I'm freezing

It's really not that cold, but for some reason, I am freezing. It hasn't really been that cold up here in the Pacific Northwest to say the least. It's actually been quite mild, and we just turned our heaters on this week. Normally we turn them on during the last week of October. The cold I feel is settling in my bones, like arthritis. I have discussed it with my doctor who said because of the family history of arthritis, I might have the beginnings of it, so I'm doing all I can to stop the cold from setting in. My husband recommended taking a cheap pair of gloves and cutting the fingertips off, that way while I'm working on the computer at work, my knuckles are protected. So far it works, luckily.

What I am not looking forward to is ice- I am deathly afraid of it. Having grown up in California it's not something I am used to, and even though we have been here for 5 years now, I still cannot get used to the ice that we get. I just hope that it's not so bad this year. I worry about missing work due to inclement weather, and know it's inevitable, but the loss of wages is a real fear I live with (who doesn't?). My husband is still working at his job but who knows what the future has to hold with the way the economy has been lately? Luckily I'm in a pretty secure job, but at the same time, I worry about my husband, who is our main breadwinner. We'll see what happens. I've taken the steps necessary to try to prevent a huge problem down the road but again, what we need are savings. It's kind of hard to do with impending medical bills, insurance for vehicles, and everything else that goes along with providing to maintain a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. I know we will make it though.

Speaking of work, my new position is going well, but it is very challenging, which I like, but I am mentally and even physically exhausted at the end of the day. I haven't delved into it deeper than what I have done already (still in the middle of training), but I am hopeful I will do a good job. It's a completely different field for me (same company, different department), which is why I chose it. We shall see what happens.

With that, I wish all Americans a very happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Random thoughts

-Is there a general stereotype that all plus sized people just wish to wear goth, renaissance or muu muu-like clothing? Herein lies my gripe: I go onto eBay to look for plus sized dresses and about 85% of the search is usually in those categories. Do we really all fit in that category? What about the working plus sized woman? Or the person who happens to be looking for a dress she can wear to a holiday party that doesn't look like it came from the Dark Ages (or that she can sleep in)? Seriously?

-Halloween was interesting. I went out last night to a local event, watched a costume contest and had a good time with some friends. Funniest part about it was I saw a lot of people dressed up as Sarah Palin! That seems to be a popular theme this year...anyhow...not going into politics, that is NOT my style, I just thought I'd mention it! Unfortunately it did not pan out for the child, who is coughing as I type this. We did not go trick or treating, but we took her to a local haunted house and to a friend's house for candy (asked to bring her by, so I obliged). Needless to say, my daughter was crushed, but this cough has been lingering for about 2 weeks now and it's not getting better. Work was fun, we had a costume contest and good food which was actually catered by the local Hilltop restaurant (shout-out!). They brought us some delicious breakfast burritos, trays of fresh fruit, coffee cake and sticky buns. It was a delicious feast and was very appreciated- thank you Hilltop!

-Work is going well on my end, unfortunately, my husband found out that his company is doing lay-offs and it's possible that he might be losing his job. He's been looking for a job in the meanwhile. He's always been interested in trucking, and while I'm not too keen on the idea of being a single mom for weeks at a time, unless he gets local routes, it is more money, I guess that is better, huh? Maybe we could finally be on our way to home ownership. *Sigh*. I'm a bit nervous about the possiblity of being the sole breadwinner, but we do not have credit card debt and are typically conservative with our money. We have not been eating out as much recently (with exception to this week because it's just been crazy), don't go out to do much, and typically only carry my student loans as debt which I am paying off (looking into putting them into forbearance once again if necessary). The only thing we lack, like most Americans, are savings. It's been impossible with my medical bills that have piled up, the cost of fuel and groceries that have gone up, not to mention all the other incidentals of daily life (like every other Average Joe out there), such as vehicle repairs. Don't get me started on my husband's Towncar. Our family vehicle might need a new transmission. Another *sigh*. Luckily he has his gas guzzler to get him to and from work, and I have my truck. And luckily gas prices have been coming down, but we're still trying to conserve where we can and combine all trips.

-In conclusion, after a few panicky moments on Wednesday and Thursday, I think the motto was "Life's a shit sandwich", but even if I stress out for a moment (or in my case, an entire DAY), I'll roll with whatever life throws at me. What's next? I gotta laugh...right?