had two responsibilities, 1. Watch for cops 2. Look out for cops. That's when mom demonstrated what a deviant she really is. She got that 1976 Olds 98 up to a nice cruising speed of 90 m.p.h. and we watched for the fuzz. Mom taught us how to speed, and how not to get caught.
The first rule is, when speeding, always, always, slow down to the speed limit when passing through little podunk towns. Cops love to hang out at the entrance to town and give out of towners tickets. This isn't news to anyone is it? Second, always do the speed limit by and around rest areas. Duh! Thirdly, if the trucks are all slowing down to speed limit, then by golly follow their lead. They do have communication devices on board. Now these are just some general guidelines to follow. I don't speed at all so I don't really need to use these rules, and I most certainly don't condone speeding. My mom was just always a rebel that's all, times have changed, and they don't make cars like they used to either.
Now, you'll never believe what the officials in our great city have done here, and to be honest I think it is just down right tacky, pushy, and threatening as well. You know those signs they have now that can give messages like, "I-5 closed ahead" and so on? Well, the one we have here flashes, "Under Arrest!" "Over the Limit!" I mean really. I almost crapped my pants when I came speeding into town today and saw a sign that said, "Under Arrest, Over the limit!"
At first I didn't know what to make of it. I thought it was saying that I was over the speed limit, and that I was going to be arrested, which in fact I was not, but I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to slow down just in case.
Then I realized what it was, it was just nothing more then the everyday harrassment we endure from the local government. My God, now they have freakin' message boards harrassing us stupid criminals. Somebody is getting too darn big for the britches if you ask me. This is just too much. This is way worse than the little podunk town cops getting a few speeders, this is blatant harrassment. Under Arrest my ass. Kiss it.
How about a "Welcome to Our Town!" "Hope you enjoy your stay." Spend some money. See the sights. Stay a while, then leave please. Don't move here, especially if you are a meat hating granola eating cud chewer with too much money on your hands.
Yes, Yes, Yes, I remember the times my mother would take us back to visit relatives, and in our yearly drive across Kansas we had two responsibilities, 1. Watch for cops 2. Look out for cops. That's when mom demonstrated what a deviant she really is. She got that 1976 Olds 98 up to a nice cruising speed of 90 m.p.h. and we watched for the fuzz. Mom taught us how to speed, and how not to get caught.
The first rule is, when speeding, always, always, slow down to the speed limit when passing through little podunk towns. Cops love to hang out at the entrance to town and give out of towners tickets. This isn't news to anyone is it? Second, always do the speed limit by and around rest areas. Duh! Thirdly, if the trucks are all slowing down to speed limit, then by golly follow their lead. They do have communication devices on board. Now these are just some general guidelines to follow. I don't speed at all so I don't really need to use these rules, and I most certainly don't condone speeding. My mom was just always a rebel that's all, times have changed, and they don't make cars like they used to either.
Now, you'll never believe what the officials in our great city have done here, and to be honest I think it is just down right tacky, pushy, and threatening as well. You know those signs they have now that can give messages like, "I-5 closed ahead" and so on? Well, the one we have here flashes, "Under Arrest!" "Over the Limit!" I mean really. I almost crapped my pants when I came speeding into town today and saw a sign that said, "Under Arrest, Over the limit!"
At first I didn't know what to make of it. I thought it was saying that I was over the speed limit, and that I was going to be arrested, which in fact I was not, but I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to slow down just in case.
Then I realized what it was, it was just nothing more then the everyday harrassment we endure from the local government. My God, now they have freakin' message boards harrassing us stupid criminals. Somebody is getting too darn big for the britches if you ask me. This is just too much. This is way worse than the little podunk town cops getting a few speeders, this is blatant harrassment. Under Arrest my ass. Kiss it.
How about a "Welcome to Our Town!" "Hope you enjoy your stay." Spend some money. See the sights. Stay a while, then leave please. Don't move here, especially if you are a meat hating granola eating cud chewer with too much money on your hands.
Soulmates
Bonding At The Video Store.
We share a special bond. I guess we've been together so long that our biological processes are almost perfectly timed now. Apparently that is. After a lovely dinner at a local Italian restaurant as we drove home we decided we would stop and rent just one movie, and that way we could enjoy some time together alone on the couch watching it.
We entered the store and started walking the wall looking for something of interest. I wandered along faster than he did and soon I found myself all alone on the north east corner of the store, just as well I thought because after eating such a rich dinner there seemed to be a humongous gas bubble banging around inside me waiting to be let out. It was really hurting. I looked around, no one was in sight, I let a bit go, it didn't stink I thought, so I decided to just let the wind blow and feel better.
That's when I realized that the initial smell test I did was completely wrong, that in fact not only did it stink, it stank really really bad. It was the thick smelling kind that just hangs there not willing to dissapate and leave. Just then my husband wanders by, "oh my gosh, I'm glad to see you, we need to leave this area immediately!" I tell him. "Why?" He asks. "I've got horrible gas, and it stinks, smell the air." I replied.
