Packer-Viking Playoff Game

It's this Saturday, which just so happens to be the same day as Christmas for my dad's side of the family.  Late...I know.

But here's the deal: my grandma(who everyone spoils, I mean it.  She can absolutely do no wrong in the eyes of all of her kids.  It's actually really annoying, not because she is nasty or mean or anything, but because any decision that we've made as a family regarding holidays are subject to her veto, essentially) doesn't want to leave the farm so we can watch the game, but wants to listen to it on the radio(as long as we can get it) at the farm.  This might not seem like that big of deal, but this is a woman who hasn't missed a Packer game all year.  Yet, now, she thinks that the 40 of us, including two infants, are going to be quiet enough so that she can listen to the game...yeah, right.

We are all Packer fans(with the exception of two: my uncle and his son) and I, living in Minnesota, do not get the chance to watch all the games and now, when the game actually has meaning and I would have access, I can't watch it?  Doesn't seem right.

This may sound petty, but I like watching these games and I want to watch the playoff game.  And so do most of the 40 people who will be at the celebration this Saturday.

My Sister's Father-In-Law Died

Last Friday, he had a cardiac arrest and has been hospitalized ever since.  I do not think he ever regained consciousness.  But today, my sister told me that he is brain dead.

I met the man once, at my sister's wedding.  He was nice.  He was kind to her.  She had told me things about him and seemed to really like him.

What does one say?  What can I say that will help my sister?  Is there ever anything?  What are the right words to say and not be dumb?

I said I'm so sorry, Danielle and that I love her.  Is that enough?  Is that the right thing to do?

The Green Bay Packers and Jay Cutler

For those of you who do not know about football, Jay Cutler is the quarterback of the Chicago Bears.  He's a fairly average quarterback, surrounded by a fairly average team.  The Bears really do not have any stars, they are just a fairly average team.

This is just the back ground.

Here's what I'm disgusted about:

It's commonplace for a Packers-Bears game for the Packer fans to make fun of Cutler, by doing what?  Not by talking about his stats or his interceptions, but yes, by saying that the reason he is so bad is that he is a woman.  Really?  And you know who shares these things the most?  You guessed it, women.  Women say that there is no worse insult to Jay Cutler than to call him a woman or to say that he is menstruating.  This is disgusting and it upsets me.  Menstruation does not make me less able than a man.  Being a woman does not mean that my skills are not valuable.  Being a man who is an average quarterback does not mean that Cutler is any less than me or any more than me.  But it is not insulting to call him a woman.  Because I am a woman and I am strong.  When I fall down or fail, it is not because inherently women are failures and there's nothing I can do about it.  No, it's because my skills were not up to the task or I gave up or I made a mistake.  None of these things are done by only women, but by humanity.

Calling a man a woman is not an insult, but saying that it should be is an insult to humanity.

We did it!

Obama wins re-election, with the popular vote and the electoral vote! 

I freely admit, yesterday, I woke up feeling anxious and unsure.  I woke up feeling that the US may decide that Romney makes a better candidate, but it is clear to me, that the US, who eyed the election with the economy in mind, voted with civil rights, women's rights, foreign policy, and domestic policy in the forefront.  It was an America who looked at Romney and weren't too fond of him.

Yes, the popular vote is close, but there were few states where either Romney or Obama won dramatically.  Which means that most people voted for Obama and many still voted for Romney.

However, this election was historical for many other reasons.  The most important is the fact that for the first time since civil rights pertaining to gay marriage started being on ballots, they won the popular vote.  Civil rights won!  They won in Maine, and Maryland, and Minnesota.  So there, the people have voted and we want the same rights for everyone.

This does not mean that civil rights should be voted for, because we live in a republic, where our electors vote for us on these issues.

Minnesota also defeated an amendment that would create a voter photo ID requirement.

