On the Road Again....................

Total success!  Mike drove all the way (70 miles total) and had no problems.  Butch (the ex police officer) watched him very closely to see how his reaction time was and reported he did very well.  He wants to let him drive some more with a passenger before he attempts to do it alone but things are definitely looking up.  I see a little dog in his future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is a big day for Mr. Mike.  He is going to attempt to drive himself the 35 miles to the Health Clinic to pick up his medicine.  My older brother will be going with him in case there is a problem. 

Mike has been driving in town for awhile but doesn't go too far from his house.  He was very independent before this last hospitalization and he traveled when he was in business all over the state.  I hope this works out because it means so much to Mike to regain his total independence.

Our employee health nurse was just in my office giving me a Tdap vaccine.  It is tetanus, diptheria and pertusis which is now required for all hospital staff.  It made me remember when I was a kid and how I would throw such a fit if it was time for a shot.  Once I ran out the exam room and out the door and hid under a car.  The nurse was in hot pursuit and when she caught me she spanked my butt all the way back into the clinic where my mother was waiting.  That woman was FAST!  I still remember her name............Nurse Margaret and I thought she was the meanest woman in the world.  But I never ran off again.

Good thing I outgrew my fear of shots..........poor Maria would have been chasing me down the hall.  Of course I'm not so fast anymore.

I loved the story this morning on the Elderstorytelling Blog . Joanne hit the nail on the head.  I have often thought that holidays weren't created for women (with the exception of Valentine's Day).  It's no holiday when you have to prepare huge meals and decorate everything from the toilet seat to the front curb.  It's just work!  That doesn't even touch purchasing gifts and wrapping them in hopes that you might get lucky and the recipient actually likes the gift. I have always enjoyed Christmas but somewhere along the years it just got out of hand.  People are grumpy and I get exhausted.  And......12 months passes really fast now that I'm older.  What seemed like an eternity when I was 9 now feels like a blink of an eye.  

Sometimes I wish we could celebrate Thanksgiving on odd number years and Christmas on even number years.  The two holidays are too close together as it is.  How much turkey can you eat in 8 weeks anyway?  

Pondering

I've been pondering lately....That's me pondering except for the red hair....................

The older I get the more I think the world has gone nuts.  Did I get smarter or did everyone else (meaning politicians) get dumber?

President Obama is visiting our state today.  But when President Obama landed at Tinker Air Force Base last night in Midwest City, Oklahoma, he was not greeted by any of the state's leaders, such as the Governor or Lt. Governor or even the person in charge of Oklahoma's Energy Department. They are all Republicans and are all... supposedly coincidentally... out of the city or state. Instead, he was greeted by Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett (Republican) and Midwest City Mayor Jack Fry, along with Major General Bruce Litchfield and other military leaders at Tinker Air Force Base.

Governor Mary Fallin and her family were on vacation in Puerto Rico but are supposed to return on Thursday, March 22nd. Lt. Governor Todd Lamb is at a conference in Washington, D.C.
The President is scheduled to appear in Cushing, Oklahoma today in order to speak about his support the of the southern portion of a pipeline to transport oil from Cushing to refineries in south Texas. Since Oklahoma's top leaders are out of town, Secretary of Commerce Dave Lopez will attend the event in Oklahoma.

The fact that Oklahoma's so-called state leaders 'snubbed' the President of the United States is totally outrageous. Oklahoma state leaders should at least have respect for the office of the President of the United States and, therefore, should have given President Obama the warm and friendly welcome for which Oklahomans are known.The fact that none of the state's Republican leaders could find time to personally meet and greet President Obama just goes to show that the state's leaders are ignorant and have poor judgment. Hopefully, their actions will not be interpreted as a reflection of how all the citizens of Oklahoma think and feel about President Obama.

Good grief!  It's so pathetic.  Our governor is a work of art.   It's not easy being a democrat in this red-neck, republican state.

Mike is doing so much better I'm almost nervous.  I guess I'm afraid that it could change in an instant so I can't quite relax.  He sounds more like himself although his anxiety level goes up and down.  Today a co-worker was looking for a new home for a 4 year-old male terrier.  I was really tempted to take him for Mike but I thought better of it.  I think a dog would be great company for Mike but I'm afraid it might just be something for him to get anxious about.  I think we'll wait awhile longer and I'm sure we will be able to find a dog when the time is right.

Mike talked to his psychiatrist about Ron and Dr. T. encouraged him to talk to his counselor.  I want to make sure Mike has all the support he needs if Ron's cancer progresses.  Mike is so attached to Ron and I know he will be devistated if anything happens to him. 
I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to handle my own grief and Mike's.  I'm hopeful that we have a lot more time ahead of us but I also realize it is a waiting game.

I'm feeling a lot better but still have a little cough and still wheezing.  It's not as easy to bounce back as it used to be. 

