Politics

When I was in high school I got really excited about politics for awhile. I went to a one-week camp (which later gave me something like 8 credit hours for college and it was awesome!) after eleventh grade called Girls State, and we spent the ENTIRE week in a skirt (bless my mother, who bought me a pair of skechers that were cute and could be worn with a skirt and still look nice...every other girl had blisters by the second day)learning about the government. It was extremely educational, extremely fun and exhilarating, and I ran and was voted in mayor of my city (basically the group of girls living in one apartment for the week) and got to hold councils, meetings, determine offices, and...my personal favorite...put people in jail when they were late to my meetings. So we goofed off a bit, but for the most part, everything was run as the government really is run. We also spent a LONG LONG time discussing current government bills and policies that had recently passed, were in the process of being passed, or were simply issues at the time. I felt really up-to-snuff on my government, and I felt like a responsible US citizen.

Sadly, thats pretty much where it ended. I went to college, focused my life on anatomy books, had a random English teacher that took a really weird stance about Iraq and thats all the current events he ever talked about, and basically forgot about my citizenship just enough to pass through college (although I did start listening to some debates, and I did vote for my very first time, and listened enough to feel decent about my votes).

Now, I work for a doctor who has strong political views, and his assistant who has opposite, but also strong, political views. I get to hear their banter back and forth whenever I'm at work. And its made me aware enough to be sheepish about how much I don't know right now. Because a lot is happening.

Point of this post, though, is to beg the question: Do I really have to agree with a political change to take advantage of it? Cause really, if the laws already been passed, and there's nothing I can do about it...whether I think it's a good thing or not, I might as well take advantage of it...right????

Point in case, Obama's health care plan. Basically he's not helping anything. Thats the basics that I am led to understand because of the doctor's viewpoints that I hear, and the few articles that I have read...I cannot claim having a HUGE and EXTENSIVE knowledge about this. But, Sterling and I went without insurance for a year because, well, we plain can't afford it. And we both had access to the WSU clinic, and that was about all we needed. Now we qualify for medicaid, and I feel like I defend myself every time I bring that up. I will again, if need be. I have a bachelors degree, but I also believe it is my responsibility as a woman and as a wife to start a family, and it is also the highest pedestal in life that I could personally attain. If we waited to be financially able to afford a child, I would be well into my thirties, and the probability of my health handling having as many kids as I want, at that old of an age, would not be great. Plus, I've spent four years of my life gaining a bachelors degree, and I utilize it to help people on a part-time basis. Unfortunately, it will be years before Sterling is finished school. Fortunately, when he is, we will probably pay so much money just for his malpractice insurance, that I am sure the government will get back every little bit that they are giving us while we have this baby. While I'm young, healthy, and very able to have a baby.

Now though, Obama has made it so that I can be insured through my parents and Sterling can be insured through his parents. Since both of our parents still have some of our younger siblings on their insurance, it is no extra cost to them. And we are, thankfully, insured, after a year of not being insured. But just because I am utilizing it, doesn't mean I think it was this great idea. I am just very thankful that we have found a way to be insured for the time being. Not for very long, probably, because we'll have children of our own, and they might not be covered. Anyway, that is my story. I just heard someone get really heated today about how unfair it is, because she's been paying $400 a month for insurance since she was twenty for herself....and I agree that people need to act responsibly. But I also agree that opportunities should be seized. Now everyone can read this and hate me. And I will reread this and vow to seriously step up my understanding of current events.

Waterfall Canyon

On Wednesday Sterling and I both had the afternoon off and decided to hike the Waterfall trail. Its right above WSU off of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, and is a really popular hike. It was INCREDIBLE this time. I have never seen that much water coming down, and we didn't even stay at the top by the waterfall very long because there was so much spray it was FREEZING and we were getting wet. It's a pretty steep hike, and so we took it REALLY slow...I felt like an old lady huffing and puffing up the mountain (I blame it on my cold from last week and the need to blow my nose every thirty seconds) but it was totally worth it and so beautiful!

PS My husband is absolutely amazing and the best husband EVER! Yesterday we spent the day basically doing stuff I wanted to--he came to my prenatal appointment (he loves listening to the heartbeat as much as I do) and then he cleaned the bathroom and dusted the living room for me, and then we went and picked up a crib from my sister, and he helped me wipe it down(it had been in her shed for quite some time) and put it together (almost, we had to stop to go to Freedom Rider's) and then when he wanted pizza for dinner, he let me pick the spot for the kind of breadsticks I like. Can I just say he is absolutely AMAZING? I am going to be so sad when he goes back to school again. Not only school, but another semester of Organic Chemistry. Sigh.

PPS We got a camera for free (yes!) from a family member of Sterling's. I want to get a really nice camera that takes pictures in quick succession. This one isn't as quick as I would like, but it is faster than my old one, and it has more mega pixels than mine. Although,it doesn't have as good of a zoom. I'm excited to play with it though and SO excited because, remember, it was FREE!