Busy weekend… February 19, 2008

Wow! I don’t think this weekend could have been much busier if we would have tried.  I enjoyed it though and it was our last few uninterrupted days before Jason returns to work tomorrow. After that, he will have the blackberry and/or the brick at all times. ((sigh))

 On Saturday we switched the girls’ rooms.  Jackie now has her own room…complete with new headboard, dresser, nighstand, vanity seat, quilt, sheets and dust ruffle.  Nothing fancy, just the stuff from the shabby chic line at Target.  Believe it or not, that furniture is really heavy.  Looks like it will last a good while.  We got the beds set up on Sat and then moved everything else (clothes and American girl belongings) on Sunday after Mass.  Jackie is quite content and loves being in her own room.  I think she’s old enough and its that time.  I pointed out to her that the good news is that no one can mess up her room…and the bad news is that no one has to help her clean it. I will post some pics as soon as I remember.

Can I just say it was AWESOME to go to Mass with the entire family?

Then today we started out bright, but not so early to go to Dallas for THE American Girl Store adventure.  We had a BLAST! Of course, everything is overpriced, but we gave the girls a certain amount of money and they did fine.  Jackie got another doll (Mia) and some things to go with her. She also got Elizabeth’s hair fixed. Then Katey got her first doll–Julie– and some things to go with her…like a summer dress and a pet bunny.  It was funny to watch both of the girls. We ran in to someone we know from Shreveport and Jackie and I were talking. Katey PULLED Jason over to the doll area and started pointing out everything she knew and liked…who was friends with who, who had what accessories, who did this and who did that.  Jason says her knowledge level is a little scary.  She took forever walking around to decide which doll she wanted, but in typical Katey fashion, once her mind was made up, she was ready to go. Jackie was funny to watch too. She was very carefully counting out what she could get for her money–not much in that store– and how she could get the most.  She wanted to make sure she got something for Mia and something for Elizabeth. We actually had a bit of a meltdown this morning before we left because Jackie didn’t want to “hurt Elizabeth’s feelings” when she bought Mia.

After that we went upstairs to the bistro and had a very overpriced lunch.  It was cool b/c the dolls could sit at the table in their own chairs.  Jackie and Katey were oogling over their dolls and how pretty their hair is while Izzy flashed EVERYONE her belly button as a hello greeting.  We were loaned a doll to entertain her and keep her off of the big girls’ dolls.

After lunch, we went back downstairs to spend the rest of their hard earned money and then walked around the mall the store is next to.  VERY over priced…I mean really, where do people get the money to spend $400 on a pair of shoes and $2000 on the purse to match? Am I missing something?

Oh well, we had a very good time this weekend and our girls are in their beds exhausted. Jason and I are headed in that direction……..

Sicko February 19, 2008

Has anyone else seen that movie “Sicko” by Michael Moore?   It was our Netflix movie and we sat down to watch it last night. First of all, I liked the movie and I like Michael Moore’s sense of humor.  He’s smart and he’s quick and he expects his audience is the same.

This movie did make me mad and it made me scared. All of the stories of people who cannot get insurance and the way those without insurance are treated by some portions of the medical commuity made me sad.  Not mad….sad.  We are doing something wrong in this country. 

Oh…I understand all of the arguments for those medical professionals having a right to earn whatever amount they can reach.  But they showed a dr in the UK who works for the National Healthy Service and he lives in a million dollar home and drives a provided Audi.  He says that he and his family live comfortably, save and can take vacations.  And really, US docs can’t control how much they make unless they only take patients without health insurance who pay privately.

I understand the argument that people who receive socialized medicine receive lower quality care, but I’m a recipient of socialized medicine and my care has not been more or less than those I know “on the outside”. As a matter of fact, when I had my scare in 2004, Tricare was awesome about ensuring I got what the doc and I thought I needed.

I understand the argument that Americans don’t want to pay the taxes for socialized medicine. But I researched taxes in the UK and they fall between 10 and 30% (28% come April 08).  The average tax rate for Americans is between 10 and 35%. Hmm….not such a difference and better in some cases.

But its not the numbers that made me sad.  Its the attitude behind our lack of socialized medicine.  I think most Americans have the attitude that each person is responsible for themselves. If I can get for me and you can’t get for you, then too bad for you.  That makes me sad.  Since when is it good to not care about your fellow American…..your fellow human being. Is having the newest car and the biggest house and the best clothes so important? Is it so important that we must turn our back on others?

I know there are people who would just sit on the couch and eat bon bons and take whatever they could get if society let them. But can’t there be some way to take care of those who work and try but get a serious illness and can’t work, or those who get laid off or whatever the case may be. I’m not saying we need to let the lazy folks get away with being that way and still getting a nice home and a reliable car, but there has to be some middle ground.

I know I have my affection for some expensive things.  But what would it hurt for my family to eat out once or twice less every month so the woman who can’t be insured because of a pre-existing condition can get her annual pap smear.  What would it hurt for my family to use the library a little more and Barnes and Noble a little less so that money could go to pay teachers a little better? 

The anwer is easy….it wouldn’t.