Vital Stats

On the social networking sites I have been to, there is always a section to give personal information that is viewed as important.  Religion,Relationship Status, Career and Hobbies seem to top the list.  But, who cares about all that?! 

Here are my vital stats as I see fit to be called vital:

Cholesterol- 166 (do you know yours?)
Blood pressure- 110/66
Credit Score- 718 (It's a B, and once my late payment from 2004 comes off my record, it should go up)
Up to date on STD screening /physicals / eye and dental exams-  Yes, I prioritized and paid cash to do it
Automatic savings plan- none, but I plan to plan to...
Health/car/life insurance- no

Why don't they have those questions on match.com?  Couldn't someone's credit score  end up being more important that the fact that they enjoy long walks on the beach and dinner with friends? 











 

Pain in the Ass

Next time I'm told that I am being a pain in the ass, I will ask the question- Which kind?  A dull ache in the bum, or a sharp burning poker piercing your anus? 

I want to know for the sake of efficacy.  A dull ache will always annoy but never get your full attention.  The hot piercing form of pain in the ass however, will quickly demand your undivided attention.  So go ahead, call me a pain in the ass, but please be sure to include an indicative number as to how great the pain.  Let's go ahead and use the good ol' doctor's 1-10 scale so we're all on the same page.

Signing on the dotted line to quit smoking

Would I be willing to enter into a "quit smoking" contract?  Absolutely!  I bet it would be amazing what I could do with a $5,000 cash incentive to quit smoking.

What would I get with the money?
Nicotine replacement, hypnotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and a facial!  Ohh, and a couple pairs of new jeans.  Because, let's be real, this whole "thinner than I was in high school" gig, might be up as a non-smoker.

Until that happens, or I otherwise find the willpower for my 14th attempt to quit smoking, I take the uninsured vow to smoke less, stay active, take my vitamins, floss daily, eat my breakfast, add spinach, stretch daily, breathe deeply, yada yada and etc.  

The woman who will marry for health insurance

I think I can understand the woman who will marry for health insurance.  Having been on the wait-list for Washington State Basic Health since April of '09, I understand how scary it feels to be uninsured.  Unlike the woman who has gone public looking for a husband to insure her, I have no preexisting conditions.  Yet.  But stress is adversely linked to a variety of health conditions, so perhaps I should start my public quest for health insurance earlier and have the upper hand in bargaining a partnership.  Hell, why not throw a tuition reimbursement clause into the pre-nup!

Hmmm, is this really happening?

Math again...

I just found out that the math I took in community college does not count at the university.  Oh my.  I took the pre-calculus series and passed the first class (141) but not the second one (142).  Trigonometry gave me a set of wrinkles on my forehead and the only 1.0 to be found on my transcript.  However, I take away from my trig experience the ability to, if  I ever am told that I am going off "on a tangent, " visualize the graphical representation thereof. 

My options are to retake the science majors math or to go waaay back to take college algebra.  Since I am no longer a science major and have re-prioritized my sanity, Math 111, here I come!!!!  Ego blows be damned.    

TB testing and hypochondria

In order to work with children, I needed to get tested for TB.  Annoying but understandable.  So in I went, cash in hand (if you don't have health insurance, you need to pay at the time of service).  A small injection in my left arm and it was all over.  Being an upstanding citizen who does not want to pass along communicable diseases, I asked the nurse, "What would I notice if there were to be a problem?"  She first joked about creatures crawling out of the insertion point, then told me that if I had TB, the swelling would look like a spider bite and would itch terribly. 

Thank you kind nurse, now I know and off I go.

Approximately one hour later I was in the library, riding the elevator down from the fourth floor.  Then it happened; I felt an itch on my left arm.  The whole world stopped for just a moment.  Slowly I pulled the arm of my sleeve upwards to inspect, with laser-like precision, this most bothersome itch.  Long story short, it was nothing.  Just an itch, having nothing to do with TB.  So, on the positive side of things, my TB test is negative.  I walk away from this experience however,  now knowing that I have hypochondriac predispositions.  Hmmm, having no health insurance might actually be a bonus in this case.  I can't drive myself nuts having Dr.'s do tests I don't actually need!  What a money saver this could possibly be!     

A little less Broke a little more Adventure!!

