Here's to happiness, love and HEALTH

Hmm. How do you even begin starting a post on health? First of all, you always want to be healthy and not have to go to the doctor. Secondly, you really want to be healthy if you don't have health insurance. Personally, the fact that it seems sometimes you just have to work for health insurance and bennies here drives me mad. Doesn't everyone deserve medical treatment if they need it?

Introduce: (and cue) public health care.

It just doesn't make sense to me why a country that claims to be the best at everything doesn't even take care of its own as they should. The rich and the poor are divided by the quality of care they are given or in some cases refused. It did not take watching Sicko to make me realize this. And, I am well aware that the movie is biased and designed to pull at your heart cord.

Yes, I am an American. And yes, I am proud to be an American. I wouldn't want to be anything else by choice... okay maybe European (but hell I already am - thanks to the great-gramps ;o)). I just don't get it. How can so many other countries have a public health care system that work and don't discriminate based on social standing - and we can't? Is it because insurance and pharmaceutical companies?

I, myself, have benefited from public health care while working abroad. It's rather comforting to know that if something happened you are covered, even if your monthly budget may say otherwise. It would have been nice though, to have a doctor who spoke English and wasn't an anti-american prick. I digress, that is besides the point... (Damn glad I didn't pay him though!)

I got to thinking about ways to justify having the system we do. I didn't think too long. I was at a loss. I would say that almost anyone who came across someone on the street who looked like they were in an enormous amount of pain would stop that person and ask them if they were okay. Or maybe you'd call 911, or at least do something. Isn't health care similar? If you need help - shouldn't you always (no questions asked) be given care? Guess not. Now there's freedom.

It's probably too late for change. It would take too much to change the system. I don't think this is even a coherent post, but it's been on my mind a lot lately. (And no, not just because my bill for insurance came and knocked my socks off!). I'm a healthy person. I don't understand why I have to pay so much out of pocket to go to the doctor the couple times I do annually (if that). I often wonder if I wasn't insured if I would end up spending less than always being covered. I guess it is a chance I am not willing to undertake, but it does bring up an interesting point.

Gambling with your health never is the smart thing to do -- but may it be the most economic?

*s*

Design Central.

Don't you just hate it when your sheets don't match your comforter? Your towels don't match your toothbrush? Yeah - I don't care either. Living the frugal life we live; we don't really give a darn how things look, as long as they work.

There has been an exception to the rule folks. This weekend we engaged in some serious interior decorating. It was high time that our desk and end table actually matched the rest of our furniture. The sig other has been watching a lot of design programs in his free time. Not to mention food and fashion programs too. (I was beginning to wonder just how straight of a man he really was - but it has been confirmed - he is. The baseball hat and bodily noises/odors attest to this factoid... amongst other things). ;o)

So Sunday came, as did daylight savings time. We took a much needed trip to one of the home warehouse stores and got ourselves some black paint, primer and white paint. Then we got some stencils to be more artsy. It was actually very relaxing and rejuvenating to work on making something look better. Damn the cold weather and having all windows open as to not faint in our apartment; we had to stop as the sun went down because there were no more layers to put on. We hope to continue and finish this weekend. (Ignore that it's supposed to snow this week.)

The depressing thing about home decorating is -- we don't actually have a home. We just have a place to quasi-call our own. When we do have a place that is rightfully ours, I don't think we'll ever want to leave. Decorating can be fun! Now if only we could get paid for it too... ;)

Earth Friendly Idiot

Gas prices are on the rise.
Winter approaches, thus heating bills go up.
Holiday shopping takes away flex money.

So... why not ride the two-wheeler to work? (aka. bicycle). Sounds like an ingenious idea. Not only will I be reducing the amount of toxins poured into the earth's atmosphere, but I am can also get good exercise. Not to mention, that most times I can get where I want to go just as fast as if I was driving. Everyone should do this.

I admit, I am not biking to work. For many reasons. It's getting cold being one. The hood isn't the best to peddling through. And most importantly -- there is NO SAFE BIKE PATH! Well, there wasn't until today some idiot decided there was.

Allow me to replay the situation. Here I am (in my car) driving the busiest main street there is. The street that everyone commutes to and from work, or to or from anywhere in this city. There is no sidewalk and two narrow lanes of traffic. It is roughly 4:30 pm, and the traffic is starting to build up. I look to my right and see a middle-aged man on his bike. I first think to myself, "Is this guy crazy -- this is a super busy street to be biking on at this time of day, let alone anytime." As I approach and move more to the left lane of traffic, as not to hit this guy, I realize not only is he NOT wearing a helmet, but he was talking on his cell phone.

Who in god's name rides their bike down a main street not protected and being a complete a-hole? Is is wrong of me for wanting to run him off the road? I don't and actually refuse to talk on my phone when I am driving. It is a distraction and endangers myself and others. It's my personal choice. Sorry, but I think that biking and talking on your cell phone is beyond stupid. What I also failed to mention, is this man ran a red light! Sure he passed through the line of traffic, and luckily didn't get pummeled to the ground by on-coming traffic. It would have served him right.

It just seems to funny to me - how doing such a thoughtful act to our earth can be performed by such nitwits?? Take the bus you moron, because you endanger cars with your bike riding!