Happy Halloween!

No blog today. I'm going to kick back and enjoy the Halloween weekend with my family and friends. Have a fun and safe Halloween!

No public option is NOT an option

I know my loyal followers will be disappointed to know that I will be skipping the harrowing prequel storyline of my battle with sleep, (*crickets chirping*) but after reading some of the day's news, I am just too upset to regale you with the tale. Somehow, I'm sure I will be forgiven.

A small, yet powerful headline in my local paper today states "Public option opposition grows." All I can think to say is Why?! Why oppose a public option? Why are our lawmakers so damn fearful? Why continue to play with people's lives? Why?! Why?! Why?!

I'm not sure I can fully express my thoughts and feelings in the time I have right now in a concise manner. (Son will be awake soon.) Therefore, I'll touch on some specific points and thoughts. As the battle continues, I'm sure I'll write again on this subject in the days to come.

Point #1: A government option is just that - an OPTION. Yes, the changes to health insurance (including no denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions) are desperately needed and will help the average everyman tremendously. But, why not give the American public as many options as possible to choose from? Since my family and I have to have health care coverage (both as a practical means and eventually by law the way things are going,) I want as many options as possible to choose from. That way, I know my family will have the best care possible. America prides itself of freedom of choice. Why not give us one more?

Point #2: The government is already in the "business" of running health care. What the hell would you call Medicare and Medicaid? Are they run as efficiently and as personable as they should be? No, but after having to deal with both the likes of Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Healthcare, and other companies in the BUSINESS of health care coverage and then dealing with all the ins and outs of Medicaid, I promise you that there is VERY little difference. If I have to jump through all the same hoops and kowtow before every administrative wannabe to get my family's coverage, I'll do it. I don't care about the name on the door. I just care about what I'm receiving for my money, plain and simple.

Point #3: It's all about the money and the power. I have come to believe that this is the true root of the opposition. Health care is a business. Period. The insurance companies give the appearance of caring about people, but in the end, it's their bottom line that speaks the loudest. The American public balks when a company makes decisions that pad this bottom line, failing over and over to remember why they do. Businesses are in it for the profit, whatever it takes. This means cutting expenses and increasing revenue. Economics 101. We, Mr. and Ms. America, are buying a product (health care services.) Insurance companies are in business to provide that product for a fee. If we are a good source of revenue, they will continue to serve our needs. If we are costing the company money (expense,) they will find a way to eliminate us. Having a heart or a little thing called Compassion has nothing to do with it. Those small details eat up profits and shrink the bottom line. Sad? Harsh? Yes, but unfortunately true.

Can you tell I worked in retail management for many years? Soul sucking, vampiric area of business. Makes you appreciate the smaller, free details of life much more. Especially around the holidays. I give thanks every day from October 1st to February 15th that I finally left that sector of business. Of course, then I spent 2 years working for an insurance company; an eye-opening experience to say the least. So I do have some understanding as to what I rant above.

Another quick $0.02 point... I find it interesting/offensive/not surprising that the politicians were so quick and eager to fund bailouts for the banks, but seemingly refuse to fund options and strategies that would greatly help most of the American public. Just because they personally won't benefit from these services (at least not in their present jobs) doesn't mean they can play with our lives as they are doing. I see the old adage "Birds of a feather..." in play here and it stinks like yesterday's diapers in the hot summer sun.

So I pose some questions... Should health care be run as a for-profit business, as it currently is? If so, then should it be regulated? If not, then how should it be run? Who should run it? Will we ever see heart and compassion routinely within the system? How do we do this without destroying each other?

I hope we can find the answers and soon. I hope we can find that point in time where getting sick is not seen as happening by choice, where looking out for each other is as important as looking out for yourself, and that a healthy nation is a strong nation. We need to unite or we will crumple into pieces.

Superheros are made everyday

For weeks now, I have been in an epic battle with a great nemesis. We have struggled and clashed at every available moment while destruction and chaos has been left in our wake. Casualties on both sides have been heavy at times, but I have persevered and now I feel I am tasting sweet victory at last!

