Health Care "Debates"

So, I have a snow day today.  I am sitting here watching the health care "debates".  I have debates in quotes, because it's really no debate at all.  No, instead, it's the democrats being allowed to say whatever they like while the President interrupts EVERY SINGLE republican who tries to speak.  I have been trying to watch with an open mind, hoping that something will get done.  Listening to all of these people, nothing is ever going to get done.

The democrats (not all of them) go on and on and on and end up saying little to nothing.  The republicans seem to have something to say (again, not all of them).  They are pulling facts from the health care bill, trying to give possible solutions and are then interrupted.  By the President!!!  I'm wondering if the President has ever watched Dr. Phil?  Each time he interrupts a republican, he says, "That's an interesting point, BUT..."  As Dr. Phil says, anything before the "but" has now been negated - you don't mean what you said before the "but".

I agree something needs to be done about health insurance.  It's needed to be done for a long time now.  However, is slamming the health insurance companies really the way to go?  I don't think so.  Want to know why?  Well, guess what?  You're reading my blog, I'm going to tell you why.

I had major surgery in December.  I was admitted at 11:30 AM on December 21st.  My surgery took place at 3:30 PM.  I stayed one night and went home around 3:00 PM on the next day.  Less than 24 hours after surgery.  We have started receiving the bills from that hospital stay.  Wanna know what the hospital, doctors and anesthesiologist has charged so far?  OVER $24,000!!!  Our insurance company is not allowing them to bill that much and has cut the bill by almost $15,000.  That is just crazy!!  I am very thankful for the insurance we have at this moment.  Not to mention the fact they keep Steve employed - for now.

As Steve says, maybe we need to look at the hospitals, doctors and maybe even the malpractice attorneys.  Why not lower costs so EVERYONE can afford it?  Why does it have to cost a couple hundred dollars for a doctor's visit?  Make it $15 and then everyone can have care.  Yes, it may still be hard for some families to afford that, but it would be a whole hell of alot more manageable for them to pay.  And, if everyone can afford it, guess what?  There would be no more need for insurance companies!! 

One of the democrats suggested we have a system in place like Orbitz or Travelocity.  He suggests we have something in place so we can "shop around for a better rate when we need an appendectomy".  Seriously???  I'm thinking if my appendix burst, the last thing I want to be doing is "shopping around on-line for a better price"!  Wake up, people!!!  This is NOT the answer. 

By the way, Mr. President, I think you're awesome, BUT...................

Going Back to School...

Oh my gosh!!  I can't believe I am doing this.  I am heading back to college.  I have not stepped foot in a classroom as a student in 19 years.  What have I gotten myself into???

I will be attending Mansfield University for Elementary Education with a secondary certificate in Early Childhood.  I have worked in child care for over 20 years.  I keep trying to get out, but it keeps sucking me back in.  Even though I have the experience to be a director for a center, I do not have that piece of paper.  So, instead of being an aide the rest of my life, I have decided to do something about it. 

My first day of classes is August 31st.  So, I have less than a week to be "free".  The kids first day of school is the same day.  Thankfully, my schedule for this term is pretty good.  I can be home to get Grace on the bus most days.  And I will be home before the kids two days a week and not long after the other three.  Thankfully, my early days coincide with Steve coaching football and Grace doing cheerleading.  It's going to be busy.

I am scared to death, but I am also really looking forward to this.  Keeping my fingers crossed all goes well....

A Worthy Cause...

I have recently started a cause (I guess that's what it is) on Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, please come and join me in helping teenagers have their voices heard. Just click here.

I Am So Bad At This...

