34

Pounds!

Yeah, as of today, I've lost 34 lbs.  I don't even know how to process that.  6 more and I'm down 40 lbs. 

Honestly, I don't think I really ever could have believed I would be capable of such a feat, but I'll take it!

Excuse me while I go do a little happy dance...

Prayer: All the difference in the world...

Lately I'm so thankful for prayer. Not just for my prayers and communications with the Lord, but for the prayer that people have covered me with. It really does make all the difference. When people are praying for you, you feel it. There is assurance and peace.

Thank you, Lord.

Right now I have a group of various women of God who are praying over me and another person. Normally in the type of situation they are praying for, I'm restless and unsure, but right now I feel totally at peace and like I know I can trust that the Lord has it. I know He does. I can now look back on my life and see that He has been with me and protective of me the whole time.

Thank you, Lord!

If you're a praying person, please keep me in your prayers. God knows what about. I just want His will and His will alone. Amen!

P.S. Off topic: I've now surpassed my original goal of 30 lbs lost and am at 32 lbs lost. Woohoo!! Exciting. =)

Oh and 35 days til NYC! =D

One more thing, Blog...

I'm down 20 lbs since starting Weight Watchers 3 months ago. Ten more lbs to go.

Best part, I'm wearing a medium top (Fashion Store medium, which is like a normal person's small/medium) AND I'm in a size 9 jean. I've been in a size 9 before (for about 2 seconds), but it was a tight size 9. For the first time EVER (well, in my adult life), I'm in a loose 9 and probably even a tight 7. That is like miraculous for me. I can't believe it, but I'm SUPER HAPPY about it. Soon I'll be in a normal to loose 7 and that will be a dream literally come true.

=)

Before this month is over....

I wanted to check in and let my one follower (lol) know that I am alive. This has been quite a month. I have been SWAMPED in my new position since day one, but I'm really liking it. I love that I'm super busy and my days fly by. I el-oh-vee-ee LOVE IT!!! I'm learning a lot and it's great to have my mind stimulated again and used to it's fullest. Thank you, Lord! As of last Friday, I have lost a total of 15 lbs through my Weight Watchers plan and I'm feeling GREAT. Everyone is complimenting me left and right. My clothes are huge. For the first time in my adult life, I fight comfortably (if not loosely) in a size 9 and looking forward to fitting in a size 7 next, and maybe even a size smaller than that.... we'll see. It feels great and I think it shows in my demeanor and confidence. Which leads to my next paragraph.... I've been dating up a wazoo thanks to eHarmony and am even being approached outside of eHarmony. None of the guys were takers, but I am having the best time getting out and meeting people. So much so that it hasn't bothered me too much that none of these guys was the right one. I'm just trying to live life and let the Lord worry about the rest. The awesome thing about this confidence is its becoming the push I need to find a good church and jump right in instead of being cautious for the longest before I even get into a Bible Study, like before. I'm busy planning my sister's baby shower. It's going to be a beach/nautical theme. It's coming together nicely and we are super excited for our first nephew!! Can't wait. I just wish circumstances in my sister's home were a little (or A LOT!) better right now, but I won't go into that here. If you pray, keep them in your prayers please. They NEED it. I am FINALLY done with my Invisalign process. I'm now onto the retainers. They should be ready by next week. After that I get my two front teeth shaved down a little because they are not even. Then I'm going to look into teeth whitening. All I can say is that it's surreal, after 29 years of life, to have a beautiful smile that I want to share with the world.... I got a new smile and a new body. It's a new me! Overall, everything is going great. I believe this is really going to be my year and I can't wait to see what's in store.... foreseen and unforeseen. God is SO good to me!!!

Reason to celebrate on the worst holiday ever...

I hate V.D. No I'm not talking about THAT V.D., although that's pretty bad too. I'm talking about Valentine's Day. I hate it for the obvious reasons, which I have no problem admitting. =)

Well, I'm not going to worry about it today. I have good things to share:

1. I've been offered a promotion at work. It is only one level above what I'm at now and not much of a pay increase, but the exposure I will have is priceless. It will look very nice on my resume if and when I head out to Texas.

