Finally this cold is almost over. It's been nearly three weeks. We were hit just around Christmas and it's included sore throats, fevers that break and then come back again, a horrible respiratory infection that makes walking up the stairs feel like climbing Mount Everest (that one was the worst), congestion and lots and lots of coughing. Apparently, this cold is going around and there must be different strains, so it doesn't matter if you've already had a cold this season. Fun stuff. But now we're almost through the tunnel. Just some coughing and Wayne's voice is gone... which is kind of cute.

Now I can actually go back to writing and looking for a job some more. Though I am a little nervous about trying to get back out there. I don't think I want to do the veterinary stuff anymore :( Give me something a little less technical. But I do have to find something soon. My family is getting irritated with me and I can't really blame them. 

So every day when I look over my Facebook feed, I see my friends complaining about people on welfare or foodstamps. Sometimes it comes in seemingly exaggerated stories - like the one about the woman with gold teeth and a drinking habit telling a nurse about how she uses her welfare money to buy cigars and cheetos. Then there is the meme about how we should drug test welfare recipients since "I have to pass a drug test to support them."

Many, many years ago, I was on welfare. I was on it for nearly two years and half of that time I was actually working - just not making enough to support myself and my son on. It was one of the darkest times of my life. It was made darker by the fact that people really have no pause when it comes to judgement.

But the irony? I've known the folks that post these memes for many years. And almost all of them were on welfare. For some of them, it was an obvious career choice. One of the most avid posters of these things I've known for almost twenty years. Not only did she and her husband not disclose that she was getting hundreds of dollars from her mother every month, but she and her husband were trying to conceive while on welfare. I remember her telling me she had to hurry up and get pregnant before the announced cut off date that our state had.

The one I saw this morning was from my ex. If it were up to him, he'd still be sitting on his butt and collecting some sort of check.

Seriously, I could go on and on.

Why are the people who were once dependent on the system so easy to judge those who need it now?

Originally posted by neo_prodigy at Spirit Day

So my son is watching 'Project X' with Matthew Broderick. I remember watching it when I was a kid and having no trouble then. I remember most of what happens. Tonight, though, I couldn't sit through it and had to leave the room. Is it being 30-something that makes it hard to watch sad things or am I getting too sappy?

So I have enjoyed my time on cf_abby_tribute . For the most part, it is a good community that usually tends to be rather sane. I joined because I have been reading advice columns religiously for as long as I can remember and like the idea of sharing different takes on the advice. Most of the members there tend to put a stop to the misogyny. However, it is still a child-free community. Being that I'm not child-free, I've been looking for something with similar topics but without the CF feel to it.

So I've started my own community at advice_rehash ,if anyone is interested. I just set it up and already got one or two members. Drop in and, if it looks good to you, spread the word.

ETA: Speaking of advice: if anyone has suggestions for advertising, please let me know. I don't even know where to begin.

First of all, let me say that I have nothing whatsoever against people getting a dog from a reputable breeder. When I was looking for a little dog, I was getting a bit frustrated with our shelter and considered just giving up after the second dog I tried to adopt from them was stolen. Shelters are not perfect. Neither are rescues. And while I believe that rescuing a dog from our local high-kill shelter is the best way to go, I also firmly believe that you should only bring into your home the animal you want and that you will be happy with. And I do believe there are breeders who honestly care about their dogs and the puppies they are producing.

But one of my new grrs... I have talked too many otherwise good and intelligent people who say that the reason they absolutely must buy their dogs from a breeder is because "If it isn't purebred, you don't know what you're getting". First off, this is a living creature. While certain breeds have been cultivated for certain temperments, breed is not everything. Secondly, I've heard this from people who have ordered their dogs from Pennsylvania because it was $200 rather than $1,500. Pennsylvania, as I'm learning, is the puppymill cener of the US. Really, you are afraid you wouldn't know what you are getting from a mutt, but you think things will go awesome if you buy from a puppy mill?

http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/16041/MI/US/RSS/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CrueltyCaseTickerFeed+%28Pet-Abuse.Com+Updates+and+Cases%29&utm_content=FaceBook#UPDATES

So you want an australian shepherd but you don't want to pay the big bucks. That and you don't want to go to a shelter or deal with a rescue. So you order from this lady... The vet who handled the dogs said they were all feral. Makes me wonder what it is she sent to the families who bought from her. Did they know what they were getting?

Really, if you want to go with a good breeder, that's awesome. But don't dis the shelter dogs. :)

So we spent way too much money yesterday, but we showed Westley a good time. Universal Studios has changed a lot since I was a kid (I think I was 12 last time I was there). There are only three rides but they did a pretty good job on them. And there are a lot of 3D shows. It took us all day to see everything and we ended up missing the Blues Brothers show. For lunch we went to the Hard Rock Cafe - which I'd never been to.

So our promise to the boy has been fulfilled. Now for me to get my ass in gear for work.

So.. anyone besides me watching Dollhouse? Two episodes so far, but I think I'm hooked.

( It's about butts...Collapse )