I am from the Kansas First District. My representative is Congressman Tim Huelskamp.  He is Tea Party through and through. And the one time I saw him on the Rev. Al Sharpton’s show I was embarrassed. The survey he sent did impress me.

It asked three questions. It asks how I thought the budge should be balanced and gave a list of options to choose from.  They included a balanced budge amendment, cutting entitlements , cuts in defense and non-defense spending and raising taxes for everyone or just for the rich.  It was a good list.  The choices covered most the options that we hear about.

Then it asked a question that surprised me. If I thought another round of stimulus would hurt or help the economy. I was surprised that someone like Congressman Huelskamp would even think to ask that question.

Then the last question asked if I wanted to President in his upcoming speech to ask for more federal stimulus to fund job creation. A simple yes or no answer.   That surprised me too. It makes me wonder if he is actually considering for more stimulus, or is the Congressman just making as show of listening to his constituents.

I filled out the survey and sent it in.  I am considering forwarding it to my relatives, and having them fill it out too.  I don’t know if he will really take into consideration any feedback that does not agree with his ideals. I am just happy that he asked.  Makes me feel that maybe my opinion is a little important.

Thank you FLORIDA and KENTUCKY!! Florida and Kentucky are the first states that will require drug testing when applying for welfare, effective July 1st. Some people are crying this “unconstitutional” . How is this unconstitutional? It’s OK to drug test people who work for their money, but not those who don’t? Military is drug tested. Re-post this if you’d like to see this done in all 50 states!!!!

To me it is so demeaning. It is saying people in need are all drug-users or at least they are all dishonest.  I once had to get temporary help from the state when I had a problem pregnancy. I was on welfare for about 3 months, until my son was born and I went back to work.  And I called up and got of the roll. The caseworker at the time told me that what I was doing was common. People only take the help they need. Most people want to sustain themselves.

This idea that welfare is only for druggies or lazy people is nuts.  It is as much like people thinking if you get food stamps you must be unemployed.  I am underemployed at the moment, and I get a little bit of food stamps.  I do have a job. It just doesn’t pay much.

What really gets me going is the comments that follow the above status update.  I wonder if the writers of those comments have even needed a little extra hand? Or have they always had a job, food, and housing?  Have they ever had nowhere to go, and no way to get there anyway?

Today I feel justified in my stand against the drug testing for welfare debate.  The statics show that most people getting help do not use drugs.  Out of the drug testing that has been done in Florida, only 2%, yes I said TWO PERCENT of those tested have a positive drug result.  The other 98% have now to to wait for the state to reimburse them for the cost of the test.  So how did this help poor people, having them pay for a test they didn’t need, to prove something they already knew they didn’t do?

Take that you narrow-minded conservatives.

I can honestly say, it hasn’t been a holiday.

Somewhere during this time we got a home computer.  And with the PC man did we have games.  Diablo II which I still play to this day. The Sims (1,2, and 3)., Command and Conquer, 1701 AD, and too many others I can’t think about.

Now I waste my time with casual games from the internet.  I love Pogo.com, and play Club Pogo games all the time. Can’t believe I really pay a yearly fee to be in the club.  I have even paid for more months and for more than one account of World of Warcraft. But I have never played the game itself.  I won’t because that game has caused so many family fights. “It’s my turn on the computer”, “don’t play my character”.” I can’t come to dinner I in an instance.” I can’t take a bath, take out the trash, or go to bed in an instance.” Please! But I still pay for accounts, and I still wish the kids would get sick of that game. Of course that will never happen, whenever people start getting board Blizzard just makes another expansion.

I also love Gamehouse Games. I’m a big fool over Diner Dash (once downloaded it to my phone. Then the phone got wet. So sad.) Cake Mania, Jewel Quest, Wedding Dash, Farm Frenzy in its many, many forms. If it is a time management game, I’m there.

