10/1/13 - Tuesday Thoughts

I usually have every other Friday afternoon off from work - but it was a really busy time so I switched things around and took Tuesday instead....and decided to take the entire day - not just the afternoon.

What a difference - I felt as if I lived in a different city, maybe even on a different planet today.....once I got through the morning commuter traffic (something I'm not used to because of my own very short commute)....it became a world of plenty - plenty of room to wander store aisles, plenty of cash registers to ring up my purchases, and the entire mani/pedi spa to myself.  It might have been a bit lonely, except that one of my old neighbors and good friends is a government employee who was furloughed this morning....so we met for lunch at Silver Diner.

And if you happen to have one of these in your neighborhood....check them out.  They've completely revamped their menu with a focus on using local sources and cooking fresh.  I had lamb sliders - an unexpected combination which was quite wonderful - it was served with a greek salad that I found a bit unorthodox but tasty.  (having eaten greek salad in Greece, I know the difference).

Which brings me to the government shutdown.  No matter the reasoning behind the impasse, there's one thing that troubles me greatly.  It's not easy to enact a law - you have to have agreement between both houses of the legislative branch as well as the President....and in some cases, if the validity of the law is contested, you even need the approval of the Supreme Court - the judicial branch.

After all that - shouldn't a law be a law unless/until it is repealed?  If a minority of our elected government can invalidate a law at will.....then whats the value of having a law in the first place?

If I'm a business owner, should I stop following OSHA safety regulations or should  I  not pay taxes hoping that part of the government will decide to defund the law that allows the IRS to collect money from me or the law that makes me provide a safe workplace?

For that matter - how can I make any decisions about my life when the laws I am working with can be "defunded" at any time?  What if the teaparty conservatives decide that women aren't really equal to men - they can defund the law that guarantees me the right to mammograms covered by my insurance - or the law that keeps me from being fired because I happen to get pregnant?  Imagine being in the middle of negotiating the purchase of a house and then someone decides to defund the mortgage insurance program that lets me become a homeowner?

If you know me, you know how I feel about the Affordable Health Care Act - but even if this was about a law that I disliked  (and there are many), I'd still believe it was wrong for a minority to be able to defund it.

So as ridiculous as this whole thing is - I  support the President and Senate's insistence to only accept a funding resolution that is clean, without other crap attached.

That's all the politics that you'll get on this blog ;)

In other news, I'd been wanting to find a rug for my kitchen to put under the table (its an eat in kitchen).  There's a lot of floor space and it just felt like it needed something to break up all the oak vinyl planks.  As it turns out, I came across a rug that I really liked for my living room, and so the one I already had (which happened to be indoor/outdoor anyhow) got moved and it has all worked out awesomely.  The rug was on clearance for 80.00 - and I got 10 dollars in Kohls cash which I'll use to buy a new runner next week......  I started to think twice about spending the money because I'm really trying to be frugal these days....but then I realized that its only two mani/pedis...and we're getting close to the end of sandal season anyhow.

Although you wouldn't know it from today weather which made it into the 80s this afternoon and I hear its going to continue this way through the rest of the week.  I've been faithfully watering half of my lawn (I put grass seed down a week and a half ago) and am seeing some small sprouts...so perhaps by the weekend I can move the sprinkler to the other half...

And so far that damned mole hasn't shown up......but if he does - I have the trap and I'm ready for him :)








 

6/06 -- Things can only get better

...And do you feel scared - I do
But I won't stop and falter
And if we threw it all away
Things can only get better....

Life has ups and downs, and I have to say the start of this week was a whole lot of downs....

Monday morning I woke up to a dead battery in my car - fortunately I have AAA so an hour and a hundred and some dollars later I was on the road to work. 
Where I found the power was out for an hour and a half.

Yesterday I had gum surgery - when my peridontist got in there he reported that I had decay in the root of the tooth - since I'd had a root canal I wouldn't feel any pain, but it will eventually break - and if my regular dentist can't figure out how to fill the gap, we're looking at an implant or a bridge - both of which are pricey.

When the novocaine wore off it ached quite a bit and I was looking forward to a quiet evening - but then my Dad called to chatter about his rescheduled prostate surgery date.  He announced that he'd left a message for me at work as well - I reminded him that I had told him I was going in for gum surgery and his reply was - I know, but I wanted to make sure I told you about the change right away.  He never even asked about how my surgery went or how I felt.  Oh, and this procedure wasn't covered by my insurance, so it was the equivalent of the six day Bermuda cruise I've been lusting after lately, sigh.

OK - so it hasn't been a great start to the week - but I really need to remember how lucky I am all things considered.

I could afford the new battery without having to go without anything else.

I knew about the surgery and again, I could afford it - and a year from now a trip to Bermuda would just be a memory while I'll be looking at (and using)  my teeth every day.

My dad - well he's old and self centered - but he can only bother me if I let him.  No one is forcing me to answer the phone - if its an emergency, the nursing home would call my cell anyhow.

There wasn't all bad in the week....

I have lost 10 lbs in about five weeks which makes me really happy because I"m not feeling like I'm on a diet - its just using a bit more common sense than I have in the past - Weight Watchers really is working for me. 

I have an interview next week for a transfer position which has more potential for advancement and puts me in a group with a lot of talented professionals that I respect......and unlike a regular job interview, its a no lose because I'm safe in the job I have now.

And I headed out to weedwhack the jungle that passes for my back yard - as it turned out it wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected - in barely half an hour, all of the briars and brambles are cut down.

Like attracts like - so if I can just accentuate the positives - things will only get better :)






 

February 26, 2011 - Happy Caturday

I have to admit that I can relate to this LOLcat - my memory isn't all it was.  But I figures it's because there is only so much room for knowledge and eventually some things get pushed to the back or stuck under other things...and I am a bit of an information packrat.

We had some nasty weather roll though yesterday - a bit of hail and some very high winds - so I skipped winetasting and came straight home to check on things at Chez Em.  Good that I did, because once again the wind had flipped the hot tub cover open.  It came with "locks" that I didn't bother to install, but now I'm thinking perhaps I should...it would certainly look less redneck than the logs I am using to hold it down.   My back yard is once again strewn with pieces of tree......the next warm and sunny day I have my work cut out for me.

Much calmer (though still chilly) today so I'm off to the wine store and perhaps a bit of shopping.  I had intended to not buy any more clothes until I lost enough weight to go down at least one size - but its not looking like I'm going to manage that anytime soon - I lack focus, I'm afraid.  Or perhaps I have too much focus - at least on noms like rice and bread and pasta...all of which I need to give up for a couple of weeks to make any more progress.

Damn, for a woman who had nothing to say, I've managed to ramble on a bit.  Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend and I look forward to catching up with everyone.