"Eww. Oh my gosh it does stink!" He announces. "Yes, I know, now come on, there are teen agers walking this way," and I duck down the aisle. We weave in and out of aisle's trying to get as far away as possible, and that's when I say, "we've got to get out of here, forget the movie, this is too embarrassing, let's go." And he agreed. As we made our way through the rows of movies, he tells me that he too just experienced extreme gas pains on the other side of the store, and thought he was alone and let it out only to find that indeed he was not alone, and some woman walked by him and said, "Excuse Me!" So, he said, "Excuse me!" right back to her.
That's when I saw the teen agers come out of the area where I had left the horrible stench, and they were laughing uncontrollably, the look on their faces told it all. I know they knew we did it, my only salvation is that I got out of there before he did, so it looks more like he did it then I did, or at least that's what I'm hoping. I tell you it was a bad one.
We got to the car both humiliated and laughing hysterically at each other. It was bad, we both had tummy aches, and had been overwhelmed to the point having to release it. It must have been something we ate. We never did get a movie to watch. All in all it was a good night though.
We share a special bond. I guess we've been together so long that our biological processes are almost perfectly timed now. Apparently that is. After a lovely dinner at a local Italian restaurant as we drove home we decided we would stop and rent just one movie, and that way we could enjoy some time together alone on the couch watching it.
We entered the store and started walking the wall looking for something of interest. I wandered along faster than he did and soon I found myself all alone on the north east corner of the store, just as well I thought because after eating such a rich dinner there seemed to be a humongous gas bubble banging around inside me waiting to be let out. It was really hurting. I looked around, no one was in sight, I let a bit go, it didn't stink I thought, so I decided to just let the wind blow and feel better.
That's when I realized that the initial smell test I did was completely wrong, that in fact not only did it stink, it stank really really bad. It was the thick smelling kind that just hangs there not willing to dissapate and leave. Just then my husband wanders by, "oh my gosh, I'm glad to see you, we need to leave this area immediately!" I tell him. "Why?" He asks. "I've got horrible gas, and it stinks, smell the air." I replied.
"Eww. Oh my gosh it does stink!" He announces. "Yes, I know, now come on, there are teen agers walking this way," and I duck down the aisle. We weave in and out of aisle's trying to get as far away as possible, and that's when I say, "we've got to get out of here, forget the movie, this is too embarrassing, let's go." And he agreed. As we made our way through the rows of movies, he tells me that he too just experienced extreme gas pains on the other side of the store, and thought he was alone and let it out only to find that indeed he was not alone, and some woman walked by him and said, "Excuse Me!" So, he said, "Excuse me!" right back to her.
That's when I saw the teen agers come out of the area where I had left the horrible stench, and they were laughing uncontrollably, the look on their faces told it all. I know they knew we did it, my only salvation is that I got out of there before he did, so it looks more like he did it then I did, or at least that's what I'm hoping. I tell you it was a bad one.
We got to the car both humiliated and laughing hysterically at each other. It was bad, we both had tummy aches, and had been overwhelmed to the point having to release it. It must have been something we ate. We never did get a movie to watch. All in all it was a good night though.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Computers Make Life Easier
Oh Yeah Right.
Of course they do. I love the ole computer. I adore technology when it is used for good, and not evil. Now, when I went to college twelve years ago, I still sometimes typed my papers out on a good old fashioned electric typewriter, and barely used a computer. Sure did. Heck, when I learned how to type way back in 1984 the teacher demanded that we all rotate and each get a chance to type on the electric one, but he preferred that we learn how to type on the manual typewriter, plus we only had 4 of the electric anyway.
I remember how he told us it was much more important that we type on the manual ones, and learn how to use them well, ironically I don't think I've ever used one since, but I darn well could if I had to. I guess he thought it would build the muscular finger strength we were going to need for the rest of our lives, and sure enough I do possess a great amount of finger strength, especially my middle one which I use in traffic all the time. That's what is wrong with kids these days you know. They've never had to actually fix any of their own mistakes, or even try hard not to make any, although I can't honestly say I'm much better and I did have to fix a lot of crap on that darn old type writer.
So there I was the other day at the college, about 2 years ago I decided I was going to go and enroll and take a class or two, and being such the procrastinator I've only just got around to going this week. Imagine how other areas of my life are fairing with such lack of direction. Actually there were other factors, or at least that's my story. Procrastinators are chronically abusing the "other factors" excuse, and I'm no exception. Anyway, so I went, mind you it's been 12 years or so since I've taken a class at any college.
I mentally prepared myself to deal with the lines, the go here cross this "T", and go there and dot this "I" silliness that caused me to drop out of college in the first place. I really do hate people who say, "well college shows that a person has sticktoitiveness, that they're able to finish something!" That is the biggest crock of bull hockey I've just about ever heard. Seriously. I think cleaning other people's toilets for the same amount of time just as easily demonstrates real committment, and even a willingness to put up with an awful lot of crap.
That being said, there is a time and place for everything. One class. I'll just start with that. I just want to get a feel for it, and see if I like it. That's all I'm going to say on it at the moment. I hate talking myself up about something and then it's not what I want, and then I look all wishy washy and stuff.
Oh my gosh I am completely sucking at telling this simple story. Well, I went down there, stood in line at the admission office waiting my turn. I get up there, "hello, I would like to take a class, what do I need to do? I don't see any application for admission sheets anywhere."
