Hey, not a political rant, just musings about the ole dog

   
  Zoey is laying at my feet,  as usual,  a soft slightly scuffy old dog that snores louder then Rick.   She spends hours sleeping these days.   And as always it is in the same room as me.


     She is going to be 13 next birthday.   Old for a big dog.   And basically she doesn't look old like some ole labs can look, she isn't gray in her face,  not too fat, except for her cloudy blue filmed eyes you would never believe she is as old as she is if you didn't know.   But we know.


    I hate to move to another room as she heaves herself up to follow.  When I am cleaning house she moves room to room with me.   And she is stiff these days so I feel bad.   I tell her to stay, that I will be back but up she comes.   And with the colder weather she is stiff and sore.

      Running my hands over her body while I pet her I count 13 fatty tumors.   And in her groin I feel a large palm sized mass that has recently gotten larger.   It does not feel the same as the fatty tumor.   Pausing in my petting I momentarily have a wave of sadness wash over me.   My poor sweet ole dog.   And as usually the very tip of her tail will start to wag and she will look up at me as if to ask,  why did you stop petting me.   Spoiled old girl.


       I hate that she is getting older and fondly remember days and years past with her chewing up every type of toy we bought her,   walking through miles and miles of trails and woods,   the happy grin she gets when she leaps in a lake after a hot walk.   I can't understand people who don't like dogs.   What's not to like.


     Mentally I am preparing myself but also I am denying it.    Lets just slow time down,   why does it have to go so fast.   I want to savor it.....  as long as I possibly can.   Soft fur under my fingers.  Warm head on my lap.   Love you Zoey.

Health insurance cost have double.... what's free about this?

   Well by now everyone has gotten their benefit packages and seen the increases.    My son's doubled,  4000 out of pocket before they even kick in.   Then he has to pay a % on top of that.   Mine went up a lot and my out of pocket went up to 1500 before my insurance pays and I have a 20 % deductible also.   Which basically means I will have to be on deaths door before I go to the doc.   But at least my job still offers insurance.   A couple of my friends have lost their insurance through work.   As predicted those companies have found it would be cheaper to pay the government fine rather then offer insurance which has tripled in costs.   Gee,  isn't this free government health care grand.

    I see the death panels are being discussed again.   Not that they are calling it that in anything but sarcastic tongue in cheek chatter,  but they are talking about all the unnecessary things they are doing to keep seniors alive.   After all,  what does it do,  only buy you a few years and look at the cost.   Wouldn't it be reasonable and sensible if they just all took a pill.   Save everyone the expense of caring for them.   Put them on the ice float so to say.  

   Remember...... the way Obama got elected was by telling all the seniors that the Republicans were going to take away their medicare and social security.    Now what is happening?   They are having huge cuts in medicare and talking about seizing our 401's and cutting social security.  Double talk.  Campaign speeches mean nothing.   I even heard one politician say that.   That was just a campaign promise,  nobody seriously believes them do they?   Well yes,  some people did.   some people really thought their houses would be paid for,  their health care would be free,  a chicken in every pot.

    And I see all the socialists care coming out of woodwork like bedbugs out of a bedframe.    Finally they are admitting to being what we knew all along.   Go on youtube and you can see the video where all the socialists are making a sweet little commercial.   We are socialists,  we are your neighbors,  we are your doctors, blah blah blah.   Well then,  move to a socialist country you little pampered uninformed idiots.   If it is so great move.   Don't force it on us.   You will see more and more socialists coming out and trying to convince you it is just OK and nothing to be ashamed of,   like being a Lutheran or catholic.  Yeah,  right.

    I think we have to start getting rid of political correctness.   We have to stop bailing out countries that hate us anyway.   We have to secure our boarders.   Did you know that Mexico is building a wall on their boarder to keep out Guatemalian people who are sneaking across their boarders.   Many countries are very successful at keeping their boarders secure.   We need to profile the ones that have been proven to be threats.  Not pat down nuns and children.   Fake security at our airports when they have been told they can only check certain nationalities a certain percentage of times so they don't get accused of profiling.    Well you know what.   I don't care how it looks to you.  If your country routinely sneaks into our country and tries to kill innocent people then you will have to pay the price of having your body scanned and searched.   Your country would pat us down and scan us.  Fairs fair when your trying to save innocent people.

