Oftentimes we hear about all kinds of policy and legislation and bill signings going on up on Capitol Hill, and in some nebulous way they effect our lives. I’m sure as soon as I post this all the smarty pants will come to point out 88 pieces of legislation that had a direct impact on my life, but until that happens I’m going to say I can’t remember a single one that impacted me directly and immediately.

That is, I couldn’t remember anything impacting me until I lost my job a few weeks ago. As I was going through the hooha of being layed off semi-listening as HR went through what it all means, I only half paid attention as she yammered on about COBRA.

Here’s why. When I was layed off in March 2008 continuing my health insurance using COBRA was so ridiculously cost prohibitive (something like $500 a month) that I became a member of the uninsured. Being a statistic rules!

But as the woman from HR went on, I heard her say, “and you can thank Obama for that.”

And I was all, “What?”

She then went on to explain how the stimulus package included mad piles of COBRA subsidies so if’n I wanted to continue my medical and dental coverage it’d only cost me like $113 a month.

Can I get a HELL YES?

Nothing screams I’m an adult like the sigh of relief you heave knowing you have insurance. You know what else screams adulthood? Kitchen appliances. My beloved toaster and coffee maker have been joined by an actual blender and a hand mixer now. They make quite a little picture of domesticity in my still only half-painted kitchen.

Insurance and appliances. This is the hot, hot content you can expect during Unemployment II the Electric Boogaloo.