The world is in turmoil

Have not written my thoughts down for a while.  Not that I don't have thoughts.  I have them all the time.  Sometimes they are clear and concise and sometimes there are so many I can't sort them out.  Since the last election I cannot wrap my head around what has become of this country.  The racist misogynist clown in the white house, his criminal family and his fascist cabinet.  It is just so incredible.  I feel like I have been in mourning this past year.  Every week is worse news than the last.  I'm now reading Hillary's book.  It is painful.  What they did to her was undeserved.  So, if she can stand to write it I guess I can stand to read it.  I've put it away a couple times because I get emotional over the loss.  Now I'm listening to MSNBC as I do compulsively, about all the other pussy grabbing sexual predators we're hearing about.  This should not take away from the incredibly important work that Mueller is doing investigating the administration - won't say his name- nor will I call him President.  The Russian "thing" is more important above everything else.  We can't forget how they were allowed to steal the election.  The news that as of this date, the administration has had at least 30 contacts with Russians and contact with Wikileaks.  Odd that everyone connected to the administration has been to Russia, worked in Russia, met with Russians, got paid by Russians, got awards from Russia, got on Russia TV etc etc.  hmmm I don't remember one person associated with Obama as linked with Russia, how come all these people are?   It is no great relief to me to say it but I do keep saying that Hillary won the popular vote by 3 million.  Too bad for all the people that didn't come out to vote because at this time I could be writing about President Hillary Rodham Clinton instead of my anxiety about orange Hitler.

My Anniversary

Today is my anniversary.  35 years married to the same person.  How can that be?  Seems like yesterday that we met, worked together, went out with the group after work and gradually started our relationship.  We've been to a lot of places together.  I guess that is one thing we have in common, travel and explore.  Not that we go to exotic places.  We love Hawaii and would rather go there than any other place on the earth.  There might come a day when we move there for good.

We went out for dinner at a great steak house.  They gave us some lovely champagne.  Then we took a drive to look at the Christmas decorations at the Teddy Bear House.  Now, he's napping in the recliner and I'm on the computer.  Come to think of it this is what we did last anniversary and the year before too!

My anniversary, coming on day 2 of the new year is always a time of reflection.  What will I do this year.  What changes can I make.   Okay, take off another 30 pounds.  Write more, paint more, live more.

Rest in Peace, Smokie
My precious girl
7/4/06-10/25/15

New year New Job

One of my New Year's Eve predictions actually came true.  I have a new job at work.  Totally unexpected but a change in the department created an opening and I was approached for it.  I've done the work before so it is not entirely foreign to me.  Management asked me what I wanted for this job and I gave them some figures, really didn't know what they would pay.  They came back "how about a thousand more?"  Uh, okay I'll take it.  Then, they wrote the acceptance letter and the offer in it was actually $2000 more than I asked for.  Man, are they hard negotiators!  So, I think this is a good start of the year.

Happy new year!

Happy New Year.  So long 2014.  What will 2015 bring?  Maybe a new job, new house, maybe nothing new.  This is the year I will be 60 - Six Oh.  Don't feel that old but I guess I am.  So maybe I need to focus on making some changes.  Lose weight, different hair style, take better care of my skin, improve my wardrobe.

Other things to resolve.  Paint more, sew more, read books again.  Dig through the closet and revisit some crafts like kumihimo and jewelry making and maybe weaving.  Bring up the oil paints and canvases from the basement.  Travel to new places or revisit old places like Chicago and Kansas City.  Make a list of movie favorites and watch them all.

I feel a bit inspired so I'm going to close this and pick up my watercolors.  Auld lang syne.

Good Night Newsroom

My favorite series The Newsroom has ended and I'm sad.  It was a show that did not have any violence, no blood, no vampires or plotting royalty or dragon slayers.  This show was real.  It was fast paced.  It was about current affairs in the news and serious issues and it had humor.  I looked forward to the new season only to find it cut short and coming to a conclusion.  Add it to the shows I also loved and miss like In Treatment.  Not for the populace, never going to be "popular" but the kind of shows I seek out to make me think and feel enlightened.  With what I spend on cable TV I would like to say that I have more than one show I watch regularly but most of it is really bad.  I enjoy Bill Maher's Real Time and still watch some PBS.  I would rather watch QVC shopping network than most of the premium cable series.  Hope that something comes along soon!

Baby is sick

I should have written before about my dog's cancer but I got away from blogging for a time.  On November 2, 2013 Smokie was diagnosed with lymphoma.  We are lucky we can afford to get her treated.  Six months and $5000 later she was in remission.  She was amazing.  There were no side effects, no emergencies, no periods of sickness.  She was such a trooper.  Well,  after 6 months treatment  free the lymphoma is back.  She seemed to be agitated the other night, licking everything, restless, wanting out to eat grass.  Next day, another lump in her neck was felt.  Got right to the vet and a biopsy revealed that the cancer was back, so we are back on the chemo schedule.  As long as she responds well we will do everything we can to get her back into remission.

Night, Mommy

Feeling better

I'm finally getting better after 3 weeks of bronchial infection.  Ended up at the emergency room Sunday after calling my ex-doctor.  Got my steroids, cough syrup.  So, today, beautiful warm weather, I couldn't enjoy going outside. afraid of what the pollen would do to my breathing again.  Driveway is covered in green dust.  When my husband drove the car away there was a big black rectangle that didn't get covered in pollen.  So while I would have loved to putter around my newly sprouting ajuga, daffodils, phlox, lavender I stayed in and did laundry.  Just watched a show on Hawaii, made me long to be back there again.  Maybe next Spring.  Or maybe this Autumn.  Or maybe next week!

Sicko

Sicko.  That's me.  Bronchitis again.  I've had this every year since 2005, when I was hospitalized for a bad viral infection.  Called my doctor on a Saturday.  Guess she didn't appreciate that. She won't send the "usual" drugs to pharmacy without seeing me Monday.  Can't believe she is going to let me suffer the whole weekend when I could be getting better for the classes I have lined up Monday and Tuesday.  Its the last straw, I'm in the market for a new physician.

This is not the first time I've encountered resistance to do what I ask.  To return a phone call.  To give a letter needed for something.  Not to mention the lecture I got when asking for anti anxiety medication.  Yes, I'm just a common drug seeking addict.

When you know what works, a little steroid, some cough suppressant, maybe an antibiotic, why do you have to jump through hoops to get it prescribed?  Is this a game of wills, where the powerful can refuse just because... oh yes, if I come in Monday she gets PAID by my insurance.  Yes, I had forgotten that small fact; it isn't about helping someone get well and feel better.  I know that once I walk in to her office looking gray, breathing heavily, wheezing, feverish, and coughing nonstop, she will give me the drugs I know I need right now.  Thank you very much Ana.  The least you could have done was to advise me what to do in the meantime and what to get over the counter.  First, do NO harm.