I love this time of year! On top of the awesome sweatshirt weather and everything pumpkin, there is so much excitement about the upcoming holiday season. Starting with Halloween!
This year, we are taking baby Colt Trick-or-Treating, in his little skunk costume. He isn't really old enough to eat candy, so we are just planning on taking him for a walk around the neighborhood, to look at the costumes and decorations.
There is a really cool program around here, where you can take your candy and trade it in for toys and prizes. Then, they send the candy as part of care packages to soldiers who are deployed. So, maybe we will do that...but not after taking out the good candy for ourselves! ...Joking.
A few days ago, Charlotte and I went to a fall health far at one of our favorite health-food stores. A couple of days later, Charlotte got a call saying that she one a door prize. Then, yesterday I got a call saying that I won a door prize too! I got a gift bag with a tin water bottle, all natural hair gel and moisturizer, liquid vitamins, and something called Dr. Willard's healing water, which is supposed to be some kind of miracle detoxifyer. It was pretty exciting.
As the title of this post implies, I've been enjoying a lot of Pumpkin Spice Lattes. I'm excited to live in a town with multiple Starbucks', and to have a car so that I can go anytime I want. And trust me...I've had my share.
I've also been meeting a lot of great new people! While most of the people I know here are Charlotte's friends, I have to say that she has pretty great taste in friends.
A couple of weeks ago, I wen't with Jessica and Heather (two of Charlotte's co-workers) to this place where you drink wine and get a painting lesson. Afterwards, we went out to eat. It was super fun, and it reminded me of something I would do with my Malone friends. It made me feel more at home.
Last weekend, we went to a party at Charlotte's friend Kristin's house. We had pumpkin spice cupcakes, and drank pumpkin spice coffee, and the kids painted pumpkins. It really put me into the holiday spirit!
Speaking of holidays! I'm so excited to kick off the holiday season! After Halloween, we are making a quick trip to Ohio to celebrate Thanksgiving a little early. I am so excited to see my parents and the rest of my family!
For the real Thanksgiving, we are going to our friend Cassie's house to celebrate. I'm excited to get cooking, and I hear Cassie's Thanksgivings are a lot of fun!
After that, of course, is Christmas! I have a lot of good gift ideas, and I am excited for some more time in Ohio! I'm making the 8 hour drive by myself, which makes me a little nervous, but I think it will be worth the extra time I'll get to spend at home. (Charlotte and Matt only get 4 days off.)
Anyway, that's about all I have to say for tonight!
Happy Fall!!! :-)
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Let's talk politics.
If you are blissfully unaware, it is election season. Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney... who will win?
The way I see it... the choice is clear. Do we want a president who is in favor of creating programs to help those in need, giving tax breaks to people who really need them, advancing education, and protecting women's health and civil rights?
Or, do we want a president who is planning on bringing back the George Bush economic plan, which crashed the economy in the first place, end funding for an organization that helps millions of women every year, and get rid of programs designed to help the most vulnerable in our population?
The choice is clear. Barack Obama needs to be reelected.
To be completely honest with you, I've begun to lose respect for those who have proclaimed their support for Mitt Romney. I assume that those people are either so uneducated, that they don't realize what a monster he is, or they truly believe in his policies and beliefs. Either way, I feel disgusted every time I see a friend or family member pledging to vote for this man.
I should probably start by saying, that I really like President Obama. He has made great strides in advancing this country. He stands up for women- which is evidence in his support for Planned Parenthood, Equal Pay (ex. The Lilly Ledbetter Act), Marriage Equality, and education. These are all things that can improve the quality of life for American citizens. And, although a lot of people deny the awesomeness that is the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, I am totally psyched that we are joining the rest of the country and adopting universal healthcare.
...Que dramatic claims about socialism...
That being said, I understand that Obama has made some mistakes. For one, he hasn't completely lived up to the promises that he made four years ago in his election campaign. But, it really seems like he is making progress. Although slowly, the economy is growing, our job market is expanding, and unemployment is on the downward slope.
I get it. I respect any person who says, "I don't like Obama because.....".
Unless that sentence is completed with "He is a socialist.", "He is a communist." "He is a Muslim." "He wasn't born in America.", or any racial slur... I completely respect your right to form your own, educated, opinion on dear old POTUS.
