NewscomaRural Media, Pop Culture, Politics And Bigfoot

If I had a wish list, there would be two of me doing the two jobs I’m doing right now at my place of employment, or one of me doing one of the jobs I have right now which I think would be better but I don’t sign the check and I sorta need that check so you deal with what you have. I’ve tried to keep them both separate but equal. I’m trying to stay on top of things, learning something new right now that isn’t easy. Dealing with some employees who aren’t sold on change. You know the drill. Just normal life stuff.

And I’ve been given a deadline that I wish I didn’t have.

And I would also own a pony and have Antonio Banderas give me a massage everyday if I could have everything I wanted, but these things don’t always work out.

But life isn’t always easy and last night I was watching the Deadliest Catch Marathon (and I complain. Dang, at least I’m not a crab fisherman), as I’m wont to do and I got into a big case of the What If’s.

Last week, I panicked a bit when I heard that Big Daddy needed tests and I’ll be honest, I wish I hadn’t put it on this blog but as it is an outlet for me and I did. Because of stupid, irritating, unlawful, awful, ignorant trying insurance issues, he didn’t get the tests he needed until Friday although the doctor wanted to do them on Thursday. I was in Memphis on business but came straight home the next day. The other issue is he’s retired and was using Cobra (he was waiting on filing for Medicare even though he is of age.) This is a lot more complicated than I’m going to get into on this blog, so bear with me.

That’s right, campers, the insurance runs out today. After paying $1,200 a month for him and his wife (which he was paying for health insurance), the transition into a new healthcare package is going to be a dilly, especially with this last moment, unexpected obstacle. We can do it, and Hello Nurse is working her hiney off and I want to just go give her a squeeze because she’s being down right heroic right now. They were in the process of transferring it anyway, but this was so unexpected.

We can only hope for the best, and, quite frankly, scramble. You must prepare for every scenario. And I feel like a very ill-equipped General right now organizing a war where I don’t even know who the enemy is and what country I’m going to be fighting. Not fun.

So with all that said, I’m out of panic mode and into let’s-take-care-of-business mode. I do that. I can handle the worst of situations pretty well (and it all ends in tears for me when I’m alone and when no one is looking.) My issues are just like everyone else in America. I have two major business projects going on and one of TPTB (The Powers That Be) wants one of the projects done immediately. As two of my employees are out on vacation, I’m juggling some wombats right now.

And I’m concerned for Big Daddy.

My plan, and it will be sticky, is to meet with everyone today and be very clear I need organization at the job. I usually just smile and try to get everything together and keep everyone calm but right now I need a bit of help and not a lot of drama. When a person and their family is waiting on health results (which might net nothing right now or might show something) there is a bit of limbo. When someone’s family is sick, as happens in every work environment, people have to be loving and compassionate. I do try to do that. It’s important to be sympathetic and empathetic.

Yesterday, I actually cleaned. This is a feat that only those who know me will understand is an occurrence that only happens in a blue moon. I contacted one of my employees and told them to get ready. You see, I’m not the only person juggling. Personal stuff come up for everyone. And, in all honesty, you have to decide the right moment when to say enough is enough and tell folks to pound sand when it comes to family emergencies.

So the What If’s are deadly but being getting organized is important. And, as a human being, the What If’s happen. Either way, I’m getting my armor on.

It comes down to getting my house in order and preparing for whatever curve ball comes at me. And last night, I realized there were no rules, so my bat is huge. I’ll hit whatever comes at me. And today I’m determined enough to hit it out of the park, if necessary.

This week will be filled with a lot of stuff. We are praying that nothing will show up on the cat scan. And we are working on making sure he’s insured. And hopefully, whatever is on that cat scan is manageable.

Dang, waiting is of the suck, I tell you. I’m much better knowing what I have to deal with than not knowing anything at all.

I think this my situation is really reflective of society. We all are trying to juggle our lives in our non-virtual world.

And hopefully today, Homer, Hello Nurse and I will hear good news. Either way, there’s a lot to do and think about.

Rooting around the tubes as I sometimes do, I though I’d share some of the revelry, pain and idiocy around the blogosphere.

Shall we dance? Well, by golly, I think we should.

• Massachusetts passed the country’s first law requiring adults to get health insurance in April, 2006. In the past 14 months, it has taken several steps toward covering its 372,000 uninsured residents (about 6 percent of its population). If you don’t have the dough, how can you afford it? This is my question.
  
• Malia saw a man with a monkey on his back. On what I believe is a Harley-Davidson. Yamaha. This is funny.
• Obama wins the money race this quarter. When’s the election? Oh, yeah, November 2008. This is a money race more than it’s a political race. No offense to Obama, I’m just tired of it always being about the Benjamin’s.
• Ric Romero states the obvious. About cheaper alternatives to the IPhone. Yeah, I cheated. It’s from Fark.
• If I haven’t said it recently, I adore Tennessee Jed.
• What’s GOP Sen. Robert Lugar talking about? You better read it. He’s wanting an “orderly” withdrawal from Iraq.
• More blogs at traditional news outlets. This time, The City Paper in Nashville is jumping on the blogosphere freight train with several posts since Monday. Of course, I’ve been reading Political Animals. I kinda like the name.
• Southern Beale makes several good points about the UK Terror Scare.
• An anatomy of grief over the loss of a beloved sibling. My friend, Freezertroll, talks about a painful anniversary.

