Healthcare

Argh..for some reason I can't seem to post from my phone anymore, which made quickie blogging so easy.. so I haven't blogged in some time now.  It's not for lack of things on my mind.  It's weird because putting my thoughts on a blog puts them out to the world for anyone to see, but somehow it feels like a safe place to vent, or blab, or just get things off my chest when I need to. 

Today I need to talk about healthcare.  Is it just me or does it feel like a ponzi-scheme waiting to blow?  I mean.. seriously, I think it's like the subprime mortgage crisis of 08.  This big ugly catastrophe that's been packaged with a bow waiting to rip through the pretty paper and tear our heads off.  And everyone's just going along with it. Only unlike the subprime mess, we are all forced to participate.  If there was a way to short Obamacare I'd do it.  It's set up to fail and I'd bet money on it.  And I'm pretty sure that's Obama's plan, let it fail then swoop down and clean up the mess by officially socializing our country.

Let's look at some statistics.  My source is US News & Money. It says here that the top 5% of earners in this country make over $150,000, the top 1% make over $250,000 annually.  Now get scared.  Here is Obama's income chart.   The highest end of the chart, a family of 6 making $127,880 and above, doesn't qualify for any lowered premiums.  (Read, they will be paying through the nose to subsidize everyone else's).  Also, anyone single or with up to 3 dependents has an even lower income ceiling. That means the top 5% (ok, maybe more like 7% as it goes all the way down to $46,680 for a single person but I'm going to keep the math easy and estimated) is paying for the bottom 95% and there simply isn't enough money to squeeze out of the 5% to go around to 95% of the country. The math doesn't work.  The average income in this country is around $50,000 which means most of the country qualifies for lowered premiums.  And who's footing the bill?  The 5%.

Our family does not qualify for lowered premiums, in fact Humana just told us our 2015 premium would jump to $1200/mo plan and that's with the highest deductible. Luckily we found Liberty Share and that will only cost us $450/mo for a $1500 deductible.  I'm not promoting them or do I get any compensation from others joining, but I just want to tell people.. it's an option.  Taylor is self employed so we have to find our own coverage.  I just am wondering what other self employed people are doing that don't qualify for 'lowered premiums'..?  Anyone??  It's crazy that we could be paying the cost of a mortgage for health coverage.  Luckily we found another solution but Obama's whole premise rests on the 5% paying into this ponzi scheme or else it will collapse.  

Sunset painting

I worked on my painting more today. I think I'm almost done.
Andrew is 3 and a half months old now. He's such a good baby and the love of my life. I could just cuddle him all day.

I got my paints out of the basement yesterday. It's been awhile. Forgot how much fun it was. Clouds are tricky. Especially storm clouds. But every time I look at the sky I'm taken back by the beauty of it and I'm determined to capture some of it somehow.

The competition, school starting, etc.

Taylor's big competition was on Friday. My friend Maryam and I went to cheer him on. He didn't win anything other than a super fit body but he was glad he did it. I'm proud of him for working so hard for it

Andrew continues to be the cutest baby on the planet. He's had an actual schedule the past few days with a long nap in the morning and another in the afternoon so I've been able to get some things done.

My oldest three are back in school. The house is quiet again. Except when Andrew's awake.

Emi made the freshman volleyball team and she has a lot of practices for that as well as two games per week. She also started early morning seminary this week so she's been going to bed earlier.

Olivia is in three dance classes this year and Evan's doing karate which makes for busy evenings.

I'm always a little sad when they all head off to school in the fall but happy to have them busy with school and activities and all the new things they're learning.

Newborn Andrew

Found a pic from the day after I had Andrew

Newborn stuff, designer jeans, and spray tans

Wow this newborn stuff is hard.  I forgot how hard.  I mean, it's been 8 years since the last time I did this.  And life was sane and normal and pretty easy so we decided to have another baby and make it insane, abnormal and really hard.  But we do love Andrew.  With a face like his how could you not?
He's my most demanding baby.  He eats nonstop (no really, I'm not kidding) and if he's awake but not eating, he's pretty sure he's supposed to have someone holding him, preferably standing up, swaying, cooing, etc.  It's  a full time job.  I think he's a socialist.  He thinks the world owes this all to him while he just lays there, eating and pooping.  Definitely a socialist.
So I've learned to do many things with one hand, while holding Andrew.  In case a shark ever bit off one of my arms, I think I could actually manage.  Well, but then I'd only have one arm to hold Andrew and no arms to do anything else with. So maybe I won't hang out surfing in the ocean in my really hot bikini.
Which brings me to another topic.  I'm happy to be fitting back into my pre-pregnancy jeans.. well mostly except my muffin top which slightly hangs over, but I have low-rise jeans so its ok.  So Maryam and I went shopping today and I got me some designer jeans- Hudsons.  Yes, it's true, I've never spent over $40 on a pair of jeans I don't think.  But we found some bargains and Nordstrom Rack, $90 for $190 jeans.  It was a good day.

I can explain.  So..let's see.. where to start.  Taylor has a patient that's a personal trainer.  The trainer, Jason, convinced Taylor that he should enter the Warrior competition in Loveland.  Taylor finally relented and has been training for it for several months now.  His side of the bathroom now has such items as exfoliant, various body washes, pre-tan spray, wax kits, foot scruber thingy, and so on. Tonight he got his spray tan in preparation for his show tomorrow.   Tomorrow my husband will walk out on a stage in front of thousands (well.. we're really not sure how many people will be there, but a guy can dream) and pose for judges and the audience.  You could be staring at the next GAP model.  Or Abercrombie.  Or Fruit of the Loom.  Maybe he will quit dentistry and go pro.  I really am proud of how hard he's worked. But I tell you what, I never saw this coming.  Can I just say that being with a man whose skin is smoother than yours is a little.. uh.. strange? Yeah, lots of things have been a little strange about this.  Like tonight for example.  His trainer said he gets a burger and fries tonight before the big day tomorrow. (He has a very controlled diet, hasn't had any fast food in months).  So we get to the Wendy's drive thru and it's raining.  Taylor's driving and he pulls up to pay and he says to me 'hon, can you reach across with the credit card?  It's raining. I can't get my arm wet. '  And I'm like 'uh, no'.  I mean, we're in his stick shift Jeep and that would pretty much not work for me to climb across.  So then he turns to the guy in Wendy's and he says 'Hold on, I need to back up and pull in closer. I just got a spray tan and I can't get it wet.'  I'm just holding my head down trying not to look at the dumbfounded cashier. 'Really?' I ask.  'Yeah, really, I can't get my skin wet.  My tan will like discolor.' And I thought my teenage daughters were drama queens.  

So that girl from a previous post I was trying to forgive?  You're wondering how that ended.  Well it hasn't really ended and I'm finding that forgiveness looks more like a volatile stock price than a linear equation.   If you're trying to forgive someone in your life I have a suggestion.  Fake it till you make it and don't worry if it takes a long time to 'make it'.  Forgiveness is much easier from a distance.  But when you have to see the person on a regular basis like I do.. your forced to deal with it.  So my best solution is to fake it even when I'm not feeling an ounce of nice thoughts to her. I smile and say hi even though inside I'd like to punch her. Sometimes. Hate is heavy.  It's really tiring to carry around. So I'm learning to deal with the hate that wells up in me, trying to replace it with anything because really, anything is better than feeling hate.  Hobbies, work, etc., as long as I don't have to think about it. 

Ok now I have to go to bed.. but I will post the results of the competition tomorrow.

Andrew Taylor Workman

Born 6/19/14 @ 7:30pm, 8pounds, 19.5 inches long