Doctor Doctor

Another week come and gone and what a week it was. You think not much is going on and then you look back on things and realize it all adds up to be, well, not a lot, but at least more than you thought.

I'm finally caught up on Breaking Bad. What a wonderful, tragic, thrilling, disturbing show. Bryan Cranston from Malcolm in the Middle is amazing. It shows how one bad decision, even made for a good reason, can mess up royally in no time. I've spent the last half of this week watching this show, men's basketball (thankfully, no money bet!) and women's basketball (not as successful today as yesterday).

First off, I've been busier at work this week. Hopefully having the full week to deal with it will help out. Plus I need to work ahead because this time next week, I'll be on a work trip. No offense to Raleigh in January or Madison in February, but I think Pensacola in March could be nice. Dang it, it better be nice and sunny! My parents are going to come down to Pensacola for a few days while I'm there. They haven't seen me since Christmas, 3 months. I guess I'm worth missing. haha. Being alone up here is the toughest part of this job. Not easy or cheap to fly home. Would be easier just driving a couple of hours. But that's the life I lead :-)

I'm also trying to take care of my health. As you saw in my last blog, I went to the doctor. He said to lose weight. I'm also still waiting on the blood tests too see how else I'm unhealthy. I finally joined a gym. 3 free trainer sessions, first one Tuesday. So I should be in shape in what, 2-3 weeks? I kid I kid. But it's a smaller gym, which I like and the owner was super nice too. Plus I'm going to the dentist. Wow, when did I become so health conscious? Oh yeah, when ice cream started hurting my tooth. haha. Anyway, my teeth and sinuses gave me heck today. I woke up, had a screaming headache, took something, then went back to sleep for another 3.5-4 hours. Glad I had a bum weekend scheduled.

Speaking of health care, apparently the end of the world has come. A health care bill has passed. We are all now going to have to pay 3-4x what we do now for half the care. Actually, I don't think it will be that bad. I think a change needed to happen. The health care system is not working. Insurance companies don't play fair. If this helps, that can't be a bad thing. But I will be selfish and say I don't want my insurance messed with. I have too much wrong with me. Nobody has told me that it would be affected. By the way, this isn't socialism. Capitalism isn't going anywhere in this country and it never will. Do I like the way the bill seemed to bully its way into being? No. I think it should have been a bit more gradual, roll it out, take some time. Am I upset that there is a change to health care that will help more people? Not at all. If I didn't have good health care, my life would be a lot different. I couldn't afford all my trips to the doctor (right now, every 3 months), I couldn't have afforded the light treatments for my psoriasis, and I surely wouldn't be able to afford my arthritis medicine that has made a miraculous difference in my life. If this bill helps others like me live a more normal life, then I as a human, as a Christian, can't deny them that. The government already help us out in many other aspects of our lives: roads, Social Security, defense, education. I know some want less government, but right now, I don't trust insurance companies to help out on this.

Oh, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialized_health_care

OK, that's enough politics for a while. Let's be happy and get along.

You Cut Me Open and I, Keep Bleeding...

Well, the snow is gone, well, pretty much. It's staying above freezing and rain has come through to wash the rest away. I'm so happy. Spring better be here for good. I'm sick of snow, in case y'all haven't heard. But I'm glad it's still cool enough to wear long sleeves. After having to be stuck twice for bloodwork, my arms now look like Courtney Love's arms so I need the sleeves to hide em.

Not much going on besides work and watching TV. Sometimes DVDs (Up in the Air, Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire, and A Perfect Getaway), sometimes TV shows (Law & Order, Parenthood, Community, The Good Wife), sometimes sports (MARCH MADNESS BABY!!). Yeah, I'm just that pathetic. I have no life and am just a big fat slob haha, which leads me to my next paragraph...