Election Day 2012

It comes down to this.  This is it.  Who do you want to lead our country for the next four years?  Romney, whose strengths are deeply rooted in one facet, domestic economy (and that's only if you believe that the economy is something that either candidate can directly fix).  More likely, the economy will fix itself.  Or Obama, whose strengths are civil rights, human rights, women's rights, and a positive foreign policy agenda that does not result in hatred throughout the world (no promises from Romney on that).

So, who do you vote for?

Me, I vote for Obama.  I vote for integrity.  I vote for a man who has promised great things and fulfilled more 75% of those promises(you can look it up, it's true).  I vote for a man who understands that America is an amalgamation of many people and ignoring those who aren't like you, won't get the job done.  I vote for a man who handles tough situations with a quiet strength and a steady hand.  I vote for a man who took over during the worst financial crisis of our time and still managed to enforce and progress rights of American citizens.

This is the America I want.  This is the America we need.

Health Care and Birth Control

Earlier today, I posted the following item on Facebook, preceded by a link to the song "One Day More" from Les Miz:

One day more until we decide what our government should look like for the next four years.

If you support Romney, know this: I am the 47%. I am a woman who relies upon affordable health care options and birth control coverage by my insurance in order to plan my life and my family's. We are surrounded by the 47%, by the people who most need our help, by the people who without our help do not thrive and do not persevere.
Romney does not support me, he does not support my friends and my family. He especially does not support Kevin, as a teacher. He doesn't support my right to choose or any woman's right to choose. He does not support the GLBT community and their rights.

These issues may seem as if they do not affect you. But remember this, women's rights are human rights.

 My sister then posted it and one of her friends posted the following:

As a woman who supports Romney, I’d like to point out the other side of this debate. Romney does not advocate banning birth control; rather, he opposes Obamacare’s requirement that employers pay 100% of the costs of birth control for their employees, especially in the cases of religious employers who must violate their core beliefs to comply with the regulations. In multiple projections (partisan and nonpartisan alike), Obamacare is going to substantially raise the cost of health care, not lower it. It also will have significant effects on the economy as a whole and, most importantly, will only make the broken health care system worse. Personally, to me that’s not worth somebody else paying $10 a month for my birth control co-pay.

Regardless of my views on the other social issues Lindsey brings up, which I realize we fundamentally differ on, I think they take a backseat to the economy and the cliff this country is teetering on right now, and I have no confidence that Obama possesses the skills necessary to get us back on the right track. Romney has a proven track record of economic and bipartisan political success and I think he is going to make a much better president.

I would like to address one portion of her comment.  The part about the mandate for birth control.  This mandate was in the original bill(and rightfully so).  However, since the mandate has changed.  No longer must employers cover 100% of birth control costs, if they disagree for religious reasons(which is silly, because my personal health should not fall under their religions, anyway).  Now, these employers must only provide health insurance through a company that covers birth control.  Which means that their religious freedoms are maintained and I get to be healthy and so do my children. 

Election 2012

Tomorrow, the US decides what we want to look like for the next four years.  What we want to aspire to, where we want to fit in the world.

I want us to be a country that is improving, that looks at the rights we have been granted and says, we want more.  I want a country that strives for equality for all, regardless of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation.  I want a country that realizes that I am the same as any other, regardless of what holds me back.  I want a country where being born in the "ghetto" is not a death sentence or a sentence of hard labor for little reward.  I want a country where a child born to the poorest woman and a child born to the richest woman have the same opportunities.

I want a country where my friends and family can marry any one they like, whether they be black, white, gay, straight, or anything else.  I want a country that realizes that sexual orientation has little to do with anything, but where denying people rights based on sexual orientation is bigotry and discrimination.

I want a country where all citizens 18 and older can vote, regardless of whether they can afford to drive.

I want a country where women can plan their families, where women have access to safe and legal abortions.

I want a country where people receive medical care, regardless of their job.  I want a country where health insurance is no longer a barrier or a privilege but a right.  After all, we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, don't we?

I do not want a country where we turn away from the world community, where we strive to make all those who are our enemies hate us.

