Welfare Junkies

"I really like to travel and live free like a nomad. I don't like working, it ties me down and i've been fired from every job I ever had."

"Rather than minimum wage work in the US, I'm considering traveling a few months because I have US citizenship. I have great qualifications and work experience, but I'd rather collect welfare and have free time."

This is what a lot of folks who come into my store are thinking. I deal with peoples ACCESS cards and what i see on there is ridiculous! I see this one couple with only two kids come in and have over 1,000 dollars a month in food stamps. Now tell me that the government isn't screwing the rest of us somewhere.

My town is full of herion addicts. And most of them are on food stamps and cash assistance. I'll get started on cash assistance people later. I work hard for my money and so does my husband. We both pull long hours so we have enough money to pay the bill and have fun. I will admit I have been on food stamps before. A long time ago. For only three months. Just to get us up on our feet. After that we didnt need it anymore. Even though we still qualified for them we chose not to take them.

Some of my customers use up there food stamps on soft drinks and candybars. No joke. Day after day they come in and buy just that. Now cash assistance people. You know how many times I ran cards off of cash side to get cash back and use it on cigarettes and lottery. Alot! Its not fair that our tax dollars are paying for lottery twice! Its a bunch of shit.

This one group, every day like clockwork, comes in and buys cigarettes. Three different kinds, for three different people. Lottery, and softdrinks. All off their ACCESS card. She has a Gucci purse. Her nails are ALWAYS done up. I am talking acrylic nails. With airbrushed designs. NEVER a day that her nails don't look perfect. Top of the line sneakers, and the cutest damn clothes. Where did the government go wrong?

Another couple...Both herion addicts. Her boyfriend deals drugs around our town. He is currently in jail because of it. One child. Name brand clothes. Same professionally done nails. Nice snazzy car AND jeep. Both working part time jobs. (When he isnt in jail) Making a killing on food stamps ($800 a month) and ($600) cash assistance. Pulling cash back to buy cigarettes and alcohol.

One of my customers is very overweight. Nice girl. But doesn't work because she is overweight. She gets disablity because of it. She also gets food stamps and cash assistance. I didnt think you could do both but I guess I am wrong. Again she buys cigarettes and softdrinks. Cases of them.

I could go on and on. I thought the purpose of the ACCESS card is to pay bills with the cash side and buy "food" with the food side. I guess I was wrong on that one too.

I know people who have babies just to collect the welfare. No joke...for some reason people tell me these things. I dont know if its because they trust me or just got comfortable with me because I have been their cashier for years.

Regardless we should do something about it. But can't. Many years ago, I knew this one chick who claimed a child on her application that didnt live with her. He was her step son who lived with his mother and only came to visit every once in a while. She got away with it too. I called her in and reported her. They investigated and she won. She still gets welfare. She had a spare bedroom and just so happened to have him stay they same damn day that they came to investigate.

HOW DO THESE PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH THIS!?

I am done venting!

A Cat's Meow In Ghost Town

My hubby and some friends wanted to go to a haunted "thing" on halloween night. Neither of us wanted to drive far or spend an over priced fee. So we sat and pondered. We were so bored. Then I remembered when I went geocaching up in Laural Run at the old tannery. The Pandemonium.

Legend has it Pandemonium got its name because early settlers had a huge argument over what language to use in church. English, Dutch, or German. People were getting frustrated over the lack of compromise. "one guy jumped up and said. 'we may as well name the town pandemonium because that is what this is.' The name stuck"

All that remains is a patch of hallowed ground...Pioneer Cemetery and remnants of the old tannery. A very large and destructive fire occurred on the top and south sides of mountains in 1914. People died there and the Pandemonium...now known as Ghost Town is report to be haunted.

On Halloween night we all ventured up to visit Ghost Town. It was a creepy drive. A very long and narrow, dirt road is the only way up the mountain. Once we arrived, we all put our windows down, then heard a very eary cats meow...like a hissing growl almost....Then (I know you wont believe this) but the radio turned up a bit. We all screamed.

