I may not be dropping the pounds but...

I may not be dropping the pounds but I sure am losing the inches. Oh my goodness, I have to say this working out is awesome. My pants are fitting better and my legs are really firming up. I can even run up 3 flights of stairs now without getting winded! I'm really impressed by the class because it made Chris and I recommit to our life style changes. It will be sad when the class ends because I love the support and the attention. They are offering another class but with our commutes in the winter, it would be impossible not to be late so we'll hook up with them again in the spring. I'm just uber impressed with all of our changes that we have made behaviorally wise. We eat better, feel better, and heck, we are looking better. If only I had taken a before and after picture...darn me for not doing that.

Ah, the election is only 1 week away. So here is what I believe: the social security especially the disability part needs a whole overhaul and welfare needs to be re-evaluated. I believe in government health care and I am willing to contribute my share for my fellow American because people should not go bankrupt due to medical bills or get denied for care that they need. Okay, don't hate me for it. I'm a social worker which usually = Democrat because Republican social workers are few and far between and the ones I've encountered are super scary. Michigan is hurting bad. For example, the local paper only had 2 pages of employment listings and half were in the medical field. Homes are being foreclosed left and right, every week a business goes out in my area, there are no jobs, and it's scary. I had a conversation with my mom and she's worried that if Chrysler gets bought out by GM, they would lose their hx. My mom is 57 years old and it will be 8 years before she gets medicare. What happens if my mom does not have any insurance in the future? On their fixed income, it would be a huge stretch to buy insurance. That scares the crap out of me. Listening to NPR today and hearing about how devastating it would be to lose one of the big 3 makes me sick to my stomach. I remember when my dad was laid off in the 70s/early 80s, I spent my childhood in the unemployment lines. My dad would work 2 jobs, one being a painter, the other doing factory work that drove scraps of metal into his skin, mom worked jobs that she hated but they did what they could to make ends meet. I never knew about it because they did the right thing and not transfer that stress onto my sister and I. My parents were smart though and they taught me some hard core values such as live below your means, do a budget, and pretend you are poor. I really do these things. Chris and I are doing things right (hopefully), we bought a 1 income home, we budget, save money where we can, and I rarely buy new clothes for myself (Goodwill and Salvation Army have always been a my best friend). We do spend on the house for home improvements (windows will be installed soon and Chris layed some insulation for the house) and travel but beyond that, we live simple. We have no debt besides the house and for me, that is an amazing thing. I like simple non-materialistic living and I could care less what other people think about me. I don't need the best, new greatest thing, nor do I need a brand new top to make myself feel good because I get that same feeling when I find a treasure at a thrift shop because after you wash a top, it's used anyways.

This time of year, I always think about the guys who I dated who were Republican...which were many because I'm a Democrat but somehow always date Republicans...thank Goodness Chris is a fellow Democrat. Anyways, the election time always makes me think about my first boyfriend David. I swore to others that I would kiss him in front of others (my first time) if Bush Sr. would win over Dukais. Funny thing is that he did but I freaked out and didn't kiss him at that time...that came later at a school dance :) Then Sluggy was a staunch Republican and he made me pissed off the whole election time. I still wonder if those two are still Republicans after Bush being in office. I remember telling him when GB got into office, his job would be gone, and it totally was. But if that wouldn't have happened. I might have ended up with him because we moved in with each other due to financial reasons and after that hell, I dumped his @ss! Yeah! Go me, Go me...then I met Chris :) So everything happens for a reason. Whom ever gets in, we'll survive...we've done it the last 8. Just go out and vote and hope for the best because it will eventually get better. It always does.