She Skates

Immoral

To me there's something inherently immoral about putting health care into the hands of profit making entities.  I've just written my two work at home decisions for the day.  One was for a 52 year old Blue Cross claims adjustor who is disabled due to the stress of her job.  She's even had electroshock treatment and the judge said in her notes that she looked (in essences like a zombie) at the hearing.  The other was a residential care home administrator, again caught between the demands of the parties involved in running her facility, not the least of which the constant fights with insurance companies.  There have been many polls taken of doctors, who complain of constant fights with insurance companies to get the care their patients need.  I constantly read in my own files of the delays by the Worker's Compensation carriers.  I don't know how many times I've seen claimants who waited and waited to get approved for surgery.  But they had permanent nerve damage that affected their arms, legs, etc. because they had to wait so long.  No one, absolutely no one, who is sick is in a position to "shop around for the best deal for medical care" as we are so constantly told by the managed care companies.  What, are you going to choose the cheapest surgeon to do your knee replacement? (Ted's apparently looking at another knee surgery, thank goodness we have my BCBS PPO so we can go to our choice of an orthopedic surgeon).

The drug companies are obscene in their profits.  "Rolling Stone" did a long article a few months ago about how they brought Zyprexa to the market under misleading pretenses.  It's an anti-psychotic that causes huge weight gain, as do many of the psychotropic medications.  The drug companies have been pushing it for treatment of minors :( :(  Again, I've read this over and over in my case files.  The drug companies managed to get Bush to pass that Medicare drug benefit allowing them to charge WHATEVER THEY WANT WITHOUT ANY OVERSIGHT!!  Apparently capitalism doesn't apply to people who make big donations to political campaigns.

I could go on and on.  Michael Moore's "Sick" pretty much summed it up.  Thank goodness we still have some investigative journalists and filmmakers left in the current melt down of traditional news outlets.  The Republicans (is there anything good to say about those people?) vehemently oppose a single payer system...i.e. a government run program like those in every other industrialized country in world.  The insurance and drug companies know who their friends are.  They, like any organism, will fight for their lives.  And us?  We'll go on paying more than anyone else in the world and 55 millions Americans, including Adam and Gillian when she leaves the state, will have no coverage.  And do you know?  The people who are charged the most at emergency rooms etc. are those without insurance coverage.

Is there any one out there?  Am I just raving to myself?  Jo have you moved to Southern California? 

Victory by murder

The anti-abortion foes are doubtless rejoicing (behind closed doors if not in public).  The assassination of Dr. George Tiller closed his abortion clinic for good, a goal they were not able to attain by legal means. Not that the same proponents of "Pro Life" hadn't used violence earlier.  Dr. Tiller was shot in both arms in 1994, his clinic bombed several times.  The Kansas attorney general brought charges against him last year for "failing to properly obtain second medical opinions as required by law" on 19 counts.  A local jury acquitted him of all charges.  Five other abortion providers have been assassinated in the years since Roe v. Wade was passed. Not a single "Pro Life" proponent has been killed or wounded, or had their organizations attacked.

Pres. Obama has called for dialog and civil discourse on this contentious subject.  My take is that this is like calling on the Taliban for reasoned discourse and adherence to the rule of law. The Muslim convert who killed a military recruiter in Little Rock, Arkansas, felt justified by the actions of the U.S. in the Middle East. What you have here are religious extremists, and those on the outer fringe of the debate that take their cues from their less violence inclined proponents. The rhetoric of the  conservative right has prevailed in all cases shaping the abortion debate to date.  It's "baby murder" pure and simple, likely to call down the wrath of God.  Framed in those terms there is no room for rational discussion.  

I was for many years deeply opposed to abortion, especially when I belonged to more conservative religious groups.  Like most people I still have strong reservations, based primarily on the moral implications.  However, I've come to believe that this is a decision made at a personal level.  Each one of us is responsible for the decisions we make, and none but God knows the cost and consequences.  That's not for us to judge.  A woman has a right to control her body, not the body politic to hold her hostage to their beliefs.  If we care so deeply for babies let us vote a tax increase to provide appropriate medical care for those children, and their families.  Get involved in the local public schools and vote to fund them appropriately.  Get involved in dysfunctional communities where children grow up without role models or hope.  The list goes on and on.  The cheap shot, literally, is to decry the choice to abort the fetus but to ignore the very real needs of the children and families here right now.  Decrying abortion is the easy way out that allows the Pro Life-er to avoid the hard choices of real people in real time.  On this issue the abstract trumps the concrete.  