The problem comes with the fact that, 99% of the time, when I hear someone saying that they are going to vote for Mr. Romney, there only reasoning is that they don't like Obama. That's kind of like saying "I don't really like Gonorrhea... so I'm going to go ahead and contract H.I.V.
If you don't understand the differences between those two diseases... I suggest you take a refresher course in health... but I digress.
Let's take a closer look at the man behind the fake smile and faker spray tan... Mitt Romney.
I'm not even sure where to begin.
Let's put his policies aside for a moment, and focus on the fact that he has been caught in an outrageous amount of lies over the course of his campaign. The only person who has lied more, is his running mate, Paul Ryan, who oozes sex appeal, but who gives James Frey a run for the title of Liar of the Century.
Mitt has flip flopped on almost every major issue in this election. From his stance on abortion, to his economic policy, Romney has changed his stances, in order to change from a liberal to a conservative to a moderate, to the biggest joke ever to come out of the republican party. (Other than Sarah Palin) If I were a republican (that'll be the day), I would refuse to vote for Romney solely based on the fact that he hasn't given a straightforward, consistent answer, this whole campaign.
Now for those pesky policies.
I have to say that I'm a little biased against basically every one of Mitt's policies because, how do I put it... they are completely against who I am as a person and everything that I believe in.
My first impression of Mitt came from a video clip in which he announced that, if elected president, he would "get rid of" Planned Parenthood. If your first response to that is anything along the lines of "Good, let's get rid of that abortion mill...blah blah blah... baby killers... blah blahh."... then please stop reading this blog, and go get an education. Read a book. Learn about the world.
Yes, Planned Parenthood is an abortion provider. But guess what, abortion is legal in this country. As long as it is legal, there will be abortion providers. Quite honestly, I think that what a woman does with her body is not a choice that should be made by a bunch of men in Washington, nor is it a choice for religious leaders... it is a personal, complicated, difficult, choice that only she can make.
If you don't believe in abortion, there are a lot of things that you can do. First of all, you can encourage behaviors, and support efforts, that reduce the amount of unwanted pregnancies in the first place (something that Planned Parenthood does a great job at!) Secondly, you can provide women in difficult situations with life promoting alternatives (something only a democrat would do). Finally, if you don't believe in abortion... don't have one. It's as simple as that.
For those of you who don't know... I spent a semester doing an internship at Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio... and I have to say... that for being "baby murderers", I worked with some of the most caring, loving, passionate people that I have ever met. Oh, and I should probably mention that there wasn't even an abortion facility in our health center... so there goes that theory.
But that isn't the issue here. About 3-5% of the services provided at Planned Parenthood deal with abortion. The other 95-97% of services offered are things like well women exams, pap smears, pregnancy testing, contraceptives, STD testing, and my favorite, Education! Planned Parenthood HELPS millions of women take control of their reproductive health, in a way that empowers them.
Oh yes Mitt, lets go ahead and get rid of that.
On the topic of women... did you see the debate the other night? The one where he hinted at the fact that women need jobs that allow them to get home in time to cook dinner, said that he had binders full of women, and suggested that the reason that there is so much violence, is that there are a lot of single moms in this country. Ummmm... first of Mitt, my place is not in the kitchen, and if I do the same job as a man... I sure as hell better be making the same wages. Also, being a single mom is probably one of the most difficult things that a woman can do, and just because someone grew up in a one parent household doesn't even begin to mean that they will be violent. Heck...look at you Mitt, you had TWO parents... and look how awful you turned out.
Okay, I'm sort of sick of writing... so let me just make a few more statements... even though I could clearly go on and on...
1. Mitt Romeny's economic policies mimic those of George W. Bush's trickle down economics. If you don't know what that means... think of a dog waiting by a table for his owners to drop crumbs. Are you part of the middle class? Yep... then you're that dog. Also, this is the economic policy that crashed the economy in 2008.
2. Romney made some really awful statements about the "47%"...if you don't already know about his now infamous speech, I suggest you look it up. Keep in mind that the "47%" that he is talking about includes those who have retired and are collecting social security, students, veterans, and soliders who are untaxed while deployed.
3. Romney's health care plan? If you don't have insurance, wait until you are really sick... and then call an ambulance. Awesome. Let us not forget that in his own state, Massachusetts, Romney created a healthcare plan that is almost identical to the Affordable Healthcare Act...and it worked. So why would he repeal Obamacare? To please right wing conservatives... duh.
