obamageddon

I can empathize with the screaming pissed off Jon Stewart who ranted last night about the stupidity and lack of oversight involved in targeting political groups by the IRS. Not because Obama did it. But he is the one in charge and the GOP hates him bad enough to take this and get the whole country riled up over impeachment for that plus his failure to protect the ambassador in Benghazi. Hillary has taken some of the heat for that, but ultimately it falls on his shoulders. My first reaction was "but what about when after 9/11 it was reported that intelligence indicated that a strike was forthcoming?" I guess everybody was too much in shock from what had just happened and wanted to believe that our country would survive in spite of the lack of wisdom in major decision making. That's right...surround yourself with idiots and you look like one too. I just fired off yet another email to my representatives asking them to stop it RIGHT freakin' now with the shit. This country is dying, ya'll. We don't need one single more destabilizing thing or the whole house of cards will fall. Just imagine how wonderful it would be to have a kinder more gentler GOP that could sit down at the table and not spew hatred at the opposing party, like..you know. With a spirit of compromise and whatnot. The biggest difference I see in the parties is one concerning the ideology about sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. They have spent millions of dollars and man hours trying to overturn a law that has been in effect since the 70's and whose operation on the abortion end is not funded with taxpayer dollars. It's called transparency. Meanwhile, the tightasses who are ranting like maniacs all over the country preaching "save yourself for marriage" and "one woman, one man" are doing what they do behind closed doors and lying about it. More Republicans have gotten busted and outed for gay sex lately than ever in the history of the two parties. It's called transparency ya'll. If both parties don't get a grip and work together, we're in for some serious anarchy and it won't be pretty.

Meanwhile, back on the hill I'm looking at possible jury duty on a DAY OFF which totally sucks because there's no pay. We don't have a lot of cases go to trial around here because it's mostly drug related (I kid you not) from actual possession and sale to stealing to get the money for it. The last time I was in a courtroom prior to reporting for selection was when my young friend was being tried for manslaughter. He spent several years in the pen and is still my buddy and go to guy when it comes to cars and moving shit. BG has plans for a nice dinner which is pretty cool that we even have food much less feel like doing a little prep work. It can be done without an oven, no doubt.

The Grands are doing tolerably well as my daddy would say. BG took them to the doc's office today for a head check and tuneup on the meds. She is surprisingly healthy now that she has. It's almost hot which means one of my days off will be at Gigi's pool working on my vitamin D level and sore muscles. As usual, if the creek don't rise and Big Ernie is willing.

Love ya....mean it ^j^

rip cord

It's been so long since I've bought a set of scrubs I didn't realize that one of the newer style is parachute pants that will pull up over your shoes and not drag on the floor. Eureka! It's every short person's dream. The folks at work actually had to show me how to do the cord thingy. I've ruined the hems of every pair I've ever had that wasn't super short dragging through the mud to get to my car. You know the one...the trusty old Camry that's approaching the 100K mark. With three windows. And one hubcap. And four used tires. I sure hope I don't have to haul ass to the airport or something because I'd have to hire a cab!

As I was returning the mower to my brother's care, I noticed a couple of Joey's guys picking up chunks and tossing them into the back of a huge truck. The landfill is right across the road so there ya go. My family lived off and on in the house at the end of the road and KY cousin was the first. Of course I lived in town then...go figure. After they left there were some others and then my brother. Now it's just the family, god love 'em, and their penned up bulldogs and special needs kids. One of the dogs named Scrappy got out the other day and they came up here looking for him to take him back to jail. Not cool. Also beyond my scope of changing. As long as the dad stays out of my yard and doesn't blast me out with heavy metal, I can deal with an occasional request from his poor little brainwashed wife. But I don't have to approve of the situation, just saying.

Not bad for a Monday, thank you sweet baby jeebus. We're still on survey alert but who the hell knows anymore. I do know that the trickle down in healthcare is fully impacting the market and only really sick people show up usually. Plus the GOP has everybody convinced that Obamacare is gonna break the bank when in reality? It's just a handing off to the states of the responsibility for the exchanges in order to PRESERVE federal dollars for other things like homeland security and whatnot. That and the Benghazi witch hunt have me just about ready to get a gun myself but I won't. I'd shoot myself in the eye.