2. I just completed week 3 of Weight Watchers yesterday and I'm down 8 lbs. Not bad. I look like I've lost 15 though... I'm getting compliments left and right. It's probably because I've been adding some daily walking into the routine. I feel really good right now and everything is fitting me loosely.

I put on a dress this morning that I've never had the nerve to wear (which I am wearing at work right now BTW). I took the below picture of it and posted it on Facebook with the caption, "Take that Valentine's Day!" The response I got was amazing.




I love you, Weight Watchers. =)

Yeah, really not the worst Valentine's I've ever had....

Better than expected...

So Friday, my dad came home from Mexico. We picked him up from airport and immediately took him to the Emergency Room. There they confirmed that he did have a completely detached retina. They gave him a next-day referral to a retinal specialist.

The next day, he went to his appointment and the specialist again confirmed that the retina was already completely detached and also noted that there were tears in the other retina also. So they scheduled him for surgery to operate on both eyes. They ended up having to perform a vitrectomy, which is the removal of the vitreous (the clear gel in the eye), on the worse eye. This procedure helped them to position the retina back where it belonged. The doctor then went in and repaired the tears in the other eye.

All in all, we are hopeful. Because my dad has diabetes, there really is no way of solidly determining the outcome--we'll know once he's started to heal, I guess--but for now, he is recovering and being showered with prayers and love (from everyone!).

I know it my heart of hearts that God's got this and I'm not worried at all. I was so not worried that I went to my old friend Suzy's baby shower as my dad was in surgery. lol.

Nevertheless, for those of you who might be reading this, please continue to keep my dad in your prayers.

Losing...

Losing: The Bad

My mom called me this morning with the news we didn't want to hear. My dad did not get back to the doctor in time and his retina has completely detached. He is now permanently blind in one eye.

It's very saddening news, but we are choosing to "rejoice in the Lord always," as we are commanded to do. I hate that my dad is alone right now, but at least he gets to come home today and we are going to shower him with love and support.

This is not the end of the world. Plenty of people live with sight in only one eye and do just fine. My dad is a survivor anyway. This is just another piece of his testimony and the Lord will use this for his good. Amen!

I found came across these passage and they spoke to my heart:

The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing. Psalm 37:23-26

the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. Psalm 146:7-9

Losing: The Good

In good news, I decided to way myself a little ahead of my Sunday weigh-in and I've already lost 3 lbs. So exciting! If I were to keep this up, I would be down the full target of 30 lbs in 10 weeks. Awesome! =)

Mexico lindo y querido and trying something new...

I'm back from Mexico. The trip was beautiful.

I have to admit that I really didn't want to go, but once I was there, I was happy to be there. I saw SO much family. I have a trillion and a half cousins, I swear. It's not even a joke. Here are just a few of them (me included) with my grandma:

Guess which one is me... I'm the only whitey there. lol

Anyway, I had a great time, had great conversation, felt the love, and ate some good food (without gaining any weight too!). I honestly wasn't ready to leave when I started packing up my stuff to head back last Friday. I got teary-eyed and everything. I truly love my family and I love the way that they don't just talk about loving each other, but they show it. It's awesome.

My grandmother seemed to be in good shape, but from what they say she can go downhill at any moment. Her heart is functioning at only 50% capacity and her kidneys are failing. She is urinating blood, but despite what the doctors say, she won't change her diet, cut out things that are bad for her, or try things that could help her. She's stubborn. (Looks like my Dad married his mother because my Mom is the same way! lol).

They and we are praying for her. Hopefully she wises up and starts changing her habits. There is no reason she can't live a little longer.

On a side note, we were all tripping out on my uncle Oscar, who is a year younger than me and the youngest of the aunts and uncles. He is the SPITTING IMAGE of my Dad. All the cousins kept saying to my dad, "Tu te pareces a mi tio Oscar," or "You look like my uncle Oscar." My dad was like, "He looks like ME. I was here first." LOL.

My dad and his clone with their mom. =)

In other news, I signed up for Weight Watchers. So far it seems to be going okay. I like it because you don't have to starve yourself or necessarily limit what kinds of foods you can eat, and it helps you to make better choices in order to maximize your daily points limit. EVERY SINGLE person I know who's been on Weight Watchers has been pretty successful.