Ok, good news!  I was approved for an additional loan to cover those darn medical expenses.  I will owe my soul to the student loan powers-that-be for just a bit longer, but I can pay my bills now.  I bought a pumpkin muffin to celebrate.

As for the adventure part- I have now completed the application process, including the interview, for a Washington State Legislative Internship!  I'm excited just to have been eligible to apply for a position in local government.  I mean- wow!

I also just wrote to three PhD's regarding a possible undergraduate research proposal.  One woman received her PhD from Harvard!!  I'm in a the big league's now.  Good thing I held out and didn't become a test subject for a new vaccine (hopefully) protecting against the plague!!!  Oh my...

For the Kids

Here I go, trying to continue to create a better world while my own basic needs are not being met.  I took a job at the university that works to increase early childhood literacy in low income areas of Seattle.  Yay, good for me right?  Well, kind of.  We are in training right now, meaning there are only six paid hours a week.  Oh yeah, and the training didn't start until week three of the quarter.  So as it stands, and while I try to be an upstanding citizen, I only have nine hours of paid work this quarter.  I sure do love the kiddos, but do I love them enough to forgo making my credit card payment (and risk my interest rate going up to 32%?)  What do I do,  say to the children, "sorry kids with poor parents, I have bigger problems than your educational future?!?!"

Perhaps CitiCard will understand.  Aren't large lending corporations known for being benevolent and caring?   Oh yeah, I remember now- NO - they are not.

So that leads to my next upcoming post- Should I participate in medical testing for money?  Stay tuned! 

Peanut Butter, the Taste of Poverty

Ahhh peanut butter.  For many of us, it brings back memories of childhood.  Mama's PB&J's were packed with love and always better than her meatloaf.  But the truth is, peanut butter is cheap.  That may have been why mama, or whoever your childcare provider was, fed it to you.  My apologies in advance if this perspective bursts your "life is full of fluffy fairies and fun" bubble.   

I never used to mind peanut butter.  In my financially challenged state, I become creative in my peanut butter usage.  On a sandwich, you can add jam, jelly, banana, chocolate syrup etc.  It can be added to oatmeal, yogurt, muffins and smoothies.  Those are all fine, it's not until the end of the grocery budget that peanut butter begins to take on a new role.

Mary Poppins said that "a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down."  And I am here to tell you that a spoonful of peanut butter makes the stomach growl of poverty go down (albeit, in NOT the most delightful way).  There may be a bit of a gag reflex, but not to worry, it'll pass.  This will at least give you the energy to get through your day, and we don't want to give those folks who criticize the poor for being lazy any fuel for their fire.

Want proof of what I can do with minimal funding and nutrition?  Look at the job titles I held while losing 35 lbs on the peanut butter poverty diet: 

Student Representative for Seattle Central’s Presidential Search Committee, 2010

President and Chair, Women in Science and Engineering, Seattle Central Community College, 2009-2010

            Student Leader, College Outreach and Recruitment Team, 2009-2010  

            Circulation Staff Member, Seattle Central Community College Library, 2008-2010

No, I am not recommending the peanut butter poverty diet to anyone.  I was not able to do good work in my community because of my dietary habits, rather I did this in spite of my nutritional intake.  But hey, can you imagine what I could achieve if I was adequately funded and consistently nourished??

University Chick Looks Poverty in the Face and Laughs

I'm here, I'm poor and I'm going to write about it.  Get used to it!  No, it might not make you feel comfortable, realizing that those "other" people are sitting right next to you.  But hey, you probably only see me on public transportation, what exactly were you expecting?  Does poverty equate to being smelly to you?  Or drug addicted, or wearing shabby clothes?  Well I'm none of those things ( many thanks to Value Village).

I'm an honor student at University of Washington and not sure if I will have the 55 cents to spend on my next scantron for my upcoming test in Biopsychology.  I have tried to put monetary concerns on "the back burner" and study my heart out in school and volunteer in the community, but those minimum credit card bills are not getting any smaller.

I haven't minded living frugally, but with no savings, no family support and a body that had the audacity to get sick (knowing full well it was still on the waitlist for Washington Basic Health), I have found myself reaching out to the public in order to avoid bankruptcy and continue my education.

So, stick with me, University Chick, and see how it all pans out.  If you can relate to my story, send me a line.  If you have a couple of spare dollars, send that!  Hey, they say it takes a village, and at this point I am only a village of one.