Getting back to basics....

I am beginning to think that everything that is wrong with our country is everything that we are so proud of.  All the technology.  America, where we can send a man to the moon, talk on our cell phones and drive, and text each other from across the SAME room!!  Am I the only one who sees an issue here?  We are raising a generation of children who won't have lived without a cell phone.  I worked with a girl who was constantly texting and checking her phone.  When I asked her to turn it off, she said it would cause her an anxiety attack.  Seriously.  Checking your phone while doing patient care, if I was the patient I would be pretty disgusted.  When did we become so dependent on these things?  Used to be if you called someone and they didn't answer you left a message, or assumed they weren't home and decided you'd try again later.  God forbid you don't answer your phone or a text now within 30 seconds, people are ready to send out a search party.  Sometimes, I don't even know where my phone is and sometimes I turn it off (gasp).  Sometimes, I don't want to talk to you. 
We are raising our kids to be socially retarded.  How about actually talking to each other, in full sentences?  Not all this text speak.  How about sitting down to a family meal and discussing our days rather than texting your kids from the McDonald's drive through asking what they want for dinner?  Maybe I am old fashioned but I really miss the simple way life used to be.  When I was growing up, there was one fat kid in your class.  Now there is one skinny kid......coincidence?  When you sit on your butt playing video games eating junk 3 meals a day what do you propose would happen?  On summer days when I was a kid my mom literally locked us out of the house.  She fed us, send us out, let us in for lunch, then back out till supper.  And guess what, it encouraged us to be creative.  We built villages of acorn people, made potions of mud and grass, played in the sandbox, jumped rope, rode bikes, went for walks.  We played all day long and had fun.  Now you send kids outside to play they look at you like you have horns growing out of your head.  We need to get back to the basics of family.  When you knew what your kids were doing in school, who their friends were, where they were at all times.  When you sat down to dinner, baked cookies together, went for bike rides.  I feel so close to my family, because I really know them.  I was raised with them, I have spent hours and hours talking and playing and praying with them.  We always knew what each other were feeling, good or bad.  We need to end this disconnect we have and start caring for each other as human beings again, as friends.  So put down the phone, and come on over, sit on my deck with me and let's have a burger.

Political rant.....I really am on a roll.

Today I am veering off point.  We all know I have a fat ass, it is getting smaller.  But this country is going down the shitter fast.  So today I want to focus on that.  Here goes...  Feel free to share comments or de-friend me after reading.

While I don't necessarily agree with the current health care bill I do think that the health care system in this country needs a serious overhaul. I have two kids who have had chronic and ongoing health problems which now render them virtually uninsurable. Is that fair, that a health insurance company can look at their health history and basically turn them down or make it so expensive that I (or them when they reach adulthood) would have to work full time just to pay for health care?

Yet an illegal can come into this country, have themselves an "anchor" baby and get themselves some nice free government subsidized health care, food stamps, etc. Many of them can't speak a lick of English yet they seem to be able to find the line for FREE social services. The whole system is flawed. The whole system needs help. Does anyone else have any better ideas. We are all quick to offer criticism, but does anyone have a good answer? Is doing nothing like our last "President" did better than trying something like our current President? If someone hands you a bowl of shit, it's going to take more than wishing and bitching to make it into chocolate pudding! Give the guy a chance.....

There is no one answer for every single situation. I am not for abortion, I personally for myself could never have one. But do I think that a young girl who was raped or a victim of incest be forced to have a baby? Do I feel that I have the right to tell another adult woman what she should feel or want to do with her body. HELL NO! Or to have the baby that one is totally unprepared for or unable to care for and then add more mouths that will end up in foster care or on food stamps and in the end we end up paying and caring for these kids anyway. The kinds of families that these things kinds of things happen in aren't white picket fences, suburbs, private schools and good health insurance. They are mostly under privileged, undereducated, and poverty stricken. I am not about to tell a scared teenager that was raped or molested that I shouldn't have to pay for her abortion. Who else if going to help her, her crack addicted mother, or the father that raped her?