I do not want a country where taxpayers are strapped for cash, because the states have to ask more from their citizens.

I do not want a country where religious freedom means that someone else's is more important than mine.

I do not want a country where war is normal.  I want a country where war is never on the table.

The choice is clear.  The time is now.  We, the youth of America, must take hold.  We must stand strong for our beliefs.  We must vote.  We must lift our country to the best it can be.

Vote for Barack Obama.  We need a president that loves America and knows how to negotiate.  We need a president that believes that women's rights are human rights and that gay rights are civil rights.

Six Years

Yesterday was six years since my neighbor Dave died.  Neighbor doesn't explain my relationship to him or my family's.  We go to his house on Christmas Eve.  Every year.  Now, he's not there, but he's still a big reason we go.  He was my dad's best friend.  There was nothing more natural than the two of them hanging out or doing some odd job.

Six years.

Man.

Third and Final Debate

Last night was the third presidential debate.  Supposedly, it was only about foreign policy, but both candidates managed to throw a lot of domestic policy in there (specifically things about the economy).

Overall, Barack Obama won.  He was more knowledagble about foreign policy, as he should be, because these last four years?  They've been great foreign policy years by the US.  When Obama took office, many countries professed hatred for the US, due in no small part to the lack of finesse by George W. Bush.  One cannot expect a Texas Oil Man to deal fairly with other oil-producing nations.  However, after last night's debate, we cannot expect Mitt Romney to deal with our allies or our enemies with anything other than a strong arm.  Which sounds good, to some people at least.  But not in foreign policy, not in diplomacy.  It is important to be able to negotiate, both with allies and enemies, because hatred does not maintain world peace.

Barack Obama finally had some points where he attacked Mitt Romney and his flip-flops, as well as his gaffes.  Russia is not our number 1 geopolitical foe.  Russia is one of our strongest allies and most important friends.  Barack Obama did not say anything about one gaffe that Romney made last night, when he called President Putin, Mr. Putin.  That's a deep insult.  It would be akin to calling the President, Mr. Obama.  These titles are earned and should be reflected, especially by the man who wants to hold the reigns of our foreign policy.

To me, this debate(and the others), all concentrated too much on the economy. 

It's in some rough shape.  We, the middle class, need help to maintain our hold in the middle class and to ensure that the middle class continues to be the most creative portion of the US.  This is all true.  However, Romney's plan of creating 12 million new jobs sounds nice, but wait a moment, he just said(again and again) that government doesn't create jobs...so, where are these coming from?  He hasn't said.  Ever.

But the important issues of this campaign are not in the economy.  They are social issues, such as civil rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation.  They are women's rights, such as access to free contraception and legal, safe abortions.  They are environmental rights, such as oil on government lands.  They are preparing our students for the future by ensuring that our schools have improvement, but not at the cost of our teachers.  They are foreign policy issues, such as how to peacefully deal with Iran or how to ensure that the hatred of America does not overpower our commitment to peace in the world.  These are the issues that the President and Gov. Romney differ on.  These are the issues that the next four years will decide and maintain.

I do not want to live in a nation where Gov. Romney repeals my healthcare benefits.  I do not want to live a country where Gov. Romney ensures that the GLBT community are not citizens, same as me.   I do not want to live in a nation where women are forced to allow government into our bodies, simply so that we can enact our Right to choose.
If you do, vote for Romney.  But if you want a nation where we continue to grow in the world's vision, where our armies are built soundly, where civil rights and women's rights are fought for by our President, instead of fought against.  Then please, vote for Barack Obama. 

A last little tidbit.  Last night, Barack Obama wore a breast cancer awareness bracelet.  He supports me and my mother and my sister and my cousins and my aunts and my grandmothers.  He supports women.

2nd Presidential Debate

Last night's debate was a much more vibrant debate, on both sides.  Romney did a fairly decent job, about as well as I expected.  Obama also did as well as I expected, however, his performance was leaps and bounds ahead of Romney.

