Politics

Man, I'm about to run for office myself because I'm SO pissed off!

1. Overturn Citizens United

2. Term Limits

3. No payments from lobbyists 

4. Focus on infrastructure 

5. Allow immigration with vetting

6. Clean energy

7. Retraining for miners/others

8. Deal with opioid crisis 

9. Troops out of Afghanistan

10. Free community college

11. Zero interest fed student loans 

12. TERM LIMITS!!!!

Love

Yesterday I was in Sam's Club eating a hot pretzel in the cafe area. An elderly gentleman was talking to a toddler & being very sweet to her parents. He introduced himself as Pastor ---.

I observed an elderly woman come up to him with a cart. Obviously his wife. He greeted her with a hearty "Hi!" Like he was so happy to see her. She went off to the customer service area while he very shakily (is that even a word?) got to his feet. I saw him struggling to put on his coat. Then he looked down and appeared to be reading the Sam's ad. When he tried again to put on the coat, I went over to help & finally got his arm in the sleeve.

He was Black. I am white. It made no difference to me. I saw a love story when his wife walked up. I saw a man with trembling hands trying to put on his coat. I wished I had been to his church and heard him preach. I worried about which one of them was driving home. There is good in this world. I know I am a part of it.

Infusion

So another month passed and there I was at the cancer center. Checked in and noticed the waiting room was 3/4 full. Got called back into the infusion (chemo room) and waited til noon. Apparently there was an issue with insurance approval. So, if insurance said NO would I have been turned away?

It's so difficult to explain to people I know. How i wait with people who are receiving chemo and feel like an outsider because I look ok. I'm sitting in a chair not hooked up to an IV. I have my hair. While I hear someone having his port accessed for the first time & someone being told that she's not well enough for chemo.

So, I sit there for an hour and a half. I teared up at one point. I'm a veteran of the cancer shit & it hurts to see the newbies. 

Then we go to a room and my nurse is nice & funny. I really like my nurse! She said (while injecting) "It feels thicker than usual." 🙄😄

$60 worth of new sleeves...

And that's cheap 'cause usually 1 sleeve is $50-100!

Thanksgiving

I'm thankful that this year I have 2 breasts and a tooth! All fake, of course, but who cares?!

I have a job now. I have to say that 2016 was a hateful, miserable fucking year. 

I'm feeling good, no longer so horribly depressed. I'm actually able to look forward to things now. It feels like life holds possibilities once again.

Angry & sad

For the past couple of months I've spent time walking a dog along the river that flows through downtown. Dog & I observe construction workers, joggers, fishermen, & the homeless. In the warmer weather the homeless men would sleep on the picnic tables or just on the grass. What do they do in the cold? Then one day I had an idea! I'd buy some of my fave Smartwool socks and hand them out. But will the men still be there in the park? In the cold?

So, mass shooting after mass shooting and we still allow assault rifles because our government is paid off by the NRA. I was sitting in the waiting room at the cancer center waiting for my last neulasta injection when I saw on the tv the first reports of the Sandy Hook shootings. Kindergarteners! First Graders! How much is a child's life worth to these senators & congressmen? How can they look at their children and not feel outrage that some kids don't get to grow up?

I just cannot understand. Here I am thinking about buying socks & things for a couple of homeless men when other people don't give a shit. I already know I'm a better person than someone who accepts money from the NRA or Russia. I am a better person than pretty much anyone running this country. That I am sure of, that is a fact. Maybe my $25 Lifestraw filter donation to someplace in Puerto Rico wasn't much but it might make a difference to one person. I often imagine what I would do with millions of dollars. I'd buy a cute little house & a really cool car. Then I would do things, good things. 

Just had a thought...

I wouldn't mind taking myself to Disney World!