Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Today may be Tuesday but......

Today may be Tuesday but this week I'd like to play a different game. More on this later.

I am coming up on the 2 year anniversary of my blog! Funny that when I started this blog I really thought I would never run out of things to say. Quite the opposite of many beginners who say they worried they would not have enough to say! It's not that I am low on material, I do think though that maybe less interesting things happen daily and instead we have some big and bizarre things going on. Regardless I still thoroughly enjoy this little blog of mine!

When I wrote my first entry I was leaving my job of 8 years to stay at home with my children. Because I wanted to? No. Staying at home to "Mom" my children was the last thing I would ever have wanted to do. Yes I know that makes me evil and a horrible person and someone should have clipped my ovaries long ago. They didn't and it's too late now. I can say for certain that the job has gotten easier and I definitely am more comfortable with it. I am more organized and have more of a routine going. I hate it less.

I left my job due mostly to our health insurance situation. Premiums that year were raised 18%. Because I went down in hours our pay- in went from roughly $400 a month to roughly $850 a month. With a $5000 deductible and $25.00 to $50.00 co-pays for everything from office visits to medicines it went beyond ridiculous and into obscene. So in a year we paid $10,200 straight up. Then, we had to run up bills in excess of $5000 for the insurance to kick in except for the occasional thing they paid out with no logic I could determine. Let's say 3 office visits per year per person, that's $300 in co-pays, plus medications of 1 per person per month, lets estimate $1800 a year for those co-pays. For a grand total of.......$17,300 in yearly health insurance costs. No dental. No vision. When I quit my job we then had only one working person in the family and his status is self- employed. Thanks to the wonderful governor in this state we were able to qualify for the state program for people like farmers and such who are self employed in order to get health insurance. We would have had nothing otherwise. 

FYI, I used a calculator to do the above math.

So here we are, careening down to the fall- when Teena starts regular school hours- the time when I had decided I would start looking for a job again. Two years ago when I made the decision to leave my job, there were plenty of jobs available. Now? Not so much. The "Employment" section of our newspaper used to be it's own section. It is now one half of one page and is in the combined homes for sale and cars for sale sections. I have always been very lucky that I have been able to find a job doing something I enjoy. My jobs  may not have paid well but they paid enough to eek by on and I never had to do anything dreadful for any length of time. I temped doing customer service for a holiday catalog and for a few different health insurance companies and I thought I would blow up my own head. WOW that sucked! So, no potential jobs I would want, no potential jobs that would suck but pay bills. I guess we'll see what happens in the next 5 months! Oh yeah, I did use my time wisely trying to become a world famous blogger which, right, I have readers all around the world. Next I need to make this pay the bills! And my other endeavor, becoming an audience member on Oprah, well I still have hope for that.

Anyway, on my other anniversary I opened up the floor to questions. Then I hoped really really hard that someone would ask one! So, in honor of my second blog-aversary I would like to welcome any crazy assed question you might have, and boring ones too. If you don't want to know anything because you cannot imagine what might be left unsaid at this point,  just leave a note saying HI so I know you are out there!

Okay, but seriously, ask a question. Please!

26 comments:

  1. How did you get to be so awesome? No? Not qualifying as a question? OK...

    What is the ideal job you can imagine right now? Like, all reality and economy aside.

    Have you tried to dye any rugs or other furniture/accessories lately? *snort*

    Yeah, I'm not so good with the questions, but I'm here!

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  2. Have you considered with Genea entering serious school, you might not want a full time job right now? And the insurance thing is still out there. Maybe trying to be a freelance author would suit you. Just questions...

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  3. Insurance, employment options...I dunno. What I do know is that I am so very grateful you blog and keep it real (and funny as hell) for all of us crazy Mommas!

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  4. What work did you do before? Can you imagine going back to it?

    I ask because I used to be a property manager (a landlord) and I loved it and I worked very hard and I was successful. And I would not go back to it for any reason! I hate the corporate environment now that I am out of it.

    What kind of job would you do if you could do anything in the world?

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  5. e mail me!! I have an idea!!
    advocatemom2701@gmail.com

    :-)

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  6. 1. Do you want to hang out over Christmas? We spend it in Menominee and always venture into GB for the annual Chuckie Hell visit.

    2. Is that considered stalking?

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  7. Hey, now. I'M all over the world. Don't I, loyal reader that I am, count?

    I zoned out during the math part.

    How many different times/ways have you contacted Oprah? Have you asked to be a guest?

