I was invited to a meeting sponsored by the company that handles our 401k at work, so I decided to go. Three speakers were scheduled to talk about 3 different items. The first one was presented by a law firm here in Juneau that specializes in setting up whatever is needed to plan for your beneficiaries (wills, living trust, etc..) She gave really good information on what you can do to set up for beneficiaries, the laws that work within the death benefits, as well as how to protect your children's inheritance from creditors etc... Really good information.
The second presentation was from one of the tax planners here in Juneau. He went over tax laws, what will only be considered for 2008, what will carry on to 2009, etc... He also speculated what could happen now that Obama has been elected, based on what is on his website.
The final presentation was to tell us our options on protecting our retirement accounts. Sounded great in the invitation. However, it pretty much stopped there. The guy presenting it was from AXA (who our financial company is under) and he decided to give us the high points of a special program that AXA does (that is not cheap, by the way) to give extra protection in today's economy. I felt like I was sitting though one of those dreaded time-share presentations. If I had gone by myself, I would have walked out, but I car-pooled, so I stayed for the whole thing.
That's the thing about those kinds of presentations, they have really good ideas for fixing the situation, for a nominal fee, of course. "I got this snake-oil here, great for this..."
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Arguments from 1000 miles away...
Without going into too much detail, (and with much embarassment), I will admit that I picked a fight with my husband last night on the phone... I had a really crappy day yesterday, and when I was trying to tell him about it, he said "I don't care that ..." Well, you can imagine how well I took that. I know he didn't really mean that he doesn't care about what I'm feeling, but it seemed that way last night. So I took HIGH offense and basically screamed at him (hangs her head in shame) over the phone... I was so mad that I didn't tell him that I loved him before I angrily hung up on him...
I'm not proud of those kinds of moments. I am seeing a pattern to our arguments though. Usually one of us keeps our wits about them and doesn't escalate the argument on their side. Usually it's me, but last night that was A.
In my defense (and yes, I realize it is an excuse...), I just wanted him to listen and not comment. It was one of those one-sided conversations that you need to get off your chest. When I told him that last night on the phone, he basically said, "I understand that, but I still don't care about ..." That just added to my meltdown. Arggh!!!
It's amazing what a night of sleep does to anger. I'm still upset at what he said, but I am much more reasonable this morning.
A - Since you will probably read this before I talk to you tonight, I'm sorry I screamed at you last night. I love you.
I'm not proud of those kinds of moments. I am seeing a pattern to our arguments though. Usually one of us keeps our wits about them and doesn't escalate the argument on their side. Usually it's me, but last night that was A.
In my defense (and yes, I realize it is an excuse...), I just wanted him to listen and not comment. It was one of those one-sided conversations that you need to get off your chest. When I told him that last night on the phone, he basically said, "I understand that, but I still don't care about ..." That just added to my meltdown. Arggh!!!
It's amazing what a night of sleep does to anger. I'm still upset at what he said, but I am much more reasonable this morning.
A - Since you will probably read this before I talk to you tonight, I'm sorry I screamed at you last night. I love you.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
My feelings after the election...
Congratulations to President-Elect Obama... I do not agree with a lot of his policies and beliefs, but, as an American, I will support him as president, until he does something to take away my freedoms given to me by our founding fathers. I'm not too worried (at least at this point) about him following through with any of his campaign promises, mainly because, when was the last time any elected official followed through with one of their campaign promises...
I am not racist, so please don't assume that I am. What I am is very blunt and honest, and I have a tendancy to speak my mind (as if you haven't figured that out yet reading past blog entries). However much I acknowledge the importance of this historic election, I am tired of hearing the phrase "the first black president." I feel that the concept of race is being perpetuated by those who believe they need to qualify everything by adding labels to everything. I don't go around with the title "European-American" (because my ancestors came from Europe), so why do we still need the title "African-American?" Why can't we just be AMERICAN'S? We were born here... We live here... It makes sense to me.
On another note, unrelated to the election, but along the same vein, I am also tired of special observance months based on race. But by saying that, I know I'm inviting the hate mail of people who think I am a racist. If there can be a black history month and a latin-america history month, where is my caucasion history month? I want a month to celebrate my heritage. It's discrimination, it what it is...
