Confessions of a One-Track Mind

Dude, I love you.

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So here we are, September 9th 2009. My 49th birthday.

Weight: 314.5 pounds. Unemployed. Single.

Good deed for the day: Took Kat for MRI. Also found her gas at $2.39 per gallon.

Had lunch at Steak'n'Shake. Brought Kat home and made sure she had daily meds. Made sure I had lotto ticket for tonight, as becoming rich would start off my 49th year very nicely indeed.

Returned home to find gift from StormValkrie on front doorstep: Chocolates by Ghiradelli and Feraud-Rocher. (Have already dispatched half the Ghiradelli. Good stuff!)

Have received online/email greetings from the following: alumni association, insurance agent, TUT.com, Red and ang5fam, who sent me a YouTube link to "Birthday" by the Beatles. In addition, I got shout-outs from sister birthday girl ruric, jdsgirlbev (A giraffe on waterskis, NOT something you see every day!), rivers_bend (A pink and green cake with big red clown noses, wow!), starhawk2005 (A cake with a rubber ducky on top.) pwcorgigirl (A JDM pic---a smile and a strategically placed bow indeed!---and Jools fic), and from karaokegal (Who knows my ambition is to be a queen-sized 40's pin-up queen, hence her choice of picture, a Chase fic titled "The Cougar and the Wombat".

Watched President Obama's address and wept. I'm still getting used to the idea of having a Leader who's intelligent, articulate and whom I trust. I was especially enthused when he very pointedly said that If you currently have insurance, nothing about it will change.* HELLO! I hope a certain person I know who was bitching about that recently was listening and took that to heart. I don't know where that individual got the misinformation they got, but take a deep breath and RELAX. You and Dr BA are safe.

And now, I'm going to watch Leverage (DVR'ed) and go beddy-bye. It's been a blast!

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* I have to admit that when Mr. Obama was talking about competitive rates for a "pool" of insurers, I had a sudden flash of a geriatric William Shatner pitching "Price-Line Negotiator!" for insurance rates....

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( Article: Why 09/09/09 Is So Special )

I got a few things done today, preparing to be gone for a week: detrashified the bedroom, did dishes, burned a new CD for the commute.

Watched the Presidential News Conference with pleasure. Would LOVE to ask the Prez a few more questions about healthcare reform, particularly about reforming the insurance industry. For instance, about the difficulty of getting payments for third-party participants and the standardization of rejection letters.

This is a pet peeve from my medical billing days: There is ONE and only one correct universal health insurance claim form, it's what every single U.S. insurance company demands before they will even consider a claim---but the insurors are free to send back any damn incomprehensible answer they want. Ask missybrat, it's NOT English, it's some insane hybrid of legalese and bullshit. How about standardizing the goddamn answers. Something along the lines of, Yes, we will pay you---check enclosed. (Okay, that one we could usually figure out.)

But no? Say NO in English, people, and give us a coherent reason! Such as, No, this test isn't covered. No, we are not the patient's primary coverage. No, we need more information---and then clearly specify what it is!!! *deep breath* Sorry. *twitch*

Watched Criminal Minds afterward---a rerun, but I liked it the first time around, so why not? Then I hit the DVR for Leverage---which is *so* much smoother when you can zoom through the commercials. (Although now?! I have a craving for chicken fried steak. I'm just sayin'....)

Tomorrow, thank goodness, is Thursday, so I can float a check at Walgreens regardless of whether my fucking refund is back in my account or not. (Do I need any more fucking stress in my life right now?! Clearly, the evil Electronic Banking Gods think I do.)

In happier news, as I was wondering what GK's travel plans were for the rest of the summer, I got an email saying that she (and the Things) would be down around the end of August. It's nice to know my telepathy is still working.

What a pleasure it is to listen to a Presidential address and not be reduced to rage by the incoherence of the speaker! What a stirring experience to admire the articulate eloquence of our Commander-in-Chief. To actually applaud the points being made instead of snarling at the screen. How novel to feel hope rather than disgust.

In particular, when Mr. Obama spoke of the need to develop technology to reduce dependence on foreign oil, I cheered. I've proudly labeled myself an architecture buff for years---in high school, in the late 70s, I read up on building energy efficient houses, and wanted to design them (but my math grades were crap, so that never happened). The point is, I've always seen a need for smarter, more economical design, and I've felt like Cassandra for years. I wonder if we would be in this current pickle if, instead of concentrating on the arms race, Reagan et al had pushed for gains in solar and wind power, or built earth-friendly housing instead of missile silos.

Certainly, that's not the only thing we need at this point. It may be called a "stimulus package", not a New Deal, but the principle is the same. We need jobs AND we need good roads, strong bridges and to make our government buildings as thrifty as possible---these goals are mutually inclusive. I'll be watching this initiative with interest.

It's a good feeling.

Courtesy of a really cool activity at Paste magazine. Because hats are cool, I'm cool---actually, I think I'm having a hot flash. But this was fun to do, and I wanted to share the results with youse guys.

Now I need to go scale Mt. Washmore. Arrgh!

Megathanks to dodger_winslow for pointing me in this direction, and to caprine for posting this look at the geeky-coolness of our President-elect:

http://community.livejournal.com/metaquotes/6928399.html?page=1&view=145990927#comments

Today, BC came over and removed the Toshiba PoS TV that's been taking up space in my room. I'm down to a 9" portable that sbjb gave me about 15 years ago, which gives me a lot more clearance at the foot of my bed. Yes, I know: It's crappy feng shui. Oh well.

Sorted a few books---I need to do another purge---watched about 4 hours of NCIS, which I've recently gotten into. Nobody ever mentioned it's got Michael Weatherly in it. Or David McCallum. Or Lauren Holly. No, all I ever heard was Mark Harmon, and I've never been a fan of his. But I've adored her ever since Picket Fences, and MW since Dark Angel, and David McCallum FOREVER. Ilya Kuryakin, yum!

Criminal Minds tonight was all kinds of cool. They're setting up some wicked awesome backstory for one of my favorite characters...I've only dabbled in writing that particular fandom, but with enough provocation, I might write more!

I've been in a mellow frame of mind in the wake of yesterday. There is just *one* thing that I've discovered that disconcerts me: our President-elect is YOUNGER THAN I AM. Less than a year, but still. Do not be surprised if, in the future, I make jokes about "that young fellow in the White House".

I got undertime at work---the phones were DEAD after 8 PM---and when I clocked out, the election numbers were still up in the air. I drove home preparing to camp out on the internet all night, but by the time I got in and turned on the TV, it was OVER. I wept for joy. I know things aren't going to change overnight, but I'm hopeful, and I haven't felt that way in far too long.

God bless America, and our President-elect.

The New York Times has laid it on the line with their Presidential endorsement. Forgive me while I squee:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/opinion/24fri1.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink