Monday, September 29, 2008

Well, At Least I heard Back From Him

Dear Ms. Kosior:

Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the so-called "bailout" for the financial industry. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this issue. I value your views on the important issues facing our Commonwealth and the Nation.
The past several days have been historic ones for Congress and for the families and people of this great nation. We face significant challenges in our financial markets and I do not underestimate the serious nature of the decisions we face in dealing with the credit crisis. I realize that the current credit crisis could create problems for every American should the financial markets freeze and remain frozen. Throughout this debate it has been clear that action is necessary but the recovery bill considered in the House of Representatives today should not have been the only option.
In reviewing the plan and doing some deep soul searching I believe that it had significant problems. First is the government purchase and ownership of troubled private assets on a massive scale. The impact of this action would be a fundamental change in the role of government in the American free enterprise system. The obligations to offset Wall Street losses would have been placed on future generations. To authorize the Paulson plan would be to lessen the consequences of risky behavior and could lead to riskier behavior in the future. Furthermore it did not go far enough in holding accountable those at fault for the current crisis by failing to establish penalties for their past bad business practices.
There are free market mechanisms that should have been and still can be implemented to help ease the current crisis. While the recovery bill would have allowed community banks to write off losses on their holdings of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stock, it did not provide backing to assist banks in raising private capital. By providing incentives for private capital, the government could help troubled banks offset losses that keep them from lending while limiting government intervention and taxpayer risk.
I also have serious concerns with government overseeing the purchase and sale of these troubled private assets. I feared that the purchase and sale of the assets would not have been executed in the most efficient way possible under this proposal and taxpayers could lose. The potential existed for the government to pay too much and sell for too little.
In addition I had considerable reservations about increasing the national debt by 6.6% to $11.3 trillion dollars to finance the bailout. This equates to an additional $3,000 of debt for every man, woman and child in the U.S. on top of the $34,000 already owed by each American toward the national debt. We cannot continue to borrow and spend at this rate and expect a healthy future for our country.
In my deliberations, I sought to make a decision in the best interest of the taxpayers. Over the past week I've had calls, emails, letters and visits from over 2000 constituents of the First District with an overwhelming majority voicing opposition to this recovery plan. Many of you expressed a need for Congress to act, but felt that this plan was not the right course of action. With that in mind I have offered that Congress should not adjourn and should stay in Washington to get the right plan for economic recovery.
My two main priorities for any plan are to most wisely protect you as a taxpayer and to protect the value of your retirement, your home and your savings. There is no doubt that this crisis and resulting legislation would have had significant impact on our future. However, I believe that the proposed plan for recovery had substantial and avoidable flaws. The plan that was before us put $700 billion in taxpayer funding on the line to bail out Wall Street financial firms, would fundamentally alter free market decision making, let bad actors off the hook and create a massive new bureaucracy with no guarantee of success. For these reasons I could not vote in favor of this plan. The House of Representatives failed to pass H.R. 3997, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, today by a vote of 205-228.
Again, thank you for sharing your views and opinions with me. I am committed to serving you to the best of my abilities. If I can ever be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to call me at (202) 225-4261 or contact me online at: www.wittman.house.gov.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

A Hell of a Time




Well, as you can see, I ultimately decided to go the Obama rally at UMW. How often will I have the chance to see the future President? I was really excited about the decision. I decided to go early, so I left the house around 11:45. By the time I got there, it was already insanity, and the festivities weren't due to kick off till 5:15 at the earliest.

Well, I was somewhat immoral and started wandering around to find out what was going on, when I happened to come to the beginning of the line. I sort of sauntered into it, and no one really said anything, so I just stayed there.

By 2:30, however, it was getting really old. It was HOT, it was HUMID, we were standing on bricks, it was awful. They finally let us in at 2:45 and we all made our way in to the area where they were doing the speech. I wound up 10 feet from the podium, by some miracle.

It didn't seem so rosy after the next 2 hours. In fact, I literally fell to the ground. It had rained for about 3 minutes earlier, which was just enough to make the humidity INSANE and the crush of bodies was crazy and I just got way too hot. We weren't allowed to have water in there or food, so we were just standing in the blazing sun with no relief. So finally I realized it was sit on the ground (which we were also not allowed to do) or throw up and faint. I chose to sit. There were 2 volunteers nearby who started asking me if I was OK, but I wasn't terribly responsive, so they got on their phones and started calling for help. Eventually someone sent over 2 bottles of water, and they poured one straight down my back and made me drink the other one. They also gave me a peppermint candy to suck on. After about 30 minutes on the ground, in the mud, I was feeling better and they helped me up. By then it was nearly 5 and the thing was supposed to start, and all of a sudden, the heavens opened and we got one hell of a thunderstorm. So the Obama event staff was scurrying around, trying to cover the podium, get all the electronics undercover, etc. The people around me started freaking out, so they grabbed the blue coverings off the railings and made makeshift tents. Unfortunately, the cloth was not waterproof, so water started pouring in, and we were getting soaked anyway. I stepped out of the tent and discovered my book, phone, and camera were drenched so my guardian angel who helped me earlier let me stash them under her trash bag tarp.

Well, by now, things were really dragging on and everyone was getting kind of pissed. I was thinking, "Bad enough we've all got aching backs and hurting feet, welcome to the next level of hell." But it was kind of like Woodstock, 30,000 people in a field full of mud.

When the rain let up, they started attempting to re-assemble the teleprompter, which was non-cooperative and people were booing and screaming, etc.

Finally at 7:15, a full hour late, after a bunch of local pols took the stage, Obama and Biden arrived. It was pandemonium. Total and complete chaos. Screaming, yelling, fists in the air, "HELL YEAH!" ballyhooing. Amazing.



I took TONS of a pictures, a few of which you see here. Biden spoke for about 15 minutes and then Obama took center stage for the better part of an hour. The speech was great, humorous, poignant, and inspiring. Midway through, the rain started again, and we were all soaked and he took off his jacket and got soaked right along with us.





Afterwards, he came off the stage and I was privileged to be able to shake his hand. It was an awesome moment. (His hand, if you must know, was FREEZING COLD, no doubt from being in the rain). And as you can see from the picture of me below--I was totally soaked by the time I got back in my car. I called the General and said, "Order me some dinner!" So he did and dinner was delivered as I got home, which was awesome, since I hadn't eaten all day since breakfast.





Despite whatever hell I might have endured physically (and I can barely put my feet on the floor they hurt so much, to say nothing of my back), it was totally and completely worth it. You can see more pictures at http://www.mkosior.com/gallery/obama. I just kept on shooting pictures. Some better than others, but they all came out really well. It was an awesome experience and worth all the craziness and missing the book festival. But next year, I'll be on the Mall for sure. And looking forward to Manda and Melissa and whoever else wants to come being there too!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

On the Horns of a Dilemma

So far this week, I've been to Fairfax twice, once on Monday for work and once today for a doctor's appointment. I'm due to go back up north on Friday evening because Joe's mom is coming to town and we are all going to dinner together Friday night up in Alexandria. And then on Saturday, we have the National Book Festival. However, I'm supposed to come home Friday night to a) bring the General home and b) go to my WW meeting on Saturday morning. All told, this will put approximately 360+ miles on my car, not to mention gas. But I *love* going to the book festival.

Tonight I get home from work and there is an email in my mailbox. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will be in Fredericksburg on Saturday. I desperately want to go.

And frankly, there's no one at this year's book festival that really makes my heart go pitter pat. Last year's line up, to me, was MUCH better. The only person I'd like to meet this year is Geraldine Brooks, and she's in the "like to meet" category, not the "dying to meet" category like Jodi Picoult last year.

So I have two options.

1. Go to the book festival in the morning, get there by 10, leave by noon, get back to the 'burg by 2 and get to the gates when they open at 3.

2. Skip the whole rigamarole running around up north and just go to the rally.

Added to this is that I've invited my officemate Kris to come with me, and I really, truly, and desperately need to bitch about work with someone. Seriously. It's coming down to "here's my 3 months notice" time. I wish I had the balls to do it.