First, Romney lies and he flip-flops.  Two important issues that this is shown are taxes and women's rights.  Obama quoted Romney's performance from the Republican Primary Debates, wherein Romney promised a tax cut for all, including the wealthy.  However, recently, he has stated that he has never advocated for a tax cut for all.  Which is simply not true.  As far as women's rights go, Romney stated that he acquired "binders of women" as candidates for his Cabinet.  He did get plenty of candidates, but he did not search them out, he was given the information by advocacy groups, at their initiative, not his.

To me, the point where Romney lost the debate was not his lack of knowledge of Bengazi, but his lack of knowledge that their are situations in this country where having a job is not the answer.  Pay equality is not solved by having a job.  Clean coal and energy independence do not come from jobs, but from regulations.  His answer to any query, like how are middle class citizens going to be effected by the closing of loopholes or deductions was we are going to create jobs.  What?!?  How does that solve the problem?

Obama showed up and did what he had to do.  He had a two-fold mission.  First, show where Romney lies and flip-flops.  He did.  Many times.  Second, show what his record's been and where we are going.  He gave nice specifics about both.

This debate is Obama's.

Some useful sites, regardless of your political affliation: http://www.politifact.com/ and http://www.factcheck.org/.  Both of these sites review claims by all parties and rate them as true or not.

Vice Presidental Debate

It is funny to me that Biden supposedly interrupted Ryan 82 times (physically impossible in the debate format) and that this makes him a horrible person.  However, when Romney interrupts, it shows that he has strong leadership skills?  Okay.

Ryan and Biden did interrupt each other.  Several times.  However, I believe that most people think that Ryan was interrupted so many time by Biden, because he was cut off by the moderator several times.  This was not Biden, but I could see how if you believe that Biden interrupted Ryan all the time, you would forget about those other interruptions, that are necessary for a civilized debate.

This debate format allowed for many more questions and for less broad question.  Whereas Jim Lehrer gave them a topic and essentially said, discuss; Martha gave them the topic and then specific questions.

This is the important part.  Martha asked for specifics about the tax plan, about abortion, about the Romney-Ryan ticket and what did Ryan say?  Nothing.  He didn't answer a single point-blank question.

A very funny point of the debate was when Ryan said something like, if a person doesn't have a record to stand on, they attack the other person and urge people to vote against that candidate.  He said that Barack Obama had said this and that Obama was now doing this.  But, that's what Ryan did all night.  He said, Obama-Biden is a bad bet and here's why.  So, who doesn't have a leg to stand on?

Lastly, as I've said before, I am a woman and as such, I have no choice in this election.  I need healthcare that does not cost more simply because I am a woman.  I need access to birth control, so that I can choose when to have children.  I need to know that women, who are less fortunate than I, have access to abortions, to birth control, to healthcare, so that they can choose how to make their families and they can choose a better life for themselves than their mothers had.

Think Pink? Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I'm a Green Bay Packer fan and in October, all the teams highlight Breast Cancer Awareness month with pink NFL wear.  But, here's my question: is anyone not aware of breast cancer?  I mean, maybe in other countries where people die young of many other diseases before cancer ever touches them...but in the US?  I just don't think so.

So, yay, we are all aware of breast cancer.  If that were enough, then breast cancer deaths would be zero, right?  According to the CDC, in 2008 (the most recent year of published statistics), there were 40,000 breast cancer deaths in the US.  This is down by 2% over all races/ethnic groups. This is great.  However, in this, the 21st century, where breast cancer can be detected much earlier than before, why are people still dying of it? Here's the problem, only about 70% of white, black, and Asian women are screened for breast cancer, while only about  62% of Hispanic and American Indian women are screened.  Here's some more useful stats: 73% of women with a college degree are screened, 65% of women with a high school diploma of GED are screened, and only 54% of women with no diploma or GED are screened.