So now I am about to embark on a new writing project, but I just can’t seem to quit the game habit long enough to write. I guess that’s why I have an Alpha Smart Neo. No computer, no games, and I get writing done.  I really just need more self-control I think.

I might soon have a car again. The first one I have owned in a few years.  I have been for the last couple years sharing a car with either my son or my sister.  That will be cool, to be able to go when and where I want without having to wait until someone else it ready to go.

I hope to also get my own apartment. The month of March I hope will prove to be exciting, in the least at least it won’t be stale and boring.

While I wasn’t working I thought I would have plenty of time to work on my novel. But that didn’t happen. I just didn’t want to do anything, but worry, and sleep.  Not having a job was just depressing. I got very little writing done. Listening to my iPod or watching politics on tv were my favorite pastime.  But tonight I am ready to write again, in fact I want too. So I probably will.  I even played a video game tonight, I hadn’t even had the energy to play games.  Just knowing I am about to go back to work had really picked me up.

My unpaid vacation is over, and boy am I ready.

The grass is still brown, and it’s too early for anything green. After all the cold weather and snow we have had the last few weeks. Getting outside and walking around was just what I needed.

Now the only thing I need is a job. Then everything will be right with the world.

Today I had no car, and my phone minutes are gone. So I couldn’t go anywhere, and I couldn’t call anyone. Man I felt cut off.  I need my phone back. There is no way I am going to get a job without a phone.  But I should be back in communication tomorrow.  I could have used today to just be out of the loop, I should have enjoyed it. I didn’t. Maybe because I had no control over why I had no phone.

Tomorrow should be better, will be cold and snow-covered, and school may be canceled.  So my sister may be home from work. But tonight, I just want spring, and green, and WARM.  Warm is my missing friend, and I want her back.

The weather is still cold outside. I am still battling a cough and stuffy head. My writing is still waiting to get done. So the big question is, do I even feel like doing anything creative today?  I have more than one project I could be working on.

Two weeks ago I started an afghan, because I had all this thread of a strange blue-green color to and could think of nothing else it would be good for.  My knitting loom has a pink fun fur scarf started because I made one for the above three-year old niece. And she has a sister and a cousin. So I have to make two more.   I could be working on either of those things.  Getting the scarves done is something I need to focus on. I don’t want to be accused of showing favorites.

There is my novel which I have stalled on.  The story isn’t going exactly like I want, and now I need to decide if I will start totally over, or just keep going and fix it later.  I am leaning toward progressing on.  There is another idea that has been brewing for a few years in the back of my mind.  This story could be told better as a screenplay and not a novel. I have also discovered that I really enjoy writing scripts.  I am sure they are worthless, but great fun. It is just very hard to give up on writing novels. Knowing I will never make any money doing either really isn’t the point. These are just stories I always wanted to tell.  So this idea is knocking around in my head, wanting to get out.  And script frenzy is coming up in two months. I may start at least outlining. Who knows it may turn out to be something I can keep working on.

Do I really feel well enough to do anything today?   I just wrote this blog, so I must feel a little creative.  As long as I don’t have to move much, I think I will be fine.  If I don’t move, I don’t cough.  I probably will do a little loom knitting, or maybe some writing. I doubt if I watch any tv.  Don’t really care all that much about Egypt. There seems to be nothing else on the news.  Once my iPod recharges I may be good to go.

So do I feel creative today? Not really, but that has never stopped me before.

Tomorrow it is going to be warmer, maybe even above freezing. Today is just a day to stay in the house. My cold think so too. I feel horrible, and I need to go look for work. Job hunting and illness do not mix.  Driving on snow and ice, not being able to breath do not seem to me to be a very productive thing.  So job hunting has to wait.   Going back to bed, and not moving seems like a much better option than driving in the cold.

Today is a day to start getting back to normal.  Digging out and cleaning up. Tomorrow will be the day for moving on.  Writing this has taken all my energy. I think I will take a nap.