Well, I think the choice is clear. I think I'm going to do the unthinkable and bag the book festival. But there's a little piece of me that just isn't sure yet... HELP! Decisions, decisions...

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Confusion

Received this in an email a couple times from friends over the past week. It's good. Very good.

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....

If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're 'exotic, different.' But if you grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you’re a quintessential American story.

If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim. But if you name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

Graduate from Harvard Law School and you are unstable. But attend 5 different small colleges in six years before graduating, you're well-grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first Black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

If, on the other hand your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian. But if you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month (before your divorce was even final), you're a Christian.

If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society. But if, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's. But if your husband is nicknamed 'First Dude,' with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

A Little Note to The Government

Dear Uncle Sam:

I am a law abiding, tax paying citizen of this land. I pay my bills on time, including the taxes on my property, my car, my income. I put money aside each month, trying to save for emergencies. I don't loan money out to people I know to be risky in terms of paying me back. I've been paying my federal student loans since I left college in 1997. I pay my mortgage on time, credit card bills, the car payment, my ridiculous medical expenses. I pay the kid who cuts my lawn. I buy gas for half the universe--the truckers who haul the things that I buy in stores, the freight operators who fly my mail around, hell, I was on the hook for gas for my social worker if it came to that. I have worked my ass off for years in a fairly thankless job to pay back that "free" graduate school ride you "gave" me.

And I've been doing it, mostly without complaint. I figure I'm lucky not to live in a hurricane-stricken area of the country right now. I figure I'm lucky to be able to afford these things.

But I didn't get here from being stupid. I didn't get here from taking risks where there wasn't a pretty good chance of a decent pay off.

But today, today I woke up and I saw where you bailed out another sinking ship to the tune of billions of dollars. Some of which are MY dollars, thank you. And I don't even get a say so. So I'd like to make a proposal to you.

I propose that you give me a bail out. It's getting kind of hard out here. I've cut back on a lot of things. My husband and I eat out once a week MAYBE, and even then only if I'm too exhausted to even put something in the microwave. I've switched to buying generic drugs, foods, household products. My rabbit even eats generic pet food. My husband and I have given up on taking our weekend drives in the country. We skipped Myrtle Beach this year. And still, I have to say, it's getting to be a struggle. We've trimmed the fat. What's left to trim? Oh, we're not hurting, per se, but we could--and in my opinion, should--be doing better.

So I want my cut. After all, I'm not proposing to put thousands of employees out of work from my own stupidity. I haven't behaved in such a manner that is causing global turmoil in the financial markets. Shouldn't there be a reward for good behavior?

I'm tired. I'm tired of getting up every day and going to work and doing good and basically getting pennies for it--and all because the people in government don't seem to think that my chosen field deserves reimbursement from medical insurance. I'm tired of hearing that our budget has been slashed and having to explain to doctors that I can no longer afford to pay for an exam for a client with no insurance.

My two big vacations this year? Both will be spent with my family, one on the road and one here at home. When was the last time one of these corporate big wigs took a vacation that didn't involve island hopping, seeing the continenet, maybe cruising the Amazon, or wasting away in Tahiti?

So, I've tried to decide what would be fair. I don't need $85 billion--who does? (AIG, I know, I know.) Hell, I don't need $1 billion. I'm going to make you an offer. How about a cool, tax free even million dollars? And here's what you'll get for your investment in me:

1. I'll pay off my student loans once and for all. So see? You're already getting money back.

2. I'll pay off my mortgage. See? More money that will probably directly benefit you by helping out the banks.

3. I'll pay off my car loan. Ditto number two: helping out the bank.

4. With what's left of the rest of the cash, I'll quit my job, and take one hell of a vacation. To make it fair, I'll stay inside the US. I will spend money in restaurants, on car rentals, maybe even on a plane ticket. I will rent a cottage or a condo on the beach and I will not lift a single finger for myself. I will pay some people to do it for me. Think of the boost for the suffering tourism trade!