I've been this size (more or less) for the last 10 years and I feel it's time to try to be even smaller and more fit. I've already been doing my best to workout at least 4 times a week, but it doesn't seem to be enough. I think that comes with age. 29/30 is not old, but it's not 20. I have to work harder--not just with exercise, but with making healthier food choices and developing healthier eating habits. I'm excited to see what happens.

Thank you, Lord for a great and safe trip. Protect my father who is still there and keep your hands upon my grandmother and the rest of my family. Thank you for the fire you have lighted in their hearts and please continue to keep that fire burning forever. Amen.

Tell me something I don't know...

A reversal on carbs

Fat was once the devil. Now more nutritionists are pointing accusingly at sugar and refined grains.

Duh, LA Times. lol

I went low-carb 10 years ago and not only lost 40-50 lbs, but have maintained it (with minor ups and downs) for the last decade. Every time I go to the doctor and have blood work done it comes back P-E-R-F-E-C-T... and that's even when I'm not exercising.

The low-carb lifestyle works and it's good for you. It lowers blood sugar levels and cholesterol. It has practically cured some people of Diabetes. Plus, fat literally melts off your body. It's amazing.

(For info on how cutting carbs works, check this out.)

The more and more these types of articles and studies come out, the more it confirms what I already know.

If you need to lose a lot of weight or are suffering from Diabetes, it's simple: Cut out the carbs. If you don't feel you can do that, then at least cut them by half and watch how much of an improvement you see.

Forgetting the creamer for a sec...

I got a letter from Human Resources. My apps were accepted and I have a secretary test lined up for next week. I'm sure I'll do fine. Last time I was in Band 2 and I don't expect to do worse than that at all... especially because my knowledge of County practices has grown a lot since I last took that test.

Please, please PLEASE, Lord, help me out. I know I'm a brat and don't deserve it (see last couple of posts), but I really need to be utilizing my skills in a broader capacity. Pleeeeeeeeeeez-uh...

Yesterday was day 4 of Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred. Like I said previously, this workout is no joke. I definitely already feel more energetic and slightly leaner. I'm definitely going to give this thing all I got. By the way, my ENTIRE body is sore. I'm talking about muscles I never even knew were there. This is so gonna work...

I haven't heard from Ramon at all since his brother asked him to ask me whether I believed that I could lose my salvation. After all the reading I've done on their "church," I can pretty much guess that they are "advising" him not to speak with me because I don't believe what they do. I did ask him, via an FB message, if we were still on for me visiting him in Texas and he said yes. I'm guessing they are preparing to try to "talk some sense into me." What they don't know is that the Holy Spirit is also preparing me to talk some Truth to them.

Either way, I believe this will probably be the last time I see Ramon. I know they are sucking him into these lies as I type this. All I can do is trust that the Lord has a plan and that He will reveal His Truth in His time to this entire family... It's just very distressing...

I signed up for LIFE groups and even spoke with the leader the other day, who seemed really cool, but then I realized that I have signed up for a day and time that will completely conflict with my Invisalign treatment. Gah!

So now I need to call this lady, break it to her that I can't be a part of her group (and she seemed so excited too), and try to get myself into another group. Ay ay ay! I really need to start carrying a calendar around with me. I always manage to double-book....

Spiritually and physically out of shape...

So I signed up for a LIFE group through my church out here, Shepherd of the Hills. It's a women's Bible study group. The leader, Nancy, called me today and we are meeting for the first time next Friday. I'm excited. I needed this. My spiritual life has been lacking since coming out here and I just need the fellowship of other believing women. I miss MY home church, Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley, SO MUCH, and I definitely plan to go back within the year, but for now I really need to hunker down and get involved in the time that I am out here.

Thank you, Lord, for pushing me to take the leap. I don't want to waste the time You are giving me...

In other news, I'm back to trying lose some weight. Thanks to the fill-in Big Boss at work always bring evil snacks in, I have put on AT LEAST 5 lbs... maybe more. Not cool. So, I've been trying to get on the elliptical and do some pilates. Trying is the operative word.

