30 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 13-24

So... I got a bit behind. I'm catching up now though!

November 13: I am thankful for good friends. I may have moved over a thousand miles away, but I know I still have good friends who will be there for me (most of them, at least).

November 14: I am thankful for new friends. I've had some difficulty making new friends since moving to Colorado. We live in a tiny town so, we have limited options for friendships; especially since all of our neighbors have families (less time and energy). However, I have been able to make a few new friends, and they are all cool people. :)

November 15: I am thankful for my freedom... even if the government is trying to take it away.

November 16: I am thankful that I do not have to fly this holiday season. I am so thankful that I do not have to be exposed to potentially harmful porno scanners or sexual assaults sanctioned by our government.

November 17: I am thankful that the entire nation is not completely composed of sheep. I am thankful that there are at least some people left in the United States who are not completely under the mind control of the government.

November 18: I am thankful for delicious food. I have been baking for weeks now (one of the reasons I have not been blogging much) and the food is fantastic. I am thankful that I have a kitchen in which to cook, money to buy the ingredients, and the deliciousness of the final results. :)

November 19: I am thankful for my family. Some of them are a bit crazy at times, but they are good people. They all might not be what people would call "classy" but they are always there for me. They have supported me through everything and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

November 20: I am thankful for good health. I managed to get food poisoning or something at the Avalanche game last Monday, but for the most part, I am a healthy individual. I haven't been truly sick (cold, flu, etc.) in years. It is definitely something to be thankful for.

November 21: I am thankful for good neighbors and an excellent neighborhood. We are just renting, but we love our house. The neighborhood is safe and most of the neighbors are friendly. I say most because we do have one neighbor who just is not very friendly.

November 22: I am thankful to have been able to travel to so many amazing places. The other day I was thinking about our honeymoon to Italy and how awesome it is going to be. Then I thought about how awesome Italy was last time. And about my trip to the Republic of Korea. Then I started going through pictures of all the places I've been... all over the U.S (including Alaska) and even a few places overseas. I am very fortunate. :)

November 23: I am thankful that I have not managed to screw up anything really big in my life. I managed to get a degree (even if I'm not really using my major). I managed to not get knocked up out of wedlock (or as a teen). I haven't been divorced. I have a stable job. I have healthy relationships. When I look at some of the people I knew in high school, I am very thankful that I have managed to avoid making those huge mistakes. I know that if I would have, I would have dealt with them and stayed positive, but I know my life is easier without having screwed up.

November 24: I am thankful that I am brave. Not brave in that I will fight a bear or something crazy like that. Brave in that I am willing to make big, scary changes; like moving to Colorado. Packing up everything I own and moving 1,700 miles away was terrifying (especially without job prospects), but I am SO glad that we did it. It has been amazing and I LOVE Colorado.

Porno Scan & Sexual Assault

I'm sure my Facebook friends are sick of my posts about the new "porno scan" and the sexual assault the TSA is now making people choose between when flying. So, I've decided to put together some of my favorite articles regarding the situation.

Don't touch my junk: The origin of a lot of the outrage.

National Opt-Out Day Called Against Invasive Body Scanners: “You should never have to explain to your children, ‘Remember that no stranger can touch or see your private area, unless it’s a government employee, then it’s OK.’”

TSA to investigate Oceanside man ejected from airport, may prosecute: A recap of John Tyner's experience with updates.

'Naked' airport scanners may be 'dangerous': One summary of how the porno scanners my be harmful to your health.

DHS Chief Says Abandoning Airport Scanners Would Be "Irresponsible": Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Monday vehemently defended her department's use of advanced imaging technologies and pat-downs at U.S. airports, saying to do otherwise would be 'irresponsible' and that passengers who don't like it can 'travel by some other means.'"

I'm sure that the airlines will thank her when people like myself take her advice and avoid flying altogether. Sounds like a great future for the already troubled airline industry.

TSA Full-Body Scanners: Protecting Passengers Or Padding Pockets?: The reality of why the government is really using these porno scanners. What a surprise... isn't it always about money with our government? "These scanners, for all their naked human goodness, cannot see through skin... a dedicated bad guy doesn’t really mind hiding a little PETN in his or his dog’s body cavity for a few hours, given that it’s going to be a one-way trip."

