Doc’s Sunrise Rants

Once upon a time, about a year ago, my daughter rescued a tiny baby kitten from the side of the road. In time, he grew into the big (12 lbs) beautiful boy he is today.

Then, sometime last spring, these two sisters came into my life.

(This picture typifies how jealous Baby gets when I photograph the other pets)

For anyone who wondered, I settled on Laverne and Shirley for their names. Now, generally, I’m a very responsible pet owner and get my cats/dogs fixed before (or as soon as) they procreate. However, in my defense, I’ve started working after many years out of the workforce, my kids are constantly driving me insane, and distraction sometimes leads to procrastination. I meant to get the girls fixed AS SOON AS THE KITTENS were weaned, and I did make that very attempt. I took them in when the kittens were about 10 weeks old (and off to new homes). Shirley was spayed, Tuffy was neutered, but I was notified that Laverne was already again in a “family way”. Call me a softie, but I couldn’t kill the kittens.

So, sometime in July, we had these:

This week, 5 of those tail-less little monsters went to new homes. But I couldn’t help myself - I kept a couple. And their daddy loves them.

“Did I see the flash go off?”

I watched the speech. The behavior of some conservatives was disgusting. The sitting with the arms crossed, sour faced, ignoring that everyone around them was standing to applaud. Heckling.

The ridiculous behavior continues to be disgusting.

Honestly, the president could say health care would now be free for every citizen and wouldn’t cost a dime in tax money and the anti Obama lunatics would still scowl.

They’d still be hysterically screeching about socialism and BO’s birth certificate. About brainwashing children, illegal immigrants, and anything resembling sexuality outside the sheets of a darkened God blessed marriage bed.

They’d still be denying their blatant racism.

…

I spent most of yesterday with my brother. 18 months ago he was in a month long coma due to complications from AIDS. He’s now doing very well. He looks great, feels great, and is starting some classes at the new community college tech center in Vancouver. He hopes to renew his counseling certificate and go back to work. I could not have imagined this, nor could he, a year ago.

He feels well - medically well - we can afford the very expensive cocktail of drugs that his medicare and supplemental insurance doesn’t cover because he’s currently in the prescription “gap”. Almost $10,000 a month. We can also afford for him to live in a very nice assisted care community, with his own apartment, his cats, and 24 hour care when he needs it.

When he was in the hospital, I saw some men who can’t afford those things. The hopelessness on their faces was heart wrenching. They’re getting some care, but not the same level. They’re being kept alive, barely - they’re not living. They were just waiting to die. My brother wants to help these men. He wants to pay forward the loving care that he’s received, care that has allowed him to rejoin the living and see a future longer than a few months.

His health is a medical miracle. One that the uninsured, or under insured, can not afford.

I was thinking about my brother during that Obama’s speech. I was thinking about the ignorant conservatives on a message board spouting off about how few people really don’t have health care, and how they themselves didn’t want to pay for the health care of “fornicators and illegals”.

Can they really be that stupid?

Nothing I write is going to change anyone’s mind. I just wanted to say that it was like sunshine watching my brother glow. That glow doesn’t come cheap though.

Enjoy.

People Of Walmart. 

I’ve ignored the not so subtle comments, emails, facebook messages. Today  laughed when I saw a search on my stat counter listed as “I’m alive doc’s sunrise rants”.

Yes, I’m alive. I have no excuse for not writing blog entries. Ambivalence.

And some anger. Unresolved issues in my private life that I don’t feel like sharing; issues with my kids who aren’t kids.

Annoyance with the world in general. The conservative backlash against all things Obama. And some things not tied to conservatism, like “patriotism” and certain groups claiming ownership.

Anyway, I am alive. Busy. Okay.

Thanks for asking.