ChaChaChaChanges

Well, today is a historic day.

We have a new president. We have an African American President. The first one in American history.

I don't envy him. We are in a time of crisis; there's no doubt about that. He said it in his speech:

"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."

(You can find the entire text of the speech here)

While I do think it's great that we have been able to elect a black person as president, I do have to wonder what it really means. Racism is still prevalent in the country today; I don't think anyone can argue with that. Is this really a big step in closing that racial divide? I wonder how many people simply voted for a candidate based on the color of their skin instead of the issues at hand. If I do give people the benefit of the doubt though and the majority voted based on issues, then bravo, America. I guess time will tell how much this means to racism in America. I can only hope that slowly but surely we are getting past the surface issues of what color a person's skin is and deal with the issues at hand.

Moving on from the racial issues, with the Dow down to below 8,000, I'm continuing to hold my breath in hopes that a new administration will mean an economic turnaround. Again, time will tell. I like my job; I'd like to keep it. I know millions echo that sentiment. Not only am I hoping for an economic turnaround and being able to keep my job (and return to full time!), I'm hoping for healthcare reform. The threat of losing my job has had me looking at private healthcare, which is ridiculously expensive. I mean, I do understand why, but only to a certain extent. I can't fathom having a family and having to pay the entire premium out of pocket.

Obama got my vote in November. He won me and I fell under the "Change we can believe in" motto. Now, Mr. President, show me that change. I know there's a long, steep, slow climb ahead of us, but a new year, a new leader and a new perspective has me hoping that promises will be kept and, in the end, we can look back and say it was change we really could believe in.

See ya, 2008!

Thank goodness it's gone.

2008, that is. I was ready for the bad of 2008 to be gone and a new year to come around, full of possibilities. C and I definitely aren't New Year's people, but it's a little refreshing knowing that the year of the bad is gone.

We had the master bathroom drama in March, where the plumber drilled the holes in the wrong panel and we had to re-order the special order shower. We also had the fraud issue with our federal taxes that month. Nine months later we finally saw our refund and our stimulus check. Then there's the ongoing job drama, where I never know if I was going to have a job the next day. Our basement flooded in August due to lovely Tropical Storm Faye. Talk about exhausting!

We did have some good in 2008 though. We had a visit from my mom and stepdad, two surgeries were successfully completed, went on a cruise, traveled a bit, and overall made it through.

I'm really looking forward to 2009, hoping it's (major) drama free and that the economy might make a slight turnaround. Already 2009 is looking up; I start working for Habitat this month, the master bath is almost done, and we're not planning a ton of home improvement projects for the year. Fingers crossed it'll be a good year!

To Be Thankful

(This post was written on Thanksgiving Day while I was riding in the car to Mississippi. Being the awful blogger that I am, I'm just now getting around to posting it.)

I know that on my list of 101 things there is an item that says to list 101 things I’m happy for; I’m not going to do that today, but maybe I’ll use this list as a launching point in the future for that task. It’s Thanksgiving Day and as I sit in the back seat of the car, feet propped up, I can’t help but reflect on some of the things that have happened in the past year. So much has happened, so much I consider bad, that I often lose sight of the good. My grandmother reminds me every time I talk to her that I need to be thankful for what I have, I need to be thankful for the good. No matter how much bad there seems to be, there’s always good. There may be just an ounce or two of good with the several pounds of bad, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be thankful.

I’m thankful for the husband I have, the one who has waited on me hand and foot (no pun intended) over the past several days as I’m recovering from surgery. You can tell his love is sincere and that he is constantly thinking about my needs and wanting to take care of me. We had a conversation last night along these lines. I told him that I know I’ve told him “thank you” a thousand times over the past several days, but I sincerely mean it. Not every husband would be as generous and loving as he has been, and his response was that not all husbands have wives that deserve it. Now, on the surface that seems like an odd comment, but he continued on to say that I’m a wonderful wife and deserve the best care that he can give me. Just the thought of that conversation makes me smile.

I’m thankful for my health. Looking at two swollen and bruised feet I may not appear healthy, but that’s not true. I don’t have high blood pressure or other common ailments; I guess the work I put into working out pays off.

I’m thankful for Jackson. He makes me smile when I don’t feel like smiling. He knows the times to be sweet and just sit, and no matter how obnoxious he can be with that ball, he is a wonderful companion to those nights when I’m home alone.

I’m thankful for my family. They’re there for us when we need it and I always look forward to our conversations. Even though relationships may be strained at times, you can’t get a new family like you can friends. Families teach you a lot, and I’ve learned from my family in more ways than I could ever count.

I’m thankful for my job. Despite the fact that it has caused me several headaches over the past several weeks, I work for a great company and I enjoy what I do, which is more than most people can say. The same can be said about the Y; I enjoy what I do and who I work for. It pays the bills and while I don’t necessarily care for working 7 days a week like I did back in college, I am thankful I have that option and ability.

I’m thankful for our house. We’re pretty proud of ourselves for buying a house at age 23, fresh out of college and beginning the rest of our lives. Granted we have had several problems that we wouldn’t have had to deal with in an apartment, it has all been a good learning experience.

The biggest thing is to remember each day to take time to be thankful. That glass must be half full; focus on the good and not the bad. I still have a long way to go on doing this all the time, but I’m getting there.