I'm tired --- ready for a 4 day weekend!

I'm exhausted. We are in "full speed ahead" mode at school. That is one reason. Every year we do this as iLEAP and LEAP assessment week approaches. After assessment week, we all are completely wiped out....teachers and students. I know we just read instructions from a book verbatim, then sit and watch the kids take a test, but the mental strain is completly exhausting. I come home everyday during testing week, and go straight to bed. Very stressful week as we have so many stipulations and rules to follow that you are scared to touch those darn test......they might burn you or something. Ridiculous how a test can determine a child's complete school career in one week. Ahhh, I'll save that for another Blog Post at a later date. Just thinking about it makes me stress out. Probably after testing week and it is all over with. I will just let it rip......muahahahahahah!!!! I cleaned the yard, and did my weekly cleaning in the house. Katie helped, so it went really fast!!!! Went to the casino and played for a while, but again, you just sit there, but it is not mentally exhausting. I have all this USM intern stuff to finish. That is stressing me too. I will be so glad when I'm finished with that. I can't say finished with school cause I have to keep going to get certified to work with Hearing Impaired students. I want to get certified as a Educational Diagnostician, so I have that too, and for goodness sake, 2 more classes to take to be certified as a Guidance Counselor in LA....go figure. Master's Degree from an NCATE approved University plus 42 other hours of graduate work and the State Department of Education says I still need two classes to be a certified Guidance Counselor in LA. Gotta love them guys who decide all this. By the time I get the Master's, I will need to get a PhD to pay my student loans..... Na, I will get it all done somehow. Brought the van to get a bunch of work done on it, so "I am on foot" so to speak. Just busy, busy, busy. Blah....and too think, I will probably teach summer school to boot!!!! I just keep thinking to myself, one day when I'm old, I will have no choice but to slow down. O, well...........I think I'm going to bed. Goodnight!

Sore Losers - Health Care Reform Passed - Shut Up and Get Over It!

Ok, so today is a new day, and the right wing is out and about running their mouths like they usually do when they lose. They have got to be the sorest losers in the world...geez. A wonderful Texas House member screamed out during the debates "Baby Killers" only to have to apologize today for his screaming tirade. You see, President Obama has already taken care of that if this idiot would have bothered to READ, but I think he did know. That is how these morons confuse the hell out of the public. However, Obama had already issued an executive order guaranteeing that the bill would not change limits on funding for abortions (CNN). So his outbursts was basically to skew the real information. I quess he was mad that he would not be getting any kickbacks from the insurance company lobbiest.
The next thing.......10 states are going to sue over the bill. Baaaahahahahahahah! I'm like, go ahead morons, waste your hard earned money! And get this, all 10 states are lead by a Republican Governor (imagine that). Why are they sueing? The bill is unconstitutional. What I told you? The republicans love to use the constitution. It will make the news and probably go all the way to the Supreme Court. Their argument is that it is unconstitutional to require people to purchase health care. Provisions have been made for the poor and disadvantage, and for families who make $88, 000 or less. I'm like, wait a minute.....if they are sueing over that, maybe we should look at all those taxes pulled out of peoples checks. Is it unconstitutional to pay FICA and Medicare Taxes? Is it unconstituional when the state makes you pay insurance on your vehicle or state taxes? I don't think it will really happen......again they are running their mouths with no basis to sue, but if they do, it will be a big waste of money. Good grief, they are such sore losers.