Extremely sarcastic looking woman replies, "you need to go over there to those computers and apply." All righty. Computer huh? This should be a breeze then. I'll be done and outta here with my class in no time. Umm, no. The computer doesn't give an answer until 72 hours later. The computer crashed while I was there. I had to go home and finish putting the application in. I'm still waiting for an answer. The computer says I'm a non-resident which is a load of hooey. And basically I can't pay for the class online anyway, so I'm going to have to go back out to the school on my day off, and they will undoubtedly want a lock of my dead great great grandmother's hair, and the deed to my home as proof that I do actually live in this state, and am in fact a resident taxpayer.
I would think that a college would have a more efficient system, it being an institution of higher learning and all, I mean heck, there are supposed to be smart people around there running the place right? Sure it's way way way better than the old days where it literally took a whole day to register for a class, but I'll tell ya, the staff is still the typical rude and indifferent government employee types like usual. I swear there are some sadistic people out there who really get off on wrecking people's days and wasting their time. It's a real turn on for some people. The more you protest or become angry, that's all the more pleasure they get out of it, which is cool if you are into that sort of thing, but I'm definitely not into being a doormat thank you very much.
Whatever. I'm over it. So, I'm waiting until my day off when I can hopefully get registered to take my class, and see if I like it, and go from there. At least I can use a computer to get me through this time. That will help so much, even if their system was absolutely useless in the process, I'm sure it helped someone at some point, just not me that's all.
Of course they do. I love the ole computer. I adore technology when it is used for good, and not evil. Now, when I went to college twelve years ago, I still sometimes typed my papers out on a good old fashioned electric typewriter, and barely used a computer. Sure did. Heck, when I learned how to type way back in 1984 the teacher demanded that we all rotate and each get a chance to type on the electric one, but he preferred that we learn how to type on the manual typewriter, plus we only had 4 of the electric anyway.
I remember how he told us it was much more important that we type on the manual ones, and learn how to use them well, ironically I don't think I've ever used one since, but I darn well could if I had to. I guess he thought it would build the muscular finger strength we were going to need for the rest of our lives, and sure enough I do possess a great amount of finger strength, especially my middle one which I use in traffic all the time. That's what is wrong with kids these days you know. They've never had to actually fix any of their own mistakes, or even try hard not to make any, although I can't honestly say I'm much better and I did have to fix a lot of crap on that darn old type writer.
So there I was the other day at the college, about 2 years ago I decided I was going to go and enroll and take a class or two, and being such the procrastinator I've only just got around to going this week. Imagine how other areas of my life are fairing with such lack of direction. Actually there were other factors, or at least that's my story. Procrastinators are chronically abusing the "other factors" excuse, and I'm no exception. Anyway, so I went, mind you it's been 12 years or so since I've taken a class at any college.
I mentally prepared myself to deal with the lines, the go here cross this "T", and go there and dot this "I" silliness that caused me to drop out of college in the first place. I really do hate people who say, "well college shows that a person has sticktoitiveness, that they're able to finish something!" That is the biggest crock of bull hockey I've just about ever heard. Seriously. I think cleaning other people's toilets for the same amount of time just as easily demonstrates real committment, and even a willingness to put up with an awful lot of crap.
That being said, there is a time and place for everything. One class. I'll just start with that. I just want to get a feel for it, and see if I like it. That's all I'm going to say on it at the moment. I hate talking myself up about something and then it's not what I want, and then I look all wishy washy and stuff.
Oh my gosh I am completely sucking at telling this simple story. Well, I went down there, stood in line at the admission office waiting my turn. I get up there, "hello, I would like to take a class, what do I need to do? I don't see any application for admission sheets anywhere."
Extremely sarcastic looking woman replies, "you need to go over there to those computers and apply." All righty. Computer huh? This should be a breeze then. I'll be done and outta here with my class in no time. Umm, no. The computer doesn't give an answer until 72 hours later. The computer crashed while I was there. I had to go home and finish putting the application in. I'm still waiting for an answer. The computer says I'm a non-resident which is a load of hooey. And basically I can't pay for the class online anyway, so I'm going to have to go back out to the school on my day off, and they will undoubtedly want a lock of my dead great great grandmother's hair, and the deed to my home as proof that I do actually live in this state, and am in fact a resident taxpayer.
I would think that a college would have a more efficient system, it being an institution of higher learning and all, I mean heck, there are supposed to be smart people around there running the place right? Sure it's way way way better than the old days where it literally took a whole day to register for a class, but I'll tell ya, the staff is still the typical rude and indifferent government employee types like usual. I swear there are some sadistic people out there who really get off on wrecking people's days and wasting their time. It's a real turn on for some people. The more you protest or become angry, that's all the more pleasure they get out of it, which is cool if you are into that sort of thing, but I'm definitely not into being a doormat thank you very much.
