Vote Out Fear, or Why I am Voting for Ron Paul

If you click over to my 101 Things page, you will notice that I crossed off #31 which was to change over my voter registration to my married name. This was contingent on number 32, finding someone worth voting for. I have, as you may already seen on my About page, chosen the support Ron Paul.

In the 2004 election, I voted out of fear of the “other guy” winning. My interest was really in a third party candidate but I failed to choose according to my conscience. I believed the lie that my vote was “wasted” on someone who would most likely not win. During the following weeks, I made a firm resolve to never, EVER, do that again. My vote is wasted only if I choose to sit at home and do nothing. The lie is foisted upon us because the other candidates want to keep everything the way it is.

Believe me, the last few months have been a roller coaster of thoughts, research, and much prayer. Jeff and I weren’t even sure we would vote at all until about 6 weeks ago. No one seemed to be carrying a message that was bigger than their ego. Then these Ron Paul signs started popping up all over town, from July onwards. Who was this guy?  We watched several videos about the Federal Reserve, the IRS, and our monetary system that freaked me out. [Heh, in case you are reading this, Feds: yeah, I know we are on the List. You can move on.] But some of these videos were made over 10 years ago…and Mr. Paul was saying the same message then as he is today.

So here are some key points as to why we are joining the Revolution:

• As I said, Ron Paul has been consistent in his message and actions throughout his political career. This is a rare gem!
• He is pro-life for babies and for soldiers. And for other nations.
• The  ‘Revolution’ is not a cult of Ron Paul; it is a reborn idea of personal responsibility for liberty. Mr. Paul, God Bless Him, is a rather normal sort of gentleman, passionate and persuasive and honest. Somehow, I can’t see there being Paul Chicks in the manner of Obama Chicks.
• The people supporting him are a “rabble” of every sort. Toss out the stereotypes! Still have to research this, but I believe there is very, very little in terms of special interest money being donated. Who needs it? The people raised over 6 million in one day on December 16th, with the average contribution being $100.
• Because it is the Rabble doing the activism, fund-raising, and sharing the message, more Rabble joins them and it is a good infectious sort of politics.
• I pretty much agree with the rest of his platform, except maybe the Border security debate. Haven’t come to the conclusion on that one yet.

So there you have my political rant in a nutshell…or just the nut. We will be joining in with a Sign Wave this Sunday after church in front of Walmart(!), my first public political activism. And that is another thing I like about Ron Paul…so many folks are getting active who never had done so before. Will you join us?

#90 - Bubbles at the International Festival

I took the bubbles with me….and then it became too dark on Friday night to blow any. Darn. The attempt was made. We did enjoy the Polka Kings [Local Polka Band...very fun] and Italian Ices. Excellent multicultural experience.

#59 - Blood Donation, finally!

[Squeemish folks be warned...]

Over the past 4 months, I’ve been visiting the Oklahoma Blood Institute only to be turned away for low (in their standards) iron levels. The last time, three weeks ago, the girl doing my pre-donation screening did my blood pressure on my left arm and it read really low. According to a new rule, she couldn’t re-test it. Bah-humbug!

So this week, I had a plan. I would hop around, like a kid, before they tested my blood pressure on the right arm. Hurray, 108/62! Next, I requested a blood draw instead of a finger prick for the iron test. This can be a little more accurate with some people. I was one of those people. That was also a point over the proscribed minimum! I choose to do RBCP which pumps in some IV fluids alternately with drawing your blood in stages. It takes a little longer but it is better on your body to get some fluids back right away.

Jeff donated at the same time. He has been a real trooper when it came to overcoming his blood-fear. He’s successfully donate over 4 times now! We ate some Wendy’s (as a treat!) and then went home to recover for the afternoon. Jeff went off to visit his uncle this evening and I have some time to myself to (ahem) study and work on paid side project.

#39 - See a Sunset

We visited Jeff’s Uncle and a friend out at Camp Y’shua yesterday, north of Meers, Oklahoma. This is a multi-purpose Christian Camp set on the backside of the Wichita Mountains. I believe it is the prettiest spot in Oklahoma I’ve seen so far!

