so this morning i woke up and my car was dead.

I really hate to start out the day complaining, but I'm so tired of being poor and for some reason I feel much better after a mini bitch session. Sean and I currently have 2 cars, and because his is on it's last leg and he has further of a drive to work.... I decided to basically be Mother Theresa and trade cars with him. Big mistake. The car had to be jumped yesterday after work, and this morning it still wouldn't start. Thankfully though, I was able to walk to work and I treated myself to a Venti Iced Coffee for the hell of it. Hey, it's the little things right?

It's just that being poor sucks. I work really hard at a really stressful job, and my bank account still goes into the negatives more times than I'd like. I have to cancel dinner/brunch/happy hour/etc plans with friends because I never have any money, and honestly it's embarrassing. Sean and I make pretty good salaries, but between student loans and rent... we are beyond broke. Every month we have to decide which bills to pay on time, and debate on if we should buy groceries and if so how many. I can't tell you how many times I eat a can of soup for lunch or tuna. I also can't tell you the last time I ate a dorito.... and I looooove doritos.

This is why I get SO IRKED by politicians, specifically extremely weathy white males who have no idea what it feels like to work hard and still not get paid enough. Have you been following the Wall Street Protestors? Basically, they are protesting because they are tired of the corruption in our government. It's not political-party based, it's just simply American's who are tired of working hard and getting short handed.

If you haven't already, please look at the ignorant comment that Republican Candidate Herman Cain made in a public interview:

"Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself!" Cain said. "It is not a person's fault because they succeeded, it is a person's fault if they failed. And so this is why I don't understand these demonstrations and what is it that they're looking for."

Sure there's a degree of personal responsibility when it comes to wealth. But there are some poor people, myself included, who work their asses off every day just to make ends meet. How dare some one make such an outlandish assumption about a group of people that they obviously don't know very much about.

I hate politics. Enough about that.

This is what I am lucky enough to look at every day that I walk to and from work. Driving, I don't usually take notice and I miss a lot of the beauty. So I'm thankful that I was not only healthy enough and able to walk to work, but that I only had to walk 2 miles and the scenery was freakin' gorgeous. Plus, it felt pretty good to feel the cool fall air on my skin and I arrived to work feeling more refreshed than usual.

I'm thankful for my husband, who woke up early this morning and did all of the dishes that I didn't have the energy to wash last night after dinner. He also cooked for me last night, and made me laugh after a somewhat annoying day at work.

I'm thankful that I have a job, and that although I am struggling... my bills are getting paid and I am totally independent, which also feels pretty amazing. I'm smart and have learned a lot at my current job which will make transitioning into a new career field much easier. As a matter of fact, I went on an interview last week and I have another today. It feels good to have options.

I'm thankful for my friends, especially my best friend Brittany who has taken a vow with me to explore Richmond and meet new people and see new places. We've already discovered a really sweet place for brunch and a new bar that has some amazing live bands -- the Weezer Cover Band two weeks ago was particularly awesome!

And finally, I'm thankful for what little money that I do have and also thankful that I work hard for it and appreciate every last penny. I don't have to stand outside holding a cardboard sign, and I don't ever have to skip meals. I have plenty of options, and I'm lucky and thankful that I'm at a time in my life when I can explore them. Who know's what's around the corner...

It's important to be thankful for what you do have, and it's also okay to get upset when things don't go as you might have planned. Every emotion is sacred, and should be felt and then let go again. The Universe has a way of balancing things out, and I do believe that if you keep working hard you will be rewarded.

What are you thankful for?