Healthcare Reform

Change has come to American! Yes we can is now...... yes we did! Who do we thank? Barack Obama that's who. He made this a promise throughout his campaign, and he is now delivering on that promise. You see, this is important to those of us that has had to do without health care. Barack Obama knows what it is like to be poor, live on food stamps, and try to work your way out of that situation. That is also why I supported this health care reform. I had a man strike up a conversation with me one day on politics (at the casino again). I don't quite remember how it got started, but I ended it. He just caught me in the wrong mood. A lot had been on the news about the health care reform, and I was just sick of the "right wing" trying to stop this legislation. He asked me about something and when I answered he made an assumption. He said, "Oh, you must be a liberal?" That of which I responded, "Yes, very much so....how could you guess?" He then says, "So you voted for Obama?" and I responded, "Yes, I did." So he said, "How do you think he is doing?" I said, "I think he is doing fine, and if the right wing pundits would leave him to do his job and shut the hell up, he would be doing great." He was quite shocked at my forwardness, but the man had a set of balls, and continued asking me my opinion. The conversation continued as such:
Man: So, you must be in favor of this health care reform.
Me: Yes, I am.
Man: Do you think this is a "right" of all Americans?
Me: Absolutely.
Man: How so?
Me: We live in the United States of America. The richest nation on the planet. We send our air craft carriers and medical supply ships, our doctors, our nurses, our EMT's, and give untold amounts to nations when they are in need (I was referring to Haiti), but we have Americans dieing right here in this great nation because they do not have the insurance or money to go to the doctor. How the hell does that make a damn bit of sense? Now don't get me wrong, I am glad that we have the ability to help other nations. I am all for helping other nations, but when you help others while you let your people suffer, it makes the help seem fake....for show.
Man: O, well....I understand, but can we afford this? Our deficit is so high, we just can't afford it right now. I just don't want this to add to the deficit.
Me: Well, you can thank George Bush for that lovely deficit, but I look at it like having a baby. If you wait to have a baby until you can afford it, you will never have a baby. We cannot afford to wait any longer. Now is as good a time as any.
Man: O, I know, but Obama keeps adding to the deficit.
Me: He has no choice....he has to fix all the damn mess that was left by Bush. Besides, that deficit will not get any smaller without health care reform.
Man: So do you think the Constitution is still relevant today? (Note: Right Wingers love to bring up the constitution. I think he was waiting for me to say no....lol, but I fooled him.)
Me: Yes, I do. The original constitution is still relevant today, but remember, there has been so many amendments to the constitution that who knows these days. (I think he was trying jump on the band wagon of the "freedom to make your own choices".) But the health care reform is not taking away any of our freedoms, if the damn American people would get informed and stop listening to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. You will still get to choose your own doctor, hospital, etc.
Man: Oh, I didn't mean to make you mad, or start up an argument, but I see your point (no he didn't, he couldn't think of a comeback because I made too much sense.)

Not to long after that conversation, he got up and left.

You know, there are a lot of legitimate arguments out there against health care reform, but none of them trump the fact that people are dieing in America because they cannot afford health care. I have heard all the arguments, read all the cons, and I don't care what anyone says, if you are an American, you should not have decide between paying for food, rent, and utilities or your medicine and a doctor. France has the healthiest people, a health care system that is #1 in the world, and universal health care for all its people. The UK ranks 18th in the world for health care, and guess what the great United State of America ranks.....37th. How embarrassing. How disgusting that there are people against health care reform. Now I know that universal health care is not a part of this legislation, but it is a start. We will get it. The work has just begun. :)

