Minor rants...

... but also a little disappointment in myself.

I was very judgmental tonight of a woman in Wal-mart. She was checking out ahead of me and using WIC vouchers to buy baby formula. She also had on UGG boots, carried a Gucci purse, was texting on a super-cool cell phone and also wearing a diamond ring with several diamonds and they were so brilliant, they had to be real. I know it's none of my business. I know you have to prove that you qualify income-wise and health-wise for WIC. I used it when my children were little. I even qualified when I had higher income because Michael was anemic or something and it is not only based on income, but also on health issues and nutritional need. I was really judgmental tonight anyway!

One time a friend on food stamps asked me to use her foodstamp card and she would pay me in cash. I felt really bad about doing it, but I did it anyway because she has a gaggle of children and I figured she really needed the money. I have also been on food stamps and also AFDC (now TANF), so I have been in that situation where they give you a bunch of food stamps, but you don't have money to pay the electricity bill. A couple of weeks later, however, I found out that she had gone to Bonaroo (a big music festival in Tennessee). She said she was only able to go because someone had given her the ticket, but I was still kind of bitter and angry about it. I have kind of distanced myself a little bit from her ever since. Not just for that reason, but other reasons too. It's part of the big picture, however. I feel kind of sad about it, and sometimes I miss the kind of good times that we had together. I still care about her, but it bothers me that she didn't see anything wrong with it, especially when I told her that I really felt like I had committed food stamp fraud to do it.

Another little rant. Online forums. I have been visiting the Mormon or DAMU (Disaffected Mormon Underground) bulletin boards ever since I have been playing internet. I have met several of the people in person, corresponded regularly, etc. I REALLY CARE about these people. One bulletin board, however, that is full of still active Mormons, recently turned into a place of people spewing anti-gay diatribes about how evil it is. I couldn't take it anymore and finally said goodbye and deleted it from my favorites at work and at home. I honestly feel like I am going to miss it, though, because I genuinely care about the people. I will have to allow myself a little grieving time over it, even. I was thinking of Christmas cards, and even thought, "I will send one addressed only to Vickie and not to Jay," because I am so angry and amazed by his venom. I need to be a grown up and when I send my cards (on time this year, I swear!), still send to the whole family, but I am kind of just flustered by the whole thing. I don't understand their point of view, I don't understand their behaviour, I don't understand how you can hate and accuse someone of EVIL because of their sexuality. They would probably all think I am evil, too if they knew that I have had sex since my divorce... gasp! Maybe they would spew their hatred toward me! Whatever happened to loving like Jesus did and all that?

End of rants.

Happy today (and I really was happy today, honestly, not just ranty!) for getting the "Proofs" printed out for Leah before she got back. It is the part of the Public Notices that nobody ever did for me while I was gone and it would take forever to get caught up. It made me feel really happy and accomplished to do it for her. She works much harder than I do and deserves to have it done.