My Rampage about... The Link Card

What is the point of the Link card? I know it is equivalent to food stamps, but I don't understand how people can use their Link card to buy a 20 oz. bottle of soda, when they could use that money to buy a loaf of bread and some peanut butter and feed their family for a week. I know that there are families out there that are actually trying to better their life, and are only on the Link card for the time being. There are also families out there that are on the Link card, simply because they are either too lazy to get a job, or are on disability because they got "hurt" at work. Some families are on food stamps because their sole provider has a life threatening illness, like cancer, and then there are families that are on food stamps because their provider "hurt" their back, when they were climbing a ladder.
The state of Illinois should monitor the distribution of food stamps more closely. They are giving money to families that do not deserve it. There are families that are not on food stamps, but still can't afford to feed their families the type of food that people on food stamps buy their families. These families are buying name brand food, when they could be buying generic, and saving money.
I am not trying to degrade those few people that are on food stamps for a legitimate reason. On the other hand I am trying to make a point to those lazy families out there that are trying to get as much money as they can from the state. The other day at work, a fellow co-worker said something to me that I found to be the sole reason that our state funded programs are as corrupt as they are. "Why should I have to pay for something, when I can get it for free?" When my co-worker said that, I wanted to say "That is the reason why our state is the way that it is." With an attitude like that, it is no wonder that there are people out there that are not trying to better their lives because they are receiving free money from the state.

Over the weekend, my parents and my two brothers went to Branson, Missouri. I did not get the priviledge to go because I was forced to work. This was my first weekend where I was completely home by myself. At first, I was a little freaked out by the whole idea, because I had never stayed home by myself. Either I stayed with someone else, or I just went with my parents.
Before my family left, my older brother gave me some advice, "Do yourself a favor, and throw a party this weekend." I told him that it was not likely to happen because I had to work all weekend. Even if I did not have to work, I still would not have one, just because I did not want to.
While my family was gone, my dad entrusted me to feed the animals while he was gone. Did I forget to mention that I hate animals, all animals. So I recruited my friend Jessica to help me. All I have to say is that without her help, I would still be standing at the chicken pen, trying to convince myself that the chickens were not going to eat me alive.
So that was my weekend, pretty much uneventful, the only good thing that happened, was that I got to spend the whole weekend by myself.

Halloween Tradition

On Saturday night, my little brother went to the Haunted Woods with his friends. He called my mom around 11 o'clock and told her that they were going to go to Red Bud to grab some food, and then he would be home.  When he got home, my mom was waiting up for him and his friend, who was going to spend the night.  Apparently prior to my little brother leaving the house, my mom told him that she would take him and his friend tping.  I just want to remind you that my little brother is 13.  So my brother and his friend walked to my neighbor’s house.  Of all of the neighbors that we have, we like them the least.  As I was driving to work on Sunday morning I was the damage they did, it was pretty bad.  Later on I come to find out that my brother also walked about a mile up the road to another house, and tped them and egged their windows. What can I say, my brother is stupid.

That night, my older brother came home and he was going to go tp his bosses house, and I overheard him talking to his friend, and apparently he had a hand in tping, not only the neighbors house, but he was the one that did the egging.  Let's just say my older brother is not the best role model for my gullible little brother.

Let's just say that it is now a Feldmann tradition to tp someone on Halloween, I did it last year, but that is another blog post.

Walking With My Dad

The past few nights, my dad and I have been taking nighttime walks together.  We walk up and down our neighbors 1/2 mile lane, and talk about whatever it is that we want to talk about.  I enjoy this time with my dad because I don't have to hide anything.  I can just be myself, and not worry about being judged by anyone, it is just me and him.  We talk about what annoys us, what we both did during the day, and what we plan on doing the next day or the next week. 
My dad and I have never been close, only in the past year have we actually formed a stable relationship.  My dad and I are very similar, we both have a low tolerance of people, we get annoyed easily and we both keep our feelings bottled up inside. My friends joke that I am the "tin man" because they don't think I have a heart because I don't show my emotions.  Whenever I go on a walk with my dad, I don't have to hide my emotions, I can let them out.  I can vent about whatever it is that is bothering me, and I know that all my dad is going to do is tell me to calm down, which I won't.  These walks with my dad have brought us closer together, and I hope that we can stay as close as we are now.

My Legacy is Over....But Another One is About to Begin

When I was born on February 16, 1992, I became the first girl on my dad's side of the family born in 65 years.  I have been the only girl on my dad's side of the family for eighteen years. 

My cousin Dusty and his wife Candice were not able to get pregnant on their own, so they had to turn to fertility treatment.  Candice became pregnant right away, everyone in the family was thrilled, because Dusty and Candice had been wanting a baby for a long time.  About a month ago they found out what they were having.  I knew that I would be happy if it was a boy or a girl, but deep down I really wanted them to have a boy.  Does that make me a selfish person? 

Whenever Dusty and Candice found out what they were having, they sent out a forward to everyone in their cell phones.  I was one of the last ones to find out.  They are having a girl.  They are going to name her Lainy Jewel.  When I found out that they were having a girl, I am not going to lie I was a little disappointed, but it is time for a new girl to carry on the legacy.  Who knows, since she is due in February, she may be born on my birthday, wouldn't that be interesting?

8th Grade Car Wash = Claustrophobic

Has anyone had their car washed by twenty 13 year olds, while you are still in the the car?  I just experienced this for the first time.  Lets just say that I barely made it out alive.  My little brother's class was having a car wash as a fund raiser for their class trip to Washington DC.  So I was on my way home from work, and I decided to have Ethan's class wash my car.  Bad idea.  When I got there, I realized that I would be inside the car while the kids were washing it, and that sort of freaked me out.  I'm sorry, but having twenty rags cleaning your windshield at the same time, is kind of freaky, and it doesn't help that I get half way claustrophobic.  Then the sound of your car being sprayed by a power washer doesn't exactly sound like a lullaby sounds to a baby.  Then your car gets wiped down, and while it was getting wiped down, these two parents, starting pointing at a spot on my car, and then I really started to freak out.  I wanted to know what was on my car.  It was only a spot that the kids missed, crisis averted.  Although I now have a clean car, I will never go to a car wash where I have to sit in the car while they wash my car again.  I don't think I can handle it.

First Funeral in 11 Years

Today I will be attending my first funeral in 11 years.  The last funeral I attended, I was in the 2nd grade, and it was my grandpa's.  I have not been to a funeral home in over a year, because the sight of dead people freaks me out.
My dad's first cousin Roger died in a car accident on Wednesday night.  Roger's death came as a shock to all of us.  My dad and Roger were very close as kids.  My grandma and Roger's dad were brother and sister.  Whenever the families would get together, Roger and my dad would sort of drift toward each other.  Throughout the years, they remained close friends, in fact Roger was the god father to my younger brother Ethan. 
Roger was never seen as the type of guy that you could walk up to and have an hour long conversation with.  Although he came off as being this way, he always had a kind word to say to me, and I will miss him dearly.  What I will remember most about Roger is that he was always wearing a silly hat, his hawaiian shirts, and he was always smoking a cigar. 
I hope that Roger knew before he died that we all loved him, and that we will all miss him.