So, we're missing 30-40% of all women.  Is it the cost of a mammogram?  I hope not, but now with the ACA (Obamacare), mammograms are completely covered by all insurances at no cost to the patient.  Is it lack of knowledge about screening?  Maybe, but if you have a doctor, you should be told about screening.  It is the fact that it is not painless?  I'm not sure.

My point is, we're aware of breast cancer.  So, is our money well spent on awareness? NO.  This money needs to go towards education about screening, towards breast cancer treatments, towards encouragement of doctors being family physicians.  We need to stop being aware of breast cancer and start curing it.

The First Presidental Debate

I'm for Obama.  I'm against Romney.  The debates did not change this, but they did point out a few interesting points.

Fact: Jim Lehrer did not moderate.  I have watched him moderate before and know that he can do it...but he did not.

Fact: Romney cannot balance a budget through tax cuts for the wealthy without substantially cutting spending or raising taxes for the rest of Americans.  There will be no more money, even if he closes the loopholes (but which ones, please tell us!).  Let me illustrate this point: Tax rate for person A is 35%.  Because of loopholes and deductions, he pays something like a tax rate of 20%.  So the tax rate is reduced to 20% and the loopholes are closed...thus, he still pays 20%.  He doesn't make more money because of lower taxes, so he doesn't have more income to pay more taxes on.  His taxes are the same.  Romney, himself pays an effective tax rate of about 15%, which means that the taxes will be higher for him, but this doesn't mean that he makes more money.  There is no more money in the system through this method.

Fact: Barack Obama does not cut 716 billion dollars for benefits in Medicare.  This money is from overpaying insurance providers through Medicare Advantage.  So those nice insurance companies, you know, the ones that Romney thinks will work so well with vouchers, are taking advantage of our seniors. 

Fact: The Medicare Voucher system will not work.  For several reasons.  First, as Obama pointed out last night, the voucher system does not mean automatic acceptance, but that seniors must navigate the health care system on their own.  Which is difficult enough for me, let alone my 93 year old grandma.   In the health care system(without Obamacare), there are arbitrarily-set limits for lifetime use and for certain conditions.  The truth is, about one in two Americans have a chronic disease and 62% of the elderly have multiple chronic diseases.  My grandmother, who is 82 and relatively healthy, has high blood pressure and risk factors for clots and has osteoporosis. My other grandmother, who is 93 and not nearly as healthy, has COPD, chronic hip pain, chronic joint pain, and osteoporosis.  These women would not be able to use the voucher system because insurance companies do not want people who are a bad bet.  That's why Medicare was invented in the first place, because insurance companies don't want people who pay premiums and deductibles, but require more care each year than those numbers cover.

What Romney showed last night was that he is highly aggressive and does not care about the rules.  Each time Jim Lehrer would try to cut him off, he would insist that he should still speak.  He got the last word every single time.  This is not the way a debate works.

The fact is Romney does not care about me.  He doesn't care about my husband, who is a teacher.  He doesn't care about my cousin Hannah who has chronic asthma and panic attacks.  He doesn't care.  We are not in the 47%, but we are close, we are lower middle class citizens.

Prior to the debate, there were two other issues that  ensure that Romney cannot win my vote.  First, same-sex marriage.  Second, women's rights. 
Romney believes that marriage is between a man and a woman.  What I find interesting about this is that his grandfather believed so strongly that marriage was between a man and several women that he moved to Mexico.  In Romney's own family, the definition of marriage has changed.
Marriage is between two legally consenting adults.  We all deserve the same rights.  We all deserve the same chance at happiness.  My friend Chrissy's children deserve two parents, legally and all that comes with.
And women's rights.  Romney doesn't believe that I am entitled to use birth control and to have my prescription drug plan(a plan that covers antibiotics that could be for STDs, a plan that covers blood pressure medicines or cholesterol medicines(both preventive medicines)) cover this birth control.  I am.  And anyone who says differently does not understand cost.  A pregnancy costs around 20,000 dollars(give or take 5000).  If my birth control was not covered, it would cost 50 dollars per month, which means that the insurance company can cover my birth control(at full cost) for 33.33 years before it approximates the same cost as one pregnancy.
Romney also does not believe that women should be allowed to get abortions.  Roe v. Wade says that we are.  I am entitled to choose whether to incubate a parasite for nine months or not.  I am allowed to choose that my family cannot support me through the pregnancy or through the birth of a child.  I am allowed to choose a better life for myself and future children.  I am.

