Relationships

Relationships are hard work, we all know that. How do you get through the harder times? How do you get over the fights, or even better, prevent them? How do you make a relationship work?

Today I cleaned out a drainage ditch with a rake on an 85 degree day. It was HARD work and i was sweating and my muscles were shaking. Why didn't i stop? Because my 70 something year old next door neighbor was right there next to me raking the muck out of the "stream" so that the "pond" that has formed behind our houses will start flowing (stagnant swamp water in the spring=MOSQUITO CITY in the summer). This was one tough old lady. Wow, I guess I am more out of shape than I thought because lady was workin' that rake!

And ps. We got the stream to start flowing...there was just SO MUCH rotten leaves and debris, theres 2 little bridge-tunnel things in both our yards (at the edge of our property lines-behind us is a field owned by the state) and it was really blocked up over there. So I think we acheived some success!

My Addiction

Yes I am an addict. I know, you probably have no idea because of the way I go about my daily life. I seem to manage it so well. But you don't know. Secretly, I need a squirt it 10, 12,15, maybe 20 times a day. I can't help it.

Yes, my addiction is Afrin nasal spray, specifically the afrin "sinus"

It's terrible. Terrible. Per medical research, it's as addictive as heroin. No joke. I believe them. I start to feel that "stuffy" feeling, that pressure in my nasal cavity that feels like my nose is gonna burst, and basically just the frustration of not being able to breathe...and I loose all self control. Each day now I say that today is the day i start to break free of my addiction. But once the horrendous withdrawls start I'll do ANTHING to breathe again. It's a panic really. And I know that my precious drug of choice will let me breath freer than i've ever breathed if i just use a couple squirts in my nose. So I squirt it and say that I'll start the weaning process again the next time.

I hate it because I know that the pharmecutical companies LOVE me. They want us all to be addicted so we can keep speading $5/bottle on their addictive drug. I buy a bottle every week or 2. Terrible.

I don't know what to do. I want to get off of it so bad. It doesn't help that now is allergy season and one of my biggest allergy symptoms?? Congestion and sinus pressure. I don't go to the doctor anymore about it. Whats the point? All they say is "get off Afrin" and charge you $25. As if it is that easy as if I WANT to shell out money for something that i clearly now myself. So no, it's not worth it-the doctors don't know how to help. So i know that me and my fellow Afrin addicts just sit and silently suffer....

The Devil:

Attention

I changed my template of my blog and I lost all my widgets (aka links n' stuff) So, can everyone please give me their blog addresses again? I don't know any off the top of my head!!

For those with money to spare ;)

Think about it

Case 1) When I was 16 and started driving (year 2002) gas cost $1.31/gallon. I filled up my compact-stick shift-clown car on $10. And it lasted 2 weeks. I have heard tell that back in the 1970s it was around 50 cents/gallon. So. It went up 80 cents in 30 years.

Why then has it gone up $2 in 5 years (using 2007 as the year when things got ridiculous). Does this not seem a bit much to anyone? Or do we just accept it because we are so beaten down and just expect to be raped in the wallet now when it comes to everthing?

Case 2) In 1981, my beautful young parents were married. They were 21 and 22 years old, making a combined salary of $30,000. They bought a house, and it cost them 40,000. Now this was a 1700 sq foot house in the suburbs, not the most expensive real estate but not the cheapest either. So if you can do basic math you'd know that the house cost only $10,000 more than their yearly combined salary.

Fastforward:
An average house of that type sells for about $125,000 in this market today. About 3x the average salary around here. Average salary in this area is...$31,000. Even if you have 2 sposes working and making $62,000 combined, thats still over 2x as much as their yearly salary. Still there is inflation.

Clearly, we have a problem. I have never seen a society stick their head in the sand so for just such a long period of time. When will the American people pull their heads out (of the sand) and realize that this just isn't acceptable. Consumers control the costs. It used to be that people understood this. The government and big business knew they had to appease their customers. Today, it appears the other way around. Government and big business call all the shots. Exorbinant costs? Charge it because people will pay. Why? Why does no one say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?

And as an endnote, frankly, I'm sick of going out to eat and paying $12 for a mediocre at best meal (in most cases it is subpare). For a minimum wage worker, thats 2 hours of work. For 1 meal. Once again I repeat. Ridiculous.

Decisions

I decided.

I am taking my 2 undergrad classes i need for teaching certification this summer at MCC. 1 class each session (1st one starting 5/29). I need a math and a health.

i'm definatly going to grad school, probably Spring '09 b/c the Fall 08 deadlines have passed. But who knows. Im going on the 16th to an infomation night at Nazareth. I need to find out EXACTLY what classes at MCC would count. See for my BA degree i just needed 1 math and no health. But NY state requires elementary teachers have 2 maths and a health. Hence why i need to go. Then in the fall, i'm gonna start substitute teaching! It pays like what i make now at my current job so not too bad. I can do that WHILE i go to grad school AND its good experience.

I want to quit my job but i'm not sure how it would work out just working a parttime one. So many things to do!