Well today, at WalMart, something drew me to the fitness aisle. I started looking at the workout DVDs and I found Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred. It was only $9, so I got it. I know from the couple of times I've seen the Biggest Loser that this lady is hardcore.

No joke. I popped that DVD in and almost the entire time I wanted to scream, "Shut up, Jillian. I hate you!" LOL

OMG.... this workout is literally non-stop. No breaks. It was horrible and great at the same time. She says that the reason it's that way is so that you can get a lot done with your body in the 20 minutes and especially within the 30 days. I believe it. I almost passed out. Hahaha!

I'm so not giving up though. This whole body is way too jiggly. I'm letting Jillian whip this fatty into shape!

Wish me luck... Now time to take a nap so I don't pass out during my sister Katie's birthday dinner tonight. Korean BBQ... Mmmmm.....

"Why NOT Having Sex Might be Good for You"

Great, great, GREAT article on abstinence from a young comedian, Steven Crowder. Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:

Sure, Michelle Obama can run around the country and condemn little fatties for inhaling Little Debbies, but if you try and apply that same helpful, healthful concept to sex, it’s seen as pushy and/or prudish.

Listen, one doesn’t need to be religious (nor a rocket scientist) to see the value of abstinence. Let’s disregard the immediately eliminated risk of increasingly popular STD’ and STI’s. Heck, let’s even discount the statistical data showing that sexual exclusivity seems overwhelmingly conducive to a successful marriage .Abstinence also provides an incomparable bond of trust in a relationship.

Yes, I admit it, I’m in a long-term relationship and I’m abstinent. Scandalous, I know. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to do (mostly for me, because she’s way out of my league), and that’s what makes it so important.

I can tell you beyond any doubt, that my lady is able to control herself and stick to her values regardless of circumstance. Just as surely, she can say the same about me (Ben&Jerry’s benders notwithstanding). It is that display of self-control, that tangible example of living your principles through your life’s walk that ensures her that I won’t be jumping on the first well-proportioned opportunity that comes my way.

By the same token, I can rest easy knowing that my dame won’t be trying to bed Jersey Shore’s “The Situation” anytime soon. -- Though he does have great abs.

Strong trust is the result. Constantly we hear cries of women aimed at their supposedly overly jealous boyfriends, “What’s the matter? Don’t you trust me?”

No, he doesn’t. You slept with him on the first date and there is no reason for him to think that you wouldn’t do the same when a better offer comes along.

Full article here.

Down for the count...

I'm starting to feel like my body is turning against me. Or maybe it just feels like it wants to go to the ER. On Thursday I was having the anxiety-induced chest pain that had been lingering for three days. I gave that to the Lord and it went away, but now something even worse has happened.

Thursday night I came to my sister Kim's house so that I could watch my niece yesterday, Friday. I spent the night in my step-niece Maddy's bed. No bueno. That mattress is way old and has no support. So, Friday, I somehow managed to throw out my lower back and it was made worse when I tried to pick Alexis up.

Now I've been in excruciating pain since yesterday. I can't leave because I'm afraid to drive. Thankfully, my brother-in-law hooked me up with a heating pad that I slept with all night and which I am using as I type this. It's alleviated alot of the pain, but unfortunately I can't take it with me when I get up... so yeah.

Well, my dad is now on his way over because I can't take it anymore. Hopefully, he can crack it or at least massage it, but honestly I don't know there is much he can do. I think it's a deep tissue issue (haha... that rhymes... lol). I had the same problem nearly 15 years ago when I was in H.S. It literally put me out of P.E. for a month. Back then I was WAY more out of shape, so I'm surprised this would happen again, but here we are.

Now not only am I not happy about being in pain (of course), but I'm also irritated that this going to foil my plans for signing up for the gym. I get paid Monday and I was planning to go sign up right after work. Yeah. That's so not happening now for a while. What I will need to do is get back to doing Pilates because, just like when this happened 15 years ago, I'm going to have to strengthen both my ab and back muscles.

Gah!!!

