Weather Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This
It was a gorgeous weekend here in East Tennessee. After Friday’s welcome rain, Saturday was sunny and warmer, but still with a hint of fall in the crisp air. The trees are taking on brilliant hues and their leaves are starting to fall. I spent much of the afternoon out among them, enjoying the lovely day. Autumn is my favorite season — even more so now that I live in the South. After the heat and humidity of a Tennessee summer, it’s a huge relief when cooler temperatures finally arrive. Add to that some wonderful colors and fragrances, and it’s a joy to behold.
Obama Kicks It Into Gear
His transition web site is up at change.gov (and it’s very hip!).
Welcome to a New Blogger
My favorite US governor, David Paterson, is blogging over at Pam’s House Blend. His first post, Historic, For All The Right Reasons, appeared on Wednesday. You can find an rss feed of Paterson’s posts here.
On Health Care
It was two weeks ago today that I threw my back out. I still sometimes look like a question mark, still can’t sit for very long, and I’m still not sleeping very well. And I’ve yet to get any real medical treatment — from a system that we, as Americans, pay more into per capita than anyone else in the industrialized world (and costs are escalating at an alarming rate).
I called my primary care physician immediately that day, and was able to get an appointment for last Wednesday. When I saw the doctor in a very brief appointment (for which I waited close to two hours), she said she would call in a referral to a physical therapist. Her nurse called me later that day to confirm the referral, but I’m still waiting to hear from the PT…
I’d love to compare notes with someone outside the US. I can’t imagine a health care system that’s worse than this one. I’m a very healthy, active person with supposedly good insurance, and yet two weeks after an injury, I’m still waiting for basic treatment.
I’ve Got No Use for Mormons
Last Tuesday night was indescribable. I was so nervous and for a lot of the evening, I saw lots of eggs, but no birds. And then suddenly, as the polls closed in western states at 11pm, there were the chickens I had steadfastly refused to count, even in those last days of the campaign, when others were starting to crow about the inevitability of an Obama win. I cheered, I laughed, I cried. Victory feels good. The elation was incredible, and it carried me to bed that night.
I woke up on Wednesday with a smile on my face, but then I sat down to check on some races still unsettled the night before, and learned that Prop 8 passed in California, along with similar initiatives in Florida in Arizona. What a crushing disappointment. The most disgusting part of Prop 8 is that its passage was largely funded by out-of-state contributions from the Mormons (should they still get to be tax exempt?). I don’t understand why these people feel so compelled to jam their twisted and deranged morality down the throats of the rest of us, but until they back off, the state of Utah and the Marriott hotel chain can kiss a lot of dollars goodbye.
(I would leave Bob and Sundance alone though — he’s a progressive activist and I’m sure the festival will find a creative way to weigh in on the issue.* Also, Steve Young is pretty much the only prominent Mormon who didn’t support Prop 8. On the other hand… Donny and Marie? Screw ‘em — a cashed version of a deleted post on the Osmand Family Blog speaks out in support of Prop 8.)
*UPDATE: then again, maybe not… hrmmm…
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