'The Americans Make Us Do This': Lessons in TSA Liberty from the ChiComs: International flyers take on the new "security" measures... Also, a recap of a poll. "More than 69,000 people have voted; 96% object to the new rules." I'd say that poll says a whole lot about the situation.

Shep Smith: ‘If You Touch My Junk, I’m Going To File A Lawsuit Against You’: Amazing video of Shep Smith regarding the measures.

TSA Pats Down 3-Year-Old: Yes. You read that right. Even your toddler can be violated by the TSA. No worries, though: "James Marchand, TSA Regional Security Director, wouldn’t comment on the video but... helpfully suggested that perhaps TSA screeners could make the experience more fun for kids by making a game out of it." Great plan. Let's make a game out of molesting a child. That won't make things confusing for them at all.

The 'Israelification' of airports: High security, little bother: A summary of how Israeli airports are safer but less irritating and invasive.


I'm just so frustrated by all of this. People are saying that the naked scans and molestation are necessary for security. I call Bull shit. The scans can only see the skin. Any person determined to blow up an airplane just has to put a bomb in his/her anus. No one would ever know.

Also, why is the security so intense to get a on a plane with a hundred or so people when I went to the Avs game last night with thousands of people and there was absolutely nothing? Open your eyes, people. It's about the money!

Besides, if a terrorist really wanted to cause trouble, he or she would blow up the entire airport before even entering security. THE NEW SECURITY MEASURES ARE POINTLESS! It's about the MONEY and the CONTROL.

This is a slippery slope, people. If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.

Rent's Due!

I work for a property management firm in Denver. We lease commercial spaces. I've said many times that I really love my job. However, that doesn't mean that it doesn't have its trials. Some of those trials are with people not paying rent. I understand that times are tough, but these people did sign a lease! In order to deal with the past-due accounts, I tend to try to get a giggle or two out the wonderful excuses that people make.

The most recent excuse that I have received for not paying rent on time is: "My rent is late because I was out of the office because I had hip surgery yesterday." Okay... rent is due on the first of the month. Today is the fifteenth. I don't see how being out of the office on the fourteenth of the month is going to prevent you from remembering to pay your rent 2 weeks before the surgery date.

The most common excuse is always: "I was out of the office." Were you out of the office for the entire MONTH? You know that your rent is always due on the first. ALWAYS. If you know you are going to be out of the office, make an effort to pay your rent before you leave. Or make an online payment. Where are you that you can't get to a computer???

I love the "it must have gotten lost in the mail" excuses. Why? Because the post office stamps the date the check was mailed right on the envelope. So, I doubt that it is a coincidence that the day I call you to remind you that your rent is late is the date that the post office stamped on the envelope. I'm not an idiot.

The honest answer usually makes me feel bad. The "I didn't have the money" answer is kind of depressing, but at the same time, what am I supposed to do? If they don't pay their rent, I'm out of job. And then I can't pay MY rent. If you can't pay your rent, you need to surrender your keys and vacate your suite so that we can at least try to rent the suite out to someone else. Don't be a pain in the @ss. Why make your landlord feel bad for trying to get the money that YOU agreed to pay? I just have to laugh at the people who get angry when you evict them after they don't pay rent for 4 or 5 months. What did they think was going to happen??

Gah! Some of the people drive me crazy. But, at least they keep me on my toes!

I am not your psychiatrist.

Friends come to me when they are having hard times. It has happened as far back as I can remember. I'm a good listener. I enjoy helping people through hard times. Don't get me wrong; I hate hearing that my friends are down, but I love being able to help a friend make it to the other side.

However, I am not your psychiatrist. I am not here to just be your friend when you need something. I am tired of "friends" who only seek me out when they are down. I love that you trust me enough to be your "shoulder to cry on" and your "wall." That doesn't meant that I don't want to be a part of your life during the happy times as well. Also, where the hell are you when I'm down??

I was always told that friendship is a 2-way street. Apparently I got the one-way friends.

I do not trust easily. It's just the way I am. In fact, I'm rather a loner. I always have been. I have only a few people that I really trust. And, I'm usually pretty self-sufficient. That is not to say that I don't like people. I really do like people. I'm going to be friendly with just about everyone... I'm just not going to count all of those people as my friends.

