Empress of Groovy

Oh, quit being such a fuddy-duddy. Tell us your shoe size, the last time you bought tires, and your favorite OTC analgesics.

Boy did I have a wacky day! It was a regular work day, and as I was pulling out of my condo's underground parking garage to head to the office, I heard a terrible noise! I was afraid that perhaps the transmission in my 15-year-old car was about to explode, but not so afraid that I kept from driving the 15 miles to work, which includes highway driving. When I arrived at the office, I was relieved to discover the source of the noise: the plastic shroud thing in the front of the car had come loose and was dragging on the ground. Thank Jessup! I was even able to remove it myself. The remaining screw holding it onto the car was so loose, I didn't even need a wrench! Just my dainty fingers. I hope no one in the parking garage tried to sneak a peek while I was on my knees next to the car, stilettos in the air.
For lunch, I had a chicken focaccia sandwich, a side salad, and half lemonade, half iced tea from the drink station. I like iced tea and lemonade, so I made a mixture.
On the way home, some dickwad pulled out in front of me and proceeded to go about 10 mph. It's snowbird season. Lots of Lincoln Town Cars and Ford Crown Vics that look like they're being driven by...no one. They pay no mind to rules of traffic or indeed the laws of physics.
At one point during the day, I looked out the window. At first, I thought I saw several MILFS mud wrestling (cue Kip), but it turned out to be a pile of mulch. I think an optometrist appointment might be in order.

This is VJ, where we appear to have an infinite appetite for the minutiae of each other's lives like we were celebrities. But some of us are "Superstar Members"! In the interests of feeding the collective curiosity of VJ, I propose we report on the everyday aspects of our lives like the celebrities we know we are.
Think of it as TMZ for VJ.
So today, I got up a full fifteen minutes earlier than usual, because my cat woke me up. I didn't need to wash my hair, so I had some extra time and got to have an extra cup of tea before work. I prefer Tetley's British Blend! (No sugar.) The commute was pretty unremarkable. I was stoked because the Staples delivery had come over the weekend and I got the labels I needed! I also spent a couple of hours on Westlaw looking at stuff about compelling discovery. It was pretty "compelling" stuff! (Terrible joke, I know.) I'm leaving work in fifteen minutes, and I'm calling my mom on the way home. Tonight I'll be out having a few beers with my friend Reid and talking about Skyfall, which I saw this weekend with my boyfriend. My boyfriend who I normally sleep naked with but couldn't this weekend because he hasn't had his pilot light lit yet so we were freezing and I had to wear SOCKS.
Please feel free to share, superstars!

It's cool Gary - we're already paying for Kip and all the other rugged manly men around here. Next we're going to hatch a plan to take away your guns so it's all cool.

Gary,
first, congratulations.
You not only married a beautiful and well education woman, but the fact that even your wife voted for Obama or against Romney, whatever it is, proves that she is indeed a person of insight and compassion.
Secondly, you are in a wonderful position for 2 reasons:
1) you live in Vermont, a state that has single payer health care. That's a dream come true.
2) you are financially well off, so you have choices in life.
Let's start with number 1, shall we?
While many of us, even liberals, will agree with you that there are people who will take advantage of the system, the main reason for implementing Romneycare is to make sure that no American has to die in his own vomit when getting sick and the health insurance industry tells him to #### off, the hospital tells him to #### off, and he has nothing left but dying, often after a life of hard work and service for his country. To prevent this from continuing in the "greatest nation on Earth," We The People are willing to accept that a few people will abuse the system. We'll try to crack down on this, but the world is not perfect. But the same way you won't bomb a whole country into the ground because there are a handful of terrorists down there, somewhere, we owe it to our fellow citizens to make sure they don't have to die in vain because a few bad apples will take advantage of this. Again, you in Vermont have a wonderful health care system already. If you were in Alaska and got sick, they would kick you to the curb and drive with their 4WD over you to make sure you are really dead.
In regard to number 2, you'll have to realize that only a few people have the financial means you have. Yes, there are some lazy bums out there. Yes, there are people who like food stamps and watch Jerry Springer reruns all day, but there are also hard working folks who lost their jobs due to the recession and they deserve a helping hand from We The People. Some call it government programs; I like to call it public programs. One of my best friends, a self-made multi-millionaire, had an accident in one of his warehouses when a 700lbs crate fell down and hit him in the neck. He initially was a C3 but now he can at least move his arms again, although he doesn't have regained control over his fingers. The whole episode has cost the insurance company $5M where he maxed out, and he's finally home, but needs 24/7 care as he can't even wipe his buttocks. For this he has to pay, and to pay for a long time, so he is financially wiped out, with a wife and a young boy. Gary, that can happy to you, to Alla, to one of your children. You can get ####### cancer, have a car accident, a stroke, and will be forced to move into a cardbox because of it. I don't think that's something we have to accept.
If all the wealth this country has can't get us affordable health care, a minimum of retirement money, and the confidence that if disaster strikes we don't have to choose between living in the woods or jumping in front of a bus, then what good does it do us to live in the Land of the Brave and Free?