One last thing.  Last night, Romney talked about Massachusetts and how well they are doing, especially in the schools.  MA schools are ranked number one in the nation, but Romney hasn't been governor since Jan 4, 2007.  Which policies are his and which are the current governor's or previous governors'?  I've no idea.  Additionally, Romney likes to point out how rare it is for a Republican to be voted in as governor of MA.  Well, he was the fourth GOP governor in a row for MA.  More telling however, is the fact that since Romney, the governors have been Democrats.

This is what Romney believes in.  If you believe the same, then yes, by all means this is the man you want to lead your country.  If, however, you believe that all people in the US were created equal and were endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights(life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness), then you cannot vote for Romney, because Romney ignores those not born in privilege.

The NFL Replacement Refs

Two topics, but both are intimately related.

First, the NFL replacement referees.  For those of you who don't follow professional sports or professional football, the "real" referees are locked out.  A lockout means that the union was trying to negotiate new terms for a contract and the league said no and don't come to work.  Essentially.
This has led to the league hiring replacement refs.  Now, one thing to note about these replacements is that the "real" refs have connections with college football referees.  This essentially means that the "real" refs told the most qualified replacement referees that if they broke the lockout, they would not work again for colleges.  Which leaves lower division college referees, high school referees, and referees from various other leagues (such as the Lingerie Football League).
Another vital piece of information is that the coaches know that the referees don't know all the rules and that if they encourage their players to play football by any rules, the referees literally cannot call all the penalties.
These facts are the essential background of the story.
On Monday night, the Packers were playing the Seahawks.  The Packers were up by 5 with 8 seconds left in the game.  The Seahawks' player(Golden Tate) pushed a defensive player away and then leaped with a crowd of other Packer players in the endzone for the pass.  M.D. Jennings had possession of the ball(both hands around it and it against his body) while Tate had a hand on Jennings and a hand on the ball.  There were two officials, one called it an interception, the other called it a touchdown.  The play was reviewed and the touchdown went down as the play, which means that the Seahawks won the game.
This was most definitely not a touchdown.  However, this may be the kick that the league needs in order to get the real refs back.

Bit Heavier Topic

Today, I read an article about a teacher having a sexual relationship with a student.  I've included the link. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/04/13662214-erica-depalo-former-teacher-of-the-year-accused-of-having-sex-with-15-year-old-student?threadId=3557398&commentId=69667505#c69667505

Before I tell you the details or you read the article, I just want to discuss some of the attitudes of the comments following the article.  There seem to be a couple prevailing attitudes.  First, that sex is just sex, everyone should stop being Puritans.  Second, good for the student/what's the issue here, who cares who the student/teacher has sex with?  And third, that teacher should be killed.

Here are the details and this is where it becomes really problematic:  the teacher is 33 and a female.  The student is 15 and a male.  The teacher had taught the student previously, but the "sexual relationship" occurred over the summer.  Sexual relationship is from the article, not my own words.  This happened in New Jersey and the teacher was previously awarded a "Teacher of the Year" award.

Here are my issues with the article and the comments.  First, if the teacher were male and the student were female, the first two attitudes would not be present, or even if both were males.  The only prevailing attitude would be calls for this teacher's head and maybe a few comments about how the student asked for it.  However, because the student is male, most other males commenting on the site seem to think that this is a good situation for the child.  Additionally, the article referred to this as a "sexual relationship."  It is not.  It is a situation where a young man was repeatedly raped by an authority figure.  Jerry Sandusky, anyone?  In New Jersey, the age of consent is 16, which means that this boy could not consent to any sexual relationship, let alone one in which he holds none of the power.