Anyway, since I do not trust many, when I extend that trust and friendship to people, I expect to have it returned. I'm getting jipped. I'm tired of it. Those "friends" are the reason that I don't trust people to begin with. If I open up to you, don't leave me hanging. Especially when I have been there for you 100% of the time.

If I'm there for you at 4 AM when you are feeling desperate, remember to say hello to me at normal hours. If I spend hours talking you through a dilemma, remember to at least ask me how I'm doing. If I spend months helping to boost your self-esteem and mend your broken heart, don't abandon me when you're feeling better. If I encourage you in your dreams, remember to at least FIND OUT what mine are.

Again, I am not your psychiatrist. I am not here for you to use me as you wish until you no longer need a shoulder. I am a person worthy of more than your bad times. That is NOT friendship.

The next time you find yourself down in the dumps and are looking for consolation, I hope that you will realize that I was a good friend to you. I am not going to be there to pick up the pieces. I have gone off to find REAL friends. Good luck to you.


**Note: This is not for all of my friends... just a select few.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 8-12

November 8: I am thankful for stability. I have a job. Philip has a job. We have a house (we rent, but it's still a house). We have more than enough money to pay our bills and live comfortably. We can both count on our steady paychecks. With the way the economy is right now, I know that this is really incredible. I am very thankful that I am able to be a part of the middle class.


November 9: I am thankful for health insurance. This month is the first time since high school that I have had health insurance. I don't get sick often (or really at all since I became a vegetarian), but you never know when you are going to need health insurance. My company gives me $270.00 of credit to use each month towards health insurance. I got my health insurance through Philip because it was cheaper and better than my company's insurance. However, I used the $270 credit for dental, accident, hospital, and disability insurance through AFLAC and I got a $150,000.00 life insurance policy for myself ($300,000.00 if it's an accidental death). I went about $20 over my $270.00 credit, so that comes out of my paycheck. So, I'm getting a ton of insurance for very cheap! I went from no insurance to super insured! :) I am very fortunate!


November 10: I am thankful for nice, relatively normal in-laws. My in-laws all (seem to) like me and approve of my relationship with Philip. They are all very friendly and supportive. It's nice to be a part of a big family (when they are pleasant). It's nice to have another set of parents (or in my case, another 2 sets -- Philip's mom and stepdad as well as his dad and stepmom) who care about your wellbeing. It's also nice to have grandparents again. My grandparents are all deceased. I miss them terribly, but at least I have grandparents-in-law who are wonderful. :)


November 11: I am thankful for all of the veterans who have served in all branches of the military. I may not support every aspect of the war in Iraq, but I do support our troops. They have to be separated from those they love for months (or even years) to make sure that our nation continues to be safe and free (and to help other less fortunate countries). I'm not sure that I could make the sacrifices that our service men and women make. I am very thankful that there are people who are willing to make those sacrifices for me and those I love.


November 12: I am thankful for snow. I know it sounds crazy, but we just had our first TWO snowfalls this week (one of the big reasons I moved to Colorado). They were beautiful. I love the snow. It covers everything and makes the world glow. It gives the world a wonderful glitter... It covers up all that is ugly with a perfect white -- the color of purity. It makes even our sometimes-crappy world seem perfect. Also, it's fun to play in. :D

FINALLY!!! :D

I have been waiting for snow. One of the big reasons I moved to Colorado was for the snow. I miss the snow so much. Everyone out here told me that we would have snow by Halloween. Well, Halloween came and went. Still no snow. :(

I've been watching the 10 day forecast for weeks now. And, finally, there is something on there that brings me joy!

I am not sure why the picture ended up so blurry on here... Anywho, Thursday and Monday are supposed to have snow showers! I am so excited. I know that on a 10 day forecast, it's very likely that the forecast will change, but at least I now have some hope for that beautiful, fluffy, white stuff! SNOW!!! :D

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 5-7

November 5: I am thankful for my father. We have had some rough times in the past, but I know he will always be there for me. We don't talk as often as we probably should, but I know that he truly cares about me; just as I truly care about him. I know that he is proud of who I have become. I love him. :)


November 6: I am thankful for Colorado. :) I know, it's a whole state. I am just so thankful that Philip and I were able to move here. It is a fantastic place. I get to see the beautiful, snow-topped Rockies every day on my way to work. And, every day I think, "Wow. I am so lucky to see this." Colorado is filled with amazing people, amazing sights, and is just an amazing place to live. I love it here. :)


