Frank and I are here in Virginia. We're staying in a ski resort in Basye, VA. It was a terrific deal on SkyAuction because of the lack of snow and the general state of the economy.
So why am I whining?
1. The fatigue - Their latest guess is I am short on some protein. Isn't it ironic? as the song goes. We test Monday.
2. This head cold. I coughed so hard, I retched. Yeah that's gross, but not as gross as some of the other stuff I've written here.
3. This trip has caused me to miss EPIIC, although to be honest I wouldn't have made all the panels.
4. The timing of the drive home means I will miss "Walking Dead" tomorrow night.
5. Most devastating of all and again this is more the fatigue than the trip....I am missing the Navy League's 23rd Annual Symposium at BU. It would have been my first war game!!! Plus, My Marine is there. They sent my all the reading materials and I was ready.
Although there is a bright side - I get to see all Frankie's relatives on his Dad's side.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Janet Napolitano Owes Me $20
And the DEA owes me $345.
Where to start.....
Around 4pm, I decided to go in and pick up a few prescriptions. The pharmacy at Tufts/NEMC is open until 6pm, so I didn't have to rush. A 20 minute ride downtown would leave plenty of time for the nonsense I would have to go through at the pharmacy.
You see one of my medications is among the 300 or so which are experiencing shortages due to a little feud between the drug manufacturers, the FDA & the DEA. They are not necessarily the ones with the highest street value. Actually some of them have NO street value. Mine is in the middle. Part of my medication is a controlled substance and it must be "released" by the DEA to the drug manufacturing companies. The drug companies divvy up their supplies and make some generic and some brand name. When they run out of generic the ask the FDA to ask the DEA to release more raw material. This apparently happens every fall with a growing number of drugs. If the company has brand name drugs in their supply - and the FDA knows if they do - the DEA says "Why did you make so much brand name? You haven't planned well. We won't release more."
How the drug manufacturers plan or don't plan is none of the DEA's business. It's a free country. As long as the controlled substance isn't being abused, the DEA should have no say in this matter. It would be like the police telling car manufacturers to only make cars that saved gas.
Anyway, this nonsense causes people to hunt for the generic version.
For my specific prescription, I hunted in September, October, and I think November. Blue Cross only covers the generic. But in December I had no success and had to get a script for the brand name. I know a little of how insurance companies work so I called and asked for an override. After all, Blue Cross is well aware of this little kabuki dance between government agencies. So they issued a rider, but I still had to pay a much higher copay. $115 more than the generic. This was already my most expensive copay at $67 for the generic.
So when I filled it today I had to wait and be called up 3 different times even though I explained up front that Blue Cross had placed a rider in the system and yes, I knew it was a high copay. Aggravating.
While I waited, I tweeted about the TSA conducting random searches in the Orange Line Tufts Medical Center T stop. I saw them on my way in. First off, no one is safer because the TSA and the MBTA police search random bags anywhere in the MBTA system. It's a waste of money and manpower. It has absolutely no value in fighting/preventing terrorism. Secondly, I feel it's a violation of due process. No one else gets searched without probable cause as they meander around Boston. And don't waste my time arguing that the airlines & airports do it, they are not public transportation. Also, they do it to everyone and you know it. Not a select few at random locations.
So, anyway, I tweeted that if, on my way back I was chosen for the search, I would refuse & leave.
And don't you know it.....after slowly working my way down out of the hospital, across Washington St, and down the staircase (escalator only goes up at this station).....I was picked.
A very nice young transit officer said "Good evening ma'am, would you please step over to that table."
"No."
"No?" he looked confused.
"No." and I turned around and walked over the "up" escalator and left.
Now, let me tell you something I haven't really talked about here yet. I have experienced a precipitous decline in my energy levels. I took a prescription in December that had me sleeping a ton. Then in January I had a virus that really sapped what was left of my energy. Dr. Miller assures me I will "climb back up that hill" but in the meantime, I am once again breathless after climbing up to my bedroom. I have fallen right back to the March/April fatigue levels. Seeing my recovery slip so easily through my fingers is depressing. It's like pushing a rock up the hill with all your might.....and then one slip up and you're watching it roll to the bottom.
So for me to turn around and try to walk to the Chinatown T stop two blocks away was a great undertaking. I didn't make it. At Kneeland I hailed a cab. Which besides costing $20, took forever because it was rush hour.
I must falling for my own shit.
Where to start.....