What is wrong with our society that this rape is seen as anything other than rape?

Vitamins

Kevin's grandma is in love with vitamins and seems to think that Kevin needs to take many herbal supplements.  She was even so kind as to send him a package of vitamins (20 dollars worth, but still only 120 vitamins).

Kevin eats a healthy diet and drinks juice and gets at least 3 fruits/vegetables servings per day.  So, if he took these vitamins, he would be in over dose territory with at least Vitamin C. 

Additionally, I don't trust vitamins, mostly because they are not regulated by anything.  Which is stupid and means that the 1500% of Vitamin C that is in these pills may actually be 2000% or 5%.  We have no idea.  When they test vitamins, they find wide ranges of many of the items.

So, how do I tell her to stop trying to cure my husband...who isn't ill?

Busy Busy

This summer is halfway over.  I hate it.

I hate that the days are flying by and soon, I will actually have to have a job and be a real person.  I was happy in grad school, but I am scared to death of the future.

Random other note: my husband and I love Leverage and have watched the last two seasons together.  I follow all of the Leverage main cast on Twitter and frequently see their updates about filming.  However, this year, our cable provider decided to deny us access to Leverage.  So sad.

Car

My car needs repairs.  Badly.  I've no idea about anything, but the repairs will cost around $1000.  This is a ton of money, especially as my car is 11 or 12 years old.  However, it is still worth over $2000.  So, if we put in the repairs, we will probably get our money back.  However, the lump sum payment is a lot.  Especially, as we are  a teacher and a grad student. 

I just don't know what to do.

Today is my brother-in-law's wedding.

A happy day.  A joyful day.  I am very happy that Jim and Ally are getting married.  I do not want to seem as if I am not.

However, my husband is the best man and thus, I get to spend very little time with him today.  Which sucks.  Because even though I love his family, I want to spend time with my best friend.  I want to share in his happiness up close, rather than from afar.  I do not get to sit by him at the wedding, I don't get to spend time with him between the wedding and the reception.  I do not get to eat by him.  In fact, between when the wedding starts and when the dance begins, I get to spend basically no time with him.  Why even go?  It's not my family.  Honestly, I don't mean that with my whole self, but a part of me is like that.

Additionally, both Jim and Ally were part of our wedding and I am nothing.  Not a reader, not an usherette, not a bridesmaid.  This feels hurtful to me.  To not be included.  However, the wedding party, on both sides, is composed more of friends than of family, which happens, but 20 years from now, who will they hang out with?  I don't pretend to know, but I do know that the majority of people my parents' age are not still friends with their wedding parties, unless they were composed of family.

This is a lot of angst, but I do not feel that I can discuss this with Kevin, because, well, it's his family.

It's been a while

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted.  Oh well.

Last night's Glee was awful.  It was overly dramatic and featured Kurt butchering "Music of the Night."  However, more importantly, it had some of the New Direction guys singing "The Rain in Spain"...as a rock song...it didn't work.  Sounded emo-punk rocky.  Gross.

Glee once again proved that they have no idea how schools actually work.  Supposedly, Puck needed to pass a test to pass one more class, in order to pass high school.  However, on the show, they had talked about him being behind in math and english and science.  These must be passed in order to graduate.  Do some research Glee writers.  This adds to the wonderful list of mistakes they have made about high school, including the fact that Will teaches Spanish without a teaching degree or a Spanish degree.  Um...no.

Alcatraz

Last night was the season finale of Alcatraz.  I still don't know if I like it.  I like Jorge Gracia and his role, but the blonde is only interesting on some parts.

It's really a cool premise, but I could stand a little less episodic feel.  Why does every crime have to be solved within the episode?

I hope it gets renewed.  I would watch more.

Strange life

In May, Kevin's brother is getting married and Kevin is the best man.  We have yet to receive an invitation.  Also, I do not know if I am invited to the rehearsal dinner.

This bugs me.