This is my trade-off for having such a young-looking face--the rest of my body is old and falling apart..... lol

*sigh*

Cares...

For the last 3 days I’ve felt like someone is sitting on my chest. There’s a tightness and I feel like I need to, every once in a while, take deep breaths.

STRESS

I’m stressed. I have a lot on my mind: Finances. Love life. Leaving California. Etc. So much to think about.

I know I’m not supposed to worry. I’m commanded to “cast my cares upon the Lord, for He cares about [me].” (1 Peter 5:7) It’s so much easier said than done…. even if it IS sinful and I know it.

FINANCES: My debt has gone down from over $20,000 to $8,000. That is SO good, so what’s the problem? I get excited and almost high off of paying this debt off. It’s become my obsession. Everyday I’m looking at the chart I created to track my debt and how I’m paying it down. I’m starting to try to find ways to pay it off faster. Take that and couple it with worrying about saving money for my Birthday trip to NYC next year and trying to figure out a way to move out on my own. All of this is causing me stress.

LOVE LIFE: I asked the Lord to put me to sleep to my love life the way he had to put Adam to sleep in order to give him Eve. It was working. I wasn’t thinking about my singleness and I wasn’t worried about the plan the Lord has for me. Then Ramon popped up (I touched on it here, but there are new developments that I'll have to get into another day). Now I’m second-guessing myself. Now I’m letting my mind wander to unnecessary places. I allowed myself to worry about it again. STOP!

LEAVING CALIFORNIA: I really just want out of here. I want to be able to start fresh somewhere where people actually have morals and values. Where Jesus is welcome and the Ten Commandments are still a standard to live by. Where the Bible isn’t “open to interpretation” or just a silly book. I just want to be around people who understand me. I’m over California. I’m over the scene. I’m over the boys (not men---BOYS). I’m over it. It’s stressful trying to figure out where I can go. I do have one option: Texas. Deciding whether to do that is, again, stressful. =/

Lord, help me. I’m tired of worrying. Teach me to be content. Hit me over the head with it like a sledgehammer so that it’s imprinted there forever. Burn contentment in You into my mind and onto my heart. I know it’s not about me. It’s about YOU. Help me to train my focus solely on You.

Forgive my worry…

2011 Tax Hikes: Bad News

Got this from the MommyLife Blog and it's disgusting:

Six Months to Go Until The Largest Tax Hikes in History
From Ryan Ellis on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 5:27 PM

In just six months, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2011:

(N.B. This version of the document contains even more tax hikes than the original version did)

First Wave: Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief

In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families. These will all expire on January 1, 2011:

Personal income tax rates will rise. The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed). The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent. All the rates in between will also rise. Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates. The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:

- The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%
- The 25% bracket rises to 28%
- The 28% bracket rises to 31%
- The 33% bracket rises to 36%
- The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%

Higher taxes on marriage and family. The "marriage penalty" (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income. The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child. The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level. The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.

The return of the Death Tax. This year, there is no death tax. For those dying on or after January 1 2011, there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes and a retirement account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.

Higher tax rates on savers and investors. The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011. The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011. These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.

Second Wave: Obamacare

There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare. Several will first go into effect on January 1, 2011. They include:

[...]

The "Medicine Cabinet Tax" Thanks to Obamacare, Americans will no longer be able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin).

[...]

Brand Name Drug Tax. Starting next year, there will be a multi-billion dollar tax assessment imposed on name-brand drug manufacturers. This tax, like all excise taxes, will raise the price of medicine, hurting everyone.

Read on for more of the fun news...

Being Good and Garlic!

10 years ago I was very overweight. I was over 200 lbs and not at all living even a hint of a healthy lifestyle. We were driving up to Oregon for a family reunion and I was wearing shorts. I got out of the car and my sisters ever so kindly said, "Mmm... I feel like eating some cottage cheese." They were referring to my legs. Everything changed after that.

My mom had been mentioning the Atkins Diet and I thought it sounded crazy, restrictive, and not healthy (as do most people when they hear about what it entails). I kind of brushed it off initially, but after my sisters so gently made clear just how fat I had gotten, something clicked and I was willing to try anything. So we started the Atkins Diet and the weight literally began to melt off... 50 lbs of it to be exact. It changed my life.