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  8. Dang....We've been together a long time. My life is so much richer (and funnier) because of you. :)

    Me thinks you should write a book. And I expect the first autographed copy. Email me Advocate Mom's idea please. My curiosity is killing me.

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  9. I'm here, I'm reading! Happy anniversary. Have you considered plopping yourself right at the door of CPS or some over zealous therapist or some international adoption agency and staying there till they grant you a two hour time slot twice a week to educate PAPs and APs on the realities older child adoption? You could call the class, "Essie the Effing Enlighterner" or something.

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  10. Are you as funny in person as you are on this blog? Are we just the special ones that get to be entertained each day??

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  11. I am sitting here trying to think of a witty of funny question and I am not getting anywhere... seriously, I got nothing. Maybe later...

    PS - have I told you lately that you are awesome - happy anniversary

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  12. Yeah, I have to go along with the others...Have you considered writing a book? Something like Our Awesome Beautiful Colorful world of raising Alphabet children. [Sorry, just woke up...need coffee]

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  13. Happy Blogaversary!!

    Would you ever consider homeschooling?

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  14. OK...still trying to think of a question for you, but chuckling at the last comment, considering how you thought you 10 (or was it 11?) day spring break was some sort of conspiracy. lol.

    What is your educational background? (That's not my "question" question...I'm just thinking about this book idea...) I think you definitely could write a book: something along the lines of how you used humor and common sense and empathy to keep yourself sane while healing your traumatized child and excorcising the wango-tango.

    Question: How does parenting affect your relationship with your husband? Do you see eye-to-eye on dealing with the wango-tango? Does it put stress on your relationship? If so, how do you handle that? Oh, and does your husband read your blog?

    Hope that's not too personal. If so, then multiple choice: What's your dream vacation, or...tell us about that handbag obsession.

    Happy blog-iversary!

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  15. Wow! Happy two years! And I really hope you keep this going for at least another two. Your blog is one of the ones I NEED.

    My question: Can your conniving brain think of anything all of us followers of yours could do to help get you on Oprah?

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  16. Ok...I thought of a better question:

    When you were a kid, what did you imagine you would be when you were grown-up?

    And, similarly...

    What career do you imagine Teena and Genea in as adults?

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  17. I can't think of a question, but I'm trying. I'll get back to you.

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  18. Wow, two years, huh? That's awesome. I can't think of any crazy ass questions at the moment, but if I do, I'll be back. Consider yourself warned.

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  19. Yay for 2 years! You are such a great writer--so funny and insightful!!

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  20. Hi! I've been reading your blog because I'm very interested in older child adoption and adoption from disruption situations. Popping out to say that I think your writing is hilarious & to ditto the others who suggested that you write a book. Maybe about how to survive the transition from working world, to staying home with kids & then back again!

    I'm not sure if you use your kids real names on the blog or not, but I love the name Genea! So pretty and unusual!

    My question is: When you adopted Genea, did you change her name? If so, did she help choose the new name? How did you transition her to a new name?

    Congrats on your 2nd blogiversary!

    -Ashley

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  21. Um...What's your favorite color? Do you like Thai food? If you were stranded on a desert island what vegetable would you choose to be stranded with? Oh, I'm sorry...were these questions supposed to be related to your post?

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  22. Oh I forgot to mention I will answer questions in a separate post in a few days.
    Good effort people. Now, for those of you who cannot think of anything, keep trying! Please!
    And don't be afraid to de-lurk either!

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  23. Happy 2 year blog-birthday! Thanks for continuing to share your life with all of us.

    What does your husband do for work? What's going on with that crazy guy across the street? Do your kids know about your blog? Maybe they are too young to understand what a blog is...? Does your family/friends know about it? Do they read it? What do they think about it?

    I vote for the book idea too. Or maybe you could write children's books that focus on kids with behavior/mental health/disabilities.

    Thanks for keeping it real. It's so nice to know someone else isn't in love with being a stay at home mom (which doesn't mean you love your kids any less than the moms who say they love being home with their kids).

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  24. Wow, I am a new follower and sorry I missed almost 2 years! Love your posts...

    I could totally see a book in here, with all of your experiences. Also wondered if you could use your previous experience and cater towards families with newly diagnosed autistic kids who aren't in school yet. That way you could do that during the morning hours, maybe write the book in the afternoon!

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I love comments! If you agree or disagree, comment away! However if you are a butthead about it, you may be excised.

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