5. And then my husband will, knowing him, probably go back to work. We'll go back to paying our income taxes, our Social Security taxes, our property taxes, our car taxes, our utilities, and all the rest of it. So you're still going to make some money off of us. Probably more now that we won't be able to deduct the interest from our mortgage. You're still winning! Though us adopting might put a little cramp in your style in terms of how much money you might get back--an extra deduction or two will hardly be noticed though, right?

It is my completely unstudied opinion on the matter that if you gave most sensible Americans a good dose of cash (what the hell was $1200 supposed to do for us in today's economy?), we would probably use it in ways that would boost the economy and help out the ailing financial system--paying off credit card bills, mortgages, car loans, medical debts, tax debts. Of course there are yahoo's out there who will blow the entire million on cigarettes and beer, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to maybe finally own a hot little convertible with a little chunk of the cash (one wants to look stylish cruising the beach), but for the most part, I think you would find people paying off bills and making their lives more comfortable. The money would flow up, these companies would stabilize, and we could call it even.

So whaddaya say? Do you have a cool million for me? If so, you know where I live. Check my last tax return. The address is the same.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Yard Saling

This Saturday is our first attempt at holding a yard sale since moving here. We are attempting to raise some much needed capital for the adoption fees. I don't know how the hell we're going to get it all set up--we have a bunch of junk already and no real tables or anything to put stuff on. Judy and Lucas will be coming down to help out with it, but if anyone else is free on Saturday and wants to take pity on me, please feel free to drop over :) And also if you have any "stuff" you want to get rid of and don't mind donating, please let me know. You can either bring it over or I can try to pick it up tomorrow or Wednesday. I'll be in Fairfax tomorrow and Wednesday mornings and in Fredericksburg tomorrow and Wednesday evenings. Thursday evening I am committed to picking up a futon and mattress from Judy and Lucas's place, thus signaling the end of my Sunday stayovers, as "my" bed is up for sale on Saturday and I'll have nowhere to sleep over there. The end of an era... Sad, but happy...

Anyway, anything we don't sell will be offered on Freecycle first and then we'll donate whatever's left to the local Hospice thrift store. So your goodies and mine will all go to a great cause regardless of what happens to it!

The sale is Saturday from 9:00AM till ???

(X-Posted to BRB blog)

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Tubing Antietam

So yesterday was the day... A month or so ago, I had posted a link to a site where you could learn more information about a tubing trip to Antietam. Voted best summer outdoor activity by Washingtonian Magazine, River & Trail Outfitter's tubing ride is 4-5 hours in length along the spring-fed stream, and I was very excited to go.

We had a group of 6 of us who were interested. Then Melissa's allergies prohibited her from going. Then Elizabeth and her hubby had to cancel. And then it looked like we were going to get thunderstorms. So, Tom, Michael and I talked it over on Friday evening and decided maybe we shouldn't go either. However, on their website, Tom noticed that there had to be 48 hours notice before you cancelled, so we were all a bit nervous about losing our money.

I got back from my WW meeting yesterday at 8 and called over to R&T to see if the tubes were still going despite the poor weather that was called for. John announced that they weren't expected to get storms, so we decided to go. A quick call to wake Tom up and we were on our way.

It was a very quick 2 hour ride from our house up to Knoxville, MD and the place was VERY easy to find--literally right off a main highway. We arrived and signed in, Michael cracking up the girl at the counter when we signed the "you are not holding R&T responsible for injuries" form by stating, "Well, I guess if I go blind today, it's all my fault." hahaha

We were directed down to the back, where we parked and climbed up on the little patio of the raft house and sat there. The people who worked there were scurrying about, loading buses with supplies. A man came over and introduced himself as Larry, stating he was the tubing guide along with his son Travis. So, we introduced ourselves and he asked us if we had any medical conditions. Ooooh boy. Now the fun begins, I thought. So, I pointed to Michael and Larry noticed the hearing aids and we set about making arrangements for them--we have a little waterproof tube for them and Larry said he'd put that in the first aid kit, which is supposed to be waterproof, and tuck the whole thing in his dry bag. Then we turn to the question of, "How's your vision? Any problem there?"