Whatever. I'm over it. So, I'm waiting until my day off when I can hopefully get registered to take my class, and see if I like it, and go from there. At least I can use a computer to get me through this time. That will help so much, even if their system was absolutely useless in the process, I'm sure it helped someone at some point, just not me that's all.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
I Don't Claim To Know
(repost)
All I know is that something is wrong. I believe we are a nation in a fair amount of turmoil. We've gone too far. We've become too dependent on the government solving our problems. We don't deal with conflicts amongst ourselves with any bit of fairness or maturity, and the gov is always there to step in and "mediate". Problem is, our gov is made up of people who are not impartial themselves, and who blatantly pursue their own betterment and interests right in front of us.
Today I heard the cashier at Wal-Mart telling the customer in front of me, who appeared to be of some aquaintance, that she only takes home about $200.00 every two weeks. I was appalled. We've all heard tales of how Wal-Mart employees depend on social programs to fill in the gaps, and make up for the low wages they are paid. No one in any city can live on that kind of money. We all know the trick of the trade in which employers hire only "part time" workers so that they can avoid paying out any sort of benefits like health insurance.
I realize some would say, "well, they can look for a better job, they don't have to work there..." and so on. Sure, I can see that I suppose. I know at one point I was so desperate for work I would have skipped with glee if I had a job at Wal-Mart. Here Wal-Mart can hire military wives, retirees, and so on and not have to worry about paying a living wage. Yes, I like the low prices at Wal-Mart, that's why I shop there, but I also can see that I can easily shop sales at other stores, stores which do actually pay their employees enough to live on, besides Wal-Mart's meat is disgusting, their produce is not all that great either, I generally have to go other places anyway.
Now I know I risk sounding like a liberal here, be that as it may, I can assure any that I'm far from it. I don't support pinko commie socialists at all. That doesn't mean that I think Corporations should be able to get over the way they do. There has to be a solution, one that doesn't necessarily involve turning to uncle sam, and regulating the hell out of businesses to the point that they would rather up and move to China then operate here. Besides, most of that regulation really hurts small businesses much more than rich corporations more than likely.
I don't give a flying rat carcass for the silver spoon fed rich. I honestly don't know how those people sleep at night. How does it feel to live so lavishly while one's employees feed from the public trough and live in poverty. I would be so embarrassed. Really.
Whenever talk of raising the minimum wage is raised, business owners are up in arms about how it will ruin their business and so on. Maybe so. I don't claim to know. But I ask myself, seriously, how many freakin' billions is enough for some of these people? Really! Sure, not every business owner is a multi millionaire. Some are just struggling folks who can't live with the idea of being pushed and prodded by human resources, and a plethora of managers anymore.
The bible speaks of this, the scripture has stuck with me, it goes something like this: It's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven. It's not that rich men are bad, or evil, but that I suppose people will do some rather ruthless and greedy things to become rich. Being rich is not what is really important. And not everyone who is rich is ruthless and greedy.
I guess it all boils down to what are we willing to pay for? As a society, it seems we place high dollar value on Hollywood actors, and professional sports players. It really doesn't take any amount of skill to empty a trash can I suppose, although, were there not people willing to do it, I would have to laugh to see some people trying. It does not take a whole lot of skill to stand at a cash register and scan items, push a few buttons and give out proper change, but it's not as easy as it might seem either. Try having a person who hasn't bathed in two days, who smoked a carton of cigarettes, drank a 5th of Jack, who is suffering from serious digestive problems breathing in your face and calling you an idiot for not working fast enough to suit them, it definitely takes a certain amount of determination not to tell that person to immediately go piss in a river.
Many times I have considered what my life would be like if I didn't have my husband, my partner, my rock to get through all of this with me. I chose carefully when it came to marriage. I'm afraid many people do not think ahead. I'm afraid many have been deluded into thinking that single parenthood was a viable option. Of course it can be done, it's not something I would recommend setting out to do on purpose. Sometimes there is no choice, many times hindsight would have been very helpful.
It is no accident that next year my husband and I will claim over $70,000.00 as our income. We made that happen. Perhaps it was just good luck, but we actively pursued our dreams or it wouldn't have happened otherwise. Two years ago we actually claimed just over $10,000 income. We've come a long way since then. That was a really really hard year for us. I honestly don't know how we did it.
We've made a series of choices that have led us to this point. My dad always says people get to where they are by a series of choices that they make. These are the choices we made. We chose to risk comfort for opportunity. We chose to sacrifice time together for advancement. We chose to be humble and ask for help, information and a shot. We choose to be drug free, he drinks a beer here and there, but for the most part we are alcohol free. We both choose to work in physically demanding jobs because they pay the best for the amount of education we have.
Before those choices were made, we chose each other. We each chose a stable partner, with a future. We chose to wait until we were married to have a child. We chose to drive crappy cars that stank because they were affordable. We've made some mistakes. Some real doozies. We've paid for them. We'll make more I'm sure.
I don't know where we'll be tomorrow. Perhaps things could happen to land us at the bottom of the pay scale, making nothing, hoping for something. It could happen. At least we'll have each other.
In my mind, I could still end up making 5.15/hour somewhere. Nothing is promised. I just can't imagine what sort of person would feel comfortable paying their employees a wage like that. They must know they can't barely live on that. I think I'll lay off Wal-Mart shopping for a while. I'm really disgusted with them. We'll see how long that lasts. Freaking Crack-Mart.
p.s. I posted this because I thought it was one of my better posts that wasn't a bunch of ranting and raving about silly stuff. Plus, it's practically new again.