OK, once again a doctor, not my arthritis doc, tells me I need to exercise and lose weight. But he actually told me why, suggested I join a gym, etc, instead of making me feel like a big fat pig for no reason. So I probably will break down and join a gym this week or next. Hopefully one that's a bit smaller and not as crowded. Beach season comes around soon and I don't want some well meaning animal activist trying to set me back out to see to be with my pod. I just need motivation. Since pretty much none of y'all live here, it'll need to be done online. Can you be a good online encourager for me in my exercise/weight loss? If so, I'll keep you more updated on my progress if you hold me accountable. I'll even tell you my weight and give weigh ins! But if I tell you my weight, you can't tell it. If you do, I will turn evil and tell some secret or something bad about you, EVEN IF I HAVE TO LIE!!!! So if you wanna help, let me know, seriously :-)

Other than the weight, I seem to be in pretty good health for someone overweight with arthritis and sometimes low iron. WooHoo!! I'll take that victory!

In sad news, I know of 3 people recently who passed away. A lady at church with 2 young sons, the mother of a friend/former co-worker, and a girl I went to elementary school with. Life is short! Spend it loving & enjoying each other. It makes me appreciate my friends, all of them, all different, and all wonderful. Thanks y'all!!

It's a Beautiful Day, Don't Let It Get Away

Well, today, I went out to see Alice in Wonderland in IMAX (although it wasn't TRUE IMAX. It was just a tall screen, not like in Huntsville where the screen takes up your whole field of vision. But I digress). It was supposed to be a nice sunny clear day. I went down to the harbor and the day was perfect. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, the temperature was nice (not too cold), almost no snow/ice/slush left on the ground, and the sky was the perfect shade of blue. I walked around for a bit, ate, went to the movie. It was a good movie. I enjoyed it, although some parts did drag, overall I would recommend it, except for very small children. Some parts may be scary, but no kids cried in my showing, that's good. The girl playing Alice looked like Mischa Barton, except she can actually act. Did you see Mischa on SVU the other night? Wow, she was bad. Heck, that show's becoming bad. I remember when it was good. I think it's time for them to hang up their handcuffs. Johnny Depp wasn't bad as the Mad Hatter, and Helena Bonham Carter was hilarious as the Red Queen.

Back home in Alabama, things are flipping crazy with this gambling stuff. Governor Riley is dead set against any gambling of any kind in the state. Several of the gaming establishments have closed under threat of prohibition style raids. This is costing the state revenue and puts many out of work. Now Jesse Jackson decided to come down to march in protest of this, on the anniversary of the Selma march. OK, I'm fine the gaming establishments in the state (shocking & sinful, I know) because of jobs & revenue lost to other states and the state can regulate it. And I'm fine with people wanting to protect those jobs, but...(this will get its own paragraph).

Anytime Jesse Jackson gets the urge to go somewhere to support something or someone, I wish he'd think differently or someone would take away his car keys or airplane ticket or something. He's got all the wrong kind of baggage. Plus, in the many years that Greene County has had financial & employment woes, where was Jesse? Why wasn't he there to ask the state to help provide jobs in the area? Why Jesse? Why only now when it's all about the "bingo"? He was probably out getting his staffers pregnant.

Larry Langford got 15 years in prison. Oy vey!

Finally, a blogger for the American Family Association blogged about the whale who killed the trainer at Sea World in Florida. He said following the ancient civil code of Israel, the whale should have been killed, more correctly stoned, back in 1991 when he first killed a worker, and not only the animal but the owner as well, as put forth in Leviticus. Wow, really? It'd be interesting to see his life and see if he's fully following the Mosaic law. But anyway, the animal was doing what was in his nature. He is a wild animal forced to live & perform and we get upset with the whale for living its nature? For the love of all people, get a grip. I know friends of mine are fans of the AFA, eh, they aren't my favorites.

Anyway, that's my griping for the week. Yeah, I really need a vacation. Maybe I will just go and crash on someone's couch sometime for a few days and just sleep. I've just been tired. Oh well, such is life.