Like I said, I could go on and on... and I probably will in the next few weeks.
But, if you read this far...congratulations... and thank you.
The way I see it... the choice is clear. Do we want a president who is in favor of creating programs to help those in need, giving tax breaks to people who really need them, advancing education, and protecting women's health and civil rights?
Or, do we want a president who is planning on bringing back the George Bush economic plan, which crashed the economy in the first place, end funding for an organization that helps millions of women every year, and get rid of programs designed to help the most vulnerable in our population?
The choice is clear. Barack Obama needs to be reelected.
To be completely honest with you, I've begun to lose respect for those who have proclaimed their support for Mitt Romney. I assume that those people are either so uneducated, that they don't realize what a monster he is, or they truly believe in his policies and beliefs. Either way, I feel disgusted every time I see a friend or family member pledging to vote for this man.
I should probably start by saying, that I really like President Obama. He has made great strides in advancing this country. He stands up for women- which is evidence in his support for Planned Parenthood, Equal Pay (ex. The Lilly Ledbetter Act), Marriage Equality, and education. These are all things that can improve the quality of life for American citizens. And, although a lot of people deny the awesomeness that is the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, I am totally psyched that we are joining the rest of the country and adopting universal healthcare.
...Que dramatic claims about socialism...
That being said, I understand that Obama has made some mistakes. For one, he hasn't completely lived up to the promises that he made four years ago in his election campaign. But, it really seems like he is making progress. Although slowly, the economy is growing, our job market is expanding, and unemployment is on the downward slope.
I get it. I respect any person who says, "I don't like Obama because.....".
Unless that sentence is completed with "He is a socialist.", "He is a communist." "He is a Muslim." "He wasn't born in America.", or any racial slur... I completely respect your right to form your own, educated, opinion on dear old POTUS.
The problem comes with the fact that, 99% of the time, when I hear someone saying that they are going to vote for Mr. Romney, there only reasoning is that they don't like Obama. That's kind of like saying "I don't really like Gonorrhea... so I'm going to go ahead and contract H.I.V.
If you don't understand the differences between those two diseases... I suggest you take a refresher course in health... but I digress.
Let's take a closer look at the man behind the fake smile and faker spray tan... Mitt Romney.
I'm not even sure where to begin.
Let's put his policies aside for a moment, and focus on the fact that he has been caught in an outrageous amount of lies over the course of his campaign. The only person who has lied more, is his running mate, Paul Ryan, who oozes sex appeal, but who gives James Frey a run for the title of Liar of the Century.
Mitt has flip flopped on almost every major issue in this election. From his stance on abortion, to his economic policy, Romney has changed his stances, in order to change from a liberal to a conservative to a moderate, to the biggest joke ever to come out of the republican party. (Other than Sarah Palin) If I were a republican (that'll be the day), I would refuse to vote for Romney solely based on the fact that he hasn't given a straightforward, consistent answer, this whole campaign.
Now for those pesky policies.
I have to say that I'm a little biased against basically every one of Mitt's policies because, how do I put it... they are completely against who I am as a person and everything that I believe in.
My first impression of Mitt came from a video clip in which he announced that, if elected president, he would "get rid of" Planned Parenthood. If your first response to that is anything along the lines of "Good, let's get rid of that abortion mill...blah blah blah... baby killers... blah blahh."... then please stop reading this blog, and go get an education. Read a book. Learn about the world.
Yes, Planned Parenthood is an abortion provider. But guess what, abortion is legal in this country. As long as it is legal, there will be abortion providers. Quite honestly, I think that what a woman does with her body is not a choice that should be made by a bunch of men in Washington, nor is it a choice for religious leaders... it is a personal, complicated, difficult, choice that only she can make.
If you don't believe in abortion, there are a lot of things that you can do. First of all, you can encourage behaviors, and support efforts, that reduce the amount of unwanted pregnancies in the first place (something that Planned Parenthood does a great job at!) Secondly, you can provide women in difficult situations with life promoting alternatives (something only a democrat would do). Finally, if you don't believe in abortion... don't have one. It's as simple as that.
For those of you who don't know... I spent a semester doing an internship at Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio... and I have to say... that for being "baby murderers", I worked with some of the most caring, loving, passionate people that I have ever met. Oh, and I should probably mention that there wasn't even an abortion facility in our health center... so there goes that theory.