Time for a new week, but I actually have Wednesday off. First holiday in a long time. So it is of the good.

And I’m spending part of the day with Big Daddy. Which is of the better.

Reasons why I love my father and that I should tell him more that I think he’s the bee’s knees:

• He showed up at my niece’s play tonight to see her play a wild elf names Smacky. Smacky was a somewhat manic depressive elf, but she looked beautiful and I was smitten.
• He just had angioplasty on his espophagus. Hiatal hernia’s suck. He’s lived with it for years. They had to use a child size balloon because it was so small.
• He shouldn’t have come.
• He did. He was on some pain meds, but he came and  the little one was delighted.
• Thanks, Big Daddy. It meant a lot.

So this is for you about the television show you liked so well:

Fans trumpeting the cause of CBS’ canceled drama “Jericho” have caught the network’s ear.

CBS, deluged with calls, messages and shipments of nuts signifying viewer displeasure, is reconsidering its decision, a source close to the production said Tuesday.

The source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly. A decision on whether to bring the show back, probably for a midseason run, is imminent, the source said.

“We are tired of the networks (not just CBS) tossing aside quality programming,” was the message carried by jericholives.com, one of several Web sites protesting the cancellation. “Enough! We’re going to fight for this one.”

Follow the link and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

I saw Slartibartfast do a list a couple of days ago about things he digs and things that are sending him up the wall. I opted to copy him. In other words, today, I got nothing so I’m cheating.

List One: Things I’m absolutely sick of or bored with:

1. Junk bills going through the capital of this state. NO, I’m not bored about this one. I’m seriously pissed. The Order of Protection legislation has me so steaming mad I might have to go scream in one of our local cornfields. I worked with battered women for years, going to police stations in the middle of the night trying to help women who had the crap beat out of them get away from their abusers, women who are so scared to leave their husbands that they stay because they have been so emotionally abused into believing that he will kill them or the children and too frightened to go to court because it’s humiliating and they don’t think they can get any help anyway. This legislation is about devaluing people who really need help and it makes me angry.
2. The presidential race (IT’S 20 MONTHS AWAY.)
3. That I feel all of my age this week, which is frustrating.
4. High School Basketball playoffs, because I haven’t seen Squirrelly in two weeks basically other than as passing ships in the night.
5. And I’m with Slarti on this one, school fundraisers. As my sister is the PTO president for our little burg and she has been about to rip her hair out trying to do what she feels is the right thing. I also don’t like grouchy people who won’t volunteer to help at the school but are armchair critics about every little thing she does. Homer is my girl, don’t mess with her.
6. Being perpetually poor because we need a new laptop. Trying to figure out how to manage that one.

List Two: Things I cannot get enough of:

1. High Plains Drifter. Man, I love that movie. Big Daddy always used to take us to the movies when we were kids and I remember this one very clearly because it was just so awesomely cool. And The Seven Samurai. Yeah, they both give me a happy. Anything Akira Kurosawa does makes me just plum joyful and I have such a crush on Toshiro Mifune that it’s just downright embarrasing.
2. My dog Mabel, who always greets me with so much love and joy when I come home that I have to pick her up and just squeeze her.
3. The Groovy Chicks at work, who have been extremely patient with me over the past month.
4. Spring Fever and Tony LaRussa and Scott Rolen have shaken hands are now ready for some baseball. Ummm … I love baseball. Cardinals baseball, Smiley.
5. Munster cheese.
6. Getting hugs from the nieces without having to ask.

So, there you go. A little glimpse into the world of ‘coma. Yeah, I’m not that exciting, but then again, March is here, I’ve seen some sunshine this week and it was 70 degrees yesterday so life isn’t so bad.

Thanks Slarti.

Big Daddy is going to the doctor on Friday for the second time. He isn’t better and he doesn’t feel good.

He hasn’t felt great recently so I’m hoping the doctor will either help him or send him to someone who will. His back has been hurting and being that he is not a complainer, I’m a bit worried. I’m a true believer that if you don’t feel good, you go to the person who can help you. Thus, go to the doctor. There is no reason to be in pain. I just wish everyone had the health care they needed, but paying for it hurts a lot of people. You know, some people need crazy things like food and shelter. Insurance goes by the wayside for those insane luxuries.

You guessed it correctly. He has to pay like a million dollars a month for insurance  since he retired a couple of years ago and Medicaid hasn’t kicked in, but he has to go through hoops before they will issue tests that will actually tell him what is wrong.

Thems the rules and they suck.

Insurance = Asshats and that’s the word of the day