" I'm All In"

Well, President Obama. I didn't vote for you. But I've said from the day after the election that I would remain hopeful about what you can and will do in office.

And now, after your Presidential Address, I just want to say that our future is in your hands. Literally. I feel like I'm playing poker, so I guess the correct phrase is "I'm all in." Everything I have is at stake. We're dealing with hikes in health care, paycuts that are hitting us HARD, commuting from two states to try to find work and pay our bills, etc. My children have been cheated out of TWO YEARS with their Dad...and there is no end in sight. :( The only thing we envision is doing this all for nothing -- losing one or both of our jobs, our house and the rest of our savings (which isn't much!)

After today's updated news about Ron's paycut, we've determined that our short vacation up North is not going to happen this summer. The kids are going to be CRUSHED, but we can't spend money we don't have. And now that Ron's paycut is definite, is determined and is in effect in one week...we have to cancel our reservations.

I'm trying to keep this all in perspective. I mean I know SO many people that have already lost jobs, homes, cars, etc. I know we're lucky to have our jobs and health care, even with the paycuts and cut in care and rise in cost of benefits. I DO get that. But it's so hard to accept that after sacrificing SO much these last two years, we are probably going to end up right where we were trying to avoid.

It makes me want to give up now and let them take my house. But I can't. Remember...I'm all in.