Uncle Denny grilled a delicious tender steak for us. (Free-range local cattle….mmmm!) The grounds of the camp are excellently cared for. We tooled around in little all-terrain golf carts, even in the dark with a flashlight as a headlight. That was some scary fun! The sun set behind us as we watched the shadows creep along the mountain sides. What a glorious time. We’ll be back soon!

#50-Mancala Board and more!

We had an excellent Anniversary weekend! Jeff’s workplace had their annual pigroast on Saturday which was a great time of fellowship and feasting. [Side note: I tend to not eat pork but try it occassionally like at a party.]

On Sunday we drove up to Oklahoma City for a day out. I bought the book, Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit, which was recently published. The author also wrote, A Return to Modesty, that I highly recommend.

We ate lunch at Panera (ok, you high-brow urbanites might eat there weekly…but for us, its a serious treat!). Next came a stop at Target for random goodies, including a Mancala board. After Targets, we drove over to the National Cowboy Museum.

The Museum is a must for anyone who loves to Old West. For us, it was overload! The artwork is fantastic but there was only so much cowboys, indians and assorted wildlife we could take. We spent about 2 hours there and then headed out for ice cream.

When we got home, Jeff wanted to learn how to play Mancala and I obliged him. That was our simple, joyful first anniversary!

Completed: #28 Picnic, #45 Rummy!

Jeff taught me how to play Rummy on Saturday night. That was fun! I had beginner’s luck in the first hand, beating him 95-65. We played best out of three and he ended up winning. Ahh, well, you can only do so much!

As part of my Birthday-weekend celebrations, Jeff took me out for an honest-to-goodness picnic, with basket and cloth napkins. We drove out to the Wildlife Refuge, got set up, started to eat and then we hear thunder. It was a 5 minute picnic! He felt so bad that we didn’t get the full experience. I guess we’ll have to try again.

We had a great time together this weekend. I am one truly blessed woman to have Jeff in my life!

#61- Watched West Side Story

Whereas I loved The Fiddler on the Roof, this one bombed big time. I can’t see why this won 10 Academy Awards in 1961. I can at least say I was in the same room as the movie while it was airing. I just did needlework instead of watching it. The dresses Maria wore were scrumptious, the one redeeming value.

#62 - Watched Fiddler on the Roof

Jeff owns the Fiddler on the Roof DVD so this Thing was easy to accomplish. We watched the first half on Sunday night and the second half last night. As you might guess, the songs are rotating through my brain throughout the day! I do not have any deeper thoughts on Tradition or the plot of the movie to share, other than, I loved it.

#14 - Eat More, Weigh less

According to the Doctor’s scale, I’ve lost 3 pounds in the last month! Small steps, soon to be less of me! I would like to feel a difference in how my clothing fits before I consider my efforts worthwhile.

Here is a blog post showing what a 300 calorie meal looks like. I was astounded! This is close to what I normally eat…but I only eat three meals a day instead of 5-6, as they recommend. No wonder I like to raid the vending machines in search of more (and useless) calories! I’m just not eating enough good food. On the practical side, to adopt a mode of eating like this, will take a lot of planning and time. Cook foods, pack them up for the work day, make sure I’m tracking how much I’m consuming, etc. Talk about a new way of living…

Another web site I enjoy is called My Pet Fat. They offer a visual and tactile representation of what a pound or more of fat is like. I’m sure your first reaction will be like mine…..EEEEeeewwww!

On the exercise side of things, I’ve been doing fairly well the last two weeks. I rotate through a stack of dvds and tapes, my favorites being Yoga Booty Ballet and The Firm. I was blessed with the latter set in a special way. I picked up the whole set of tapes from 2002 at a Goodwill in Florida, where we had our honeymoon last year. Only $7 for the whole kit! The Fanny Lifter was missing and we couldn’t well pack it up to take home anyway. Well, a friend of mine gave me her steps she wasn’t using. Now I’m set for doing all the videos, hopefully making it through just one Body Sculpt before the 1001 days are up.

If the weather is clear later this week, I’ll walk to and from work. The distance in 1.5 miles, one way. That is an excellent workout for one day. Lace up your shoes and join me in the glorious sunshine.