Prices

Looks like my rambling thoughts are getting the best of me.
I was talking to my neighbor last night about random things, but we got on the topic of money. Our husbands were out helping a family in our ward move. I guess they had a lot of stuff and much of it wasn't the best quality stuff (ie junk) that many of us would throw away. But they have many children and not much money, so they live with what they can afford. I absolutely respect that. But how are many of us supposed to make ends meet right now? It seems like even when you make enough money - its not enough.

I watch CNN or other news shows and see how prices of food and airline tickets and gas are skyrocketing and how retirement funds are dwindling... and people are losing their jobs and losing their homes etc. One in 11 people were behind on their mortgage last month. ONE IN ELEVEN!!!!!! That is huge. I just don't even know what to do with that. I know there are a bunch of people in my area who are losing their home, but what is the answer? Is there one? Have they just been negligent with their money OR have they chosen to buy food instead of pay the mortgage? And you have to buy gas at $4 a gallon because in order to keep your job to pay for either food or the mortgage you have to make money.

I was all excited this morning when I filled up my tank and calculated that I got 36 mpg. I think my little cheap car has found its niche. It likes driving a few miles around town and mostly freeway. But I still spend $250/month for just MY gas. Luckily my company is thinking about moving me up to Kaysville (if they hire a new manager) which would cut my commute by 80%. I was getting all excited about the prospect of having a little extra breathing room in the budget, but with all these other things constantly going up... like milk and bread something tells me that extra $200 isn't going anywhere. That is actually one report that I read. The average American is spending an extra $170/month to maintain their standard of living. So if you were to do the exact same things today as this time last year - you would spend $170 more. That is insanity. Who has an extra $170 in their budget???? And when you've already cut out all the extras, where do you go from there?

And forget vacations. Now that they are charging you for your bags (American and soon to follow United so I've heard) it could be an extra $280 for a family of 4. And when you have a family of 4, you need all the checked baggage because there are car seats and pack n plays and all kinds of stuff that you have to bring. The exact same tickets that I bought for our family back in January cost 27% more which equals about $325 for all 3 tickets. I guess I'm glad that I bought them when I did.

From where I am sitting, there is no answer. I'm just complaining. I'm done now

Back to my previous post...

...about products of our environment and not knowing how our kids are going to turn out... I got this email and LOVED it!! This is one mothers version of good discipline. Making your kid stand out on the street corner with a sign. He looks thrilled - doesn't he?? LOL! I don't know that I would ever do it - but if I had a kid that was stealing, it would take some drastic measures to wake him up. I don't blame her in the least. The last picture is hilarious. I guess that was how you make sure your kid actually does it!

Products of our Environment

So we went to IHOP last night for dinner and there was a mother and her teenage son in the booth behind us. She was ripping into him like you wouldn't believe using filthy language every other word... talking about how he was doing drugs and his brother was going to jail and she just didn't know what to do with them... Luckily right as I was about to ask for a new table (I don't need Eli to learn those words yet) they gathered their things to leave.

Thinking back on the situation, I feel sad for them. I know that all kids make their own choices and whether we're amazing parents or awful ones - our kids are their own people and make their own choices. And I'm not judging this lady and her situation because I'll never know what she has been through. Its just sad that she felt like she had to be in the position to scream at her boy like that. Although if she does that all the time - I wonder if that might be part of the reason her boys rebel so much? who knows.

I just look at my life and look at where she is and wonder, where is the leap? I am still in my state of blissful happiness. I look at my growing boys and watch them learn so many new things every day and just thoroughly enjoy them. I know that we will have our difficult times to come, but it just seems so far away.
I have a co-worker whose son is grown and he has nothing but awful things to say about him. He is manipulative and evil and blah, blah, blah but when you get him talking about how his son was as a baby - its all good things. He was so sweet and good natured etc. And I expect if you were ask that lady at IHOP what she thought of her sons as babies, she would say the same. How are these kids growing up to be mean spirited and awful. Are they? or are they reacting to the situation they are given? Are they just products of their environment? What does this mean for our future? Does loving them unconditionally help change the end result?

