I need to vent for a moment, so bare with me if you will. I have reapplied for health insurance again. After being rejected the first time, they have so graciously (*this being said with very thick sarcasm*) offered me a $1000 deductable but I have to pay $500 towards my prescription medications before they will begin to cover my medications. After doing the math, I figured out my birth control pills run me about $480 a year. Well, isn't that convenient. I'll pay $1800 a year to get my yearly check-up, which only runs me about $200 total (including lab fees) and the off chance that I MIGHT get sick this year. (I usually don't.) Yes, I would be covered if I ended up in a bad car accident, my appendix ruptured, etc. But is it really worth it? I'm 25 years old. I RARELY get sick and when I do, it's usually the sniffles. I bet if I had a monthly presciption for Viagra or Cialis, BCBS of MS wouldn't mind covering that. Of course, if I quit taking the BC pill and got knocked up with an unplanned pregnancy. Well, my insurance won't cover that either. You wouldn't believe what they charge for maternity coverage on an individual policy. Oh! Not only will they not have to cover my pregnancy, but there will be another member of my family that will need health insurance. Even MORE MONEY in THEIR pockets! Ok, so let's say I go off the pill and have a "WHOOPS". I could just get on Medicaid and WIC, right? Surely, a couple where one is in graduate school and making $7.00/ hour can get some government assistance. NOOOOO! We make too much money. Are you serious? We don't even make the average medium income and now we have to support a child on top of covering all the other maternity expenses that my cheap ass insurance won't cover. I'm not trying to whine, but you would think that while I'm trying to better myself by going to graduate school, I wouldn't have to be terrified of my husband and I accidentally getting pregnant. Do you know how much interest I would make if I put that $1800/year into a high interest savings/money market account. I can't believe that the government allows this to happen and I know that there are others out there who are getting ripped off far worse than I am. Okay. I think I'm done. Sorry, but I just found this to be ridiculous.

Well, there's still not a whole lot going on, but I thought I'd post something anyways. I'm still job hunting with nothing coming of it yet. I'm currently writing my thesis and a manuscript in the futile hopes that I may one day finish this degree. I really think that if the right job came along, I would just jump ship and quit. I guess if that ever happens, I'll find out.
Rich and I went to Memphis this weekend for Paul and Becca's son's baptism. Rich is officially a godfather. Logan is so cute. I'm suffering from a mild case of baby fever, but this is easily overcome whenever I look at our checkbook and realize that I have no health insurance much less something with maternity coverage. I just have to keep putting my life on hold for school. That's what I really resent. I feel like this school is holding me back. It makes me bitter. It really is time for me to move on. No weight loss or new books or knitting projects to report on. I was able to do a little bit of shopping on the way home yesterday. I got a couple of new shirts (on sale, of course) at Ann Taylor Loft, a couple of new trousers (on sale, again) at Lerner New York, and a pair of the best fitting jeans ever at Belks. I broke down and bought (okay...Rich grabbed them and took them to the cash register before I could stop him) a pair of Lucky Easy Rider jeans. The were $100 for a single pair! Of course, being the tight-wad I am, I just about died and tried to take them back several times before we left the mall. It's not that I didn't need a pair of jeans (all my others either have holes or are too big). It's not that we didn't have the money (I'm cheap and hardly spend anything on myself...this irritates Rich for some reason). But I hate to spend that much money on clothes. I do really love what I bought though. I'll get over it in a few weeks.
Well, that's about it. Hope everyone is doing well, and I'll check back in later. Hopefully, with something more interesting to talk about.