Facebook May Not Be My Metiere After All

One of my old high school acquaintances posted a photo of our old high school in his Facebbok photo album. I made this comment a  week ago:

“I like that they took the trouble to have all the shades at uniform heights.”

There was no follow-up comment so I went back today and typed:

“… because that’s how they do it in sate- run mental institutions.Establishing order in the physical surroundings limits the chaos strictly to the humanity inside.”

But I didn’t submit that because it crystallized for me how opposite of-Facebook I am.

It’s Nice To Be Warm And Cosy Inside While Winter Rages But It Would Be Nicer If I Didn’t Know About This

This is sad.

I wasn’t going to say anything about it because it’s so disturbing, but you know all this snow and ice we have around here? Well, after the second storm, the snow melting off the roof by day would freeze into icicles and ice shelves perched at awkward angles as the temperature dropped at night. The weight of it bent the rain gutter that runs along the length of the house and pulled it way.

But that’s not the worst of it. Remember when it was raining in my dining room? Well, that turned out to be a problem with the way the gutter was attached to the fascia board near the roofline. Sami repaired that and made sure that everything was nailed together good and strong.

So when the gutter pulled away, the fascia board came along with it. And now there’s a big gaping hole there and you can see into the attic.

We did get someone to come and take a look and agree to fix it, but the snow is deep in the yard and they can’t safely set up ladders and then another storm came along. Now things are dripping away and then refreezing and  the attic is still exposed.

Yesterday, Sami told me that there are two areas about 4″ in diameter where light is coming in through the garage roof. Squirrels.

test

Testing out the WP app for Blackberries. Whose idea was it to get rid of instruction manuals? Everything is sink or swim these days.

Come And Be Our Guest

Something tells me that we haven’t yet heard the whole story behind Harvard Gal/fashion plate and Friend of MOO Desiree Rogers’ dismissal as WH Social Secretary. I’m not at all sure it’s a planned, delayed reaction to her misjudgment of herself as privileged partygoer instead of WH staffer with duties to attend to. No – the Secret Service already took the fall for that Crashergate thing. There’s something else here, some kind of wheeling and dealing that we aren’t in on.

Some people are making a big deal bout how the presumed replacement is as opposite as can be. Desiree was tall, slim, dark and fashionable. Julianna Smoot is short, pudgy, as white as  white can be and frumpy.

Rogers - Smoot. Opposite much?

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I don’t think that’s quite it. My opinion is that the real reason  is the Smoot connection. Something is definitely up here. Something that smacks of back room deals and nepotism. Don’t ever forget that producer Paul Henning gave the role of the most prominent Petticoat Junction girl to his own daughter. There’s something about familial connections here, too.

Smoot - Smoot. Resemblance much?

That’s right.

• Floyd Smoot – Julianna Smoot
• Hooterville Cannonball – Amtrak Acela.
• Uncle Joe – Joe Biden.

I don’t have it all worked out yet, but somehow I think this is less about Desiree and more about railroad subsidies. Or maybe a family legacy in the hospitality industry at the Sandy Rest Hotel as a pre-requisite for opening up the Peoples’ White House? And considering Valerie Jarret’s role in this ouster, it just might have something to do with petticoats, too.

Doctors Are Supposed To Be Smart. This One Doesn’t Even Know How to Gouge The System

The x-rays tell the story, he said to me. Then he injected 10cc of cortisone injected into my knee. I wouldn’t care to repeat that experience.

All in all, I’m very satisfied with my medical visit today. I got a nice blend of high-technology, modern medical treatment, lifestyle advice and warm fuzzies.

The location was an all-in-one osteo Mega Mart of radiology, examination, brace shop, surgical center and physical therapy. Here’s the diagnosis: new on top of old*.  The new contributor was the multiple enforced death marches on the marble floors of the Wynn; the old circumstance is an absence of cushioning cartilage due to my oldness.

During the exam he asked me “what I did for myself” (holistic approach). I was stumped for an answer that wasn’t too truthful (blogging and martinis) so I started blabbing about folk-art painting but he stopped me and got specific  by asking what I did “for my heart and lungs”. I made some silent fish-lip movements before I thought to croak out something about walking the dog – in truth, I may have made that out to be a bit more than it actually is.

The doctor delivered that verdict and said he could send me for MRIs but he’d be able to predict what they showed beforehand and that wouldn’t change his plan for treatment (conservation of medical resources). He said that we’d be all about cushioning preservation (longterm health maintenance). What he did do was:

• multiple angle xrays (high-tech)
• physical exam (old school)
• cortisone injection (immediate treatment) also, (ow)
• knee brace (trimmed in black fishnet)
• prescription for 6 weeks of anti-inflammatory medication(on-going treatment)

What he recommended was:

• 6 weeks of physical therapy (conventional but expensive to insurance companies)
• defining an on-going plan for movement and exercise after that (pro-active/preventive lifestyle change)
• getting good shoes with impact cushioning, or even Dr Scholl gel insets (common sense)
  
• going to Sam’s Club to buy cheap Glucosmine/Condroitin ( funky/new age/ hippie therapy)

And then they wiped out any submission to the insurance company about the deductible. So no cash out of pocket at all.

I know a little bit about the health care business and I have to say I was very impressed with the thoroughness of the approach, the considered use of available resources and most of all the lack of overreach on the allowable methods of  maximizing insurance revenue. I feel better already.

*That’s what she said.

Sorry. Too much The Office marathoning.