November 7: I am thankful for my sister. She and I have definitely had our "rough patches" but we are now at a great point in our relationship. I wish that I could see her more often (and finally meet this wonderful beau of hers), but at least I know that she and I will be able to pick up where we left off when we last saw/talked to each other. :) She is a wonderful person and is going to do great things. I am lucky to have her as my sister (and lucky that she forgives me for convincing her that she was adopted when we were little!). :D

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 1-4

So, I've been meaning to start this, but when I go to my blog, I blog about something else and then completely forget about it. Well, I remembered today, so here goes!

I want to participate in the 30 days of Thanksgiving. Obviously, I'm a few days behind. I'm just going to combine my posts for days one through four right here so that I can save time and space!

November 1: I am thankful for my wonderful fiancé. He truly is everything I had hoped for in a mate. He is caring and thoughtful. He loves our four wonderful pups (I came into the relationship with more than just emotional baggage). He took to them as if they had always been his. He's even gentle and understanding with our "special" pup, Jippy (he's not really the brightest dog, but he's definitely full of love and eager to please). He is content. It takes so little to please him. I simply have to be myself. That is a wonderful feeling. He's nerdy and cute. :) He's hardworking and supportive. He is perfect.

November 2: I am thankful for my four beautiful pups. I don't know what I would do without them. They bring joy to my life every day. They are hilarious and cute. They are also loving and attentive (if I cry, all four of them want to give me kisses until I can't help but laugh). They truly care about me. They know when I have a bad day and they are there to make it better. They are so easy to please. They just want attention. Hell, the best present for them is the empty toilet paper roll (seriously, they play with it until it's in shreds on the floor).

They are all different and unique, and I love them all for different reasons. Jack is my buddy. He wants to be everywhere that I am. He loves to cuddle, but he also loves to play. He's the most "human" of the four.

Cody is my protector (as well as the protector of the other three pups). He is the most attentive to my feelings. He will sit with me with his head on my lap and just stare up at me until my heart melts. He is incredibly eager to please. He wants nothing more than for me to be happy (well, and for me to be with him).

Jippy is my "special" child. He is not the smartest pup, but he really does try. He wants to please me, he just gets confused easily. It is absolutely adorable. He is so full of energy and life. He can run for hours, but he still wants my love and affection. He needs me (not every person can handle Jippy's needs; I know from experience -- which is why I am so happy that Philip loves and understands him!). He makes me laugh. :)

Daly is my little girl. She is the most needy of the four. She constantly wants attention. She will shove the other three out of the way to get to my hand. She is silly. She is really sweet though. She will always remind me that she loves me (she makes me feel special because she doesn't love just anyone; she's actually afraid of new people). And, when she's feeling playful, she is CUTE. She can get the other dogs to play so easily. She is my adorable little girl. :)

November 3: I am thankful for my wonderful mother. She is there for me through thick and thin. When I need to vent, she is there to listen to the very end (putting in appropriate sounds to show disgust, of course :)). She may be hundreds of miles away, but she's still there for me. She is always supportive and understanding. She is sensitive just like me so when either one of us is upset, we can cry together and support each other. She spoils my pups rotten and I know that she will be a fantastic grandmother when Philip and I have human children, too. :) And, she makes me laugh. She's one of my best friends in the whole world. I am incredibly lucky to have her as my mother. :)

November 4: I am thankful for my job. I know this post may not seem as meaningful as the first three, but it is important to me (and I wanted to break up the "I'm thankful for my family" posts so that it doesn't just get repetitive -- no worries, family! I will get to the rest of you as well!). I know that I am lucky. Not only do I have a job that more than pays for my bills; I have a job that I really enjoy. My boss is wonderful and funny. My coworkers are hardworking and friendly. My job is not really that difficult, but it is fulfilling. I am fortunate to be able to say (finally!) that I really do love my job. For once, I don't dread going into work every day. I do really look forward to my weekends, but it's because I can't wait to actually see Philip; not because I can't stand the work week! I know that this makes me one of the lucky few.

Voting

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past several months, you probably know that today was Election Day. I really think they should be honest and call it "Try to Pick the Lesser of Two Evils Day" but I guess that is probably too long of a name.