Anything At All.
All I know is that something is wrong. I believe we are a nation in a fair amount of turmoil. We've gone too far. We've become too dependent on the government solving our problems. We don't deal with conflicts amongst ourselves with any bit of fairness or maturity, and the gov is always there to step in and "mediate". Problem is, our gov is made up of people who are not impartial themselves, and who blatantly pursue their own betterment and interests right in front of us.
Today I heard the cashier at Wal-Mart telling the customer in front of me, who appeared to be of some aquaintance, that she only takes home about $200.00 every two weeks. I was appalled. We've all heard tales of how Wal-Mart employees depend on social programs to fill in the gaps, and make up for the low wages they are paid. No one in any city can live on that kind of money. We all know the trick of the trade in which employers hire only "part time" workers so that they can avoid paying out any sort of benefits like health insurance.
I realize some would say, "well, they can look for a better job, they don't have to work there..." and so on. Sure, I can see that I suppose. I know at one point I was so desperate for work I would have skipped with glee if I had a job at Wal-Mart. Here Wal-Mart can hire military wives, retirees, and so on and not have to worry about paying a living wage. Yes, I like the low prices at Wal-Mart, that's why I shop there, but I also can see that I can easily shop sales at other stores, stores which do actually pay their employees enough to live on, besides Wal-Mart's meat is disgusting, their produce is not all that great either, I generally have to go other places anyway.
Now I know I risk sounding like a liberal here, be that as it may, I can assure any that I'm far from it. I don't support pinko commie socialists at all. That doesn't mean that I think Corporations should be able to get over the way they do. There has to be a solution, one that doesn't necessarily involve turning to uncle sam, and regulating the hell out of businesses to the point that they would rather up and move to China then operate here. Besides, most of that regulation really hurts small businesses much more than rich corporations more than likely.
I don't give a flying rat carcass for the silver spoon fed rich. I honestly don't know how those people sleep at night. How does it feel to live so lavishly while one's employees feed from the public trough and live in poverty. I would be so embarrassed. Really.
Whenever talk of raising the minimum wage is raised, business owners are up in arms about how it will ruin their business and so on. Maybe so. I don't claim to know. But I ask myself, seriously, how many freakin' billions is enough for some of these people? Really! Sure, not every business owner is a multi millionaire. Some are just struggling folks who can't live with the idea of being pushed and prodded by human resources, and a plethora of managers anymore.
The bible speaks of this, the scripture has stuck with me, it goes something like this: It's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven. It's not that rich men are bad, or evil, but that I suppose people will do some rather ruthless and greedy things to become rich. Being rich is not what is really important. And not everyone who is rich is ruthless and greedy.
I guess it all boils down to what are we willing to pay for? As a society, it seems we place high dollar value on Hollywood actors, and professional sports players. It really doesn't take any amount of skill to empty a trash can I suppose, although, were there not people willing to do it, I would have to laugh to see some people trying. It does not take a whole lot of skill to stand at a cash register and scan items, push a few buttons and give out proper change, but it's not as easy as it might seem either. Try having a person who hasn't bathed in two days, who smoked a carton of cigarettes, drank a 5th of Jack, who is suffering from serious digestive problems breathing in your face and calling you an idiot for not working fast enough to suit them, it definitely takes a certain amount of determination not to tell that person to immediately go piss in a river.
Many times I have considered what my life would be like if I didn't have my husband, my partner, my rock to get through all of this with me. I chose carefully when it came to marriage. I'm afraid many people do not think ahead. I'm afraid many have been deluded into thinking that single parenthood was a viable option. Of course it can be done, it's not something I would recommend setting out to do on purpose. Sometimes there is no choice, many times hindsight would have been very helpful.
It is no accident that next year my husband and I will claim over $70,000.00 as our income. We made that happen. Perhaps it was just good luck, but we actively pursued our dreams or it wouldn't have happened otherwise. Two years ago we actually claimed just over $10,000 income. We've come a long way since then. That was a really really hard year for us. I honestly don't know how we did it.
We've made a series of choices that have led us to this point. My dad always says people get to where they are by a series of choices that they make. These are the choices we made. We chose to risk comfort for opportunity. We chose to sacrifice time together for advancement. We chose to be humble and ask for help, information and a shot. We choose to be drug free, he drinks a beer here and there, but for the most part we are alcohol free. We both choose to work in physically demanding jobs because they pay the best for the amount of education we have.
Before those choices were made, we chose each other. We each chose a stable partner, with a future. We chose to wait until we were married to have a child. We chose to drive crappy cars that stank because they were affordable. We've made some mistakes. Some real doozies. We've paid for them. We'll make more I'm sure.
I don't know where we'll be tomorrow. Perhaps things could happen to land us at the bottom of the pay scale, making nothing, hoping for something. It could happen. At least we'll have each other.