I love our country. I love the freedoms that we have here. That we can vote for who we believe will represent us and our beliefs. That being said, I just have to mention a question I had earlier this evening... When the voter statistics came out on NBC, they said that 95% of the African-American vote went for Obama... Not entirely surprising, but my question is this... Did they vote for him because they believe in his ideals and values? Or did they vote for him because they wanted to see a "black man in the white house?" Either way, it is their freedom that gives them that choice, but I hope that the reason is the former and not the latter. I mean... If I voted for McCain just because he's white, or just because his running mate is a woman, I would be labeled as racist or feminist (of which I am neither).
I will close on a note to ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS: We the people "hired" you to do the job that you are or have been doing... We are equal opportunity employers... We can fire you at any time if we feel that you are not doing a good job. (If you can't tell, I'm tired of the incumbents thinking that they are the only ones who can get the job done, when they haven't been doing a good job for a while... Sometimes, you need to replace the staff to get a new perspective on things and get some new ideas flowing... "Vote for me because I've been here for years!" blech...)
On another note, I would like to thank the Democrats running in the State of Alaska for US Senate and the House of Representatives, Mark Begich and Ethan Berkowitz. Thank you both for running clean campaigns. I know the Democratic party ran ads against the incumbents, Don Young and Ted Stevens, but every advertisement I saw that was approved by you, was free of finger pointing and the blame game. It was quite refreshing to see a person running for office state what their vision for the future is, and not lay out all the bad things that the incumbent has done in the past. If only the national campaigns were run like yours, I might have had an easier time picking the lesser of two evils... (For all those not following the polls in Alaska, at the time of this writing, both challengers were behind the incumbents, which is sad, because it means that the majority of Alaskans feel the need to keep criminals in office - oh did I say that out loud?)
I am not racist, so please don't assume that I am. What I am is very blunt and honest, and I have a tendancy to speak my mind (as if you haven't figured that out yet reading past blog entries). However much I acknowledge the importance of this historic election, I am tired of hearing the phrase "the first black president." I feel that the concept of race is being perpetuated by those who believe they need to qualify everything by adding labels to everything. I don't go around with the title "European-American" (because my ancestors came from Europe), so why do we still need the title "African-American?" Why can't we just be AMERICAN'S? We were born here... We live here... It makes sense to me.
On another note, unrelated to the election, but along the same vein, I am also tired of special observance months based on race. But by saying that, I know I'm inviting the hate mail of people who think I am a racist. If there can be a black history month and a latin-america history month, where is my caucasion history month? I want a month to celebrate my heritage. It's discrimination, it what it is...
I love our country. I love the freedoms that we have here. That we can vote for who we believe will represent us and our beliefs. That being said, I just have to mention a question I had earlier this evening... When the voter statistics came out on NBC, they said that 95% of the African-American vote went for Obama... Not entirely surprising, but my question is this... Did they vote for him because they believe in his ideals and values? Or did they vote for him because they wanted to see a "black man in the white house?" Either way, it is their freedom that gives them that choice, but I hope that the reason is the former and not the latter. I mean... If I voted for McCain just because he's white, or just because his running mate is a woman, I would be labeled as racist or feminist (of which I am neither).
I will close on a note to ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS: We the people "hired" you to do the job that you are or have been doing... We are equal opportunity employers... We can fire you at any time if we feel that you are not doing a good job. (If you can't tell, I'm tired of the incumbents thinking that they are the only ones who can get the job done, when they haven't been doing a good job for a while... Sometimes, you need to replace the staff to get a new perspective on things and get some new ideas flowing... "Vote for me because I've been here for years!" blech...)
On another note, I would like to thank the Democrats running in the State of Alaska for US Senate and the House of Representatives, Mark Begich and Ethan Berkowitz. Thank you both for running clean campaigns. I know the Democratic party ran ads against the incumbents, Don Young and Ted Stevens, but every advertisement I saw that was approved by you, was free of finger pointing and the blame game. It was quite refreshing to see a person running for office state what their vision for the future is, and not lay out all the bad things that the incumbent has done in the past. If only the national campaigns were run like yours, I might have had an easier time picking the lesser of two evils... (For all those not following the polls in Alaska, at the time of this writing, both challengers were behind the incumbents, which is sad, because it means that the majority of Alaskans feel the need to keep criminals in office - oh did I say that out loud?)