   Gee,  this turned into another political rant.    Lots of things going on.  Lots of things that we feared would happen are happening.   So tell me,  how much did your insurance go up and what is your out of pocket these days.  Hows that hope and change working for you?

Christmas Catalogs...AAARRRGGGGHHHHH

 

  I love Christmas,  I love the reason behind the season,  I love the sights and the smells,  I love that people actually smile at each other.    I love the way my house looks like when the tree is up and it's decorated.   But...........................  I hate Christmas catalogs.   Oh sure,  the first few are kind of fun.   Then you toss it,  only to get another, plus 10 in the mail.   Repeat that day after day.   By garbage night our can is brim full with Christmas catalogs weighing in at probably a ton.

   

      What have I bought out of one of the catalogs?    Maybe 2 things.   We are downsizing our Christmas this year and giving practical gifts.   Times are hard.   Gone those cute but silly gifts that get worn or looked at a couple of days and then buried in a closet.    Now we get steaks cut up at the butchers,  cute warm socks from sock dreams,   gift certificates for the barber.   And I am having a support your local business Christmas for as much as possible.   Difficult in a town where so many stores are closing, but we don't want to lose what few we have left.   No catalog shopping for me.

      And then to top it off.   I check my email and the same catalogs I tossed in the garbage are in my email.   Doesn't create quite as much waste there as it does getting them at home, but still.....   What is green about a landfill full of Christmas Catalogs.   Where are the green police for this?  And why am I getting them in September?   Who makes all these catalogs?   I think they are the only thing I get by snail mail these days besides my Netflex movies and bills.

         Ok,  got that out of my system.  I swear each year it gets worse and worse.   I kept track this weekend.  13 catalogs from Friday until yesterday.  Isn't that insane.   And the worse part.  I own this house and the one next door.   So I get duplicate catalogs for that house.   And it's empty.  It's empty people.  AAARRRGGGHHH.     Well,  time to meditate,  must calm down.   I heard that new study.  Us medical women are more prone to heart attack from our high stress jobs,  and lugging catalogs from the mailbox to home.   Must breath,  breath, breath.

Repeal the Death Tax

   Well congress will soon be having another Lame duck session where the out going pass as much crap as they can before they are booted.    One of the things coming up again is the death tax.   They want to take even more of what they don't deserve.   What in the world makes our government think they deserve even one penny more out of a person just because they have died.   Talk about double taxation.   And if you thinking,  well this only affects the rich....  think of this.   Many farmers own lots of land,  although they are being bought out and the land is being turned into government owned farms more and more,  and they are land rich but money poor.   But when they die now the government wants to do their death tax and demand 55 % of the estate.   Forcing the family to sell off the family farm to pay the death tax.  And why.   Did the government do anything to earn the right to double tax this family?   The farmer probably paid quarterly taxes his entire life!

    Then think about this.    Your local favorite store.   Family owned and one of few remaining.   It was their fathers store and now 2nd or 3rd generation owned.   Now they are going to punished for working hard and being successful by having to pay off the government when a loved one dies before they can keep their business.   And maybe they don't have the ready cash to do it.  Sure their business is worth this much but that doesn't mean it is ready cash for them.    So they fire employee's and try to make the death tax as best they can.   And if they can't they may have to close and then the government seizes the company.   And what the hell gives them the right?  To take what you and yours have worked for your entire lifes.

    So once again we all have to start writing or calling our representatives and demand the repeal the death tax.  Just because the elections are over doesn't mean our job as voters and the public is over.   We have to remind the government all the time that we have hired them.  We are the employers,  not them.   So where is this going?   Please go to this site and sign the petition.   Get the letter and send it to your elected officials.  Even if like me you have little to pass on to your heirs.   Because it just isn't right.  So click here.

Being Healthy, what a treat

        I woke up today feeling great.    I have had the crud for a a few days so waking up feeling really good is a treat.    Being healthy is a joy.   I am happy that I still am healthy enough to bounce back quickly after things like the crud or surgeries.   Lord knows I have had several of those over the last few years.    Enough to really really appreciate it when I feel good.   Nothing hurts,  nothing feels like it is going out.... well maybe the ole knees and I don't multitask as well I as used to,  but all in all I feel great.

      I started this blog many years ago to keep track of my weight loss efforts.    It has been and will probably always be an on going project.     I lose and then something happens to side track me,   like several surgeries and family illnesses but once I recover I always go back to my plan.    Lose weight and get healthy.

