January 3, 2014 – Write From Karen

365-prompt “What’s the 11th item on your bucket list?”

Bucket list?

What bucket list? I don’t have one. I should have one, I suppose.

Let’s make one right now while we’re thinking about it. (Try and contain your excitement).

1. Publish my writing – whether it’s a short story (it’ll probably be a short story because I think I have ADHD when it comes to writing) or a novel. (*snicker*)

2. Live a ripe old age and still have my mind.

3. Take a Mediterranean cruise. (Hey, don’t laugh. Kevin and I are seriously planning for this one. It probably won’t be for a few (or ten) years, but still …

4. Take a cruise around the Hawaiian islands. (Again – don’t laugh. We’re actually planning to do this one next year for our 25th wedding anniversary).

5. Make a longer bucket list.

6. See a Broadway play. (If I can ever bring myself to pay the ticket price – wowsiers).

7. Be a grandma. (HAHAHAHAHAHA – that would mean our boys would have to put themselves in a situation where they MEET girls, then find one they can tolerate and marry … HAHAHAHAHA *wiping eyes* – sorry, I don’t see this one happening in my lifetime).

8. Become a grandma to grandpuppies.

9. Publish some … oh wait, I already listed that one.

Honestly – I can’t think of anything else right now. Either A. I’m super boring, B. pretty content with my life and how I’ve lived it so far, or C. too brain dead to come up with any more options.

I’ll take D: all of the above.

This notice was in our daily bulletin at work today:

Mandatory Healthcare Reform fees
From Human Resources: All employees participating in our health plan will see new federal fees deducted from their paychecks starting Jan. 3. The healthcare reform law (Affordable Care Act – aka OBAMACARE) [added because I’m PISSED OFF] requires all employers to collect fees on all health plan participants. This new fee is known the Transitional Reinsurance Program fee. Beginning in 2014, the new Transitional Reinsurance Fee will be shown as a line item deduction titled “FedIns1,” and will be deducted from the first check of every month. The fee is $5.25 per month for each family member covered by your health plan. This fee is in addition to normal premiums for our health plan and is scheduled by the federal government to end in 2017. It is intended to provide additional funding for the new Federal Healthcare Exchange to cover costs of people with serious, previously untreated health conditions who have previously been uninsured.

And it begins – the first of the “fees” that are now being taken out of my paycheck – that’s $42.00 PER MONTH. And if you think it’s going to stop there, just wait until government tries to “fix” it by adding in more fees “for the common good.” It’s not for my family’s good, asswipe …

I get up at 6:00 a.m. every morning, I work 40 hours a week for barely over minimum wage (I made more at Wal-Mart – shocked? Go figure). I have TONS of stress trying to help people who are in serious pain and need serious help. I’m making sacrifices, I’m doing everything right, I’m keeping my family off the government welfare system, I’m being RESPONSIBLE for me and my family and I pay taxes. I don’t like it. I think we pay WAY TOO MANY TAXES, but I can live with it, somewhat, because again, I’M RESPONSIBLE and it’s RESPONSIBLE to help pay for roads, firefighters, police, etc.

But I’m NOT okay paying for something I didn’t vote for, that the majority of Americans are against, for people who know how to milk the system.

Here’s an idea – brace yourself because it’s a pretty crazy idea, how about instigating programs that help people OUT of their dire straits and not steal (yes, STEAL) money from hard-working people that goes to SUPPORT people who may begin in dire straits but then figure, to hell with it, sucking off the government’s teat is WAY easier than actually working.

Working is hard – mooching is easy.

And before you even think to say, “Calm down, Karen. It’s only $20 bucks” I’m going to say, twenty bucks here, another ten bucks there and before you know it, I’m working FOR the government. Where, exactly, does that leave me and my family again?

When, exactly, do we draw the line and say enough is enough?!

Son of a BITCH. I DESPISE this administration.

AARGH!!!!