From the bottom up the system is broken. We have seen the headlines, the stories. In this country every day there are children being raped, abused, going hungry, atrocious situations that if we aren't touched by them we can pretend they aren't going on. But they are happening. And we can send millions of dollars to Haiti, Darfur, Iraq, or wherever else. We can spend our time and non existent resources chasing down ghosts in Afghanistan. We can kill a generation of young men and women that will never contribute to the greater good, fighting a century old religious war that no one will ever win, except GOD. Last I checked we don't even have the money, it's IOU's. Our money is worth nothing. We are in debt up to our eyeballs. I am not saying not to help other countries, but we are in a piss poor place to play world savior. Time to sweep off our porch before marching onto others and demanding they sweep theirs.

We need better education, better health care, better border patrol, better sex education in schools. I could go on and on and on. I know people don't want more government, or government teaching our kids about sex. Or controlling our health care, but in order for that to happen we need more RESPONSIBLE ADULTS to teach their kids, and take care of their business. Sadly, I don't see the easy solution here. Or anything changing drastically anytime soon. Where are the incentives for not being a dead beat drain on society? Maybe those of us that are hard working, bill paying, taking care of our kids should see some rewards. But no, there is nothing for us! So, why would any of these society drains ever change, it is so easy for them to stay the way they are. Hell, why not sit at home and cook meth, sell it to the neighbor kids, and create crime and havoc while the government pays for your health care and groceries? All, while their working class neighbors take the screwing......

Another one down....

Well, since I am still alive and kicking it looks like I have survived my 29th Wisconsin winter.  Let's not say I made it though with flying colors, but I made it.  That is the important thing.  It certainly was a roller coaster.  I always do better the first half rather than the latter.  I think the anticipation and love I have for Christmas keeps me going, but once we past January 1st I hit the downhill slide.  Now that it has warmed, I can get some sun.  Wow, did I miss it.  I also see signs of green, spring bulbs slender stems poking up through the mud.  Just being able to walk outside without putting on 50 lbs worth of clothes......awesome.  I am especially proud of myself because I piled even more adversity on top of the already tough winter months.  I started my journey to a healthier self in January, and in spite of the violent mood swings and bouts of crying was able to lose 21 lbs in the process!  Yay for me!  Yay for all the crazies who survived.  I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life actually.  I turn 30 in August.  I used to dread this birthday, but I am starting to embrace it.  I want to meet it being the best me I have been in a long time!  I am exited to see how this year plays out, lets just pray it plays into my hand.......

For Sale: My glass half empty mentality.......

Seriously, someone come take it.  I'd probably even give it to you.  Why is it always such a struggle for me to focus on the positive?  I try so hard, but Debbie Downer always creeps in and starts giving her two cents!  I hate that aspect of my personality.  So today, I am going to list out some positive things going on in my life.  Then I can come here later and read this after I throw Debbie out.  So, we finally have put our house up for sale and hopefully it will sell and our country dreams can be realized.  Wait, that doesn't sound positive!  It WILL SELL and my country dreams WILL be realized!  LOL!!  After our house sells, we can pay off our car and we will be 100% debt free!!  WHOO HOO!  This year has so far been pretty amazing.  I have adopted a healthier lifestyle for my family, and in the process I have lost 18 lbs.  All of my children's lingering health problems while ongoing are very much under control.  We found an amazing doctor who has helped us turn Sarah's asthma/allergy/skin problems around for the better.  So instead of controlling our lives we have that under control and manageable for the first time in her life.  I have a nice dog and this week we will be adding another puppy to the brood.  It might be crazy for a while but in the long run I will have to nice family pets!  I am living, breathing, and feeling good!  I have a great job as a nanny for my great friends Erica & Brian.  Their kids are great, and I love getting to spend time with them.  It has really fulfilled that mothering needing to be needed thing that I have always had inside of me.  The best part has been watching their little man, Sean.  I have been there from before he arrived to now, watching him grow and learn is awesome.  It really has helped me heal after my tubal pregnancy and subsequent loss.  I have much less stress in my life.  A lot more laughs, and a lot more time to just enjoy it and live in the moment.  I am blessed.  So take that DEBBIE!!