Ever since then I have been living a lower-carb lifestyle and try to exercise regularly, which has allowed me to maintain the same size for the last 10 years. I have my ups and then my downs, but I generally stay at around a size 10. Well, I want to be smaller! So I've decided to step it up and go back to the very low-carb lifestyle.

I figure my body has now been accustomed to this size for so long that I could get away with losing lot of weight before plateauing. I'm hoping for 20 to 30 lbs and hopefully down to a size 7 if not smaller. I also am starting a new exercise routine with a friend to help the process out. Hopefully in a few months I'll be a whole new person. I'm already seeing results in only a week and a half. That's what I love about low-carb. The fat literally melts off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday was my good friend Mandy's birthday. I surprised her with dinner at The Stinking Rose. I've been wanting to go there forever and let me tell you it was WORTH the wait. Big time. The food was absolutely amazing. Everything is infused with garlic and Mandy and I are both garlic lovers. It was perfect.

The only downsize: I'm still burping up garlic as I type this. LOL.

Whatever. Like I said, totally worth it. If you're in the Beverly Hills or San Francisco area, please check this place out. It's pricey (I literally dropped $100 on food for both of us and valet), but you won't regret it...

And yes, if you are wondering, I did cheat and have some of their ciabatta bread with Bagna Calda. lol

I'm scared.

I admit it. I'm scared to go to the "down there" doctor.

(Sorry if this is TMI. You can skip this post if you want. lol)

I've never been to the OB/GYN. I'm still holding onto the "V" card, so I've felt strongly that I don't need to go until I'm married and doing "the deed." I just don't want anyone but my husband to be the first one to venture down there. It's a conviction that I've had.

PLUS, my mom traumatized me when I was about 8. She took me to a doctor's appt. and failed to mention to me beforehand that the MALE doctor was going to have me get naked and then do a BREAST EXAM on me. It was one of the worse experiences of my life. I remember pleading with my mom to not have to take my clothes off, but she insisted. Thanks to that stupid ordeal, I can't stand the idea of a doctor messing with my private areas.

Well, now these ovarian cysts come along. I've been dealing with them for like 2 years, but lately they seem to be getting worse. I won't get into the details, for those of you who are still with me. All I know is that not only do I have increasing discomfort, but my hormones are completely out of wack, which is really irritating because it wasn't until I was around 26 that my hormones finally started to become normal and now they are right back to making me nuts. *sigh*

I'm really starting to get to the point that I just want to suck it up and go to the doctor to make sure something truly bad is not going on down there. I'm just scared because:

- It's SCARY. I know it isn't any woman's favorite kind of appointment... there is discomfort involved.

- See my previously-mentioned horrible ordeal.

- I don't want them to mess around down there only to discover that it's just the cysts and there is not much I can do for them other than to go on Birth Control.... Which I already know! I would be royally pissed if I put myself through all that to find out something I already know.

- I don't want to find out something horrible.... like Cancer or something. Or worse (well for me, it's worse), that I can't have kids. (Tearing up just thinking about it.)

*Sigh*

I don't know what to do anymore. I'm tired of this!

Lord, help me! I don't know what to do anymore. Maybe I just need to bite the bullet, drag my sister with me for moral support, shut my eyes, and lay on the stupid table already.

Great, now I really am tearing up. Poo!

Blame it on my "Disorder"

I just read a column by Mike Adams that totally reiterates what I'm talking about in the last paragraph of my blog post Ridiculous, Ludicrous, Preposterous, Absurd....

Excerpt:

"[T]he current trend towards viewing all undesirable behavior as symptomatic of a disorder to be treated, as opposed to a wrong to be punished, is no laughing matter.

There are a number of problems associated with redefining all undesirable forms of behavior as “disorders” to be cured. Among them is the unanticipated consequence of depriving man of his humanity. If a man is merely a victim of some disease then he cannot really be considered evil. If he has no potential to be evil, he has no potential to be good.

Read more here.

Socialized Healthcare: A Sign of Things to Come

Tell me this story isn't a sign of things to come.....


