Seriously Hooked

I saw a pregnant woman smoking yesterday. Does that seriously still happen??! Come on people. Times have changed, and now there is a wealth of information about the harmful things that it can do to an unborn child and yet people still do it? I don't understand. I don't care what you do to yourself, but the child has no choice in the matter. It is not my place to tell someone else what to do, but I just find it very old fashioned and ignorant - scratch that - STUPID. What was even more upsetting was that the woman seemed to be trying to hide it like she knew better... I will never understand the hook of a cigarette and for that I am grateful.

Weight Loss

This is probably on a few more minds than my own as summer is right around the corner. I have 3 "tricks" to weight loss that seem to work for me. Ready?

1. Drink more water. When you feel hungry, drink water - sometimes when I think I'm hungry it's actually that I'm thirsty. I think I mistake my thirst for being hungry most of the time and that is why I snack a lot and do not drink enough. Now I know better and keep a large cup of water on my desk and drink when I think I'm hungry. If after I've had a few sips of water and I'm still feeling hungry, then I'll eat something.

2. Sleep. I know... I know... Who has time for that?! Well, I notice that when I am well rested and feeling good that I have way more energy to do my normal activities whereas on the days I don't sleep well I tend to feel more like loafing on the couch in front of the tv. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it's ok loaf on the couch, but not all of the time.

3. And finally, get up and DO something. With my type of work, I sit on my butt ALL DAY so when I go home, I try not to sit down right away - even though mentally I'm tired and feel like I need to sit. I try to play with my dogs or do a load of laundry or take a walk. I set a goal of getting so many things done before I sit down because I know that once I sit... I'm done for.

"The best advice is also taken by the giver" - I just made that up. Note that I am not saying I take my own advice... but I'm sure it would be best if I did...

Connecting the Dots

Sometimes I am so slow... Not sure what is wrong with me, but I just don't put things together. I think it's just that when I start to think about something my mind wanders and I start to think about other things and I never get back to the original subject to fully think it through.

Anyway... Today (after how many years? ) I just learned that people buy Lobsters (to eat) while they are still alive. My family doesn't do it and I think that's the biggest reason I never realized that they can be bought live. But now I totally understand the aquariums of lobsters with the rubber bands on their claws. I always assumed that it was just for show and you pick the one that looks the healthiest or whatever and then they kill it there and you take the carcass home. Well, no, you pick a live one and take a live one home and (I had to ask) you boil it to kill it. If only I was a normal predator who thought there was nothing wrong with this...

Connect the dots... la, la...la,la....

Early April Fool

So, yesterday I was standing in a convenience store getting my money out to pay for a drink and I looked down and saw a $5 dollar bill. Sweet! Whoever it belonged to was long gone... I looked around to make sure no one was looking... I can't help but feel slightly guilty about taking money that didn't belong to me, but finders keepers, right?! No one was looking so I grabbed it up quick. Then when I was adding it to my wad of cash I realized that the wad of cash was a bit slimmer and that this $5 dollar bill was folded the way I would have folded it to fit in my wallet. Then it hit me, I had dropped the bill when I was getting my money out. As my uncle would say "Say Duh...."

Earthworm Massacre

At least it looks like one today...

Why do worms have to slither onto the driveway and sidewalks after it rains? Stupid worms! Where are their natural insticts to survive? I try to save them if I can by putting them back into the grass, but I can't save all of them... especially not today!! I had to tiptoe to my car to avoid stepping on them there were so many. And then... I don't even want to think about how many I probably drove over! Good grief...

Healthcare Debate

At the risk of any sort of discord, I am just going to say it: I think the new Healthcare plan is going to be great. (Note: that I did not say perfect.) I am having a hard time relating to the other side of this argument. To me it seems a bit selfish to think that healthcare should be available to only those who can afford it. That healthcare can be discriminating.

I want to tell you a story.

I used to work at a bank a few years back and I would take care of IRA rollovers and distributions. Anyway, there was a nice lady who was not quite at her retirement age who came into the bank to take money out of her IRA. Of course she would be penalized for it because she was a little less than a year away from the penalty-free withdraw. I was afraid to ask her why she wasn't waiting because it was certainly none of my business but I did make a point to tell her that if she could wait just a few more months the withdraws would be penalty-free. Well, I opened up a floodgate and the tears began pouring from her face. I handed her my box of tissues as she started to explain... She didn't have enough money to keep up with the prescriptions she needed and she had no one to help her and no other way to pay for the drugs. She had no family to help her because they had all passed on and she didn't have any kids. Now I could feel a stinging in my eyes. I somehow managed to hold it together while I listened to her. She had no choice. She couldn't afford better healthcare which would cover the drugs she needed (I think she said she was on medicare). She needed the drugs. She was in a lot of pain. And using the IRA money to pay for the drugs was cheaper than getting a better healthcare plan.

All I heard was - cut off my foot now or cut off my foot later. It was incredibly sad. I had no answers for her. I left the office in a pretty somber mood that day. This was about 5 years ago but I still hear her sweet voice and I still see the tears. My eyes still sting when I think about it. I wonder what ever happened to her. I wonder if things could possibly have gotten better for her as the economy got worse. I don't want to think about the alternative.

People need healthcare. America needs healthcare. It is not something to be debated about. Not everyone can afford healthcare, but are we to ignore them? Whatever happened to humanity? I don't completely understand what this will do with the power of government, but something had to be done about the healthcare of this country. We can worry about the checks and balances later, can't we?

A quote from Vice President Biden: "This is a big f***ing deal." I concur.

Have a Cry... It's On Me...

Sometimes you just have to cry it out. But then you have to move on. Life isn't always as you expect it. It really isn't. Oh and along with not having the life you expected comes my dear old friend jealousy who is a horrid little thing and if you don't admit to ever being jealous well then I seriously don't believe you. I admit it... I've been jealous... probably more times than I care to count... but you know, it's a part of life. We all want things we can't or don't have. Perhaps that should be motivation to make some positive life changes. Motivation to work harder, be healthier, communicate better, be a better listener. And during your escapades to build a better life for yourself, you will start to notice that sometimes the unexpected can be so much better than what you were hoping for. So much so that you have to sit back and take it in. I have a deep appreciation for the fact that life is so much bigger than just me...or you... So what I'm trying to say is... you can feel bad about not being where you want to be (I am totally there with you), but then move on. And just keep moving. Or Swimming if you are Dori fan.