I VOTED!
I just got back from the polls. My boss and I are registered in the same district, so we went together, trying to beat the lunch rush. I was still on the registration list from when we lived here before, so I was given the full ballot, and not a questioned one, which is what I expected. I was so excited! Now I can watch the news programs tonight to see just how much my own personal politics falls in with the nation... I can't wait!
Monday, November 3, 2008
The priviledge to vote...
I'm pretty sure that voting is a priviledge and not a right, but correct me if I'm wrong... I say this because the priviledge to vote can be revoked, like if you commit a felony or something... I can't remember that much from my US Government class in high school, but I think that's right... Again, correct me if I'm wrong.
I will have to admit that I haven't exercised my priviledge to vote ever. When I was old enough to vote, I didn't know that much about what was going on in politics, so I didn't vote. I figured that if I didn't know what I was voting for, I shouldn't vote. As I learned more about what was going on, I was under the impression that my vote really didn't matter (this is after the elections with Pres. Bush...) The last presidential election, I didn't think I could vote, mainly because we lived out in the bush of Alaska and I didn't register to vote in that district.
This year, I still think my vote for president doesn't matter that much. The electoral college is supposed to take the population's vote into account for that state, before pledging that state for someone, but that doesn't always happen. Alaska is a red state, so I expect it to go for McCain. But, I will get out there and vote anyway. I know a lot of people who voted early this year, but that option was only available for absentee's here (at least as far as I know), so tomorrow it will be. I'll have to check what time the polls open. I'll probably try to hit the polls in the morning before work. I'm also hoping that they kept my old voter registration valid and when I renewed my driver's license at my birthday, they just updated the info. If that's the case, then I should be able to vote for the state elections as well. I am much more interested in our state government and Alaska's representation in Washington. Without saying who I would vote for, I will just say that I would like my opinion heard. If that doesn't happen, I will gladly exercise my priviledge to vote for the President of the United States.
Here's to November 5th, the day the nation can breathe a sigh of relief... It will all be over (unless we have a repeat of 2000 and we have to have a "re-count"... Oh no... did I just jinx it?).
I will have to admit that I haven't exercised my priviledge to vote ever. When I was old enough to vote, I didn't know that much about what was going on in politics, so I didn't vote. I figured that if I didn't know what I was voting for, I shouldn't vote. As I learned more about what was going on, I was under the impression that my vote really didn't matter (this is after the elections with Pres. Bush...) The last presidential election, I didn't think I could vote, mainly because we lived out in the bush of Alaska and I didn't register to vote in that district.
This year, I still think my vote for president doesn't matter that much. The electoral college is supposed to take the population's vote into account for that state, before pledging that state for someone, but that doesn't always happen. Alaska is a red state, so I expect it to go for McCain. But, I will get out there and vote anyway. I know a lot of people who voted early this year, but that option was only available for absentee's here (at least as far as I know), so tomorrow it will be. I'll have to check what time the polls open. I'll probably try to hit the polls in the morning before work. I'm also hoping that they kept my old voter registration valid and when I renewed my driver's license at my birthday, they just updated the info. If that's the case, then I should be able to vote for the state elections as well. I am much more interested in our state government and Alaska's representation in Washington. Without saying who I would vote for, I will just say that I would like my opinion heard. If that doesn't happen, I will gladly exercise my priviledge to vote for the President of the United States.
Here's to November 5th, the day the nation can breathe a sigh of relief... It will all be over (unless we have a repeat of 2000 and we have to have a "re-count"... Oh no... did I just jinx it?).
I walked A LOT yesterday...