You see here's the problem. In my tenure as a healthcare provider I have gone from totally free county paid health insurance to buying my own from a mega-giant insurance company of my company's choice. Historically, CMS is the branch of federal government which sets prices that the government agrees to pay for Medicare recipients. Not just old people, mind you. The disabled. And the slackers who know how to work the system. The industry thrives on people being sick and the cheapest way to care for them, according to insurance companies. Thus the DRG mentality assigning a set price for an admission with a certain diagnosis code. COPD? ESRF? Sound familiar? These are very sick patients whose care can run way above what Medicare sets as a fair price for that particular disease state. There are kickbacks galore, thus the Stark law and others prohibiting healthcare providers from accepting gifts from those with whom they do business. Honey..when every other vendor had their lunches cut, we could always count on good old Big Pharm to cater a meeting or bring doughnuts to a doc's office.

I remember when there was one bill for your entire hospital stay and it was separated out by specialty and the hospital paid a percentage for radiologists and pathologists based on the number of procedures. Now those specialty groups are their own business as well as all the other contract agencies with whom hospitals must agree on for a fee for service. It's insane and unless a patient has someone watching the paper trail, it can get nasty in a hurry. These folks don't play when it comes to payment especially when you're old and feeble and don't know Medicare part D from a hole in the ground. The other problem as I see it is the terrific number of medical malpractice claims and the industry that is fed by that shit. Corey B. Trotz my ass. We make mistakes like everybody else and unless it's negligence, get over it.

I've seen a lot of substance abuse over the years because hey...it's there for the stealing. At least it was prior to the little locked up drug thingy that must pass a count at the beginning and ending of each shift. Whenever somebody counts wrong? Mandatory screening. It's not near the problem that it was in past years but I can tell you that working with the sick and dying will make you weary after so long. Burnout, I think it's called. I even see that as a blessing though because it has given me the opportunity to realize that life is what you make it and somebody always needs an angel.

^j^

rhotos and doughnuts

Sister girl! The pollen is thick as thieves around here and yesterday's mowing got me all stirred up. We're broke as heck but by golly we'll have some good ten dollar eye drops before the day is done. It's officially pre-summer now with a dry week forecast and normal temps. Like even in the 80S! Maybe I can do a day off at Gigi's pool and soak my feet. I've been working on those old dogs for months now trying to get 'em in shape for flip flops. We had a lovely mother's day breakfast at you-know-where with the usual discourse of "I can't pay until you finish". We stopped by the DQ for dilly bars and headed to their log cabin with daddy mumbling his schedule the whole time. This time it included putting up coats since it was chilly. As I drove up to the house I told mom the mother's day fairy had come to her porch! I'm such a sly one, you know. I picked her a beautiful bouquet of everything in my yard that's blooming and read her cards from my brother and I.

I never thought about being a mother as something that would be particularly fun seeing as how my own mother was wore ass out most of her life with three of us. And a fulltime job. And an on-call status as farmer's wife. She has chased cows in his absence as well as rescued him from a random drunk on our front porch one night. She never once spanked me which was probably not the wisest decision but it's one that I used with my own daughter. She did, however, slap me square in the face when I called her a bitch as a teenager, and I deserved it. Ditto for BG.

She was so cool that she hauled a bunch of us to the Coliseum to see Led Zeppelin and I left my shoes in the car as I took of in my daddy's wool Air Force overcoat. Yeah...too cool for the people. She supported my decision not to be a sorority girl even though she had been steeped in that tradition. And she has always held me when my heart is breaking, which is happening more often. It's as if she's preparing me for when she is gone. A former newspaper columnist she published a cook book of her reader's recipes that went viral (well, not back then but...) and people still ask for it. Of course that being my job, it's kinda sorta on the back burner. Ha..did anybody get that?

This is for you mom, for every memory that we share and all the good times. I couldn't have asked for anyone better to raise me up as a redneck,smartass hippie southern country gal

^j

mother's day memories

When I was a child Mother's day was always the one occasion where we paused to pick a rosebud and tuck it in somewhere...red for an alive one and white for a dear departed one. My ex bought me a white rose corsage for Easter one year and I was too mortified to wear it up in high church. Two years ago on this special day, my father was hospitalized very much against his will for a life threatening pneumonia. The year after that mama was in the nursing home recovering from a massive knee infection. Last year? Um...don't remember. The days have flown by in a blur filled with work and drama. It is definitely time to put the brakes on for a day or two.

