Mercy

Busy month.  And I've noticed that Facebook has cut down on my blogging because it's so immediate.  Such a nation of instant gratification.  We want it done NOW.  How many of us have called tech support or a help line on the weekend only to get the recording that says, "Our regular business hours are Monday through Friday from hour to hour."  And have wanted to spit across the room because we wanted whatever was broken fixed RIGHT NOW.

I'm feeling that way about life right now.  My SO is probably going to have to have her knee replacement replaced because of an infection.  She'll have to go through PT ALLLL over and that's painful and a pain in the ass for her.  I want that fixed NOW.  It ain't happenin'.  I want my exterior doors replaced NOW.  I want my house painted and insulation blown in the attic NOW.  I want peace in the house, in this city, in this county, in this state, in the country and on the planet NOW.  Not only ain't that happenin', likely will never happen in this lifetime for me.

How this is related, I have no idea but feel the need to tell it.  We were coming home from a teen gathering last night and saw an injured raccoon on a street near our house.  We turned around and went back to see what we could do.  It was just sort of curled up on the street probably in shock.  It just looked at us rather calmly, I'd have to say and had clearly been hit by a car.  There was some blood coming from it's ear and it couldn't move or put weight on its back leg.  We were trying to figure out how to pick it up and take it to the emergency vet to at least have it euthanized but we had nothing in the car to do that with and keep us from being bitten or clawed.  It finally moved and tried to walk over to a storm drain opening dragging its back leg.

My heart hurt for it.  Still does.  I ease that hurt with the belief that it will find its nest and stay there until it heals....or that it will go peacefully in its sleep.

How does someone hit an animal with their car and keep driving?  How do they hit it in the first place unless you're speeding down the road.  Raccoons aren't that fast.  The driver had to see it coming unless they weren't paying attention or tried to hit it on purpose.  Don't scoff, I've seen that happen, a driver swerve to HIT a cat or squirrel or other animal.  I've seen it.  Was a good thing I didn't have my sidearm with me at the time.

Anyway, what happened with the raccoon feels significant to me somehow.  I'll figure it out.  I want that raccoon fixed NOW.  Dammit.

Tired of Junk Mail

Here's a website that let's you opt out of allowing companies to check your credit then send you applications or other junk mail.  I did it.  We'll see if it cuts down on the amount of junk I get.

https://www.optoutprescreen.com/opt_form.cgi

Gifts

We got our youngest an Erector Set for Christmas/Hannukah. I had one as a child and wish I still had it. I spent hours building with it then made up and engineered my own designs.

He and I worked on the crane all Christmas Day. Well, he did most of the work. He had to re-engineer some to make it work. I think he's going to get a lot of enjoyment from it. It has a cool little power driver that came with it.

I also got a Black and Decker 3.5v screw driver. My old one finally gave up the ghost so my inlaws gave me a new one. They don't know it yet because I haven't told them. I spent some time yesterday just playing with it. Finding all sorts of screws that needed removing from something. Heaven.

It's all about the simple things.

New Things

My SO and I went shopping yesterday after her appointment with the infusion clinic. See, she has to carry around this bag full of IV antibiotics so that the infection in her knee will heal.

The bag is ugly. A black, utilitarian canvas thing with various holes, pockets, velcro and straps. The nurse obviously has a whimsical sense of humor because she has given us permission to decorate it. Bedazzle it! So, we promptly paid a visit to the closest Michaels and bought supplies.

From there, we went furniture shopping. We found the perfect sectional set on clearance and a wonderful chair and a half to go with it.

New furniture for our living room. New beginnings. I'm hopeful that this portends a much better year to come. Not that this one has been bad, it's just been challenging both at home and at work.

In addition, I'm getting a new fence with automatic electric gate. I'm in heaven.

On to better things I say.

Harbingers

I woke up this morning after a night frought with fighting for covers and space in my own bed with an SO, a dog and 3 cats only to step in a puddle of cold, slimy dog vomit. I cleaned that then stumbled from the kitchen with a hot cup of coffee only to see another even larger puddle of cold, slimy dog vomit.

Out oldest dog, Fudge, didn't eat his breakfast and had the foulest smelling gas last night so we've deduced that he's the one who is sick.

And now I know why. Apparently he found it necessary to jump on the coffee table and eat close to a pound of fudge.

Fudge is vomiting fudge.

It's going to be a long day.

God is Male

Clearly. If God were a female, she would not let two middle-aged females with two teen-aged boys be on their periods at the same time. Clearly, God is male.

Good Sunday Morning to You All

What a goddamn, fucking, mud-covered frog turd of a day we had yesterday. Bloody blue seizures had us in the ER for over 6 hours yesterday and know how many times we talked to the doctor? 2. Guess for how long total. 4 minutes. We're gonna get through this though. Is it too early for a margarita? or 7?  And again, we learn what good friends we have.  Yay for that. Takes the stink out of the mud-covered frog turd although when the mud dries it sort of encases the smell.

I wonder if frog turds stink anyway? Anybody ever smell one? Mine are always covered in mud.

Finally, my SO's disability came through.  Now, her medication and doctor's visits will be covered.  Maybe we will get some better care. 

I've been reading and following the news reports about medicare and medicaid and what a nightmare they are.  I always pooh-poohed it thinking those folks were just bitching.  Well, they aren't just bitching.  These two programs are the most infuriating, confusing, nightmare of a plan.  They change things on you without notice.  My SO has received no less than 6 letters and plan cards each with a different effective date.  And one plan doesn't even send a card.  I guess you just have to guess when it went into effect.  There are restrictions on the number of prescriptions you can have filled a month so if you have more than 3 you're screwed.  No wonder certain Seniors have to choose between food and medicine.  There has to be a better way.  And for those people who aren't educated and who are trying to navigate that maze of rules and regulations without help....God help them.  I'm seeing a niche for some business start-up.  Medi Coaching.  A consulting service to help people figure out which one is right for them.

We bit the bullet and rewarded ourselves with a Plasma TV.  It's beautiful.  We are planning on hanging it today.  The price was TOOO right to pass it up.  I suppose it's a benefit of the horrible economy.  I'm just doing my part to drive the recovery.  The next two projects that I'm going to pay to have someone do instead of doing it myself is a new fence with an electric gate and insulation.  I'm just going to let someone else do that....oh, and a new front door.

There isn't much else to report.  Christmas/Hannukah is coming up.  That means a break for the boys.  We're planning on going to Florida and rest.  The family needs the time down there to recover mentally and spiritually not to mention physically.  It's peaceful for us.  I have to keep my SO from over-scheduling though.  She tends to do that which makes me crazy.  Vacation, to me, is about NOT doing.  It's about being quiet and resting, reading or just listening to the water.

The house is quiet.  I'm going to read the instructions on the mounting unit to make sure I know what I'm doing.  Yes, I read instructions.  Shocking, I know.