Category: Life

Politics

If You Didn’t Do Your Job, Would You Be Able to Keep Your Job? It’s Time We Fired These Politicians

Karen

You do realize that we had a Democrat Senate majority and a Democrat House majority between 2008 and 2010, don’t you? And let’s not forget our “Hope and Change” (boy howdy, did the man CHANGE things) Democrat president.

That means, between 2008 and 2010 the Democrats CONTROLLED this country. And they mucked things up by passing and spending as much as they could possibly get away with because they knew it wouldn’t last. Did they pass a budget between 2008 and 2010? Was there even a budget PROPOSED between 2008 and 2010?

NO!

The Republicans took control of the House in late 2010; they proposed a budget that the Democrats STILL wouldn’t/couldn’t agree on, let alone pass – that’s WAY more than the Democrats even attempted in TWO FREAKING YEARS.

Dude. You can’t argue with facts.

The fact is: Democrats can’t bring themselves to pass any sort of budget because they know that in order to balance the budget they will HAVE to make unpopular cuts and tick off their voter base. And rather than lose votes, they are opting to sit back, do nothing, and bide their time so that WHEN the American people have had enough of their nonsense and vote the Republicans back into majority and the Republicans try and do THE RESPONSIBLE thing, like propose a budget, the Democrats can sit back, point fingers and try and make the Republicans into the bad guys thereby shifting the responsibility.

Democrats are allergic to responsibility and making tough decisions. It’s seriously pathetic.

Here’s why passing a budget is crucial:

The process has to start with a budget. Then, using the guidelines and caps established in the budget resolution, the House and Senate produce authorization bills for each government agency telling them what they can and can’t spend money on. Coupled with those authorization bills are the twelve annual appropriations bills that actually apply the funding to those authorized programs and activities.

When Congress doesn’t get those bills done, they end up having to cram everything into an “omnibus” or a “continuing resolution”. An omnibus means that some or all of the twelve appropriations bills are lumped together in a single bill and passed en masse – without the same level of scrutiny and thoughtfulness as happens when they are dealt with individually. Worse still is the “continuing resolution”, where essentially no consideration is given and Congress votes to continue funding the government at current levels.

Source

Get it? Congress is not doing its job.

And yet, they still have jobs.

What’s wrong with this picture?!?

Life-condensed

Sink or Swim?

Karen
swimming

The moment of truth has arrived – will I sink, or will I swim?

If we could all ignore the glistening water and thoughts of warmer temperatures and balmy breezes for a moment …

First of all … we got an email this week from the hospital: Our clinic was named in the top 100 in the country for our specialty. (How’s that for vague?)

And it’s ALL because I’m NOW working there. That’s right. They rock because of ME.

And yes. I actually said that to my boss.

Luckily, she has a sense of humor. 😀

Anyway, I’m proud to work where I work – we not only help people – we’re GOOD at helping people and now the whole healthcare industry knows it.

*snap* We. Kick. Ass. Ya’ll.

And this week nearly kicked my ass. We were so busy Thursday that I was literally running through the clinic to get one of our doctors on the line with a doctor at the main hospital all so I could help a patient I felt sorry for because she hadn’t eaten all day due to reasons I can’t go into here. (How’s that for vague? It’s maddening, I know).

They’re sending me to Branson this coming Friday.

By myself.

Well. Not by MYSELF, but I will be working the receptionist/scheduling area by myself.

*GULP*

I’ll be setting up the laptops in the exam rooms for the doctor/staff. Then I will be making sure the patients have everything they need signed, taking their picture for their chart, collecting co-pays and when they have been seen, I will be checking them out of the clinic by making sure they are scheduled for any tests the doctor wants and any follow up visits.

It’s going to be challenging. But I’m up to the task, I think. This will be my first time flying solo though and I’m a bit nervous. The doctor I will be helping is one I haven’t worked with that much, but I ADORE his nurse and I’m so glad she will be there.

I had my 90-day review the other day (I’ve actually been there four months now. FOUR MONTHS. Can you believe it?!?)

