Friday, February 24, 2006

Addendum

Press A! PRESS IT FASTER!

LIESLIESIES

I can't sleep and so I post. Also that looks like meme looks like fun so I'm doing that.

Thomas looks like a vicious fish

Thomas looks like his old self

Thomas looks like a train wreck

Thomas looks like something that crawled out of the ass of an armadillo (from here, and yes)

Thomas Looks like ricky..

Thomas looks like a man on the run

Thomas looks like one of Piero della Freancesca's heavenly youths (Hurrah!)

Thomas looks like a fairly pure-blooded Congoid, but he seems to have the intelligence of a mulatto. (Oh no!)

Thomas looks like a power lifter and Pokey Reese looks like your average 7th grader

Thomas looks like he should be punched!!

Heh that was pretty fun. I go to sleep now. When I wake up, I might just go and get a haircut.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

This is only a test

Do not be alarmed. I'll be signing off this evening and then not returning online for about a solid week and a half. There's a few reasons but the big two are that tonight and for the next few days my former babysitter, her current husband and 1-2 of her lovely children will be visiting the homestead. Since I have the largest available room it has been volunteered to them. I don't mind terribly much but in cleaning it up and out the internet must be disconnected so that toddlers do not toddle over the ethernet cable.

The second reason is that this coming Saturday myself, my parents, my sister, and younger brother will all be heading down to South Florida to see the Everglades, hike, boat, swim, tan, golf and whatnot. It'll be a grand old time but not a time conducive to internet connections. And nor should it. Truly I've been attached to this new fangled idiot box for a good long while now. So, ten days off (give or take) should do me some good.

In other developments I've been volunteering a lot lately. And if I were a senior on a fixed income, Medicare part D (D for Drug Benefit) would scare the shit out of me. See the trick is that even if you don't sign up for it-say you can't afford the hundreds of dollars of enrollment or the monthly fee-you might still lose out on free medication that was formerly given freely by drug companies. This is because the Office of the Inspector General has specifically warned drug manufacturers that if they provide free medication to seniors who could also be enrolled in Medicare Part D then their company could brought on Federal anti-kickback laws. Which means that millions of 65+ Americans who are already stretching food stamps, Social Security and anything else they have pretty tight to begin will now be paying something-perhaps quite a lot of something-more then free for their life saving medications. The really lucky won't have to choose between drugs, and heat.

Troubling times indeed.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

huh

I seem to have over ridden the last post previous to this one (i.e. February 4th's). I wonder how.

Reporting from Ann Arbor-Alive.

Until my life becomes substantially more exciting I think a good balance between to much and to little chronicaling will be a post about once a week. In case of fire flood or falling in love I will certainly update sooner. Unless I don't, so be prepared for that as well.

In the preceding week I applied for five more jobs practiced two half hours of Yoga and finished four substantial novels while drinking two cups of coffee. I also volunteered for seven hours at a free clinic 30 minutes outside of Ann Arbor. I paid 40 dollars in car insurance and 300 to the usurers that hold my college loans. I currently have zero health insurance coverage.

In more positive news I think I've finally settled on a cafe to wile away my many lazy afternoons. It's called Cafe Ambrosia it's near a bookstore on a side street in the middle of downtown. It's small but cozy, cheap but tasty, has glass mugs and the New York Times. In addition, I noticed today during my second visit, it is almost exactly like Grounds For Change at Allegheny. Right down to the blue travel mugs they used to (once again?) sell. A number of threadbare comfortable couches, odd music, and student artwork on the walls. I considered asking if it was a non-profit but decided against it. In any case very convivial, I am content to sit and read and occasionally converse with acquaintances I who have also made their way there. Good times.

February is a brief and unsettling month and I look forward to it's end. Already the days grow longer and the snow wetter. Mostly I look forward to March because one month after it is March it will probably be April. And I have plans for April, happy nerdy plans that have been plotted with like minded nerdy people. I do hope they bear fruit.

As for the coming week I'll continue applying for work and reading and yogaing and volunteering as these things come all along. After one or two heavy drinking episodes I expect.

Tootles.