I started today at the dollar store and did a quick run by the reduced price rabies clinic with two of our four. We'll get Ryder next week! This control nazi who arrived an hour early and was pissed because I walked right up with Sophie in my arms informed us that "that man" in that truck over there told her we were to line up in order of who got there first. The vet just looked at her like "really!" and told her to get in line with her dogs. I saw all sorts of people with multiple dogs on many colored leashes and most of them were well behaved. I had to PICK Sammy D up to get him out of the car, but it was all good after that. Sophie snoozed in the warm sun of my front seat while Sam got stuck. He was brave.

Then I scooped up my mama and we were off to a local deli/gift shop that is cute as a bug with really good food. Our downtown crowd that includes county offices and court square hasn't had a place to eat other than southern fried in many years. My very pregnant cousin K manages to still look like at doll three weeks out from delivery. Mom and Aunt Granny did their own thing that includes a lot of repetition of course. Cousin Mo can always manage to make me laugh over even the most serious things and we have fun being goofballs and bad girls together. There is another great grandchild in the works just a week or so after that. Life goes on, ya'll.

Happy mother's day to all you mothers and grandmas and t's and whatnot. Remember who you are ^j^

awesome god

I'm a Michael W. Smith fan from way back in my choir days in the alto section. His anthems have become the mainstay of contemporary worship services everywhere and that's quite an impact to make as a musician. Like not near as desperate as the Christian metal guy who put out a contract on his old lady. I can personally testify that his style of worship is what saved me from abandoning the entire deal based on my UMC background. Things could be worse though...it could have been the COC..eek.

Since I have the weekend off and it's payday there are two movies sitting here waiting patiently for me to settle down, which won't be anytime soon. I finally broke down and bought went into payday debt for a couple of new outfits to wear at work. I got caught moneyless when they instituted a dress code years ago that included only two colors so I've been wearing my old co-worker's hand me downs. Some wise person decided that it wasn't worth the effort of trying to enforce it and there you go..we have choice again. It's never a bad thing, ya know?

I'm feeling pretty grateful these days for any number of things including but not limited to the fact that it's Friday and I have plenty of beer for chair dancing to Huey Lewis and the News. Yep...I'm that old. Gawd I miss me some 80s. BG came home with disc one of Friends like in the very beginning. That's her crack..I was doing other things in their early days. The Power of Love is probably one of the happiest songs ever recorded! It always reminds me of Michael J. Fox. He's a brave one, bless his heart.

Continuing with that blessed theme, there are other blessings like a chance to cut the hay that is my yard and get ready for corporate. I wonder if there's a blanket big enough to cover that pile out in the driveway??? Surely some nice guy with a trailer will help a girl out, especially one who has to do it all on her own. *snort*
Mother's Day is coming up and of course we're all thinking about the one(s) who raised us up. It's not always a biological thing in that when you have a child you interact with their friends as either a positive or negative. That includes a whole lot of sloppy understanding when they're teenagers. Hey..I did some pretty stupid things myself.

My own mother has been glorified and only minimally fussed about on this blog for years and years. Her spirit lives not only in me, but in BG and I'm so freakin' happy to have had her touch of southern hospitality and graces to tone down my running Stafford fits and hippie ways. She respected my decisions when I was growing up even though they weren't usually her own. I distinctly remember me and baby brother having a conversation with her in the kitchen about pot of all things. She played the "two wrongs don't make a right" card on us that day. I don't really remember when I became one who isn't always obedient. Probably the first time I saw somebody walk over somebody else at work. Right is right and Jesus likes that stuff.

The biggest blessing of all in my life right now is my relationship with BG and my parents. They have allowed her to become a caregiver at a crucial time in their lives. I suppose all that hard work to become a BSW comes in handy sometimes. She is the very best and worst of me and her dad and I choose to believe that my influence on her as a woman has been to highlight your strengths and find a good group of friends who know what you really are and love you anyway.

Big hugs on mother's day eve eve ^j^

somona botchen fargin icehole

Luke the dane had just about become part of my recent history in fostering dogs when I looked out into the dark at dusk and saw his huge head staring through the front door as if to say "I'm back!". He slept there and this morning when I left I found his white head totally red from several huge gashes in his head...blood everywhere! This was 6AM so I went by where his people have a business but it was too early. Later I called to let him know that he needed a vet because he had injured himself in the great escape. Animals can be sooooooo ornery sometimes, but then so can some people. When BG got home, he was gone..hopefully to the doggie doc. He's really a sweet dog but very determined to be allowed visitation with his 'hood mates. And I think I remind him of his late mama.