Additionally, two weekends ago, we were with the couple and they asked Kevin's dad's girlfriend (who is my mother-in-law, who I would happily claim over my true mother-in-law), if it was alright if they didn't send the girlfriend's family invites, since they had run out.  I think everyone present was like, ummm....no?  How rude.  Kevin said that his brother is lacking in those social graces and his fiancee isn't really able to compensate.  Just something I needed to say.

Taxes

So last night, we did our taxes.  I guess I use the word we lightly.  Kevin had his mom come over (who is an accountant) and walk him through TurboTax.  Which a monkey could do, so...
He's never done taxes alone and the last two years, his mom worked at HR Block, so she did them there.  But I have done taxes since I was 16, so I didn't need any help.  I felt useless and basically had to entertain his step-dad while he and his mom did the TurboTax thing.  It was really annoying. 
I was annoyed that he asked his mom for help and didn't figure it out until just now that it was because I knew that I could do it and I felt left out.  I should just do it next year and ignore him.

American Idol-Top 24

American Idol has steadily lost viewers since the beginning of the season.  The reason seems rather obvious to me: they no longer show singing.  In the audition shows, we would watch maybe ten performances in an hour, if we were lucky.  When the show was in Hollywood, we were shown an entire show with no performances, just performance prep.  Who wants to watch that?  Not this girl.  We did get to see most performances in Vegas Group Night, but still, lots more prep.  I want to watch singing.  In the top 24, there are people that I haven't seen more than a glimpse of prior.  And I didn't get to see all their performances.  I watched 3 hours wherein they chose 24 people from 42 and I didn't get to see 42 performances.  I didn't even get to see 24 performances.  This is lame.

American Idol- The 24 Part 1

On last night's American Idol, they began the process of eliminating 18 people of the 42 left, so as to get to 24.  Normally, this night is a two night process.  One night where all the contestants sing and one night where they are all eliminated.  Well, seems like Idol wanted to switch things up, so they skipped the performance night...again.  I don't know how many times this year they have eliminated or minimized performances, but for a singing competition show, this year has been rather low on the singing competition and big on trying to create false drama?  It's weird.  If this continues, well, goodbye American Idol for me.

Tires

I had the tires stolen off my car.  Yep.  All four tires gone and my car is sitting pretty on some cinderblocks.  And we are out of toilet paper.

The only upshot is that they took my leaky tire(loses about 8 psi per week).  So there's that.  But there's also the fact that I can't afford 4 tires right now and how do you get a tireless car to tires?  I have no idea.

Super Bowl Sunday

I don't remember ever being at a Super Bowl party.  Seems a little strange.  Especially since I like football. 

I think the score will be 28-24, Patriots win.

American Idol is Back...

Last night was the season premiere of American Idol.  It is now season 11.  Hard to believe.  The first 10 minutes of the show talked about how all these kids who have been watching ti from the beginning are finally old enough to audition.  It made me feel old.

I used to love the audition shows.  I would giggle and laugh at the people who sang badly.  It was the best part for me.  But now, I just can't do it.  Because the producers put them on the air and told them that they were ready for the Judges.  And they weren't.  At all.  But I do love the moments where the singers are good and everyone knows it.  Those make me happy.

Stop SOPA and PIPA.  They aren't all bad, but like someone else said they are like the Patriot Act for the Internet.  We would give away many of our freedoms, simply to correct a few things.  We can't let this happen.  Not again.

A New Year

It's the first day of 2012.  It's strange, because I had so much in 2011.  I got married, I had two nephews born, my brother-in-law got engaged, I finished my first year of grad school, I did an internship...and so on.  But in 2012, we have Kevin's brother's wedding and that's pretty much it.

So, what do we do now? 

My resolution this year is to love life fully, in all ways.  I will say yes.  I will go out more and do more and be more and I will make my mark. 

This will be the year of will and yes, instead of no and should.  This will be a year of taking control of my life, but also being along for the ride.  This will be my year.  This I promise myself today and for the rest of the year.