No raise, but I can keep my job.

That’s good news.

I’m thinking seriously of utilizing the employee discount and joining the hospital fitness center. I’d go in at 5:00, work out for an hour, go home, get cleaned up and then go to work. It sounds insane, but I actually did that for two years straight back when I was working at Wal-Mart. I need to do something – my job is mentally challenging, not physically challenging, and I sit all day long.

My hips are expanding. This is not acceptable.

Politics

Obama’s Message: The Only Way for YOU to Be Better Off is for OTHERS to Be Worse Off

Karen

If that isn’t typical liberal logic, I don’t know what is.

As usual, Marco Rubio articulates what we, the rational-thinking, reality-based, Americans are thinking …

“The bottom line is this president inherited a country with serious problems. He asked the Congress to give him the stimulus and Obamacare to fix it. The Democrats in Congress gave it to him. And not only did it not work, it made everything worse.

“He tells those who are hurting that the only way they can be better off, is for others to be worse off. He tells all of us that the only way for some of us to climb up the economic ladder is for others to be pulled down.”

Sounds like a Utopian society to me…

Let’s vote this inexperienced whack president out of office and FIX his mess…. before he completely destroys us.

Added: Here’s an excellent summary of Obama’s campaign speech … er … State of the Union address from Biblical Conservatism:

Last night’s State of the Union address proved it. Considering we’ve seen this speech multiple times. He said “pay their fair share” four times, he used class warfare twenty-three times, blamed Congress sixteen times, and he blamed others twenty-two times. He proposed raising taxes eight times and demanded/requested more executive power to go around Congress five times. He asked for increased spending sixteen times. Then he proposed a few policies that he knows very well don’t have a snowball’s chance in July of passing into law. He talked about investing in “Green Energy” that is not even close to being a fitting replacement for fossil fuels (while not noting that his previous investments in “Green Energy” already resulted in bankruptcy – see Solyndra). This President doesn’t have a new idea. All he wants to do is spend more money that we don’t have. That’s all he’s got. He’s doubling and tripling down on the same bad policies that have failed. The only thing he was correct on was saying that it’s unlikely anything will get done in Congress this year. Of course, he didn’t mention that it’s his party that obstructs good policies and forces bad.

Life-condensed

We Got Our New Floor Lamp Yesterday

Karen

Tiffany Lamp

I’m DIGGIN’ the tiffany shade.

Tiffany Lamp Shade

Ever since I worked at Wendys, way back when (like early/mid-80’s), and around all of those old, funky tiffany lamps that used to hang above the tables in the Wendys’ dining rooms, I’ve had a “thing” for tiffany lamps.

They’re cheesy, but in a pretty, different way.

At least, I think so.

Life-condensed

I Got Bullied at Work Today …

Karen

By several patients.

The day did not start out very nice.

And speaking of nice, I was trying to be too nice and a patient took advantage of that. I almost got myself into trouble because of my niceness. I’m just going to have to put my foot down and be more firm – especially when I KNOW I’m right. (I wasn’t sure if I was in the right today – turns out, I was. Lesson learned – have more faith in myself and my abilities).

Kevin left me a voicemail at work today.

“We’re going to a movie at 7:00 tonight.”

We never go to movies.

I’m way too cheap to pay the admission – I’ll just wait for the DVD to come out, thank you very much.

But it was a documentary about Ayn Rand, the author of “Atlas Shrugged.” Which I still need to read, by the way.

It was very interesting, and uncanny – the woman was definitely way before her time. It’s amazing how much she predicted is coming true now. At the risk of sounding all conspiracy theory on you guys – our government IS too big. And our government IS NOT acting in our best interest. If you think they are, then you’re naive.

That’s right, I said it.

It’s about the individual, NOT society. And it’s OKAY to live for yourself and make your life better. We do not exist to support one another, we exist to support ourselves. We may CHOOSE to help society – and many do, hence the outpouring of charitable contributions in this country, but we should never be MADE to give up something we have worked hard to achieve for ourselves and for our families.