Ummm, yeah. And perhaps for a millisecond, there was a sense of panic that flitted across Larry's face. But only for the tiniest fraction of a second. Then he went in search of a rope, announcing that they'd lash our two tubes together so I could guide Michael down the river. Fine by me!

So they get that all set up, and then Larry comes back to ask about our lunch preferences. I started praying. As it turns out, the typical fare for these things is chicken, potato salad, and watermelon. I rather forcefully said to my husband, "You WILL eat chicken, RIGHT!?" He agreed to eat the chicken. We had left the house without him eating breakfast, so I knew he'd be hungry, but I also knew he wasn't eating potato salad and watermelon.

Finally everyone else arrived and we got ready to roll. We were on the bus and it turned out one of the guys on the bus was a vegetarian, so it was decided he'd eat Michael's salad and fruit and Michael would eat his chicken. WOO HOO!

We got the drop off point, and there was a fairly steep drop down to where we entered the creek. Larry went in front, I went in back, and we were able to get the General down in pretty short order. Our tubes were tossed down, lashed together, and we sat in them and went on down the river. And then a brief moment of panic crossed my face as I thought "Well, ooooooooookay, we're on our own, where the hell are we going!?"

Fortunately, Travis hopped in his canoe and adeptly caught up with us, giving our tubes a few pushes to keep us going. And in no time, the rest of the group had caught up with us. Then, a glitch. We got beached, Michael's tube stuck up on the bank and mine out in the water. And I could not explain to him that he needed to kick his feet out and push us off--mostly because he couldn't hear too much of what I was saying. So, the group floated past us, and then Larry glided up in his canoe and asked me if it wouldn't be easier if I had an oar? Well, sure, I figured, why not? I'm probably pretty handy with an oar. I grew up in canoe country, did some canoeing growing up, sure, I'll take an oar. I'll just use it to keep us away from branches and the banks and stuff.

Thus began a day like I have never had. I was using that oar for just about everything. Larry went behind us, since we spent most of our time going down backwards for some reason, and now and again, he'd say, "Susan, you've got a rock ahead" (no, not a rock head!) and I would look back, size up the situation, paddle with the oar a bit, and we'd make it around. The first time was pretty impressive. By the fifth or sixth time, Larry proclaimed, "You're pretty adept with that paddle." By the 20th or 30th time, Larry said, "If this was an Olympic sport, you'd have gold medal written all over you."

Because, you see, I was paddling with one oar while lying flat on my back in an innertube, shooting backwards, with the General in a second tube attached to me as essentially dead weight.

Before lunch, I only managed to smack him in the head once with the paddle. (I know Mike and Lesley are laughing about this--it turns out I'm really good at smacking him in the head completely accidentally with things like oars and doors and such!) The only real downside was that while we were drifting along, I started feeling like I was sinking a little bit. I looked down and the valve was open on my tube. Oops. So we plugged it back up and it was actually a bit more comfortable that way--I didn't have to hold my head up, I could just sort of sink into it.

We had lunch, and it was SO GOOD. I figured I was working out pretty good, so I just gave up and said, "Screw it, I'm eating what I want." I had 2 pieces of chicken, plus a glob of potato salad and a piece of watermelon. Michael decided to stage a hunger strike, which appeared to be about breaking Larry's heart, so I shoved a chicken leg into his hand and commanded him: EAT! He finished that one and Larry came by to find it if he wanted more. I said, "Give him another leg, Larry." Which he did and which the General ate. He was in my army now!

After lunch, we still had half the trip to go, so they loaded the General and I up and we started downstream again. This half of the trip was a bit more treacherous--many more rapids and obstacles to get around and under--I personally LOVED going under the low hanging tree branches. It was nice to be so close to nature that you could see the walking sticks, etc. right over your nose.

I was conserving my strength and Larry continued to guide me as to what to do, which direction to aim for, etc. As I was resting, I had my paddle laying straight down from my gut to my toes, not unlike Boromir when they send him over the falls. And I thought, "This is how I want to go--totally at peace with a paddle in my hand in case anyone gets out of line."