Only you would basically post your W2 form on VJ to prove a point, although now it makes sense why you couldn't afford a cleaner

Basically what you were saying is that you were a low earner all long. It's cool, Gary, really. Nothing to get unhinged about, certainly not over the election results.

Hm, no, don't see any deductions for crazy egomaniacs. Maybe it'll be on the next one.

I have a question.
How are you going to become self-employed again?

I've known plenty people who will take the free ride. People on both sides of the Atlantic. I have too much self respect to join them. I have always worked and earned everything I've owned. I've never taken benefits and I've always paid my share of taxes.
I will never understand the people who will sit with their hands out taking whatever they can get and never contributing a penny back to the society that is supporting them. Or the ultra rich who earn millions and billions and wouldn't pay a dime in taxes if they could get away with it.
It's better to give than to receive and it feels good to have dignity and self respect so I'll be pushing that wagon with you Mr Big Dog.

Really? I will pull my own weight best I can regardless of who occupies the White House. And I'll always be better off that way than those that chose not to pull their own weight. Again, regardless of who occupies the White House. It's just the kind of guy I am. Driven by my own initiative and driven by wanting to do right by myself, my family, my community and my country. But that's just me. Apparently, folks like Gary and yourself are quite bit weaker in their convictions. *shrugs*

Move to Ukraine then?
Bye

You strike me as the type who talks just to hear himself talk. Apparently that translates onto the internet.

Thank you for adding to the discourse on VJ because we all deeply care about your plans.

Course you are, you represent everything that is 'unamerican' in America today - and you want too much free stuff at the expense of 'real' Americans.
Did you not know that America should be predominantly white, protestant and American English speaking. America's motto is look after yourself and isolate yourself in your magic fortress because your neighbours could be out to get you. If you are 'genuinely' unable to help yourself (the criteria for this being as ephemeral as fairy dust) their exists a band of 'the righteous' who will provide you with succor provided you can demonstrate in triplicate that you did not in some way bring your circumstances on yourself and you can show your tattoo proving you are in fact legally present in God's chosen land.

Stop clutching your pearls. It's not a racist phrase, and I doubt val intended it that way, given her posting history. It comes from the Greek, and the first instance of the phrase was in a 16th century translation of Erasmus, predating the first recorded instance of the word "spade" as a pejorative term for an African or African-American by almost 400 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_call_a_spade_a_spade

Sorry to read your story.
'I'm wondering if I can get another one from the Philippines after I divorce'
Interesting wording...like a commodity? I should imagine looking for 'another one' should be the furthest thing from your mind right now.

If God wanted Romney to win, he would have. But obviously God favors Obama. That much is clear. Rejoice, for God has spoken.

YAY! No more binders! I'm putting my binders of men together now. Watch out!

white wine no less - he might as well have a #######!

What's with the wine glass and sweater? Shouldn't he be in denim, chugging Meister Brau, and eating a steak with his bare hands?

russianwomentruth.com The things some of you look at on the internet...

Spot on.

It soundeth like you're losing your mindeth.