Movies

While I was off for two weeks wallowing in self-pity and (excuse the graphic description) snot, I did get the chance to see a couple of movies I was interested in viewing following the Oscar's.  I watched "The Descendants" with George Clooney and was quite taken by his performance.  I normally am only able to get glimpses of George as himself in most of his movies.  But this one was quite different.  I saw the movie as an almost perfect portrayal of human imperfection.  It was really good.

The other movie I saw was "Beginners".  I was interested primarily because of Christopher Plummer's receipt of the Oscar for best supporting actor.  Not being very fond of a format that constantly involves flashbacks I was really not drawn into this movie.  Plummer's performance was ....OK but I didn't really see it as Oscar winning.

I'm still waiting to see "Albert Nobbs" with Glenn Close.  It's on my list of movie rentals.

Have you seen any good movies lately? What do you recommend?

545 vs. 300,000,000 People

Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.

This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be.. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!

545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren't so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat..

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears..

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'

Getting Better

I have been under the weather for awhile.  I have been home for almost two weeks just trying to get better. I've been doing breathing treatments, taking steroids and antibiotics and I can finally say I'm better.  Not 100% but definitely better.  I have developed asthma and had a raging case of bronchitis and generally just pretty run down.  I'm going to work harder to take better care of myself because I've been pretty useless to anyone feeling so bad.

I wish I had great things to talk about but I'm pretty dried up.  Just thought I'd at least say I haven't fallen off a cliff just felt like it.

Dog For Sale

A guy is driving around the back woods of Montana and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog For Sale 'He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard.


The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there.

'You talk?' he asks.

'Yep,' the Lab replies.


After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?'

The Lab looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA.


In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.'

'I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running...

But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.'
'I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.'

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

'Ten dollars,' the guy says.

'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'

'Because he's a liar . He's never been out of the yard'

We are widening the driveway week after next.  I'm excited.  Right now we have a single driveway and Ron has to let me out every morning.  He says he doesn't mind but it is a hassle always moving cars. 

It's taken me forever to decide how to do it.  My neighbors have a spreading hedge between our houses and it has spread probably 3 - 4 feet over the property line.  I didn't want to cause a hassle with them and possibly destroying their bushes so we are extending the driveway on the other side.  We are going to wait until after the next CT scan before we decide about building the carport.  I don't want to deplete our savings in case we need it for another surgery, etc.

I'm trying to just focus my attention on other things.  We have a lot of projects around the house we want to do.  We want to remove a window and replace it with a patio door to make it easier to access the backyard.   But like all projects one leads to another.  We noticed this morning that if we lose the window and put in a door then the cart that holds the microwave won't fit there.  This led to "where do we put the microwave?"  Maybe a microwave vent above the stove?  More money...........and on it goes.  But daydreaming is fun and keeps our minds occupied.

Today is the Republican primary and I really am curious as to who they think is their best choice.  This should be interesting.

Ron is now sick with that respiratory junk again.  This is his second time with it and like me, it was worse the second time than the first.  He was in bed all weekend and still feels bad today.  It was a lonely weekend.  I missed his company.


I've been a little depressed lately but I'm trying to shake it off.  Overall things are better.  Mike is doing much better and that may have led to my mind now focusing on Ron.  I'm trying to remain positive but I'm really scared.  All along there was that 5 year life expectancy and we are in year 3.  Should I be surprised that things may be changing now?  Is that too pessimistic?  I guess I don't want to be caught off guard...but how do you prepare for the end of someone's life?   It really is just one day at a time because there is absolutely NOTHING you can do.  Whatever will happen will happen.  I just pray that I'm strong enough to help him get through whatever may come.

 

A new morning

Ron and I talked last night.  I was glad he was able to open up a little bit.  He said that he wasn't angry at anyone but he was just shocked to hear his remaining kidney may be compromised.  Words like dialysis and kidney transplant really shook him up.  He's not sure he would want to go with either option.  He talked about making the decision to opt for quality versus quantity of life and I honestly understand what he is saying.   Ron has an uncle who is living on dialysis right now and has to be hooked up to a machine at night and also for 3 hours during the day.  Ron can't imagine that life.  He said the difference is his uncle is in his 80's and his life was already restricted to some degree.  Ron is only 63 and can't imagine years of living on dialysis.  He feels a transplant is a waste of time and money.  That having to suppress his immune system would only give the cancer the upper hand to thrive.  He also doubts he would ever receive a kidney anyway and he doesn't want to spend his remaining time in a hospital.

So after this discussion we agreed to once again set it aside and wait 3 months and reevaluate where we are.  I just wanted him to know that HE is the one who makes the final decision.  He needs to know he has some control over what he wants and doesn't want.  We also agreed we are not going to let this dictate everything we do.   We are going to go on with plans but remain responsible.  


We are planning to widen the driveway so we are going to go on and do it.  Sometimes we are afraid to do things because of the big (?) that hangs over our lives.  But that's no way to live.  We just have to be responsible but keep living.


We are expecting 79 degree temperatures today.  Oh, spring fever will be getting to us soon.  It will be nice.