Gillian has worked at anabortion clinic for a year. It has changed her in many ways, most profoundly by creating in her a deep empathy and compassion for the lives of her patients.  She gives parenting resources to anyone who is unsure of this choice, she urges them to think carefully.  She holds hands, lifts hearts, works hard for a measly $12 an hour and realizes that there are as many stories and reasons as there are people. Compassion is the quality missing from this debate on both sides.  I think we could all benefit from a bit of humility and compassion on this and other issues.  And tell that to all the violent extremists around the world.  

The wheel comes around

I was pregnant when we got married.  Today that elicits a "ho hum" but 42 years ago it was a huge scandal and the worst fear of every mother.  I had a miscarriage 2 weeks after we were privately married and Mom did everything she could to talk me into an annulment.  I was having none of it,  'cause I was married to the  boy I luved :)  Needless to say Ted started off on the wrong foot in our family as I did in his.  But there were many personal characteristics about Ted that were the antithesis of what Mom hoped for and expected in a son-in-law.  She was civil, gave nice presents, and on a number of occasions almost had herself convinced she liked Ted, but...well, that and the alcoholism and ranting telephone calls put an end to any contact on his part after we moved to California.  My Mother-in-law used to cut out Dear Abby clipping about unwed mothers etc. and give them to my young sister-in-law with the comment, "You don't want to turn out like your sister-in-law do you?"  No Susie didn't!  She turned out to be a lesbian!  (On the irony, but she suffered in silence until she was 40). 

Now it's Gillian's Brenton who dislikes us.  He reminds me of Ted and I at that age, and through that I can see how arrogant and judgmental I was for so many years. The shoe is on the other foot now and I'm coming to see my Mom and Mother-in-Law through different eyes.  Instead of the hurtful things they said over the years, I see how many times they must have bit their tongues.  Instead of what they didn't do (want any real relationship with their grandchildren for example) I see what they did do.  My MIL was a given crafts-person and needlewoman.  She make tons of clothes for me, including many maternity clothes.  She made many of the children's clothes and her last project was Gillian's First Holy Communion dress (not at all what I sent as a pattern, but...hey).  She made them both beautiful handmade quilts.  So many things.  My Mom was always generous with nice gifts, let Adam and I live with her for a month on one of our moves, and left me 1/3 of her estate instead of leaving everything to my brother.  She even left her IRA of $70,000 to Adam, which he surely needed these last few years in his job and personal losses.  These days when it's me on the other side of the fence I'm recollecting the good things about these women, and trying to forget the decades of hurt.   Nobody is perfect.  Be careful what you dislike, and reject.  It just possibly may be the next step in your own soul improvement project.

Gitanjali

Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali poet and musician, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.  In the English speaking world this was largely on weight of his collected song poems entitled "Gitanjali."  The book was out of print for many years, but that New Age guru Deepak Chopra read them aloud on a cassette recording in 1993. I've almost worn the tapes out and sadly Chopra doesn't appear to have transfered this to CD. The poems deal with the search for God.  God as Love, God as, well....God.  They are achingly beautiful, even missing the nuances and internal structure that my Bengali friends tell me are missing in English.  I've been listening to my tapes in the Miata....I'd really like to get rid of the intro by poet William Butler Yates and just cut to the beautiful chase.  Tagore writes of the love and longing for God in a way that put the purile emoting of the West to shame.  The visual images are almost tactile, and the last selection sums up in a way that you will never seen on the Big Screen the true meaning of love.  You can find a paperback edition on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  It's a slim book, but worth every golden minute spent in the presence of a Master.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium

This is an amazing place.  The world famous aquarium is located in a former cannery on cannery row.  The rest of this area is cheesy and way too tourist oriented, but the aquarium is worth the trip. I hadn't been in 10 years, but the new sea horse exhibit drew me in.  How about this Leafy Sea Dragon?

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I don't know the name of these guys but our new little camera under Ted tutelage got 'em.

This is a moon jellyfish.