This woman was not denied surgery. She was denied the ability to even be on the list for surgery. All because she tried to seek private help because of the horribly long wait lists that come with socialzied medicine. Imagine being in horrid pain and having to wait "in line" for months, even years, before it can be alleviated. Especially when you don't have access to all kinds of medicines that could be helping with th pain because they are too expensive for the government (or the people, really) to afford to dole out.... Sickening. Get ready folks. This is us next.



Read on here: NHS bars woman after she saw private doctor - Times Online

Lord, help us....

Spilling Beans, Salsa Dancing, and Sickness

So the day after the whole David's Bridal debacle, Sandy came to Kim's house for breakfast. She told us the whole story about how these would-be robbers were foiled. Apparently, Sandy's co-worker had a gut feeling that something wasn't right and just minutes before these guys tried to commit their robbery she walked over to the door and locked up. So when they decided to come through the front door they couldn't get in. They saw Sandy and her co-worker both on the phone and probably thought they were calling the cops, so they took off.

Thank you, Lord, for keeping my sister safe!!! Hallelujah!

Sandy was shaken up, but thankfully that was all. She was spared the horrifying experience of being held up in a robbery. We know that these guys had guns and have used guns in their past robberies. Yes, past. As in they had already hit many branches of the check-cashing company that Sandy works for. Nice.

Anyway, after telling us her story she then got into how she is ready to get married already. Kim and I looked at each other and with just that look decided to spill the beans. We confessed to Sandy what our plans were for the night before.... before those idiot criminals foiled our plans. Sandy broke down crying. Partly because she didn't get to go to David's Bridal and partly because she was touched at our surprise. Immediately following the tears though was utter excitement.

Wedding plans have officially commenced....

That same night, Kim and I went out Salsa Dancing. What a joke (lol!). We got to Mama Juana's a little late, so the Salsa lessons were wrapping up. That didn't stop the instructor from throwing us in with the rest of the learners. Unfortunately, they were past the basics, so just when we were trying to learn the basic moves, they started throwing in the fancy stuff, including turns. I tried. And then I tried. And then I tried some more. I totally failed though. So after a while I quit. Yeah, I'm a quitter. Oh well. The guy even called me out on it, but I didn't care. When I know I can't do something well, I just don't do it. It's the perfectionist in me. Sorry!

Once the lesson was over, it got really fun. We mostly sat there and watched everyone else dance, but they were so good! That was enough entertainment right there. I felt like I was watching Dirty Dancing. And the Asians!!! My goodness, the Asians were REALLY good. I was shocked. They are not joking when it comes to Salsa Dancing. Hahaha!

They occasionally played some Merengue and Cumbias, so were were able to get out and take turns dancing with Jorge, Kim's friend from work. So we didn't sit on our butts the whole time. Kim and I caught the bug though... we both really want to take some lessons. We're supposed to be "latinas." We have no excuse for not knowing this stuff.... especially since our father is like a world-class dancer. Guess we should have swallowed our embarrassment when we were younger and let our Dad drag us out onto the dance floor more often. Too late now...

By the time Sunday rolled around, I wasn't feeling too hot, but we ended up having a BBQ at the house. It was laid back and fun, but by the end of it, I knew I was full-blown sick. I had a horrible headache and went to bed early. By the next morning it was worse, but I thought I could make it in to work. WRONG.

I was almost to work from the Valley, when I decided it wasn't a good idea. I called work and told them I was sick and wouldn't be in and continued on to my current home in Pomona. I literally got home, kicked off my shoes, and crawled into bed... with my work clothes on and everything. When I woke up a few hours later, Mom was home. We both lounged on the couches the rest of the day (me, mostly sleeping) and she was nice enough to make me some lunch.

I ended up staying home the next day also (yesterday) and finally decided that I NEEDED to come in to work today. I wish I could have stayed home because I'm still not doing too good, but "you gotta do what you gotta do." If I didn't come to work today I wouldn't have enough time on the books to take off the whole week I will need next month to move.

*sigh* Growing up.... Responsibilities.... Life.... No fun sometimes....