In my mind, I could still end up making 5.15/hour somewhere. Nothing is promised. I just can't imagine what sort of person would feel comfortable paying their employees a wage like that. They must know they can't barely live on that. I think I'll lay off Wal-Mart shopping for a while. I'm really disgusted with them. We'll see how long that lasts. Freaking Crack-Mart.
p.s. I posted this because I thought it was one of my better posts that wasn't a bunch of ranting and raving about silly stuff. Plus, it's practically new again.
Monday, August 07, 2006
I Was In A Rut
But Now I'm Just Annoyed.
A spider just ran up the screen of the monitor. My two week depression continues. I have had fights with my husband, my brother, my supervisor, my best friend, who is also my hair stylist, two major corporations, and well I've just about had enough. I swear it's not me. I truly believe it is not I with the problem.
The little spider continues to run around the screen, and I have a list of people and things that I am just freakin over. Over I say. Heck I've taken on huge corporations in the past week. I'm over them too. What did I get for my troubles? A bait and a switch and now a stupid dish on top of my house. I feel really suckered on that one.
It was supposed to be some package deal thing. Get the phone, internet and direct t.v. for certain low prices. Sure, I'll try it. Phone got turned on-check. Internet thingy came in the mail-check. Guy came out and installed dish thingy-check. Only after he installed the darn thing in 3 rooms did he come to me with the phone and say, "this lady wants to talk to you."
I answer the phone, and on the other end is a woman with a distintively Indian accent telling me that the package I signed up for is no longer available, and would I like this other package that cost $30 more a month. "Umm, no. I would like the package that was offered to me when I signed up for your junk." Long story short, she refused to honor the deal--after all the stuff had already been installed in, on and atop my house. Not a good start to what is supposed to be a loving relationship if you ask me. What could I do? Well I'll tell you what I could do, instead of yacking with that woman on the phone, I should have been telling the technician to uninstall the stuff, but at that point I hadn't realized just how screwed this company was.
Dumb thing I did was accept the stupid thing. That was a big mistake. I was trying to be nice to the man who was sweating profusely from installing that junk in near 100 degree heat. It wasn't his fault I told myself. Well, I was just plain wrong. Once I realized the bait and switch had happened I should have said, get this shit off my house. The guy leaves, I'm still arguing with the woman on the phone. Finally, I take some other thing which is $48+/month instead of the $39/month they promised me to begin with. Thing is I could have gone with cable. I'm really not this cheap, I swear I'm not, but cable, internet and all these things add up monthly, I was offered a fairly decent deal, which in the end was not honored at all. Dang it, it was the principle of the thing anyway. The whole thing seemed very shady.
Hubby comes home, he goes to install the internet thingy that came in the mail a few days earlier, and after multiple tries is still unable to install the thing. It seems the dish dude had run it through the phone line somehow and that was probably interfering with the internet thingy, but the thing could have been broke even, we don't know, and the phone company told my husband it would be $100 for them to come out and take a look at the thing. Ridiculous. My husband knows his way around a computer well enough to know there was something wrong and it wasn't his installation process.
That was it. And when I say it, I meant it. First I called the dish t.v. people and said, I would like to have this thing uninstalled, and I will no longer be using the service, that I am massively disappointed with the company up to that point, and have decided I would happily do without being ripped off. "We don't uninstall the things ma'am, we just put it up there, you need to go on your roof and figure out how to get the thing down, and what to do with the 300 feet of wires we ran all over the back of your house." At least that's ultimately what they were telling me.
"What do you mean you don't uninstall the thing, how am I supposed to know how to do that? If I knew about all this stuff don't you think I wouldn't have needed a technician to install it. That's the final straw, your company sucks I never want anything to do with direct dish t.v. ever again. Seriously. You all really suck." Which is ultimately what I told them after I asked to speak to a supervisor to voice my concerns, I was summarily disconnected. Yep, hung up on. I called back and was treated sarcastically and rudely by the next person as well, but at least she did cancel the service for me. Yes, the stupid dish thing is still sitting on top of my house. Seriously, how am I to get that thing down?
Well, we will get it down eventually, but it's a shame and a horrible reflection of that company. I will never even consider having one of those things again. Oh, and while I'm at it, I called the stupid phone company who sold me this craptacular package with the direct t.v. and the internet thingy and told them to take their internet and shove it straight up a place that polite people never speak of. They could not understand my disappointment, and that I would be frustrated that they set me up this crappy service, and wanted to charge me $100 to come and fix the junk they sent. The phone lady even threatened me that I was going to have to pay $200 to get out of the "service" to which I laughed and said, "oh yeah right, like hell I am, and go ahead and cancel my phone service too then, I don't need it, I do have 4 cell phones anyway." Somehow she suddenly decided to change the tune and say, "oh, I made a mistake, you won't be billed that $200 because you cancelled within the first 30 days..."
We ended up going with the cable afterall. It's all set up, and I am so glad we did. Yes, it sucks that they put that stupid dish on top of our house and refused to get it down, but at least I'm not paying them any money each month. I'm really not as unhappy and angry as I sound. I swear I'm not. I am however a person who has to be pushed really hard to be made so angry. I'm the type of person who doesn't say anything when my order is screwed up. I just take things as they come. These people pushed me to the point that I want absolutely nothing to do with their companies. I'm so over satellite dishes. And I'm off to bed now. I'm pooped.
