If Herger just thought like her:

According to Lynn Woolsey, a liberal congresswoman from California:

"Where is the comprehensive economic stimulus package that will assist 95 percent of the taxpayers — a package that includes unemployment benefits, food stamps, infrastructure investment, and of course, foreclosure relief? Stability should come from the bottom up. We need an economic package that will allow those in foreclosure to pay their mortgages and stay in their homes, bringing value back to the mortgage-backed securities that are clogging the financial system. Why isn't Wall Street paying for the mess they created? By reinstating a one quarter of 1 percent surcharge on stock trades, we could raise nearly $150 billion a year from those who have actually caused this mess and profited from it. Finally, question three: With only three months left of this current Administration, why are we willing to even make available $700 billion to them? President Bush and Secretary Paulson have been wrong from the start on just about everything. If you think they will be responsible with this money, think again."

Pain & Arthritis

So I just found this new article on WebMD about how pain may CAUSE arthritis, which I pondered as I realized that the better I treated my feet, the better I felt. I'll have to bring it up to my doctor next week.

Here's the link: http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/news/20080929/can-pain-cause-arthritis

Betrayals

Today is a strange day. The Republicans refused to bail out Wall Street, and made the Democrats look like the wusses far too many of them are for going along with the scheme. My Republican Representative, however, voted yes. I wasn't going to vote for him anyway.

This weekend, my friends hung out and ended up revealing a faux friend. I have a friend who enjoys pushing buttons. Evan & I figured that out years ago, and tend to take the sometimes extreme statements he puts forth with a grain of salt. Anyway, my button-pushing friend greeted the faux friend with a declaration that everyone was going to enjoy illicit substances at our gathering (with the kids upstairs no less). We're a fairly responsible group who occasionally enjoy drinking, and generally take a cab if we're going out on the town; but of course my button-pushing friend's statement was taken as gospel.

So now my friends and I have been reviled on our faux friend's blog as drug addled morons who are so irresponsible that we do drugs in front of impressionable children.

Faux friend: you know who you are. Drop dead. Don't call. Don't write. Don't show up... Ever. You're no longer welcome in my home. Thank you for showing us what your so-called friendship is worth: jack-squat.

For those who are curious--no, no illicit substances were or ever have been used in our home.

Hell, the one time I got high, it was on my own prescription and completely accidental. The instructions said to take 1-2 as needed for pain, and my headache just didn't go away with only 1. The second pill ended up being too much for me, and I have never taken a second pill for my occasional raging headaches since.

I haven't patience for morons. If you're going to take a moral high road, great. Be moral about it. Oh, and make sure you know what the f*ck you're talking about.

Another Thursday, Another B12 shot

On Thursday, I have to drive about 20 miles to Orland and get a vitamin b 12 shot. About a month ago, I learned that I have b12 anemia, which may or may not be caused by a more serious underlying condition. It can also be a side-effect of nursing & trying to keep up with my older kids.

Perhaps I should give some history: about 3 years ago I found myself in constant pain. It sucked. I went to the dr, and after asking questions and running some tests, I was diagnosed with arthritis and referred to a rheumatologist because I had a positive ANA and an elevated SED rate, meaning that my body was inflamed & attacking itself. After many more tests (like 15-16 vials of blood) and a series of x-rays (hands, feet, hips, head), the rheumatologist decided I might have psoriatic arthritis--at least that's what he was going to call it for now. I didn't trust that diagnosis. Yes, I have psoriasis, but it seems like a mild case, and the places where the psoriasis show up did not hurt.

Eventually, through trial and error, I figured out that when I wore better shoes, my feet, knees, and hips felt better. I started to wonder if it was all because of my feet. My fingers and wrists ended up diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome, and now I have braces for when I type, etc.

My dr (technically a FNP) ended up relocating to a new practice, and I was so unimpressed by the nurse-practitioner that took over his patients because of lengthy wait times and her constant interruptions that I quit going to the doctor.

But about 9 months after I had Tasmia, I started to hurt again, so with the help of my good friend Chrissy, I followed my dr out of town to Orland and updated him with my theory that foot problems were actually causing most all of my pain. He decided to re-run several of the tests; and threw in b12 for good measure. I ended up spending lots of money on really high arch supports, and my pain has already disappeared, yay! But he found my anemia. It can actually contribute to nerve damage and peripheral pain.

It looks like my feet were in fact killing me, and that any auto-immune problem I may have isn't currently beating me up. My latest ANA was negative, which leaves several unanswered questions. We'll figure it out eventually, I'm sure.

Regardless, the b12 shots are great energy boosters, and I'm hoping they'll kick in for more than a few days at a time shortly. The ride is nice: lots of agricultural land between Chico & Orland, and I have to cross a river & a canal, so lots of trees. And there's this patch of wild grape on the way too. I enjoy the passing scenery when I'm not running late.

Meatloaf

Today I'm making meatloaf in my slow cooker. I enjoy using the slow cooker on the weekend when I'm having a fun day and don't want convenience food (e.g. frozen pizza). I'm thinking I'll be using it more now that Evan's home again Sunday evenings.

Denise's Meatloaf
Be sure to use lean meats and do not add any additional salt, as this recipe has plenty of fat & sodium.

2 pounds ground beef (or a mix of lean meats)
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1 cup fresh chopped spinach
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
additional seasonings (no salt added), as desired

Vegetables:
1/8 lb baby carrots per expected person
1 1/2 red potatoes per expected person

Mix all the ingredients (except carrots & potatoes) together until the texture is uniform.
Shape into a loaf and put into large slow cooker.
Pour carrots on each side of the meatloaf.
Place halved or quartered (depending on size) potatoes on top of the carrots (you may need to rest some on the meatloaf, depending on how many people you expect to feed).
Cook on Low for 7-8 hours.

So Not a Habit

I find myself not routinely posting to this blog.

Health News:

I am currently ANA negative. Three years ago, I was ANA positive. We're not sure if it was a false positive or if the autoimmune problem that I have currently isn't affecting me.

I am also currently suffering from vitamin b12 anemia, which may be the cause of mood disturbances, nerve damage, and fatigue. I get biweekly shots right now, and will for probably a couple months.

Political Stuff:

I am appalled by McCain and Palin. As for Palin, the theory that she was not the person who gave birth still seems viable, though it would be from a surrogate mother, not from her poor daughter. A family-values plank from McCain/Palin seems so hypocritical, as he cheated on his first wife and divorced her after she suffered terrible injuries in an auto collision. And she showed serious judgment flaws if she really did give birth to her 5th child away from NICUs, knowing she was carrying a Down's Syndrome baby. Was the family going to deny the baby surgery for any heart or digestive problems? And I don't know how she could have gone back to work after only 3 days, as recovering from birthing takes longer with each pregnancy.

Perhaps I'm just a wimp or have been in more strenuous working conditions, as it took me about a week to recover enough to return to school with the first two, back when I was young and in shape.

But the real reasons I'm appalled by McCain/Palin are that I'm for reproductive sovreignty belonging to the mother, I want a national single-payer health insurance program for everyone, trickle down economics just don't work, humans need to do much much more to preserve our environs, somehow the "war" on poverty instead became a war on the impoverished, and dammit workers deserve better.

Sadly, I'm not sold on Obama, and I'm not convinced that I'll vote for Obama/Biden either.