I've been weighing the choices for weeks now. I'm not affiliated with a party, so I do not just go in and vote straight party ticket. I'm independent... a moderate. :) I'm pro-life but pro-gay. I'm opposed to the death penalty and to big government. I'm all over the board. I'm me.

So, I have to really look at the candidates' positions. And then pretend that they actually feel the way they say they do... and that even if they did really feel that way, that they would let that affect their voting. Gah! I wish politicians weren't so slimy.

I am so sick of all of the political advertisements. I did a lot of fact checking and half of what they say about each other isn't even true. I just want real answers. I want to know what a candidate believes and what they are going to do in office. Is that really that much to ask?? Apparently so.

Today, I voted straight ticket Democrat. It hurt. I normally have some variance on my ballot. Not today. I really didn't want to vote for Bennett (Colorado Senate race), but Ken Buck scares me. He's a little too far out there on some things. I am pro-life. I would not get an abortion if I were raped or even if my life were at risk. It's just not what I believe in. However, I think that women should be able to decide on their own what to do in those situations (and only those situations... I believe that all other abortion should be illegal). Ken Buck pushes that issue a little too far (and could affect birth control... which would be TERRIBLE). So, I voted Bennett.

The other ones I don't feel as strongly about. I felt that the democratic candidates were slightly better, so I voted democrat. For the initiatives, I voted NO on all of them except for Amendment P (Bingo) and 102 (I think that all people should have to post bail/bond no matter what the crime). Pretty simple.

I voted when I got home from work. It was between 5 and 6. I live in a teeny-tiny town outside of Denver. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people in line at the town hall... Especially for mid-term elections. I'm sure that most of them were not voting as I did (rural, farm town), but it's nice to see people getting involved. :)

Trick-or-Treat Rules

It's no secret; Philip and I love Halloween. We dress up and we decorate our house to the extreme. This year was no different. Our house was really popular... I'm not sure if it was the crazy, scary stuff we had set up or if it was the handfuls of candy we were handing out. ;)

Anyway, I love trick-or-treaters. I love seeing the costumes. I love hearing the wee-little ones try to say "trick or treat!" I love making the kids happy.

Despite all the love that I feel for the day, there are a few things that really irritate me. Since we spent about $100 on candy (good candy, not the crap candy), and I am in control of said candy, you really don't want to irritate me (also, I'll make Philip sneak out of the bushes and scare the bejeebers out of you). So, here are my rules for trick-or-treating:

1. Wear a costume. I know a lot of people are sticklers for age. I don't really care how old you are. If you're wearing a costume, I don't care if you're 3 or 30, I'll give you candy. If you're not wearing a costume, get off my porch.
2. Use your manners. Don't take giant handfuls of candy unless you're told that you can (I told kids to take handfuls, but if the greeter doesn't say anything, assume you're only supposed to take 1). And say THANK YOU. It's not hard. For the really little ones, I don't really mind. I would probably be afraid to talk to a zombie bride, too, if I were only 3 or 4 years old (I was a zombie bride for halloween -- so much fun!). But, for the older kids, if you don't say thank you, I may just figure out where you live and tee-pee your house. Okay, so probably not... but I'll at least think negative thoughts about you. HA!
3. Don't walk across people's lawns. It's just rude. I had the sidewalk lit up for a reason. Use it. I don't care about my lawn that much, but come on parents! Teach your kids basic manners.
4. Parents, don't let your kids eat the candy before you inspect it! I know I didn't poison my candy, but do you really want to take that chance? Your kids can wait until they get home to eat some candy. Or you can check a few pieces while you're on the go. But, PLEASE, don't let your kid grab candy and automatically eat it. There are crazies out there!
5. Parents, if you dress up to take your kids trick-or-treating, I will give your kids extra candy. Yeah, I know. It's not really fair. But, I like it when other adults dress up along with me. :)

That's all I can think of right now. But, I did want to mention that my Zombie Bride costume was a huge hit. I even got hit on by one of the dads! The parents and kids loved the costume and the house. We were a huge hit! :)

For my costume, I used an old white prom dress and got some white tulle to make my own veil. Then, I did some zombie make-up and sprayed myself with fake blood. It was really easy and it actually looked great. However, I did have to do some major scrubbing to get the blood off my skin. It was definitely worth it, though!