A spider just ran up the screen of the monitor. My two week depression continues. I have had fights with my husband, my brother, my supervisor, my best friend, who is also my hair stylist, two major corporations, and well I've just about had enough. I swear it's not me. I truly believe it is not I with the problem.
The little spider continues to run around the screen, and I have a list of people and things that I am just freakin over. Over I say. Heck I've taken on huge corporations in the past week. I'm over them too. What did I get for my troubles? A bait and a switch and now a stupid dish on top of my house. I feel really suckered on that one.
It was supposed to be some package deal thing. Get the phone, internet and direct t.v. for certain low prices. Sure, I'll try it. Phone got turned on-check. Internet thingy came in the mail-check. Guy came out and installed dish thingy-check. Only after he installed the darn thing in 3 rooms did he come to me with the phone and say, "this lady wants to talk to you."
I answer the phone, and on the other end is a woman with a distintively Indian accent telling me that the package I signed up for is no longer available, and would I like this other package that cost $30 more a month. "Umm, no. I would like the package that was offered to me when I signed up for your junk." Long story short, she refused to honor the deal--after all the stuff had already been installed in, on and atop my house. Not a good start to what is supposed to be a loving relationship if you ask me. What could I do? Well I'll tell you what I could do, instead of yacking with that woman on the phone, I should have been telling the technician to uninstall the stuff, but at that point I hadn't realized just how screwed this company was.
Dumb thing I did was accept the stupid thing. That was a big mistake. I was trying to be nice to the man who was sweating profusely from installing that junk in near 100 degree heat. It wasn't his fault I told myself. Well, I was just plain wrong. Once I realized the bait and switch had happened I should have said, get this shit off my house. The guy leaves, I'm still arguing with the woman on the phone. Finally, I take some other thing which is $48+/month instead of the $39/month they promised me to begin with. Thing is I could have gone with cable. I'm really not this cheap, I swear I'm not, but cable, internet and all these things add up monthly, I was offered a fairly decent deal, which in the end was not honored at all. Dang it, it was the principle of the thing anyway. The whole thing seemed very shady.
Hubby comes home, he goes to install the internet thingy that came in the mail a few days earlier, and after multiple tries is still unable to install the thing. It seems the dish dude had run it through the phone line somehow and that was probably interfering with the internet thingy, but the thing could have been broke even, we don't know, and the phone company told my husband it would be $100 for them to come out and take a look at the thing. Ridiculous. My husband knows his way around a computer well enough to know there was something wrong and it wasn't his installation process.
That was it. And when I say it, I meant it. First I called the dish t.v. people and said, I would like to have this thing uninstalled, and I will no longer be using the service, that I am massively disappointed with the company up to that point, and have decided I would happily do without being ripped off. "We don't uninstall the things ma'am, we just put it up there, you need to go on your roof and figure out how to get the thing down, and what to do with the 300 feet of wires we ran all over the back of your house." At least that's ultimately what they were telling me.
"What do you mean you don't uninstall the thing, how am I supposed to know how to do that? If I knew about all this stuff don't you think I wouldn't have needed a technician to install it. That's the final straw, your company sucks I never want anything to do with direct dish t.v. ever again. Seriously. You all really suck." Which is ultimately what I told them after I asked to speak to a supervisor to voice my concerns, I was summarily disconnected. Yep, hung up on. I called back and was treated sarcastically and rudely by the next person as well, but at least she did cancel the service for me. Yes, the stupid dish thing is still sitting on top of my house. Seriously, how am I to get that thing down?
Well, we will get it down eventually, but it's a shame and a horrible reflection of that company. I will never even consider having one of those things again. Oh, and while I'm at it, I called the stupid phone company who sold me this craptacular package with the direct t.v. and the internet thingy and told them to take their internet and shove it straight up a place that polite people never speak of. They could not understand my disappointment, and that I would be frustrated that they set me up this crappy service, and wanted to charge me $100 to come and fix the junk they sent. The phone lady even threatened me that I was going to have to pay $200 to get out of the "service" to which I laughed and said, "oh yeah right, like hell I am, and go ahead and cancel my phone service too then, I don't need it, I do have 4 cell phones anyway." Somehow she suddenly decided to change the tune and say, "oh, I made a mistake, you won't be billed that $200 because you cancelled within the first 30 days..."
We ended up going with the cable afterall. It's all set up, and I am so glad we did. Yes, it sucks that they put that stupid dish on top of our house and refused to get it down, but at least I'm not paying them any money each month. I'm really not as unhappy and angry as I sound. I swear I'm not. I am however a person who has to be pushed really hard to be made so angry. I'm the type of person who doesn't say anything when my order is screwed up. I just take things as they come. These people pushed me to the point that I want absolutely nothing to do with their companies. I'm so over satellite dishes. And I'm off to bed now. I'm pooped.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
I'm Still Here
Update.
Who has time for fancy titles these days? I know I certainly don't. Now that we've moved back into the house we used to rent last year, and we're finally all settled, I thought I would take a moment to put something out there for posterity, or for my two friends who read this here mess.