Interesting, interesting stuff. I’m looking forward to reading “Atlas Shrugged.”

I have so many more thoughts on the documentary, but it’s been a long day; I’m tired, I’m fighting a killer headache and I haven’t even eaten dinner yet. (Actually. I think I’ll just skip it – it’s so late now).

Here’s a little something to make you think … God knows, we need more thinkers in this country. We have gotten WAY too complacent, people.

Life-condensed

He’s Still My Baby …

Karen
Icy Road

It doesn’t matter that he’s a 19-year old man, he’s still my baby driving on icy roads for the first time.

Last Tuesday, (was it last Tuesday? The days just blur together anymore), we woke up to icy roads. Actually. I didn’t even know they were icy until I got into my car and started driving … it was black ice. And it had tricked a lot of people that morning. The radio broadcast was full of accidents and the city went on emergency alert – which loosely translates to: only call the police if someone is bleeding to death or has lost a limb, otherwise, exchange insurance information and say “oops.”

I was nervous. I knew that Kevin would expect Dude to go to the office and … I wasn’t sure … if he should.

“Why don’t you just tell Dude to take the day off,” I said while twisting my fingers into fleshy corn rolls.

“Karen,” my ever-patient husband said, “he’s a 19-year old MAN. When are you going to stop babying him?”

Never.

I shrugged.

I couldn’t help it. He might “technically” be a 19-year old man, but he’s still my first born baby. I look at him and all I see is my 4 lb, 12 oz preemie. I shouldn’t, I know. But I do.

I went to work that day with my heart in my throat. He didn’t have far to drive and I KNEW that he needed to practice, after all, we can’t taxi him around every time there’s bad weather for the rest of his life … but UGH. The first time is a killer.

I worried about him all morning. Kevin did text me whenever he got to the office, so I did rest easy for a few hours. But then I started feeling queasy whenever it was time for him to pick Jazz up from school.

I don’t think he realizes how precious his cargo is whenever he’s driving.

It all worked out in the end, though I found out later that he DID slide through a stop sign near our house. But at least there wasn’t any on-coming traffic. I know I need to mentally toughen up about my boys – they’re growing up, as they SHOULD, and I just need to trust that God will take care of them whenever I’m not around.

But still. I’m DEEPLY thankful that this winter has been pretty mild … so far.

Life

I Think We Need a Little More Brown … Don’t You?

Karen

BEFORE
IMG_1147

AFTER
IMG_1150

I KNOW. It needs color.

I know this. I’m just not sure what to DO about it.

Yet.

We’re working on it.

But we have our wood floor and we LOVE it! It really does go perfectly in our “rustic” room. Our hardwood floor is a hand-scraped oak and this is another one of those projects we’ve been talking about doing to this house ever since we moved in (a mere 19 1/2 years ago!!).

I want to buy a round/oval (but more round, I think) rug to put in between the chairs. The rug must have color … maybe a russet or a maroon color (?). I’m also on the hunt for tiffany floor lamps.

I KNOW. I really dig the tiffany shades. But they’re going to be expensive. At least, the little I’ve shopped for them online tells me so.

We also plan on hanging a TON of family pictures on the wall, which will also add some color to the room. (It IS a family room after all).

That sliding glass door you see in the “before” picture? I’d like to buy some cloth-ish russet/maroon shades as well, adding more color to the room.

So yeah. I KNOW it’s brown. We’re earth tones sort of people (comfy – soothing – blah). And we love it. As usual, our floor guy did a spectacular job. He was in and out in five hours.

So our family room is back together again – somewhat. We just need to tweak it a bit.

Next?

Our bathrooms. The construction guy gave us a day – Thursday. As in THIS COMING THURSDAY. He’s estimating that it will take about two weeks-ish, to get it all done. I’m hoping he’s being conservative. At any rate, we’re mentally preparing to being majorly inconvenienced but hey, it’s a small price to pay (actually, it’s NOT – ha!) to get what you want.

Stay tuned … things are about to get messy around here …