More on Patty
More on Ethan
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It has not been a very festive holiday season, and the new year could have started out a lot better as well. But Patty and I are grateful that we have a place to live, are both basically healthy, though maybe not as hale and hearty as we could be. We are grateful for our friends, that Patty at least is working, and that we are where 'the elements' are causing a minimal amount of destruction.
The Chronicles:
Just before Thanksgiving, the engine in my truck took a dump. It overheated, and now there is water in the crankcase. Estimates are around $1500 to replace the engine, and to rebuild/repair start at $400 and could go infinite.
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Patty's brother Ben went into the hospital in mid December with heart problems. When he was moved to ICU, Patty flew to MI. A week later, Ben passed away. The initial congestive heart problems were apparently brought on by renal dysfunction. He passed away from an aneurysm. A page for Ben is posted at:www.amug.org/~pathways/benarnold. We'll add more tyo that as time permits and projects evolve.
Patty returned to Phoenix on the 29th, and on the 30th she got a call that her father went into the hospital with a touch of pneumonia. He was going to stay one night for observation, but they have decided to keep him a few more days, finding some other problems. He is diabetic and shoots insulin a couple times a day. He has sleep apnea, as well as narcolepsy and can nod off at any time, in the middle of anything, and often is up most of the night. He catches a few winks whenever he can, no regular schedule. HE also has had heart problems in the past. He finally went home on the 9th or 10th. Patty is going back on the 5th of February for 3-4 days for his 75th birthday.
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Still no prospects as far as a job. Have had about 5 interviews in five months, having responded to over 100 ads. Been looking and applying to ads in ‘Graphic Design’, ‘Pre-press’, ‘Coordinator’, ‘Marketing’ related, ‘Customer Service’, and ‘Technical Support’ fields. I have neither the legs nor typing ability for the ‘Administrative/Executive Assistant’ slots.
Progress on building my own business has been slow. In case any of you HAVE NOT been there, look through the www.amug.org/~pathways/ImagesIconsIdeas part of this site. Despite the 'news' and ‘rosy outlooks’ (I wish I had what HE is smoking) in DC, business and the economy are still for SHIT. Hopefully now that the election and holidays are past, perhaps some folks shit or get off the pot.
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I am at 50 coming to terms with facts of life such as that it doesn't matter whether you are good at what you do or not, you get canned. Whether you have been a ‘good’ person or not, you go down the tubes. Whether you eat 'healthy' or not you still get cancer, aneurysms, hit by a car, or a stray bullet.
And that God and some Tumbleweed grown from mule droppings will decide if and what care one receives for all they have paid for, and who gets to whither in a federally operated no-care institution.
And that my choices 30 years ago will place me in the latter of the two groups.
I watched ‘The Big Chill’ again while Patty was gone in December. It is one of my favorites. If at thirty-something we’ve experienced enough to wonder where hope has gone, how about at fifty?
That the odds of my needing care are slim to none as I will probably expire before then. Injury, illness or organic malfunction lay much higher odds than my spending my 'Golden' years in respite or retirement.
I had an interview a couple weeks ago, and when the interviewer asked 'Where do you see yourself in three years?' my response was "Pushing a shopping cart up Central Avenue with the rest of the homeless. He chuckled and said, 'Lets hope not.', to which I agreed.
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