I can't believe I haven't updated since mid-November. Things have been crazy as usual. The holidays were great. We spent quite a bit of time with my family and had a great time together. It's too bad the holidays had to end. Now it's back to the regular chaos. Andrew's basketball season recently ended. They didn't win many games, but he got to play quite a bit this year and improved some. He is now gearing up for the track and field season. He made first honor roll, again, last marking period. He is looking forward to going to Cleveland and Cedar Point in May with the marching band. Grace is doing well. She turned seven (going on twenty) last month. For now, she is only involved with Daisies. She and Steve went to the Daddy/Daughter dance last month. It was very cute to see all of the little girls all dressed up and dancing with their daddies! We're hoping for Grace to join Little League in the spring. I need to get the paper sent in. I have had a couple random photo shoots. I'm hoping business picks up soon. I need to do some more advertising. Steve has been busy with work - as usual. But, we're thankful he has a job these days, so we're not complaining too much. That's about it for now.

Let The Holiday Season Begin!

I love the holidays. I love getting together with family. I am really looking forward to Christmas this year. It definitely won't be big, but I think it will be nice. Steve is already getting into the spirit - he has several strands of lights up around the house. Inside and out. I will wait until after Thanksgiving to really start decorating, but I am looking forward to getting our Nativity out. I would like to find a nice, wooden Advent calendar. I have a snowman that holds how many days are left, but I have always wanted an Advent calendar. I have been holding myself back from breaking out the Christmas CD's. Maybe they will make an appearance this weekend. ;-) Grace never put hers away. It was quite odd hearing "Jingle Bells" come streaming down the steps in the middle of July! I'm not looking forward to Thanksgiving as much. I am looking forward to this weekend, because we will have Thanksgiving dinner at Mom's with her entire side of the family. This will be Grace's first Thanksgiving with my side. However, Thanksgiving day is another story. Mom will be at her mother-in-law's. Dad can't come up, because Bonnie has to work Friday. Jennifer is spending the day with her boyfriend. All of Steve's family are too far away. So, we will have no one but us here for dinner. Don't misunderstand - I will still have a good day, because it will be spent with my husband and kids. However, I have always looked forward to the holidays since we always had so much family around. I love the feeling of everyone being together. But, we will still have turkey and football and the four of us will be together!! Happy holidays, everyone!!

Wow! It's Been Awhile!

Things have been quite crazy here. Cheerleading, marching band, cross country, cheerleading, marching band, cross country - throw in some work and some sleep and that pretty much sums up our days lately. And if we haven't been busy enough, we (or more appropriately, I) have decided to have a booth at the Fall Fling this year. That is this weekend. I am really trying to make a go at my photography business. I am not willing to give up on it yet. And Steve has gotten in on the deal and is now in the process of making frames. So, he bought a mat cutter for me to do the matting for his frames. The first mat was interesting, to say the least. I'll just say it ended up with me saying a few choice words and the mat on the other side of the room. However, after going to my grandmother's, having a chat with her and my mother, I was able to get some clarity and was able to fix my mistake. Thankfully. In the meantime, I have been working on a business website. I am really quite pleased with it. It has been alot of hard work - and still needs some - but overall, I am pleased. You can find my new site at: www.MichelleVazul.com To top things off, we have people fixing our water lines. So, we now have about a 6 feet deep trench in the side of our yard the entire length of the house. It's an absolute mess, but the guys working have been extremely considerate to keep the mess to a minimum. Hopefully it will be done soon.

The Summer is Over!

This pretty much sums up my summer with Andrew. But, it wasn't reading (that would have been a piece of cake). No. It was math. Algebra I to be exact. He tested out of 8th grade math during last school year, so they let him do an independent study. This was so he can take Honors Algebra II this year (along with all the other Honors courses he's taking). He just finished the course Sunday night. Just like the cartoon, I did everything I could to make sure he worked on it. He kept putting it off until the last minute. Then, he was ticked at me, because I wouldn't allow him to attend my great-aunt's birthday party two hours away. I told him the math needed to be done before he could go. He didn't believe me and found out the hard way I meant it. He did finally get it done and thinks he passed with a 90%. So today was the first day of school - Andrew headed off to his Freshman year and Grace started first grade. It just doesn't seem possible. Now the fun begins - football cheerleading for Grace, cross country and marching band for Andrew. And because nothing can be easy, almost 85% of the events clash with one another. How do they expect me and Steve to be in three different places at once? Is it summer yet???