       I am 52 pounds lighter then I was way back then when I started this journal.   I thought by now I would have lost all the weight I needed to lose.    I haven't.    But as you get older,  which I certainly have done and have as many surgeries as I have had to have you start changing your goals a little.   Yes,  I still plan on losing weight,  but my main focus these days seems to be aimed at getting and staying fit.   Because working at a hospital I see what happens to a person that isn't fit,  the problems they have and the limits they are under.   And I want that less then being a thin person.   I want to be a healthy person first and foremost.

      So with that in mind we have joined a gym again and I am counting calories again which seems to be the one thing that has always assured me that I would lose weight.    I joined myfitnesspal.com,  which I have to say has been a big help.   I log all my food and keep tract of my exercise.   I get new recipes and find new ways to work out.   And now I am lifting weights.   Can you believe it.   With my bones, LOL.

     According to Strong Women stay Young light weight lifting is a way to stay active and fit.  So I started doing that by doing free weights,   using heavier and heavier weights.   Course with my wrists I will never be way up there but I am doing pretty darn good.    I have muscles in my arms.   And it makes my bike riding much easier having stronger legs,  not that I will be able to ride my bike much more this year.

    I am eating very healthy.   For breakfast this morning I had a green Monster.  

 1 cup of Sugar free Vanilla Almond milk

1 and a half cup of fresh spinach

 3 large frozen strawberries

9 blueberries

1 banana

1 tbsp of cinnamon

2 tbsp of pomegranite seeds

     Blend all together and enjoy.   All my fruits for the day,  cinnamon to increase my metabolism and blueberries and pomegranite to increase my immune systems.   I have energy for going to gym in a hour and get in a good workout.  I can even jog on the treadmill!  Not bad for a 56 year old woman.

    A couple of years ago after having to have 3 surgeries in one year I really crashed and got depressed,  unusual for me,  for a long time.   So the way I feel today is a big improvement.   I am back to being my old self,  happy,  active,  excited about each day.   So I guess I just have to say keep at it.  Fight your way back when life keeps knocking you down.   If you get depressed get out of your head and work on something stimulating and not about you,   like politics, LOL.  Or whatever it takes to pull yourself up again.   Because life is so short.  I don't want to waste it.  Not one minute.

The Old Man

THE OLD MAN 

As I came out of the supermarket that sunny day, pushing my cart of groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door open.

The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car, and continued to watch the old gentleman from about twenty five feet away.

I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too, and took a few steps towards him. 

I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something. The young man put his grocery bag into what looked like a brand new Cadillac Escalade. He then turned back to the old man. I heard him yell at the old gentleman saying:

'You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age.' And then with a wave of his hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out of the parking lot.

I saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief, and mop his brow as he went back to his car and again looked at the engine.

He then went to his wife and spoke with her; he appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough, and I approached the old man. He saw me coming and stood straight, and as I got near him I said, 'Looks like you're having a problem.'

He smiled sheepishly, and quietly nodded his head. I looked under the hood myself, and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond me. Looking around, I saw a gas station up the road, and I told the old man that I would be right back. I drove to the station and went I inside. I saw three attendants working on cars. I approached one of them, and related the problem the old man had with his car. I offered to pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.

The old man had pushed the heavy car under the shade of a tree and appeared to be comforting his wife When he saw us he straightened up and thanked me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem (overheated engine), I spoke with the old gentleman.

When I shook hands with him earlier, he had noticed my Marine Corps ring and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question, 'What outfit did you serve with?'

He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal ....

He had hit all the big ones and retired from the Corps after the war was over. As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics lower the hood. They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped by me. I told him I would just put the bill on my AAA card.

He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I assumed had his name and address on it and I stuck it in my pocket. We all shook hands all around again, and I said my goodbye's to his wife.

I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the station. Once at the station, I told them that they had interrupted their own jobs to come along with me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay for the help, but they refused to charge me

One of them pulled out a card from his pocket, looking exactly like the card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then that they were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the old man had given to me. I said I would and drove off.

For some reason I had gone about two blocks, when I pulled over and took the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The name of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his name was written: 'Congressional Medal of Honor Society.'

