Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Healthcare...

I kind of swore-off political posts for this blog. BUT...this is kind of a big deal. (Just ask the V.Pres) Ha!~~Anyhow, I will say that the healthcare industry could use some help, but this isn't really the help I envisioned. What did I envision you ask??--Well, that's not up to me to create. That's for our elected officials to do. To come up with a plan that the majority of Americans agree with. Not vice versa.

I do not know a Jake Fox. But his recent facebook post is being copy/pasted all over facebook today, I took the liberty of posting it here, for you. It's kind of a humorous blurb of what I been thinking...

"We've passed a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a congress that exempts themselves from it, signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didnt pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general...who is obese, and ...financed by a country that's broke. What could possibly go wrong?" -Jake Fox

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Guest Blog #5 "St. Patrick's Day To-Do List"



This being one of my favorite holidays and being part Irish, over the years I have compiled a check list of things I must accomplish on St. Patrick's Day. Actually, from the parade on Saturday up until St. Paddy's Day. You're probably wondering what criteria a holiday must have to be one of my favorites. It's easy, lots of drinking and lots of eating. So here goes the list of St. Me Day accomplishments, feel free to compare it to your own and/or read it with an Irish accent:

1. Participate in a parade run. Check

2. Drink my weight in Guiness. Check

3. Eat enough corned beef and cabbage/ruebens to fumigate an office building with my ass. Check. Sorry Kelly (sp)

4. Talk with an Irish accent until I annoy even myself. Check

5. When someone asks "How you doin'?" Reply, "Irish I were drunker". Check

6. Watch Boondock Saints (I & II) and wish I was one of the brothers. Check

7. Pretend I know the words to O' Danny Boy and sing it loudly. Check

8. Dig out all of the St. Paddy's Day garb for the wifey. Check

And best of all:
9. Get really, really, super sauced. CHEERS!

There it is, The List. It is however, subject to modification as I see fit because sometimes when I'm drunk I think of and do really awesome stuff, just ask me. You can tell me your top thing to do for St. Paddy's Day and maybe I'll add it to my list next year. Happy St. Me Day everybody.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Body Movin' Body Movin'

I can't help but sing this Beastie Boys song while FEELING MY BABY MOVE.
Sing with me! Baby Movin' Baby Movin'.
Catchy huh?
I sure think it is!!

Finally...I'll be 22 weeks tomorrow, but at 21.5 weeks into my first pregnancy I felt my love move. I scare when I can't feel it, but then I realize the poor thing's gotta sleep too! I am convinced though, while singing to Steve Miller on my way home from work, that it was dancin' a bit.

Baby Movin' Baby Movin'

Monday, March 8, 2010

Baby Prep!!!

Well, it's been a crazy-busy week, but we are making some progress I tell ya!!

To catch some of you up to speed, our condo has been on the market for 6 mos with no luck in selling. :( We placed it on the market before we got pregnant, with the hope of selling in time to start our new family in a new home. Well. The. Market. Sucks. We aren't in a terrible situation b/c I purchased a two-bedroom before we got engaged, so there is room for the baby and us. I just want a yard, and a basement, and a garage, etc. We want a home, not a house. But if we have to raise our baby for a year or so in this house, I'll be damned if we don't make it a home. The current plan is to keep it on the market for another 6 mos and then if it doesn't sell, take it off and enjoy our new family for a year, then put it back on. Sigh.

Okay, now the fun stuff. We received an antique-like Radio Flyer Red Wagon about a month back. My incredible husband decided to clean this puppy up, get rid of the rust and give it a new look. He did amazing, I am so proud of him.

Next, my Aunt and Uncle gifted us a Circa 1984 Bassett babyroom set. Complete with two dressers, (one with a mirror), a changing table and the crib. I'm in love. They are my godparents, and I babysat in the summers for my two cousins who both used this set. It's just neat all around.

NOTE** I have to brag a bit on my husband. Watching his handy-work in action, the care in his hands, and the smile on his face when doing all of these projects this week has made me so damn proud to go through life with him. I knew him while I was in a previous relationship and if I wasn't with him now, I would be so sad. I'm very lucky.

So without further ado, here are of some of the projects that we've completed this past week. I would have added some before's of the wagon, b/c it was a mess of dirt and rust and spider eggs, but blogger is saying I'm over my limit, so try to use your imagination! ~~And a little shout-out to my Brother and Sister and Parents for helping move the stuff and assemble all day yesterday. I got a pic of the 'help' in progress--and my bro set the mirror up so I could be in it too!! Aww! Also, the changing table isn't in the pictures b/c of bloggers size problem. Bummer!








Monday, March 1, 2010

Guest Blog #4 "Everyone wants something for free"

The bike shop that I work at, like most bike shops, has a set price for repairs. Be it as easy as a tube change or a full blown overhaul, which is the complete disassembly/rebuild of the fork, wheels, crank, headset, derailluers, brakes and bottom bracket. NOTE* Knowing what all of that is is not necessary to understand the rest of this story so don't get discouraged-read on.

Almost every day I will have at least 1 person come in and expect me to fix their bike for free or try to haggle me down on the price of a new bike. "Can you do any better on the price of this bike?" While it's on sale, mind you.

This is why I then constructed a price list on a 3x4 foot dry erase board. The most common response when I tell people how much their repair will cost is that they think I'm "tryin ta play dem". This gets under my skin because I am overly honest with people, I have even been known to do some pro-bono work when I think that someone is really having a crappy day or just down on their luck in general. Much to the dismay of my employer, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him. (If you read the last guest blog you're probably thinking, man this guy is going to make them go out of business). That couldn't be further from the truth, I hibernate in the winter and only give hand outs on rare occasions. Don't judge me.

I started to get tired of people trying to make me work for free and complaining when I charged them. I don't work at a pawn shop people. Try haggling with an auto shop, its not going to get you anywhere. So I decided to write on that big 'ol price board in BIG capital letters "IF YOU WANT TO PAY MORE, ASK FOR A DISCOUNT". Now, please re-read that. Ok, assuming that anyone that reads this blog has above a 3rd grade education, its pretty cut and dry.
I had a lady stand in front of me at the cash register while I was tallying up what she owed and look me in the eyes right after she read my sign and say, "Can I have a discount?" WHAT? 'Did you actually just read that sign and ask me that?', is what I thought. I slowly turned around to look at my sign in case one of my lackies played a joke on me, while keeping eye contact with her for as long as I could and I, the one who wrote the sign, re-read the sign. Nope still the same as the day I wrote it. I proceeded to read the sign to her. She, looking me straight in the eye, mind you, nodded her head and said "yeah, can I get a discount". What the shit? At this point I pictured what I must have looked like. My face showing multiple expressions; disbelief, shock, confusion-to name a few. I re-read the sign to her, (this time slower because that helps when you talk to people that don't speak english). I enunciated every word I could and used my hands as stage props. A good 10 seconds of silent eye contact, then all of a sudden "Ohhhhhhh". It finally sunk in. I then sloooowly told her the total of her repair, didn't make any sudden movements, slooowly handed her the change and sloooowly told her to "haaave a niiiice daaaay maaaaam".

Wheew not getting that 20 minutes back, ever.