Ranting and Lost Christmas Spirit.

To be warned, this post is a rant!

I have to admit...I am sooo grateful Christmas is over!

This year was full of struggles and Christmas was definitely one of them.

The trucking company hubby has been working for, has been doing major cut backs in pay and layoffs. Fortunately, hubby has managed to escape from the layoff list, but the work has slowed down so much (because the state is not putting much money into new road construction) that we have had a severe reduction in income. Not just in pay, but in hours too!

Because of the reduction in pay, we cancelled our $400 a month medical insurance. Now they pass this thing, where everybody has to have it or pay a fine. I swear they make it sound like people without medical insurance are purposely going without cause they are to cheap to spend the money on it or to lazy to be concerned with it. Good gracious IF only that was the case! What about the poor saps who can't afford to pay over 5 grand a year for something we don't even use? I can understand needing it if you go to the doctors a lot, but I haven't been to a doctor in almost 5 years! That's a lot of money that was being paid for nothing and the insurance companies don't roll over that money or give at least half of it back for not using it! We have paid in over 25 grand in 5 years for about 3 grand in medical expenses. GRRR!!!


I guess you could say I really lost my Christmas spirit the day before Christmas. Every year for the last six years, my hubbies work has given out Christmas bonuses. Last year was a $500(up $200 from the year before) gift card to Wal-Mart. I was expecting the same thing this year, counting on it actually. Nope, we got nothing. Not even a friggin card or a thank you for working for us and keeping the company alive!

I was planning on using that card for groceries and some presents for the grand kids. Now I officially stink at being Nana!

On top of that lousy bit...

Hubby and I was ready to leave yesterday morning to go to his mother's house. We get everything loaded up and pull out of the driveway. Got to the stop sign and the clutch isn't working right. We managed to get almost to the next stop sign and the clutch quits working for good. Hubby finally gets it into gear long enough to back the truck up all the way back to the house.

He is now going to have to use my raggedy gas guzzling truck to go back and forth to work, till we can get up enough money to fix his truck. GRRRRRR!!!


Some how, I have to be a magical math genius and turn 70 dollars into groceries, fixing the truck and gas for the week!

Yup, my Christmas spirit is worn out and gone!

AND...What happened to the Christmas cards? Usually we get any where from 20-30 cards a year. This year we got 3! That will blow someones Christmas spirit to the wind! I even gave my family a bunch of cards and didn't get not one back!

Yes, today has been a day of reflection and all my thoughts have been aggravating ones.

One more aggravation...Income tax! Ever since the stimulus thing, has anyone noticed a reduction in taxes being with held. I have! It went from anywhere around $40-$100 a week to, at the most $20. Now if they don't change something in the tax forms or tax table, we are going to end up owing the IRS, instead of getting a return. I wish the government luck in trying to find the money we will owe, I have no clue where it is!

I have come to the conclusion...that I will end up in jail for not paying a fine for not having health insurance or for owing the IRS back taxes.

If for some reason I suddenly disappear from blogging, you will know where I am. Especially since I don't know anyone that won't be right there with me or that has money just lying around.

Sorry to be such a downer. I just had to get all of that out, maybe I will feel better after the New Year.