But that isn't the issue here. About 3-5% of the services provided at Planned Parenthood deal with abortion. The other 95-97% of services offered are things like well women exams, pap smears, pregnancy testing, contraceptives, STD testing, and my favorite, Education! Planned Parenthood HELPS millions of women take control of their reproductive health, in a way that empowers them.
Oh yes Mitt, lets go ahead and get rid of that.
On the topic of women... did you see the debate the other night? The one where he hinted at the fact that women need jobs that allow them to get home in time to cook dinner, said that he had binders full of women, and suggested that the reason that there is so much violence, is that there are a lot of single moms in this country. Ummmm... first of Mitt, my place is not in the kitchen, and if I do the same job as a man... I sure as hell better be making the same wages. Also, being a single mom is probably one of the most difficult things that a woman can do, and just because someone grew up in a one parent household doesn't even begin to mean that they will be violent. Heck...look at you Mitt, you had TWO parents... and look how awful you turned out.
Okay, I'm sort of sick of writing... so let me just make a few more statements... even though I could clearly go on and on...
1. Mitt Romeny's economic policies mimic those of George W. Bush's trickle down economics. If you don't know what that means... think of a dog waiting by a table for his owners to drop crumbs. Are you part of the middle class? Yep... then you're that dog. Also, this is the economic policy that crashed the economy in 2008.
2. Romney made some really awful statements about the "47%"...if you don't already know about his now infamous speech, I suggest you look it up. Keep in mind that the "47%" that he is talking about includes those who have retired and are collecting social security, students, veterans, and soliders who are untaxed while deployed.
3. Romney's health care plan? If you don't have insurance, wait until you are really sick... and then call an ambulance. Awesome. Let us not forget that in his own state, Massachusetts, Romney created a healthcare plan that is almost identical to the Affordable Healthcare Act...and it worked. So why would he repeal Obamacare? To please right wing conservatives... duh.
Like I said, I could go on and on... and I probably will in the next few weeks.
But, if you read this far...congratulations... and thank you.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Growing Up
Over the past few months, it has really started to hit me that I'm turning into a full-fledged adult...whatever that means.
I've always wondered when I would finally start to feel like I was growing up, and I'm sad to say that day has come.
Okay, so I fully recognize that I have a long way to go before I am fully grown up. I have a younger cousin, who is only 18, who is always on Facebook, talking about how grown up she is, and talks about "these kids". When I see that, I just want to hug her and say "Oh, Honey. You have no idea."
I am also aware enough to know that there are a lot of people who would probably react to my proclamation of adulthood in a similar fashion.
So far in life, I've graduated from high school and college, moved almost 500 miles from home, bought my own car, and started paying a whole lot of bills. I've also started making real plans for my life, and making real decisions concerning my future and well being.
Recently, I made the decision to stay in North Carolina. When I moved here, I sort of had a feeling that I wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. But, now I have officially decided that, when I go home for Christmas, I'm coming back. This is probably one of the biggest decisions that I've ever made; and even though it's scary, I think that I've made the best decision for myself and baby Colt.
My life is changing in ways that I wouldn't have anticipated this time last year. But, as I grow into adulthood, I am glad to say that I am so blessed to have such a supportive group of friends and family to lean back on.
I've always wondered when I would finally start to feel like I was growing up, and I'm sad to say that day has come.
Okay, so I fully recognize that I have a long way to go before I am fully grown up. I have a younger cousin, who is only 18, who is always on Facebook, talking about how grown up she is, and talks about "these kids". When I see that, I just want to hug her and say "Oh, Honey. You have no idea."
I am also aware enough to know that there are a lot of people who would probably react to my proclamation of adulthood in a similar fashion.
So far in life, I've graduated from high school and college, moved almost 500 miles from home, bought my own car, and started paying a whole lot of bills. I've also started making real plans for my life, and making real decisions concerning my future and well being.
Recently, I made the decision to stay in North Carolina. When I moved here, I sort of had a feeling that I wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. But, now I have officially decided that, when I go home for Christmas, I'm coming back. This is probably one of the biggest decisions that I've ever made; and even though it's scary, I think that I've made the best decision for myself and baby Colt.
My life is changing in ways that I wouldn't have anticipated this time last year. But, as I grow into adulthood, I am glad to say that I am so blessed to have such a supportive group of friends and family to lean back on.
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