In keeping with my new plan to drop 4 sizes in 1 year, I took Noni for a walk again yesterday. I think we walked somewhere around 4 miles. I'm a little sore today, but Noni was definitely not used to going that far. I took pity on her and let her lounge around the house today. She was plum tuckered out yesterday. Not to mention DIRTY!!! I took her through the neighborhood that seperates us from the airport. We recently discovered that the street that ALMOST connects directly with ours goes all the way to the beginning of the walking trail that goes around the airport, along the wetlands. EVERYONE takes their dogs there, so I like to take Noni to get her used to socializing with other dogs, as well as get some exercise. So it's like a mile there, we walked about a mile on the trail, and then we walked home. It had rained the night before, and started to rain again when we were a few blocks away from home. She had a lot of mud on her by the time we made it back. I made her lay down on a towel by the front door until she dried off more. A lot of the dirt came off onto the towel (which was my intention). I wanted to get the bulk off of her before I gave her a bath, mainly because I didn't want her dripping mud up the stairs. It's easier to wash her later than it is to do her and my stairs. I guess part of me is just lazy...
So I found a pretty easy way to give her a bath, and to get all the dried dirt off of her. I put her in a full tub of water with me in it too. I let her sit for a bit, then drained the water out and washed her like normal, only I stayed in the tub too. It was easier to keep control of her, and I think I did a more thorough job than normal. She didn't really dig it at first, mainly because she doesn't like water. She will not go swimming. She gets mad everytime we try to get her to. She was fine once I drained the water.
I'll post any weight loss updates as I notice them. The first goal is to fit back into my size-12 jeans more comfortably. I don't have a scale, so I won't be keeping track that way. It'll just be when my clothes fit better.
At this point, I'm not really restricting what I eat, just how much of it I eat. That way, I figure I won't get those dreaded "cravings" that will de-rail any diet. I'm also stepping up my activities from a sedentary lifestyle. I'll walk with Noni as often as possible (please let the snow come soon this year to keep down on the mud... a wet dog is better than a muddy dog...) If I'm able to later, I'll probably start swimming, but we'll have to see.
My reward will be a new wardrobe for my birthday next year. I have lots of clothes that are size 10 that I've had in storage for years, but I realized today that the last time I wore any of that, I was between the ages of 16-20, so probably not very age-appropriate for me now.
So I found a pretty easy way to give her a bath, and to get all the dried dirt off of her. I put her in a full tub of water with me in it too. I let her sit for a bit, then drained the water out and washed her like normal, only I stayed in the tub too. It was easier to keep control of her, and I think I did a more thorough job than normal. She didn't really dig it at first, mainly because she doesn't like water. She will not go swimming. She gets mad everytime we try to get her to. She was fine once I drained the water.
I'll post any weight loss updates as I notice them. The first goal is to fit back into my size-12 jeans more comfortably. I don't have a scale, so I won't be keeping track that way. It'll just be when my clothes fit better.
At this point, I'm not really restricting what I eat, just how much of it I eat. That way, I figure I won't get those dreaded "cravings" that will de-rail any diet. I'm also stepping up my activities from a sedentary lifestyle. I'll walk with Noni as often as possible (please let the snow come soon this year to keep down on the mud... a wet dog is better than a muddy dog...) If I'm able to later, I'll probably start swimming, but we'll have to see.
My reward will be a new wardrobe for my birthday next year. I have lots of clothes that are size 10 that I've had in storage for years, but I realized today that the last time I wore any of that, I was between the ages of 16-20, so probably not very age-appropriate for me now.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
One of my favorite things...(OK, well, two)
I LOVE getting pictures of my nephews. I received this picture of my oldest brother's 2 youngest boys when they were dressed up for Halloween. The older one is a ninja and the younger one is Spiderman... I wish I got to spend more time with them than I do, but with me living in Alaska, and them living in California, it just doesn't happen as often as it should. I have other nephews and neices scattered around the country, but so far, this is the first (and probably only) picture I get of dressed-up kids. My friend usually emails me pictures of her kids, but I will hold off posting them on my blog, as she has her own - Intermittant Ruminations. My SIL will also probably send me some of her boys, which can be found on her blog - Everyday Adventures.
I may or may not get pictures of my newest nephew (it's his first Halloween, and my brother isn't too speedy on sending me pictures, but I may get them second hand through my parents, oh, probably around Christmas...) So I will leave you with what I have so far... Enjoy the cute little faces... I just want to squish their cheeks they are so darn cute (and yes, I realize the whole "aunt" stereo-type with the cheek pinching and the red-lipstick kisses, but I just can't help it...)
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