November 7, 2024

Serious question about social security solvency.

Maybe some of you are in my shoes or some version of my shoes and have some thoughts on this…

I 60 and my husband is 63. We are recently retired. We had planned to take money from our investments for living expenses until we are 67 and can draw our full social security benefits. At that time we planned to ratchet back what we take from our investments.

Reputable economists have said that with the felon’s economic “plan” and project 2025, SS could be insolvent in 6 years.

Should we take our SS early in the hopes of getting something out of what we’ve put in over our lifetimes or should we gamble that it might still be there?

If fascism begins to take hold, I don’t believe we can count on a free and fair election in 4 years…but maybe? This too seems like a gamble.

Anybody else thinking about these things?

October 15, 2024

My Halloween display is UP!

My neighbor took this pic from his kiddo’s second story window across the street. This is, imho, the most wonderful time of the year. I hope the snow holds off until after 11/1. 🎃💀



Sorry about my recycling bins out front…🙄

August 11, 2024

JD Vance apparently admired Barack Obama enough to put it in writing?

Apologies if this has been posted. Please tell me how the Felon’s only the best people didn’t dig this up? I guess it’s another example of the JD flip flop.

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7951262-president-obama-came-on-the-scene-right-as-so-many

“President Obama came on the scene right as so many people in my community began to believe that the modern American meritocracy was not built for them. We know we’re not doing well. We see it every day: in the obituaries for teenage kids that conspicuously omit the cause of death (reading between the lines: overdose), in the deadbeats we watch our daughters waste their time with. Barack Obama strikes at the heart of our deepest insecurities. He is a good father while many of us aren’t. He wears suits to his job while we wear overalls, if we’re lucky enough to have a job at all. His wife tells us that we shouldn’t be feeding our children certain foods, and we hate her for it—not because we think she’s wrong but because we know she’s right. Many”

― J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

August 7, 2024

Looks like Taylor Swift has entered the chat.

Saw this on her verified Instagram account:

July 12, 2024

Group behind Project 2025 floats conspiracy theory that Joe Biden will use force

to stay in power. Sweet baby jeebus...everything is projection with these people.

WASHINGTON — A conservative think tank that is planning for a complete overhaul of the federal government in the event of a Republican presidential win is suggesting that President Joe Biden might try to hold the White House "by force" if he loses the November election.

The Heritage Foundation's warning — which goes against Biden's own public statements — appeared in a report released Thursday that the group said resulted from a role-playing exercise gaming out potential scenarios before and after the 2024 election.WASHINGTON — A conservative think tank that is planning for a complete overhaul of the federal government in the event of a Republican presidential win is suggesting that President Joe Biden might try to hold the White House "by force" if he loses the November election.

https://missoulian.com/news/nation-world/government-politics/politics-election-trump-democracy-heritage-foundation/article_81064ba9-cc2f-5669-8704-431d4463e640.html#tncms-source=login

July 8, 2024

I will officially be an empty nester next weekend.

I am aware that I am blessed beyond measure but as I ready my kiddo for this next step, I am floored at how hard this is. I wasn't prepared. I am working so hard to keep my emotions in check.

So many people told me that kids make it easy on you before they leave...they'll be testy and impatient and I'll just be relieved to see them go. This has not been my experience. Owen (the child) is a joy. He's just so much fun to live with and be around. He makes me laugh every day.

I was 40 when O was born. I'd had a two mid-term miscarriages when he joined his dad and me. He was THE biggest surprise. It's just been the three of us for 19 years. Owen is and has always been an old soul. He is sensitive and kind and incredibly empathetic. He's a musician...piano and guitar. I won't know how to navigate for a while without his music in the house.

Owen is a thinker and someone who puzzles through things...he seems to know instinctively when to make a move and when not making a move is these best course of action. He was a straight A student. Owen is a Democrat.

Owen took a random flight with a friend of ours on a twin engine Cessna when he was 17 years old...he was taking a mental health day from school his senior year when he got the invitation. He got off that plane and told me he wanted to take lessons and he would look for an instructor. He found one...he took his first solo flight 3 months later and got his private pilot's license in Oct 2023. He was accepted at ATP flight school in February of this year. His dad and I will take him to CO Springs this weekend so he can begin commercial flight school. His goal is to be a private corporate pilot.

I'm just so stinking proud of him, I can't speak to it. Owen did this all on his own. I'm along for the ride and what a pleasure it has been being this kid's mom. I feel incredibly fortunate. I really didn't know how hard this step would be however. Maybe I should have but I didn't. I know there will be opportunities for finding my way...but right now, I'm just deep in this.

Thanks for listening.

April 30, 2024

"Ballot Roll-Off". I had NO idea what this meant.

Apparently Dems do not vote down ballot as consistently as republicans and it’s killing us in state government. I know we all know this on some level but here’s what SisterDistrict.com has revealed:

Our research team has been digging deep into a hidden voter problem that is Democrats’ biggest barrier – and biggest opportunity – to taking control of state legislatures.

We have already determined Democrats would have gained control of 14 more chambers in 9 states in 2020 if they had only been able to increase their down-ballot votes by 2% or less. And, those votes could have come from people who were already voting for Democrats at the top of the ticket.

Currently, we are investigating what kinds of people roll off their ballots and why.This research has huge implications for the general election this November. In 2024, we are developing and testing messages to address this problem, and we’ll work in coalition with our friends and allies to put these messages into practice during the 2024 general elections.

Things hugely important and I did not understand how big of a problem it is and how slight Democratic defeats were at the state level.

https://sisterdistrict.com/

Instagram video explains this in detail.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6FXKSIpDZZ/?igsh=NDJzYzBiYzVrdTRm

April 12, 2024

JFC. I did not think my little blue city would have to withstand another visit from a tRump.

But it appears that coke boy jr is coming to Missoula to “speak” at the end of the month. Goddamit. I’m so mad right now.

https://missoulian.com/news/local/trump-jr-missoula-um-pac-fundraiser-election/article_352c1f1a-f845-11ee-b1f7-734c1880209b.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

April 9, 2024

Animal cruelty trigger warning. PLEASE consider signing this petition.

I’m sick to death of wolf haters. This man tortured a wolf pup in public before killing it. Wyoming apparently needs their hands forced to charge this poor excuse of s human with animal cruelty. His wife is an elected official in Daniel, WY.

https://www.change.org/p/wolf-tormenter-cody-roberts-must-face-a-harsher-punishment

https://www.instagram.com/lolysmenchaka/p/C5cIXClPlZf/?img_index=1

On Edit: the Governor of WY needs a phone call. His number is in this link:

https://www.change.org/p/protect-our-wildlife-cody-roberts-must-face-harsher-punishment

https://twitter.com/actionxander/status/1777184605717586314

February 11, 2024

My kiddo and I didn't make it home to our family Super Bowl watch party.

We’re 49er fans through and through. He and I are watching in a hotel room near the Denver airport. The boy and I were down in Colorado Springs so that he could take his admissions flight at ATP Flight School. We flew down on Friday and he was supposed to fly yesterday but CO Springs got a bunch of snow and visibility was zero the whole day. This morning, the sky was clear, the air was cold and he did his admissions flight with a stunning view of Pike’s Peak in the background. We will fly home tomorrow. Sad to not be home tonight but feel fortunate anyway.

Cheers!