So we bought the house, we moved back in, and are steadily trying to make the place comfy and cozy. Ten giant bags of lawn cuttings later, our yard is starting to look less like a good hiding place for a herd of antelope, and more like a nice place for our dog to do his business. The weeds have come close to overtaking the place, so hubby is weeding and feeding like crazy hoping to get rid of the EVIL thistle (scroll down to 16 January 1988 to get a clue what we're dealing with here) which I hate and wonder what exactly it's purpose is in the overall scheme of life and the food chain. Believe me, we're going to be talking a lot about thistle, it has spread to all corners of the yard, and it is now our mission in life to destroy it as soon as possible. The stuff is tough, and untouchable by delicate human hands.
I'm still a non-smoker right at 3 months now, but it's been really hard lately with all the stress of moving and things that are happening in my life right now, I wish I had my handy dandy old friend Mister Nicotine to help me through this stress. I don't know how or why, but when I feel stressed the old cravings start to kick in, but I'm not giving up, it's better to crave it once in a while than every 20 minutes of every day. At least that's what I'm telling myself so that I can stay firmly on the wagon. I wish I had something to replace smoking with, but even sitting here blogging makes me want to light up one and puff away. I tried to replace it with beer, a much more socially acceptable drug than smoking cigarettes, but for some reason I find the idea of becoming an alcoholic so late in life a bit dramatic, and really I don't much like the taste of alcohol anyway.
There is of course food as a wonderful alternative to smoking, but I'm pretty much already as addicted to food as I can be, I'm happy to announce that 3 months after quitting smoking I still fit all of my pants, although they are a bit more snug than usual, and one of my buttons did pop off of my work pants, but it also has one of those hook things on it too, so I can still wear them, and they actually feel better now that the button isn't making that indentation in my belly still.
Basically I haven't found a suitable replacement to smoking. I have become quite addicted to going swimming though, I don't know if that is related at all, but just as I suspected being a non smoker is boring as hell. And that pretty much explains why non-smokers are drawn to doing stupid things like climbing mountains, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and eating boca burgers instead of good old fashioned hamburgers. Smoking used to be fun, and frankly, it was something to do. Now I have nothing to do. Honestly, I've been quite bored as a non-smoker. Either that or there just aren't that many things I would rather do than have a coke and a smoke and a good talk about anything at all.
I guess that's enough of an update for now since I forgot to post this and was off reading blogs and emails and stuff. I will be back soon this time. I actually have access to the net again at my convenience.
Who has time for fancy titles these days? I know I certainly don't. Now that we've moved back into the house we used to rent last year, and we're finally all settled, I thought I would take a moment to put something out there for posterity, or for my two friends who read this here mess.
So we bought the house, we moved back in, and are steadily trying to make the place comfy and cozy. Ten giant bags of lawn cuttings later, our yard is starting to look less like a good hiding place for a herd of antelope, and more like a nice place for our dog to do his business. The weeds have come close to overtaking the place, so hubby is weeding and feeding like crazy hoping to get rid of the EVIL thistle (scroll down to 16 January 1988 to get a clue what we're dealing with here) which I hate and wonder what exactly it's purpose is in the overall scheme of life and the food chain. Believe me, we're going to be talking a lot about thistle, it has spread to all corners of the yard, and it is now our mission in life to destroy it as soon as possible. The stuff is tough, and untouchable by delicate human hands.
I'm still a non-smoker right at 3 months now, but it's been really hard lately with all the stress of moving and things that are happening in my life right now, I wish I had my handy dandy old friend Mister Nicotine to help me through this stress. I don't know how or why, but when I feel stressed the old cravings start to kick in, but I'm not giving up, it's better to crave it once in a while than every 20 minutes of every day. At least that's what I'm telling myself so that I can stay firmly on the wagon. I wish I had something to replace smoking with, but even sitting here blogging makes me want to light up one and puff away. I tried to replace it with beer, a much more socially acceptable drug than smoking cigarettes, but for some reason I find the idea of becoming an alcoholic so late in life a bit dramatic, and really I don't much like the taste of alcohol anyway.
There is of course food as a wonderful alternative to smoking, but I'm pretty much already as addicted to food as I can be, I'm happy to announce that 3 months after quitting smoking I still fit all of my pants, although they are a bit more snug than usual, and one of my buttons did pop off of my work pants, but it also has one of those hook things on it too, so I can still wear them, and they actually feel better now that the button isn't making that indentation in my belly still.
Basically I haven't found a suitable replacement to smoking. I have become quite addicted to going swimming though, I don't know if that is related at all, but just as I suspected being a non smoker is boring as hell. And that pretty much explains why non-smokers are drawn to doing stupid things like climbing mountains, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and eating boca burgers instead of good old fashioned hamburgers. Smoking used to be fun, and frankly, it was something to do. Now I have nothing to do. Honestly, I've been quite bored as a non-smoker. Either that or there just aren't that many things I would rather do than have a coke and a smoke and a good talk about anything at all.
I guess that's enough of an update for now since I forgot to post this and was off reading blogs and emails and stuff. I will be back soon this time. I actually have access to the net again at my convenience.
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