I'm in a book club (classical education stuff) and we were reading Montaigne and his essay on the Education of Children. We started talking about how things are so much different now and how this is really the first time in history that our young teenagers haven't had to go to work. Back in centuries before, 12/13 is when you start your apprenticeships for your career. Carpenters or blacksmiths whatever. Now our kids are bored and getting into trouble. Do I have an answer? No. Will I know what to do when Eli and Nathan get into trouble and make bad choices? No. Does my head hurt thinking about this stuff? Most definitely.

One more and I'm done...

I just have one more political rant and I'm done... I PROMISE!!!! Its in regards to these rebates. I feel like banging my head against a wall. Are you kidding me??? We're 9 trillion dollars in debt. $9,000,000,000,000 (thats a lot of zeros) and we're borrowing more from China. And from the polls taken most people will be paying off debt, or buying Chinese products (like a plasma tv) So not only is it not going to stimulate our economy - it'll make it worse! I am just so frustrated.

I also want to warn you not to get too carried away. This is nothing more than a loan. Your 2009 tax refund will be deducted by the amount you get back. I read this article and it really put it in perspective. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Taxes/Advice/TheDetailsOnTaxRebates.aspx
Alright... I'm done. No more politics from me. I can't take the stress.

Edited... after doing a little more research, the loan is only 1/2 true. They're actually not going to tax the first 10% of your income, so you would have been getting this money back anyway... (ie you normally get $2000 back for a tax refund, you would have gotten $3200, but they're giving you $1200 now and you get your normal $2000) whatever, its still an awful idea.

And the field narrows!

Alright, I just can't resist. All I've talked about at work lately is politics... I don't know why, but for some reason I have gotten really in to the primaries. I've never been huge into the whole political arena, but something clicked this time around. If anyone wants to talk politics... give me a call.. I love talking about it whether I agree or not. I am interested just to hear different points of view.
I guess now Romney is out. So McCain is the obvious nominee for the republicans. And for whatever reason Huckabee is still in it????? Someone explain that one to me. I sort of understood going in to Super Tuesday as he wanted to steal Romney votes, but if you listen to him he touts himself like he has a shot. I think he has a shot of being a McCain VP (which has been speculated as the reason he was in it) but never as President. He's one step from the loony bin if he gives himself that much credit.
Anyway, then you have the democrats which are so neck and neck. Either of them have an excellent shot of winning. From what I've heard Obama is going to pick up more delegates in the next few primaries and get his momentum back up for the convention. I think there will be a lot of angry people if the decision is made by the super delegates. I would be... And the even MORE interesting thing is listening to people around the office who say they would rather vote for Obama than McCain. That shocks me! I mean I'm the first one to say that McCain is evil, but to hear other very conservative people say that they would NEVER vote for McCain is, to say the least, surprising. I actually heard our conservative radio talk show host (Utahs equivalent to Sean Hannity) say he's going to give Obama another look and that Utah could possibly become a blue state. I don't think it would actually happen, but the thought is there. Especially if McCain runs with Huckabee... ::shutter::
Needless to say the next 2 or 3 months are shaping up to be VERY interesting. I'm excited to see what it will bring. And mark my words... if McCain wins in November... I'll have my year supply of food by the time he takes office.

Support the country!

I'm not going to have debates on here (although it might be fun) ;) but I want everyone to go out and vote in the primary elections!!! I know its hard to know who you agree with the most, so I am adding this link for you to look at and help you know who you are most compatible with.
http://www.dehp.net/candidate/
Ron Paul is my guy. Its funny, because he was the one that I seemed to like the most in the debates, so to see that he came out on top in this survey was kind of nice. I won't get into the political issues right now... there will be plenty of time for that as the year progresses, but for now I just want everyone to vote. I'm in this book club with some neighbors and our whole purpose is to better understand our country and the people who founded it and the reasons they did the things they did. (hence my political kick)