First Blog Post

I figure that my first blog post should probably explain my blog title, eh? Last Sunday, I had a bad day. Actually, it really was depressing day. Without getting into the "issues" of the day, I decided I needed to get out of the house and take my mind off of the "issues." I decided to go to a local casino, the Amelia Belle, which is not my favorite casino, but is only 10 minutes from my house. I really didn't feel like driving too far. I was glad that I went because I sat next to a retired 73 year lady who was just a delight to visit with. We talked about my job, the job she retired from, our families, the Oscars on the TV, and of course - what to do with the 16's we both kept getting in Blackjack. Our dealer was a very small Vietnamese man named "Mr. Tu," who was no more than 4 1/2 feet tall. They had a stool for him to climb upon to deal and shuffle the cards. He was a very serious man......didn't smile at all, and no conversation with the people at his table other than the "lingo" used in Blackjack. He knew English, but spoke very low and had a very strong Vietnamese accent. I just thought he was precious. I had been at his table before, but never really spoke to him simply because he looked so serious. Since I was feeling down, I was in a rather talkative mood. I know - most people are quite when they feel down. I'm backwards - I wanna talk. Well, after several "shoes", I finally told Mr. Tu ....."I think you are confused Mr. Tu. You keep making your bust card hands, and busting on your face card hands." Low and behold, I got a smile out of Mr. Tu. He said, "I try, I try!" So after another "shoe," which both my friend and I were still losing most of our hands, I called the "pit boss" over who was standing around looking bored. I told him that Mr. Tu had worked over an hour and needed a break. Everybody laughed. He asked us, "Did Mr. Tu need a break, or did WE need a break?" Our table patrons all agreed that it was both. Then, Mr. Tu piped in and said that he had dealt for "way over an hour and needed a break." We all laughed, including a small smile from Mr. Tu, but I was just trying to lighten the mood. One of our table patrons kept getting angry because he kept losing all of his hands. He was being very ugly to Mr. Tu and punching the table every time he busted. I know misery loves company, but he sure wasn't going to upset me anymore than I was already upset. The day "issues" had exhausted me. I am the type of gambler that doesn't walk into a casino with money I can't afford to lose, but it was evident that this man had lost a lot of money. Mr. Tu was an easy target for his frustration since he was the dealer and not allowed to argue with patrons at the table. Finally, a dealer came over to relieve Mr. Tu, and I told him to "take an hour or two, rest, relax, take a nap if he needed one." Everyone laughed again. Mr. Tu told us his bosses would make him come back in 20 minutes, so he pushed his stool under the table and stomped off to his break. Twenty minutes passed, and here came Mr. Tu. I asked him if he felt rested, and he said in his Vietnamese accent, "Ahh yes, me drank strong coffee, gives me much energy now." In the twenty minutes he was gone, we had managed to win back all of the money we had lost with Mr. Tu. Our "sour table buddy" left, so we were now a "happy bunch," and we all told Mr. Tu he better not take anymore of our money....jokingly of course. We were all of the same mind that he truly had no control over how the cards fell, but he said, "I try, I try!" He steps up on his stool and deals out the first hand. Low and behold, he deals him self a Blackjack! We all say, "Welcome back Mr. Tu!" We told him if he kept that up, we were gonna call him the Tu-minator! Again, a little smile crept in, but this time, we even got a little chuckle. He cleans off all of our money, we place all our bets, and he deals the second hand. Guess what? Yep, he deals himself another Blackjack!!!!! Now we are all grabbing our heads and saying, "This is unbelievable!" Mr. Tu is now getting upset for us. He said, "I try, I try! I don't know. This crazy!" Again, he clears off all of our money. We all decide to up our bets because we know this next hand is ours! What are the chances of 3 Blackjacks in a row for the dealer? He deals out the 3 rd hand. Yep, you guessed it! A 3rd Blackjack for the dealer! Now, even us "happy people" are starting to get irritated....not so much with Mr. Tu, but with the cards. The look on Mr. Tu's face was disbelief. He was really starting to feel bad. At that point, he decided to tell us a story: He said that when he was a little boy in Vietnam, he was a worrier. He was always asking his mom questions about his family's future. To calm him, she would sing the song, "Que, Sera, Sera," which means "whatever will be, will be." Through his little story, he tells us that as hard as he is hoping to give us good hands, the cards will be whatever they will be....another words, he had no control over the cards. My friend and I were familiar with that song, and we told him so. We were trying to figure out who sang it. We knew it was in a movie, but couldn't figure out which one. Next thing you know, Mr. Tu is singing the song trying to help us remember the singer and the movie. We were shocked.....Mr. Tu had a beautiful voice! Of course we told him so, which you could tell just made his night. He kept singing as he was dealing, and yes, taking our money.....he really was the Tu-minator.....but, we ended up having a terrific night laughing and cutting up with Mr. Tu. We just kept saying, "Que, Sera, Sera." Even the pit bosses couldn't believe he could sing, AND he had never talked this much at his table. Finally, we all had to go home, but we all left knowing we had made Mr. Tu's night. After that night, that song stayed in my head. I finally had to look up the lyrics. I also found out that it was originally sung by Doris Day in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Man Who Knew Too Much. It was originally published in 1956. As I read through the lyrics, I realized how true that song was. "Our future is not for us to see, what will be, will be." So as I thought about my depressing day, I realized that whatever will be, will be. Worrying and crying about it will not change what will be. I have decided to start looking at my whole life that way. Do what is right, and whatever will be, will be----Que, Sera, Sera.