As we neared the end, I started really sinking in the water and we discovered the valve on my tube had yet again, come loose. And we were facing the final and long stretch of rapids. I was laying in water up to my waist. We closed the valve up again, and then the fun began--we were shooting the rapids (Class One, rather tame), my ass was dragging and hitting every damned rock in the creekbed, I'm trying to steer, Larry's attempting to give me direction, and the General is getting soaked from the splashing and got a paddle to the head again.

We reached the end of the first stretch and Larry was like, "You're down pretty low, try to get your feet under you and reposition the air in the tube." So I stuck my foot down, the General's tube promptly beached itself on the rock that was holding my foot in place, and held my foot at a funny angle, jammed between him and the tube. For the only time, I yelled "YOWCH!" and paddled his tube off.

I managed to get back on the tube somewhat and stayed on the rest of the way. We got to the end point and Larry and Travis pulled us in. Shooting the rapids was a BLAST, despite my butt taking the brunt of it. Larry got one of the other men on the trip to help him get Michael up the fairly steep hill back up to where the bus was going to pick us all up, and then Tom and I grabbed the tubes and headed up. And of course, the General made it up fine and dandy, and me, who is Miss Jellylegs anyway, fell.

We got back to the River and Trail Outfitters HQ and Larry threw his arms around me in a big bear hug and said he'd never seen anything like what I'd just done. I'll be honest, that boosted my self-confidence up about 300 light years. And I think it really boosted Michael's confidence that he was able to get up that hill at the end. He kept saying, "I can't believe I made it up that embankment. Did you see me go up that embankment?" Oh yes, I sure did, and it was amazing that he did it--it was at about a 60 degree angle from the beach, seemed like it was straight up! So I was really proud of him, and it shows how much progress he and I have made in the few short months we've been working on our health.

We got back at 5pm to the HQ and then were home by 7:00. The General was out like a light by 8:30 and I was done and sleeping before 9:00. We are both a little sore this morning, but we're both raving about doing it again.

The trip was so peaceful and at the same so exciting, it just felt so good to go and I'm thrilled we did decide to go after all. The three of us had a wonderful time and I am definitely, definitely, definitely (that's three definitelies) going to do it again next summer. Hopefully we can get more people into it next year! :-)

Go to www.rivertrail.com to set up your own trip (I don't mind advertising for them--they were 100% amazing, every step of the way).

(Oh, and I got on the scale this morning, and despite fried chicken, potato salad, and 2 McD's burgers yesterday, I lost 2 pounds in the scope of yesterday's activities. I'll take it and run!)

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Mark Your Calendar, Sweeties



The date of the 2nd Annual Kosior Fall Fun Festival is October 25th. We'll go out to Belvidere for the corn maze, hay ride, kettle corn, etc., carve pumpkins and make donuts and drink cider at home, and whatever else suits our fancy...

Be there or be square.

If you want to read about last year's fall fun festival, click HERE. The above picture was the pumpkins we made last year. You can see more pictures HERE.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Bwahahaha

So funny! Thanks, Bri.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Knee!

Today I was discharged from PT officially until further notice! WOO HOO! My knee feels so much better. I'll be seeing the orthopedist in a couple weeks to check on the situation, but I probably won't have to go back, and I'm so happy. I will have my life back! It's been good to go, but at the same time, I'm glad not to have 2 nights a week taken up with it. I have a life, ya know.

So I'm back to ship shape, and probably even better. But it was very interesting to see the way the process works and how they get you moving again. I enjoyed it. And I'll enjoy not going too.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Introducing A Brand New Way to Injure Yourself

Yesterday, I was shucking corn, getting ready for our BBQ with the Stanley Clan. I was just sitting there, minding my own business, shucking away, and all of a sudden one of the husks literally cut a deep freakin' gash right down my finger!! And did it ever bleed! I honestly thought I might need to have stitches, but since I am not a stitch person, I decided against it. I applied direct pressure for about 10 minutes and finally just gummed it up with liquid bandage and neosporin.

It hurt!!!!

Who knew corn husks could be so evil?