Post-Election Relief

Of course I'm happy Obama won! It's been a long time coming, and I don't mean just the fact of Obama's race/heritage, I mean seeing a Democrat in office. The Republicans under Bush's reign of disaster have taken this country and the whole world down into a bottomless pit...and I don't think Obama can get us out for a long, long time.

My doom and gloom nature has not changed; every day seems to confirm the bleak economic picture. We'll be lucky to pull up enough not to hit a total depression, and frankly, I wouldn't bet we won't. No matter how much Obama and the Democrats try to stave it off, I fear we are too far down that dark path to reverse gears now.

Oh, and by the way, Prez Bush, Cheney & Company still have two months to finish us all off before leaving office. Look for more problems coming faster than a speeding bullet.

Well, I have my freezer stocked for a few weeks with delicious home-made vegetarian dishes. Easy and quick to heat in the microwave for nutritious meals. One thing I've learned while discovering vegetarain cooking is how much money I can save by preparing meals from scratch, dividing up and freezing. For example, I had enough bean/veggie/rice cream soup for ten individual servings. I'd estimate the cost at about 25 cents a serving -- which shows how much the "pre-cooked" soup companies make off their product. With everyone trying to find ways to save on grocery expense, it's a good thing to look into.

I bought a new laptop a few weeks ago, but mostly use it for writing. Occasionally I surf the web on it, and it has fast wireless (I installed a wireless router in my house). I decided it was a good investment, just in case I should be unable to sit at my desk, sick or whatever. I also got a good deal: I went to Walmart, picked out a laptop I liked, then ordered it from a discount electronics website: $420.00. I saved nearly $100.00 over Walmart's price, and got FREE shipping!

I've been exploring "internet radio stations" of late. LOVE the many choices of free listening with iTunes (a free program for your computer). Have heard older songs I hadn't heard in years and years. Everything from oldies, country, folk, blues, soul -- you name it, there's a station with ONLY that kind of music on internet radio. Free, of course.

Sherry, my renter, paid the rent today. Wendell, her husband, sent his paycheck to her. He'll be in Ohio for another two weeks, then come home for Thanksgiving. He is a truckdriver, has a CDL, so there's always work. In Ohio, he's working for his uncle, driving a truck, making $17.00 an hour. Anyway, Sherry has been doing all kinds of improvements inside my rental house, painting, wallpaper, she's real handy. She and a friend also set up a wood-working craft shop in the garage, and tomorrow they will go to a craft show with their Christmas wood crafts. She's a go-getter!

Just now on internet radio I'm listening to "White Sports Coat" by Marty Robbins. Who-hoo, long time since I heard that one! It was a favorite of mine when I was a teenager!!! However, just to clarify -- the most popular hits back in "the day" were Elvis Presley and the Beatles. But I liked "some" country even back then. LOL

And last but not least, Propostion #2 passed in California. What is that, you may ask. It is huge progress for humane treatment of farmed animals -- Prop 2 stops poultry farmers from keeping egg-laying hens in tiny, cramped cages for their entire LIVES! It also requires sows must be allowed to have quarters wide/long enough for them to move around. Can you believe sows are kept in small square stalls with NO room to even stand or turn around THEIR ENTIRE LIVES? Piglets are taken at birth, never cared for by the sow. Yeah, that is just purely EVIL. I tell you, don't look into the mass meat farms if you don't want to become enraged and physically sick at WHAT they do to animals. Oh, and your meat? May I just mention that antibiotic overuse in farmed animals is WHY we now have such problems with staph due to becoming non-resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotics are used in farmed animals so filthy conditions they live in won't give them infections! If you're conscientious and want to explore this topic, start with any vegetarian website on the internet, or click above on the "Meet Your Meat" link.

So I'm exceptionally HAPPY the Humane Society and other activist for compassionate animal treatment got Proposition 2 passed.

And with that, I'm off to watch a rented movie DVD from the library.