This one is a cone jelly.  It's amazing to see that this simple organism produces different colors.

Go to the website and check out the live webcams.  They have them for several areas.  Somewhere on the site you can even get a live webcam on the deep sea unmanned submarine. There is a 2 mile deep trench right off shore, amazing stuff in our back yard.  The entire area of this coast is a marine sanctuary, I can't believe anyone would seriously propose to put oil wells off the California coast.  Enjoy the wonders!

Seven Gables Inn, Pacific Grove, CA

Pacific Grove is right next to the more famous Monterrey.  It was founded as a Methodist camp meeting, and later hosted Chautauqua meetings.  Tents were set up on tiny lots, which were later sold and small houses built on them.  There were also a lot of Victorians built.  Pacific Grove fell on rather hard times.  The manager at our inn said that in the 1970's it was run down and there were a lot of honest to God hippies living in the Victorians.  No one wanted to live on the water.  My how times change!  The family that lived in Green Gables Inn (where I stayed with my cousin and our teenagers several years ago) was persuaded to buy the house that became Seven Gables.  That family had renovated Green Gables and did so with this house.  The guy was a chemist and a school teacher!  (Can you imagine today given house prices?)  They traveled in the summers and bought up antiques in Europe (yes I remember prices being low even in the early 70's when we were there).  They raised their children in the house and after they were grown set it up as an inn.  They acquired the house next door, and behind the carriage house and servant's quarters.  Today the complex is one of the most beautiful of B&Bs and was featured in a VISA commericial.  It was definitely the most beautiful place we've ever stayed and the views from the breakfast room were fabulous.  It was a one time splurge.  We had two sunny days, and two overcast days, one spent at the Monterrey Aquarium.  Later on that.


This Victorian houses a collection of the works of Thomas Kincaid, who lives in nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea.  The house was an interesting mix of Victorian and Russian elements as you can see by the onion dome cupolo on top.  Inside there was an open foyer staight up to the top from which hung this gorgeous Tiffany lamp.  There is such a lack of respect for craftmanship today. Everything is made on the cheap in China, or of precut T-111 plywood, etc.  That's why I love old buildings.  Everything was made by hand, by a person plying their skill and craft.  It shows when you examine these old buildings.  I'm just glad there are still people who know how to do the work and the renovations.  Our friend Dave Strain is a carpenter.  The work he does is amazing.  Anyways...

Brrrrrr!

The fog and wind have been blowing for two days.  I half expect to see the Hound of the Baskervilles appearing out of the mist.  Where is that warm Memorial Day?  The one good thing recently is how much more confident I'm feeling on my left outside edge.  I lost a bolt on the ice a couple of weeks ago.  Tom set it back in and moved my blade over as far as it would go.  It's more in the center of my foot and I feel a LOT more stable.  I've been faster and having a ball!  Sue Ellis set that left skate blade and all these years I've been trying to work with it.  If I leaned on over it wouldn't be a problem, but since I've been nervous because I've not felt stable I've been reluctant to lean.  Now that I feel better I'm hoping I can get a little faster, and that should help me get a better feel in the turns.  Wish I'd done this years ago!  We were in Pacific Grove last weekend.  I'll try to work on some pictures to post

Susan Mom of the Year

I don't know where Magny got this but it's way cool!  Adam, Heather and Gillian were here for Mother's Day.  Adam and Ted got me a fruit basket of mostly chocolate covered strawberries. Ted made his famous pizza and it was actually warm enough to sit out on the front porch.  The roses are blooming gloriously and I got 2 hours of weeding done.  Life is Good.

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=yOCUW3.HTPLYkCID.3q8MDEyNTM5NDkz&referred_by=16092120-lJUd7mx