I sat there motionless, looking at the card and reading it over and over. I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that on this day, four Marines had all come together because one of us needed help. He was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next to greatness and courage, and an honor to have been in his presence. Remember, OLD men like him gave you FREEDOM for America . Thanks to those who served and still serve, and to all of those who supported them, and who continue to support them.

     I was late with for veterans day since I was sick but wanted to share this story.

Bits and Peices

      Well,  haven't made a real entry for awhile.    Yesterday was our 37 year anniversary.   Seems so hard to believe.  Seems like just yesterday we were holding hands in front of the Justice of Peace.   Rick started squeezing my hand so hard out of nerves right before the judge asked me to say I do I ripped my hand out of his and said ouch!   He still will unconsciously squeeze my hand when he is nervous, LOL.    Rick has been sick for about a week and a half.   So we didn't go out to celebrate.   He is feeling better today so we are going to the gym and see how he survives that.   Maybe we will go out tonight or tomorrow.   His birthday was last week and I tease him about how old age had finally caught up with him.   If he doesn't get well soon I will have to drag his butt to the doc.

     We were standing out in the backyard last night.   It was a clear nice night with lots of stars.   A large racoon came up and started raiding our feeders,  not a all afraid of us,  to the left a well racked buck walked across the lawn and drank from the bird bath.  Some bunnies bounces by.   It was surreal and beautiful.  Life is surreal and beautiful.   What a moment.

     I found a super great site.   I love socks.  Wild socks.   But I have my momma's calfs.   The site called sockdreams.com has the greatest socks.  From the practical to the wild side.   Christmas shopping here I go though I must admit more were for me then to give as gifts.

     I have been doing my shopping.  Have you?  Seems like it was just yesterday we opened last years gifts.   It bothers me the year goes so fast but winter still creeps by.   I try to enjoy each and every day.

     My soon to be step grandson has Asperger's.   He is a sweet loving child.  Some bully at school couldn't appreciate the sweet qualities and has been bullying him.   It progressed until he threw my step grandson down a flight of stairs.   It is amazing he wasn't killed.  He did fracture a vertebrae in his back. The school has it all on tape.   Now he is having a lot of stress about going to school.   He just doesn't understand it.   The school has come through but we worry now when we send him off to school.  So parents and grandparents.   Talk to your children.  Teach tolerance and acceptance of each and everyone's individuality.   This kids parents were horrified to find out their son did this.   He could have killed our step grandchild.  This has been very upsetting.

   The elections went pretty good.   Can't believe Harry Reid made it but thinking about my last post I have a pretty good idea why he did.   I think they should recount all his votes and throw out most of them.   And once again the military wasn't allowed to vote but some state hand delivered ballots to a prison where they weren't suppose to be able to vote in the first place.   But all in all it looks like people are waking up to what could happen.

    Now I would like to see the people put a stop to Obama's India trip which is going to cost the taxpayers a bundle. The president will be accompanied by 40 aircraft, 3,000 people, a fleet of cars and 34 warships, according to a string of blow-by-blow news updates. The Press Trust of India quoted an official in the state of Maharashtra pegging the cost at $200 million a day.  That will be 200 million of taxpayers money.   He still doesn't get it.  He still thinks of us as his big piggy bank.   Every single American should call the White House and say Stay Home Mr. President.   With the economy in the toilet,  so many people out of work.   What an insult this is.

     Then you have a couple of democrats.  Sen Tom Harkin is one of them,   who wants to pass this in the next lame duck session . Democrats in the Senate  held a recess hearing covering a taxpayer bailout of  union pensions and a plan to seize private 401(k) plans to more "fairly" distribute taxpayer-funded pensions to everyone.  They would call it a Guaranteed Retirement Account.    You would get a monthy allowance of your money and when you die your children would only get half of the money you spent your entire adult life saving.   It's mad but expect that in the lame duck session coming soon.  Harkin's is from Iowa I am ashamed to say.

    So it still will be business as usual in Washington and their business is relieving us,  the taxpayer, of our money.  sigh.

    Otherwise what else is new?   I hit my 30 year mark at work!   30 years in the same job.  I never thought I would stay at the same place this long.  Many different departments but same building.   11 more years to go and I can retire.   Doing the countdown here.

     Well,  I am going to finish this up and do some surfing of blogs I have severely neglected during the election month.     I was busy supporting my candidates.  Ta all.