We sat there a little bit snapping pictures, hoping to catch something on camera. We were there for like 10 mins...(In the truck, after the radio thing we were afraid to get out of the truck). Then we drove up to the cemetery. We didnt make it two feet from where we were, when a truck turned on its lights behind us. We all screamed and floored the gas. We didnt hear the truck pull up..and cant figure out why it sat back there all that time. We were a bit freaked. He followed us up to the cemetery where we pulled in. Thankfully he went straight. Didnt see much there. So we drove home. It was quite a spooky night. We hope to find a better place next year.

Painting Clowns

I was at a convience store yesterday. Waiting to buy a pack of smokes. The lines were horrible. People acted like it was going to snow. This one lady had layers of clothes on. She was a bit weird. Hunched over she SLOWLY put her stuff up on the counter. Her nails were long and dingy. That just grosses me out. If your going to have long nails keep them painted or cleaned. Her coat was dirty. And her hair hadn't been brushed... A man behind me was dressed in a suit. Dark black with grey pin stripes. He was buying a cup of Joe. He looked really sharp. Probably going to work. Lawyer or something. So I stood there. Sighing under my breath. All I wanted was my damn smokes. The lady took forever. I glanced at the lottery tickets while I waited. So much fun...yet such a money waster. Really...who buys a cartful of groceries at a convience store? While I was "patiantly" waiting, in walks a group of girls. Maybe sixteen, seventeen years old. Laughing and and talking loud. I looked up and just started at them. Cute girls. They had the most fashionable styles going on. V-neck ruffle blouses. One was wearing boot cut jeans and the other a black skirt with (get this) hot pink knee high boots. These girls looked hot.  All stowing a cute guy on their arms. Not a soul in that store wasnt gauking at them. They were model teens for any magazine. Except one thing. Their faces were painted like clowns! Their makeup was shades darker than their skin tone. They had it all. The foundation, the blush, lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, glitter. If I didnt mention it...I bet it was still there. You could see the different shades along the jaw line. I f***in hate that! Really. All you need when you where makeup is just enough to accent your best facial features. If ya want the color and glitter or something dramatic...keep it on your eyes. Can you not see in your mirror what you look like. Is your mask not noticeable to you? You could peel it right off your face and hang it on the wall for tomorrow. Seriously...if you could get all the compounds of that makeup stuck together...I wouldnt doubt that you really could peel it off as a mask. Finally...my turn at the register...could I get a pack of blah, blah, blah...I could hear the girls clattering about the new mustang she was driving.... when the clerk said to me..."do these boys know they are with hookers riding in a car bought by daddy's money?" I dont know I said. On my way out the door one of the guys said with attitude..."its not her "daddy's money". I give her my mastercard".  I let out a bellowing laugh. Walked out the door..I could hear the chuckles behind me as the door closed.

Inlighten Me

Visited my dad this past weekend. It was his 50th birthday. He is a high risk diabetic. I am so scared for him. And myself for that matter. I follow right in his path. So I am determind! I started to add excerising into my normal routine. Yesterday was my first day.

It is very hard to add something to your routine when you hate to do it. Its like doing dishes...lots of sighs, grunts, ahhh...Yeah I guess I will do it now...but only because I have to. Grrr. I only lasted 10 mins on the stationary bike, but at least i did 10 minutes!

I found that if I closed my eyes it was easier. I didnt have to think about it. But I managed to work up a sweat. Hey dont be dissing. I am out of shape. We all know it. But my goal is to not lose weight but to maintain a healthier lifestyle so I dont get diabetes. If I lose weight in the process then that is great! If not...at least I am getting my heart a pumping.

Diabetes runs in my family hard core. We all have eating issues. And cant deny that...although some of us do. It just is true. It is what it is. It upsets me when I tell people about diabetes and my family. They dont seem to understand. I told 'someone' about our family history. They have diabetes in their family too. BUT, there are two types of diabetes. At least in my head.