The salsa sisterhood visited Mexico today and learned a brand new cuss word thanks to Athena's brother Rick. It's pretty long and I can't remember all of it now..we practiced in the car and said it in unison as we dropped her off to cheers of "Towanda!" Ain't nothing like girl power, ya'll. She is a very talented jeweler and all around cool person who brings that out in others. So is Kevin my dear buddy-in-Ronstadt who delivered to me a CD with all of her top 40 hits. Spontaneous little things like this day has brought are what makes the world go 'round. Thanks Big E.

I didn't dare commence to mow the lawn yard until I was medicated and that happened today so I'm thinking weekend. I'm the front desk person tomorrow so there's something different besides jury duty to ponder. You never know who or what is gonna walk through that door. Lockdown has become a common thing in most hospitals because of the fact that when criminals are injured, somebody has to care for them because of that do no harm thing. You may not find anybody to bury your evil butts, but we'll fix you up if possible. Onward...no more Russian brother chat. Oh, and let me tell you what I think of Fox News following the one story that I've seen on that network in probably two years. You people are beyond belief to broadcast high profile trials like Jodi Arias and build a fan base on "did she do it." Meanwhile, you throw our freakin' State department under the bus like Hillary
is the one with bad intentions. The woman took responsibility for the mistake. There was no huge orchestrated cover up. Somebody dropped the ball and since it's her head to ultimately roll, she fessed up. That's what I like to see in a government official. If you think people have long memories, just look at the comeback of David Petraeus.

And so now it comes back that the hero in Ohio who went viral in one day has a criminal background. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE! Destroying someone's credibility is nothing like telling the truth. It's what lawyers get paid big bucks to do especially in divorce cases. The madder the better! That we as a society pay are entertained by the misfortune of others is understandable in some respects but eventually you just gotta have a happy story to keep sane. I don't want to know about body parts and horror past the reporting of the fact that it happened. Period.

Meanwhile, the house is still a mess and the yard's not mowed and I could care less. It's ladies night, after. Keeping the faith here ^j^

tight as a tick

Per my normal state of disorientation I turned up a day early for my FNP appointment but they worked me in anyway. Gotta love a small town with family values. My muscles are knotted to the point that it will require chemical intervention to fix that chit. All she did was touch my shoulder and it jumped to the ceiling. At least she knew I wasn't a drug seeker. Blood pressure is still A-okay on the low side but I've started splitting the dose so I don't feel like a weeble wobbling at work. My weight has stabilized to where I eat most anything that I want and don't gain as long as it's semi-healthy stuff. I smoke which is of course, very very bad for you. But not much, anymore. I went from a two pack a day habit that mostly burned up in ashtrays to a chosen few that I relish with only an occasional binge...mostly when I'm drinking multiple beers.

Week one of jury duty has been quiet so far which is good because the sawmill has been scurrying to fill up beds with the perpetually sick population that is our market base. It's the same with every healthcare providerin the country. Obamacare is not the problem, and you can take that to the bank. The President's healthcare plan is a re-work of Romney's that did quite well in his home state. Here's where the trouble comes in though with states taking responsibility for their obligations. They count on the feds to fund everything through "entitlements" instead of seeking an alternative that is actually good for the healthcare consumer. If you don't know what a DRG is by now, you've felt the consequences of them many times over. My new favorite Huffpost reporter wrote today about the wild variations in the cost for one DRG within a several mile radius in the NY/NJ area.

In my humble opinion, the healing arts should be just another job that you do for a decent wage and try to help people. Eff a bunch of getting rich on the backs of poor people who pay out the ass for insurance. See how perfectly Pollyanna I'm feeling today! BG and Miss Faye went to the upper floor at Casa Grands to clean up the filth dust things off and worked like trojans up there where there's no AC. They even ventured into daddy's room to scoop up a pile of khakis or two. Big freakin' mess, ya'll. The day I cleaned out his office there were spiders in the papers, I kid you not. Mama hasn't been up there in years.

If I had to live without heat or central air, I'd take the air hands down. An occasional foray out into the heavy pollen is quite an adventure but until I get a singulair in me, it's risky business. Over and our from the lane ^j^