To what arduous task do I refer to? What herculean effort has brought about this feeling of triumph? How soon can I just get to the point?

Fear not, faithful readers! (All 2 of you. Hi Mom!) Your heroine can now pull back the mask of her adversary and expose all! The antagonist of this piece is...

*dramatic pause. Music swells to Scooby Doo reveal levels*

SLEEP! (dun dun duuuuunn) *gleam of perfect white teeth in a oversized grin as the image fades to black*

Well, perhaps the last few weeks haven't been quite that over-the-top. Still, they have been stressful and chaotic. When you're sleeping in stretches of no more than 4 hours at a time, and those times appearing all around the clock, it takes a toll on you; both body and psyche. The constant feeling of being drained, the inability to think clearly, the fear of sitting down for too long... I, for one, am just glad it's done. At least for now...

Last night was the first night in weeks that I slept for a 8 full hours. It was wonderful, fantastic, delicious and nutritious. While I had to miss the end of Dancing with the Stars to accomplish this, I feel it was worth the sacrifice. Besides, my mom taped it for me. Thanks Mom!

So what comes next for your Superwoman of Slumber? Your Senõrita of Snooze? The task before me is no less challenging. I must pursue and maintain peace throughout my world. *more heroic music* In other words, I must find a way to fall asleep early, wake up earlier, and find balance in the rest of my day. Oh, and sustain this schedule though the long-term. Now that would be an epic tale indeed!

Stay tuned for our next exciting episode, intrepid adventurers, where we'll look deep into the tale of how our heroine became the Fighter of Forty Winks! (dun dun duuuuuuun)

Another day, another post

Wow, two posts in two days. So far, a record for me. I should have started this post earlier, before clearing out the 200+ messages in my woefully ignored email inbox. It's amazing how much energy can be expelled while completing such a mundane task. Still, I had the remainder of my iced coffee and slivers of donut to bolster me through the mountain of electronic communiques. I think I will devote an extra 10 minutes of my well-meaning blogging schedule each day to keeping my inbox a bit more under control. The donuts, on the other hand, will become a dream realized only on rare occasions. They were yummy today, I must admit; fresh, well glazed, and delightful in their finish. But I digress...

I have been trying for several days to change my sleep/wake schedule with wildly mixed results. In the past 24 hours, my "evening" began at 1:30pm and ended at 10:45pm. With the exception of an hour break from 8pm-9pm, this was the greatest amount of continuous sleep I have had in weeks. Of course, I have been awake now since 10:45pm last night, so I am probably not as coherent as I could be. Still, the odd manic wave of energy I'm riding is at least cutting my mental to-do list down to a more reasonable size. (Grocery shopping at 5:30am anyone?) The Army used to advertise the slogan "We do more before 9am than others do all day." It feels a bit like that, except I've had to be up and mobile for 10 hours first. Still, it'll guarantee I'll be tired enough to get to bed "at a decent hour" as my mom always says. I love her dearly, but her concept of a "decent" hour and my definition are quite different. Of course, that gap has closed in recent years with the birth of my son. For the last two years, he has decided when my waking moments occur and when I get to squeeze "just a few more minutes" into my bed schedule. He is the love of my life. I still want my lazy Saturday mornings back.

Hmmm, 10:30am. Mom's watching the boy and the donut-and-coffee-driven wave is crashing on the beach of daylight. I think I'll try to fit in a few indecent minutes of sleep on this lazy Sunday morning. Zzzzzzzz...

In the beginning...

... there was one more blogger on the Internet. "Why do this?" I ask myself the question. "Why sit on my rear and type out what could be seen as meaningless drivel?" Personal amusement? Another forum for confessing my sins? A desperate cry for help? Oh, I'm sure it's for all of those reasons and more. More than likely, I'm motivated by a need for something new in my life other than the next Thomas the Tank Engine dvd. (My son's show of choice.) Perhaps a blog will be the answer. Or it will be just one more vain attempt to overcome the mediocrity of my everyday life. Either way, it ought to be an interesting journey.

As Bette Davis famously stated: "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night."