1. Skinny people who have insulin problems.

2. Big people who only have insulin problems because of their food addiction.

My family is number two. The people tell me "oh just eat healthier, excercise." youll love this one...controll yourself....Well let me tell you something! If your a herion addict. You take it everyday...and everyday your want more and more. You cant stop until its taken from you. You go nuts and just "need it". That is very simaliar to food. Better 'sugars'.

You can buy a crap load of junk food for 10 bucks at any store...especially discount stores. But if want fresh meat and veges, 10 buck buys you very little.

It's just rediculous!

Halloween Chaos

Tis' the season. Trees so red they look like they are on fire. Leaves tumbling in slight breeze of the wind. Dried cornstalks wrapped around porch posts. Dark grey cloudy skies. Crisp mornings....oh and the halloween isles PACKED with last minute shoppers!

I set out in September to find the perfect halloween costume. I am tired of being a witch, a clown, a farmer. I wanted something unique. More than one party to go to this year. I wanted it to be perfect!

Ha. Ha. Ha. Let me tell you what! Businesses think their consumer are a size freakin two! Every place I have looked has a wide selection of "unique" costumes. Everything and Everything you could possibly think of, lined the shelves. But look at the size. Guess what its not there!

The largest store of halloween costumes in my area had hundreds of different costumes. And like at least 25 different catagories. Wall to wall of accessories, wigs, jewlery, stocking, belts, decorations, everything...except...nothing a size higher than 14! I am not kidding.

So I asked for help...She ran around the store with me telling me...'oh here is one. Its not the size your looking for, but the way it is built, it has "flare" "room to breathe"' I was like get real! Everyone knows halloween costumes run small. A size 14 is like a size 12! America is big. And getting bigger. Accomadate the population! Not just tiny teens. Adults have fun too.

I told her I was going to throw a sheet over my head and be a ghost. Now there is "flare" for ya.

My next journey...online shopping. So many sites to choose from. Twice as many costumes. I thought this is great...a wide selection...ha ha ha. Standard size 12. Oh my freakin goodness!!!! There it is...the plus size button. In it, a whole, maybe, 30 costumes out of 300 on the site itself. But...Finally. Need I remind you at this point its like four weeks before halloween. I searched and searched. And there it was. The perfect costume. I was going to be a Vampiress. It is a deep red, and black. Beautiful fabric. Not the half plastic stuff. Lots and lots of detail. It looked so real, it was like a hollywood costume.  A bit pricy, but I was willing to spend up to 60 dollars on a costume. Going to three parties, I thought I would get my money out of it.

I clicked on the order button and wouldnt you know....no size listed. Oh there we go a size chart. To my disapointment...size XXL is a flippin size 14. And all out of stock. I wanted to scream!!!!

So here I am 9 days till halloween and one day till my first party and still no costume.

I guess I will dig through my halloween box and put on my witches hat and yet again go a the typical, boring, old, half dressed, witch!

Flying Happy Meals

COFFEE!!! I used to only drink a shot to wake me up now I am up to two cups of coffee in the morning. Powerfull stuff...I was at walmart the other day. It was raining and almost dark. We saw a homeless person standing at a red light holding a sign "got change, will work for food". I felt so bad for the person. I didnt know whether to give him money or throw a happy meal out the window. How in the world could someone let themselves get to the point of homelessness? I could not imagine. No bed to sleep in, no hair brush, no toilet, no COFFEE! I dont know if I should feel bad and pity them or say it serves you right. I guess some people have reasons of desparation. And others are just plain lazy. Unless you talk to them its hard to tell the difference. I am guessing most are from domestic situations. When I was younger and had problems that I couldnt handle I always had my family to help me. Never in my wildest dreams would I have been homeless. The entire time I was shopping I couldnt stop thinking about this guy getting wet, standing on the corner, with everyone looking at him. The humilation must have surrounded him. So needless to say....we bought him a happy meal.

New To Blogging

I am so very new at this. I have been wanting to do this for a long time...Have been pondering whether or not it was worth my time. Time and time again I have come back to this same thought...Its fun and it gives me the rights to say what I want to say. So as you can tell I did it. Hopefully my future posts are more interesting than this.