WHAT'S YOUR STORY MORNING GLORY?

How did we get “here?”  When I mean “here,” I mean America.  Someone from your family made the bold move to come to America and probably a very wise move. Let’s face it; we live in a very ugly world. My heart breaks when I hear about all the genocides in Africa. My body trembles when I learn more and more about sex slaves and YES, even in this beautiful city I live in has a horrible underbelly of crime and other horrible things, like poor Russian girls kidnapped and turned into sex slaves. But, this NOT what this subject is about (don’t even get me started)!  This is about my family story and it’s a good one. I just wish I had more details because it makes I am so proud of the sacrifice my great grandmother did for her family….

It happened when Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia was in power, (May 18, 1868 -- July 17, 1918).  I am not sure of exact dates or do not even know why, but my great grandparents wanted to flea Mother Russia and go to land of the free… America! My great grandfather fled first and ended up in Scranton, PA.  Apparently many Russians ended up there.  My great grandmother had a very scary experience on her way to meet up with him...

I assume this was during the Russian Revolution, or perhaps during the Russian –Japanese war when everyone was just getting the hell outta there. My great grandmother, her baby girl (my grandmother) and her sons were hiding underneath the street, probably a secret passage to the border where someone was paid to help these women get out. She was with a bunch of other young ladies and their children. My grandmother was not having it, she was a crying and crying.  The other women were very upset and getting agitcated. They told my great grandmother that she would have to smother her baby girl and kill her if she did not stop crying because the soliders would hear them underneath their feet and kill and rape these scared women and children.  My great grandmother was so nervous, scared and stressed out that her hair turned white!  Could you imagine???  Thankfully my grandmother did stop crying. They all made it to Scranton, PA and had a very nice life (I think).  My grandmother met my grandfather, started a family and here I am.

 It is all because of my great grandmother.  And all ll that she did to smuggle her family to a country of freedom, opportunity and no Czars that can take everything away in an instant and cause much harm and damage.

 I am so proud of my story. I tell everyone about it.  I like having a story and wish I could tell my great grandmother how happy and how proud  I am of her. She was very brave and obviously an incredible woman and she had red hair (before it turned grey)! You go Great Grandmother, AKA BUBBY.

ARE YOU THERE BLOG? IT'S ME, TONI!

Hi Blog, how are you? It's been a long time since I've written. Sorry. Life is just getting complicated and busy. Tonight I am sacrificing my son's bedtime to write (meaning child is going to bed much later than I want him to). I guess it's worth it. Husband is happy watching the All Star game, my boy is happily racing his bus around the apartment and I am venting on my favorite forum... my lil blog that I do not know how to share with anyone.

My Cousin Sally said I should write more. She said I should share and post on Facebook, so I did it! I am going to be brave and share to my little world, my inner thoughts about life, shitty work and whatever! I don't know.  I don't know anything anymore.

I am still trying to figure it all out. I'm still trying to find myself, I'm still searching.  When does it end? When do you find the magic white light in life? I watch other couples and wonder what their dark little secrets are. Are they really happy?

Answers. I just want them.  I hope to find them. Meanwhile, hi Blog, it is nice to write again. Will write again soon, I promise.

IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT CLAP YOUR HANDS!

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands.....(I repeat) If you're happy and you know it clap your hands. Silence.  I don't hear many people clapping and it's because America is not happy. We are not happy.  The American dream is a joke and this is the propaganda we were raised on.  School. College. Marriage. Kids. House with white picket fence.  Who says this is how to live a life?

Americans work. work. work and now in most homes, both parents work, which leaves others to raise your children.  To make matters worse, it is extremely stressful getting your children to daycare, preschool, etc AND go to work on time... hoping you get out early enough to see your child before he's in bed.  Most parents don't even see their children.... it's a sad way to live. Companies DO NOT offer enough vacation time and the floating holidays are far and few between.

I really believe something needs to be done, but have no idea where to start. "A vacation initiative" if you will. I propose, as part of a company's benefits, they offer 4 weeks vacation a year and the employee may use any which way, in addition more floating holidays.  American's need to spend MORE time at home and MORE time playing and MORE time with their children.

I wonder why so many people (and parents) are miserable as they get older.  I know... all work and no play makes Jack A CRAZY, ANGRY PERSON!

This is very similar to my last post, but as you can see, I am not happy. I am not clapping my hands.

5 DAYS VACATION

Let's face it, Corporate America sucks.  I am not sure how or why it started but in America it is all work and no play.  Most companies give you very stingy benefits packages, including health benefits which they brag about. But in reality, it still costs a lot of money to provide health insurance for your family, in addition the vacation time is not fair!  Only in America we are expected to work 5 days a week; 8 + hours a day with very little floating holidays and up to 2 weeks vacation the first year (if you are lucky to get that).

I am outraged!!!

In Europe most companies close for the month of August  and they give employees generous vacation packages and the Government will even provide grants if you want to travel overseas.

No wonder there are so many suicides in American and kids are gunning down schools... American's are stressed, unhealthy, unhappy and are not getting enough time with their families. This problem trickles down. Perhaps if parents did not need 2 jobs OR if they had more time with their families then the kids would not go ape shit and harm others.  America needs to change if we are going to raise healthy children. Work, work, work is just not a way to live.

I finally got a job and did a foolish thing by signing the dotted line and agreeing to FIVE DAYS VACATION THE FIRST YEAR. WTF?  I think that should be illegal. What can you do with 5 days vacation?

Moreover, my husband is demanding that we take 2 big vacations a year in addition to long weekends away. He is right, we should be able to do this with out a problem. But it is a big problem when I am not getting paid or I won't be allowed to go because I am only allotted 5 days.  He is going ape shit and he is stressed and not happy. I am not happy.  Work, work, work... for what?  We don't even have nice things or a house. Why are we working so hard? for what?

I am rebelling.

Fuck 5 days vacation and Corporate America.

It all sucks.