Bolt of Blue

If you have a 401K, today is not the day to see how it’s doing. Those who haven’t seen the news, the stock market suffered a nearly 778-point drop making this the worst single-day point loss ever. And it’s not just the US stock market that has suffered but others around the world.

I’m young, so I know I have time on my side. But I feel sick over the millions of retired people who are watching their life savings disappear and not knowing how they will survive next month and the many months after.

If you’re not sure what you can do to start feeling more financially stable in these unsettling times, check out www.fitchratings.com. You can look up your bank’s ratings and outlook (go to Financial Institutions > Banks > Issuer List). They spelled out WaMu’s failure well in advance. And the FDIC has information about what happens when a bank fails for those interested (WaMu actually officially failed before it was bought – 29 have failed this year).

On a totally lighter and unrelated note, it really sucks when the Monk theme song gets stuck in your head! Damn you Randy Newman!

One of the best reasons to hurry home from work.

Last week I had a moment where I didn’t feel like I could breathe. Sometimes when I’m being overly dramatic, I might say I’m so stressed out I can’t breathe, but in this moment, it was almost literally happening. I was struggling mightily to keep it all together. I made it through that day. And the rest of the week, which was overall, pretty rough in terms of what’s stressing me out.

But today is Monday. Today is the start of a new week. Today is a good day. Today I’m not focusing on what is going bad, but on what is going right. And there’s so much right going on in my life – I’m blessed. I’m loved. I’m in love. I’m happy. I’m passionate. I’m healthy. I’m full of belief. I’m full of hope. I’m me.

Taken from Val:

Make me take pictures. Ask for pictures of whatever you can think of (me, my room, my favorite shirt, my pets, etc.), and I’ll take the pictures and post them in a later post.

I’ve been in a surprisingly good mood since waking up after Wednesday – which was a stress filled doozy and simply awful day. I was letting a lot of things get to me that I knew I shouldn’t. Even though there’s a lot that’s not going so great right now, I’m trying to not let things wear me down anymore than they already have. And so far, it’s really working.

One thing out of many currently making me smile:

After Palin speech, Obama has record $10 million day

(CNN) – Barack Obama’s campaign for president has raised $10 million since Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin spoke Wednesday night, the campaign announced, calling it a “one-day record.”

Palin, the governor of Alaska, launched harsh attacks on Obama, accusing him of being two-faced and a political lightweight with no significant legislative accomplishments.

“Coverage of the Palin attacks on the news this evening just pushed us over $10 million,” Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in an e-mail to reporters Wednesday night.

The Republican Party announced earlier in the day it had raised $1 million in the wake of Palin’s speech.

I think it did more than make me smile when I first read the report – I think I giggled.

I spent most of this labor day weekend peeved, annoyed, and angry all because John McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. I’ve tried not to think about it. But it really fucking pisses me off. Plus combine that with anxiety over Hurricane Gustav and some real life problems that are stressing me out so much I feel like I’m not breathing properly. Sigh…

McCain’s VP choice proves that he’s lost his mind completely. He is no longer the man he was 8 years ago. It’s sad to see that desperation. You don’t pick a running mate after only meeting them “2 times” and not properly vetting them.

Sarah Palin is quickly becoming a total disaster. I wonder if McCain can change his mind? Has that ever happened before?

There are so many reasons why I personally find Palin a horrible running mate. It’s only the tip of the iceberg to say that I find this choice offensive, insulting, and really bizarre.

Mudflats is an excellent blog from an Alaskan covering the Palin debacle. Read it and find out why this whole thing is so ridiculous.

Thank god yesterday Remi and I were able to just walk on the beach after running some errands. Yes, it was super crowded. Sure, we had to walk by the thousands of crosses set up in the sand right by Santa Monica Pier as part of an Iraq war protest which just depressed me. But it was beautiful. Little kids digging in the sand or jumping into waves. So many families enjoying a day together at the beach. We needed that time to just not think. Revel in the cool water and sand on our toes. Soak in the sounds of waves crashing and the refreshing breeze off the ocean. Reminding me of my grandmother, who played on that same beach as a little girl. Reminding me of my roots and bringing me a little peace before heading back to reality.