Election Night Results coming in.....

FUCK!!!!!!!!!!

Stopping the Spread the Wealth Train

"Spread the wealth around"  Are you kidding me?  I mean really?  How can anyone vote for this man?  Seriously!  Spread the wealth??????  How exactly can someone hear that and think "yea, sounds good"????  I really don't get it?  Move to fricking Sweden or France if you want that kind of government.  That's so un-American!  The Democratic party has come so far from "Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country."  Can you imagine ANY Democrat saying that now?  It's unfathomable for the current entitlement-program Democratic party!  I'm truly worried about what this means for our country.  We have gotten soft, weak.  What percentage of Americans are going to be relying on the government?  And once you rely on the government, how easy is it to find your own footing?  Will they ever be self-reliant?  Doubtful!  It's very scary.

Moving

So here I am in a house that still does not feel like home.  We've been here for 3 months so far and it's been one ordeal after another.  We are renting, thank the good Lord!  Our latest adventure has been the 18 dead mice that were smelling up the entire first floor.  It turns out that decomposing mice carcuses (carcusi?) smell amazingly bad!  Not that I would have questioned that.  So now the house is LOADED down with 2/3's a case of mice poison...I think that's a LOT by the way the "critter control" guy said "2/3's of a case", or maybe that's justification in the amount we were charged.  I would have paid pretty much whatever he asked after he pulled out 16 of the dead mice from the wall.  I made Neil pull the other 2 out at 10 pm later that night when I decided it still reeked (I was right!).  

We are renting a 120 year old farm house that's been remodeled (mostly...not the basement, it's really a cellar, exactly what you would expect a cellar to look like - CREEPY! with lots of entrances for critters!).  It sounded very cool from Virginia Beach, "ooooh, an old farm house with those great old pine floors".  Now it's just cold and disturbing.  We're pretty sure it's haunted, or maybe that's just a result of the amount of wine I've been imbibing so I can pretend that I don't care that I've met NO ONE here.

I've unjustly decided that I don't like the Target here, the grocery store here, pretty much almost everything here.  It's not fair, I realize that.  But how long does it take for a new place to feel comfortable?  I still remember my daughter brilliantly asking "mom, when does the new carpet become the old carpet?"  Such insight from a little girl.  I wasn't allowing juice and food in the family room with the "new" carpet, but she keenly knew that the newness would wear off and then it was free-rein for snacks in front of the tv.  But when does that comfort come?

We could leave this town and no one would even notice.  I have a feeling it will takes years to get entrenched here.  Maybe that's true with anywhere.  As I've gotten older I've come to appreciate my friendships and realize how rare those true friendships are.  It's not all that often that you find people you really want to be with.  It's especially true of couple friendships, where both members of the couple like each other.  Shouldn't we be making a huge effort to keep those going?  Can you do that if you aren't in the same city?  Will we find that again?  I suppose so, but I think it's going to be a long time before we get there again.  And how does that come?  Church, clubs, PTA, charities, how?  I certainly haven't figured it out yet.

The Truth about affording more taxes

I think it's time one of us "rich" people explain the deal about taxes. My husband and I are in the fortunate group of Americans who make more than $250,000. I know that is a lot. I can tell you that never in my childhood dreams did I think I would be in this position. I will not call us "lucky" though. Both my husband and I have worked extremely hard for our money. Starting in high school, we were studying while others were playing. We both continued our path in college, taking biochemistry, chemistry, and physics "weed-out" classes. Then it was off to medical school, where we pushed the limits of what our brain could master. And then, when we finally earned our MD, the real work began. It was off to residency where we worked an average of 100 hours per week, making about $5 per hour. We often worked 34-36 hours straight with very little or no sleep, had 12 hours off only to return to the same rugged pattern. Many times my husband and I would go 4-5 days without seeing each other. We got our first job at age 30, finally making a good living. Oh, but that's also when your student loans come due. Medical school is expensive; we had a combined $160,000 in debt. It's a little like having a house on your back without the places to eat, sleep, and live.