If Your Purse is Stolen

If you know there have been car break-ins in the area don't leave your purse buried under blankets in the car, even if there are dozens of people around.  Cori and her daughter stopped for a night and we took Boomer to the dog park, located in Richmond, aka "The Hood."  I knew better, but brain did not engage. Despite the presence of dozens of people around at 5:45 p.m her window was broken and my purse gone.  At least after it was stolen in Atlanta in 2002 (when I turned away from the grocery cart to look at a shelf!) I knew never to carry any social security numbers or passwords.  (I never have).  So here's what ya do:
- call the police.  Wait however many hour(s) it takes them to get there.  Get them to give you an incident report with the incident number filled out by them.  Ask the Officer's name (on his badge) and badge number (not the number on the badge.  don't ask why. it makes them think you're a dumb blond.)
-cancel your credit card and check to see if the day's pending actions are yours
-call USAA's credit check monitoring service if you're worried something might get by the credit monitoring companies.  Ask them what services they offer that you couldn't do yourself.  800-531-8722 and ask for "bank"
-call Equifax 800-685-1111/800-525-6285 or Trans Union 800-888-4212/800-680-7289, or Experian 888-397-3742 and have a 90 day Fraud Alert placed on your account.  Whoever you call will notify the other two. Write down your confirmation number.  That way no one can open a new account requiring a credit check in your name.
-call the after hours AT&T wireless number to have your cell phone number suspended.  Order a new cell phone.
- go to DMV and pay $22 for a replacement license.  Call to put a Fraud alert on your driver's license
- go to the bank.  close your checking account and your ATM card.  If you already have another account (yes!) transfer the balance and remaining unpaid checks (if you can remember them) to the other account.  Any automatic withdrawals will be withdrawn on the other account for 90 days.  If your paycheck is sent to the bank go to your HR person and give them the new bank account number.  Call Gillian to bring down the remaining safe deposit box key.  Put a red flag on the account until you get it.  Pay $10 for a replacement key and they will give you a new box.
- go to Honda to have your remaining keys reprogrammed for $1072.
- have a locksmith re-key all the locks on your house for$470
- call anyone who does an automatic debit on your credit card to tell them you will soon be getting a new one.  Send a check to ADT if they do this 'cause you don't want your alarm system out of order!
-call Blue Cross Blue Shield for a new medical insurance card.  Monitor their statements to see if anyone is trying to use your card.  If so notify them and have a fraud alert placed on your medical insurance card.
-call your Homeowner's insurance. Collect $250 for the locksmith.  Collect -0- for the car key because it was your friend's car window that was smashed.  If you have to buy a new key for yourself check the price with the Honda dealer.
-list all the contents of your purse, including the 6 Clinique lipsticks at $14 a shot.  Buy new purse and wallet etc. Save all receipts.
-make appointment with optometrist for eye exam so you can get new Px sunglasses.
-fill out the police report and mail it in.  The Richmond police don't bother with little stuff like this. 

-If someone tries to steal your identify file a police report with your local police agency.  Notify the U.S. Federal Trade Commission 1-877-438-4338 and the Social Security Administration if this happens or if your social security number was compromised 1-800-772-1213

Don't put your self in the position of developed a double joint in your knee so you can kick your self.  Print this out and put it in a folder so you'll have it if you need it.  And hopefully you won't.

Very North Berkeley

Most of north Berkeley was rebuilt after the 1923 fire.  It's a dense mix of Tudor,Spanish Mission Revival, Arts and Crafts and the classic brown shingle Craftsman bungalows.  The architecture is really fascinating and beautiful.  It shows how much the quality of building materials and design have deteriorated since WWII.  There are two shopping districts there, made up of many small shops that you can reach on foot since there are sidewalks everywhere.  Actually we live up in the hills in Kensington in a "new" house built in 1948.  I realize now what a big difference sidewalks make in the feel and livability of a neighborhood. I have Fridays off because I work 4 ten hour days.  Fridays I drive the Miata down winding Arlington Blvd to my first stop, the North Berkeley Library. Then over to the Monterrey Market for every kind of fresh veggie and fruit you've ever heard of.  Across the street to the fish store to see what's nice looking today and discuss how to fix it with my usual fish man.  Next door to the Asian shop that sells tea and a wonderful collection of chocolate (I prefer 71% from Venezuela or Ecuador), next door to Magnani's the Italian deli for salami and organic free range chicken.  If I need something for the yard besides weeds it's next door to Berkeley Hort, the oldest nursery in town.  They've been there since 1921 before all these beautiful old trees began arching over the streets.  Then to Andronico's the upscale local grocery store for special stuff, across the street to Peet's for whole coffee beans and a drop by SemiFreddi's for fresh bread and baked goods.  Living in North Berkeley is like living in Europe.  Only nicer!