I have finally gotten my hands on a laptop (thanks to my brother…it’s really for the business, but I had to get it connected and set up!) and I’m laying in my bed, watching the DVRed episode of Pushing Daisies that I taped while I was visiting my mom last week.  (What is up with Chuck’s “silky intimates?”  Who wears stuff like that on a normal basis?)

This is not quite as comfy as I expected it to be…the computer is sitting on my belly, resting on my knees and Violet apparently doesn’t like it.  Laptop users, if you use it in bed, how do you get comfortable???  I can’t lay on my belly right now, though I think that must be the key.  Maybe I need a little folding lap desk or something?  I was so excited about this and it’s just not what I expected it to be.  I hope it’s just due to my belly making positioning difficult!

I spent several days at my mom’s and missed a lot of stuff in Sanford, including the logo unveiling.  I’m sad about that, but have peeked at it online and think it looks great!  I can’t wait to catch up on the newspapers tomorrow.  While there, my mom had my husband do some work for her which she paid him for, as well as giving us money & some other things we needed (like shoes for me!) for our birthdays.  It was a great visit…we had a small family party for my oldest son’s birthday and she bought some clothes for Violet.  We had a lot of fun shopping for baby girl clothes together!  My brother also loaned us this laptop until we’re on our feet enough to buy our own.  It’s not the newest or fanciest thing out there but it should do what we need it to do.  I feel so blessed to have family who are willing and able to help us in these small but important ways right now!

Usually I love a good roller coaster.  However, the one we’ve been on lately regarding our money situation has been terrifying.  And just when I think we’re OK for a little bit longer, there’s a sudden terrifying drop and we’re right back at the scary part again.  This week things were supposed to be better.  We deposited a check that was going to get our unpaid bills caught up and pay our October mortgage payment.  Only our bank is holding it.  For a week.  Meaning for the first time ever, in the 13+ years I’ve been paying rent or a mortgage, my housing payment will not be on time.  I had to call Progress Energy and Windstream and beg for another week to pay our already past due bills.  They were understanding, but that probably won’t be the case the next time.

I do not understand why the bank is holding our check.  It was from a well known (and still stable!) investment firm.  Our bank is in good shape, according to news reports.  The amount wasn’t huge.  They refused to call and verify the validity of the check.  They said it was based on our account history…that if we had the money in our account to cover it in the event it was unpaid, they’d release the funds to us.  Let’s ignore the fact that we’ve had an account with them for years now.  That we’ve never deposited a check that wasn’t paid.  Nor have I bounced a check.  Of course, we’d never have had that check if we had that kind of money in the account in the first place!  This was supposed to pay the bills.  Instead, it’s being held hostage.  I am sure that some of it is related to the financial mess our country is currently experiencing.  I understand that they have to cover themselves, too.  But I’ve never felt so helpless and angry.  And just when I felt like things were going to be OK again for a little while, I am once again knocked down to my knees and left begging for mercy.

So as much as I love a good thrill ride, this is one I’d like to get off of…so God, if you’re listening, could you make it stop?  Thanks!

Are you registered to vote?  The deadline for North Carolina is 10/10.  You can also do one stop early voting after that and get registered and vote at the same time if necessary.  (That’s just in NC, though!  If you live somewhere else, find your state’s Board of Elections website and get info there.)  If you aren’t a fan of either Obama or McCain, you can always vote third party.  The more people who do so, the more chance there is of viable 3rd party candidates in the future.  And while I am enthusiastic about my chosen candidate this year, I have not been too thrilled over my choices in the past.  It would have been nice to have a 3rd choice.  I wish I’d done that in the past 2 elections!

It looks like NC is short on 3rd party candidates (I checked the list on the SBOE website…you should be able to do the same for your state) but Bob Barr is represented as the Libertarian candidate and there are a few “qualified write-ins” you could choose from.  If Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin isn’t your cup of tea you can research the others and find the one who most closely aligns with your politics.

Don’t rely on email forwards or attack ads to learn what the candidates’ platforms are.  Visit the websites of each candidate, including 3rd party.  Read what their personal plans involve.  Find non-biased news sources…no, Fox News is not non-biased, though I’m sure most would argue that the NY Times isn’t, either. ;)  Just keep an open mind.  You may be surprised.

No candidate will be perfect.  You’re looking for the person who best represents your values.  And it’s always good to remember that the president’s influence can only extend so far…as much as I like to blame the country’s woes on our current leader, I know that it’s not all his fault.  He didn’t get us into this mess without help from a lot of different places, including individuals like you and I.

If you’re still having a hard time, try using online quizzes to help you choose a candidate.  Most will focus only on the big two, but it may give you an idea of where your true political center lies.  Here’s some I’ve tried.  Some of them surprised me, but they all reinforced my decision in the end.

ABC News: Match-O-Matic

Select a Candidate Quiz

VoteChooser.com

SelectSmart…this one includes 3rd party choices.

I don’t think it’s a secret where my affiliation lies.  And while I’d love it if you voted for my guy, I think it’s more important to push people to vote.  Make your voice heard.  That’s really all any of us can do…

I was thinking last night that if I was only a bank or investment firm that things would be OK. And then I saw this cartoon in today’s paper.

I’m no politician.  I have no idea what the answer is.  But I DO know that it sucks to see the government tossing billions of dollars at Wall Street while I have to wait 5 weeks to even apply for WIC.  My husband worked hard but we’ve had terrible luck with multiple layoffs over the past 7 years.  We’ve never once taken help.  From the government or anyone else.  But now that we need it, we can’t get it.  I am pretty sure that the WIC wouldn’t amount to more than $100 a month, but it’s going to be over 5 weeks before we can even apply.  After that, I have no idea how long it will take to actually receive benefits.

Whatever.  Actually, my positive and hopeful mood remains.  But the irony of that comic and the insanity of it all had me laughing this morning.

In the meantime, the weather is beautiful, there’s a little chill in the air, and my beloved Volunteers play our biggest rivals today.  So I’m going to get myself and the kids dressed, find some free fun for a while, and then come in and hopefully watch the Florida Gators get crushed!

There is one good aspect to this whole “can’t sleep” thing!  I’m getting more done in the mornings.  I’ve already made some changes to a client website.  Of course I had promised them last night and didn’t get to it because I was having creative issues, (my brain was not in the mood to be creative) but at least they got done before business hours today!  I’m now sipping on a Mountain Dew (yes, I do know how bad it is for me…I do not care) and willing the nausea to go away so I can do something else.

I did see a few things in the paper that made me really happy.  First of all, Lee County has finally stepped into the 21st century and banned smoking in county buildings!  If you want to smoke, fine.  Just *please* do not force the rest of it to breathe it!  I do wish you’d quit for your own health, though.  I watched my father die a very fast and ugly death from lung cancer and would wish that on nobody.

Second, I see that Harnett County will no longer be doling out corporal punishment in schools.  Another step into the 21st century for this area.  When I found out that paddling/spanking was not illegal in NC schools, I was shocked.  I was thrilled when I looked up Lee County’s discipline policy and it specifically states that corporal punishment is not allowed.  Though we have spanked our oldest son in the past, it’s not something I’m proud of and it’s certainly not the best method of discipline.  I cannot imagine knowing that someone else laid a hand on him in anything but kindness…and this goes for my mother, brother, in-laws, and anyone else who he ever comes into contact with.  Dole out the discipline you feel is necessary in your home as long as you’re not abusing your child, but don’t ever expect me to be OK with a teacher or other school employee hitting my child.

And lastly, I *really* like the new online format of the Herald!  Once again, this area has caught up to the rest of the world.  It’s about time!