Now we've been done with residency for 9 years। We still owe a lot of student loans, we have a house, we have 2 children, we have a lot of "stuff", nice stuff but Obama says I can afford more in taxes. Let's examine that. Let's say he becomes President and my taxes have instantly gone to 39.6% from 36%. We also have to figure in that he thinks we should also pay more into Social Security, anywhere from 2-4% more, split with our employer (which is us, it's a democratic group of physicians). So he thinks I can afford 5.6 to 7.6% more in taxes. I'd have to start cutting on our monthly budget. When we were in Virginia when I was working, we employed a nanny for 120 hours a month. With Barack in office, she'd be out of a job. No more weekly cleaning lady. No more nice dinners with generous 25% tip (I like to overtip). No more spending on "just because" shopping trips.

Now I know some are saying "oh, poor you" but think about this: ALL the people making over $250,000 will be doing the same. Think about how much less money will be put in our economy. Do we really want the government spending this money instead of us? I put it directly in someone's pocket, someone who earned it. I can't say the same for the government.

Winners and Losers

As I sat watching the Fighting Illini play Michigan in the "Big House" in Ann Arbor, I wondered what makes a winner?  Pretty much the entire game, I felt like we were losing, even when we were clearly stomping the Wolverines.  Illinois hasn't beaten Michigan since 1999.  Michigan is typically a power house football team.  Illinois was crushed in their rare Rose Bowl appearance on New Year's Day.  When you're an Illini fan, you get a little used to choking, sort of like being a Cubs fans.  Why do some teams always win, or why does it feel like some teams are winners even when they're not?  Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska.  Even during their bad years, it seems like they're good.  

To take that further:  why do some people succeed and some don't?  And since I can tie all things back to politics, why does it feel like the Republicans are a little like my Illini?  They may win from time to time but it constantly feels like we're losing.  I guess some of that is the mainstream media's bias, but I think it's more than that.  Winning and success are an attitude, a state of mind.  I actually think Sarah Palin has that confidence, maybe that's why she's done so well in Alaska.  Confidence, winning, success are all characteristics we want in our leaders and I think the American people can tell when our leaders have them.  We want to be lead by people who believe in their success.

Speaking of losers, what in the world is the University of Illinois at Chicago doing employing William Ayers?  Does he put on his resume "founder of Weather Underground"?  Obama's connections to him are undeniable.  The full truth will never come out, I'm sure.  He would never get elected if the full extent was known, but let's just forget the Obama connection for a moment.  How in the world does a man with his past get a professorship at a public university?  I'm ashamed to say it's my alma mater for medical school.  They will never get any money from this alumni and I hope many others will follow.  I understand wanting differing view points on a college campus, but does that have to include anti-American?  University of Illinois at Chicago is a public state school, that means tax payers dollars are going to the school.  Don't we get some say?  Despicable!

Sarah and Barney

OK, so Sarah Palin totally crushed the debate last night. She is the anti-establishment, the anti-status quo. Oh, I bet the people on the coasts are just seething today. They totally hate her kind: plain speaking, nice, pretty, conservative, PRO-LIFE especially pro-life...how dare she be a woman and be pro-life (exactly when did being a woman equate to baby killing?), gun shooting, mother of more than 2 children, God-fearing! They just HATE that! They don't understand her kind. What they also don't understand is that there are a LOT of her kind. I'm her kind. I think a lot of America is her kind. We value our families, we love our church and God, we LOVE America and all it offers; we understand how fortunate we are to live here and we wish everyone in the world had our opportunities.

After watching and reading some of the coverage of last night's debate, I'm actually truly amazed any Republicans have ever won a national election, especially before Fox News. The media is so ridiculously biased. I have a hard time watching CNN or NBC or really any of them.

On another note, did you all see Bill O'Reilly's total annihilation of Barney Frank. Holy Cow I enjoyed that! Thank you, Bill, for laying into him. I think he was easier on Barney than a lot of us would be. We're MAD out here in the heartland!

So my biggest dilemma today is what will be more appropriate attire for the Illinois-Michigan football game tomorrow. It's in Ann Arbor. I'm between my Illinois sweatshirt, my McCain-Palin sweatshirt or the ever famous Appalachian State sweatshirt. I'm sure any would be a big hit. Go ILLINI!

Palin ROCKS

Sarah Palin totally rocked the debate!  We simply have to vote this lady into office.  She brings such a new perspective into Washington.  We desperately need an outsider with courage of her convictions.  I'm so thrilled she did so well!