Around 4pm, I decided to go in and pick up a few prescriptions. The pharmacy at Tufts/NEMC is open until 6pm, so I didn't have to rush. A 20 minute ride downtown would leave plenty of time for the nonsense I would have to go through at the pharmacy.
You see one of my medications is among the 300 or so which are experiencing shortages due to a little feud between the drug manufacturers, the FDA & the DEA. They are not necessarily the ones with the highest street value. Actually some of them have NO street value. Mine is in the middle. Part of my medication is a controlled substance and it must be "released" by the DEA to the drug manufacturing companies. The drug companies divvy up their supplies and make some generic and some brand name. When they run out of generic the ask the FDA to ask the DEA to release more raw material. This apparently happens every fall with a growing number of drugs. If the company has brand name drugs in their supply - and the FDA knows if they do - the DEA says "Why did you make so much brand name? You haven't planned well. We won't release more."
How the drug manufacturers plan or don't plan is none of the DEA's business. It's a free country. As long as the controlled substance isn't being abused, the DEA should have no say in this matter. It would be like the police telling car manufacturers to only make cars that saved gas.
Anyway, this nonsense causes people to hunt for the generic version.
For my specific prescription, I hunted in September, October, and I think November. Blue Cross only covers the generic. But in December I had no success and had to get a script for the brand name. I know a little of how insurance companies work so I called and asked for an override. After all, Blue Cross is well aware of this little kabuki dance between government agencies. So they issued a rider, but I still had to pay a much higher copay. $115 more than the generic. This was already my most expensive copay at $67 for the generic.
So when I filled it today I had to wait and be called up 3 different times even though I explained up front that Blue Cross had placed a rider in the system and yes, I knew it was a high copay. Aggravating.
While I waited, I tweeted about the TSA conducting random searches in the Orange Line Tufts Medical Center T stop. I saw them on my way in. First off, no one is safer because the TSA and the MBTA police search random bags anywhere in the MBTA system. It's a waste of money and manpower. It has absolutely no value in fighting/preventing terrorism. Secondly, I feel it's a violation of due process. No one else gets searched without probable cause as they meander around Boston. And don't waste my time arguing that the airlines & airports do it, they are not public transportation. Also, they do it to everyone and you know it. Not a select few at random locations.
So, anyway, I tweeted that if, on my way back I was chosen for the search, I would refuse & leave.
And don't you know it.....after slowly working my way down out of the hospital, across Washington St, and down the staircase (escalator only goes up at this station).....I was picked.
A very nice young transit officer said "Good evening ma'am, would you please step over to that table."
"No."
"No?" he looked confused.
"No." and I turned around and walked over the "up" escalator and left.
Now, let me tell you something I haven't really talked about here yet. I have experienced a precipitous decline in my energy levels. I took a prescription in December that had me sleeping a ton. Then in January I had a virus that really sapped what was left of my energy. Dr. Miller assures me I will "climb back up that hill" but in the meantime, I am once again breathless after climbing up to my bedroom. I have fallen right back to the March/April fatigue levels. Seeing my recovery slip so easily through my fingers is depressing. It's like pushing a rock up the hill with all your might.....and then one slip up and you're watching it roll to the bottom.
So for me to turn around and try to walk to the Chinatown T stop two blocks away was a great undertaking. I didn't make it. At Kneeland I hailed a cab. Which besides costing $20, took forever because it was rush hour.
I must falling for my own shit.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Aris BBQ Faneuil Hall Boston YUCK!
So Thursday, My cousin Griffin and I went on an adventure to Faneuil Hall. We took the bus in - big treat for a three year old. We walked on the bricks and the cobblestones and each other's shadows.
We walked through Quincy Market to see what would be good for lunch. Griff wanted a cheeseburger. So this was the first place I saw with cheeseburgers.
Griff asked for a cheeseburger with friesI got a cheeseburger w/bacon, oinions & lettuce and we shared a small Pepsi. The total? $15.47. Really? I thought that was completely unreasonable.
But it was so much more unreasonable then I knew.
Both burgers were wafer thin and over done. The bacon on mine was old and hard, the onions were dry and old.
Griff's fries were limp and room temp.
To tell you the truth, if I weren't with a 3 year old I would have gone back and dumped it on their counter..AVOID THIS PLACE!
We walked through Quincy Market to see what would be good for lunch. Griff wanted a cheeseburger. So this was the first place I saw with cheeseburgers.
Griff asked for a cheeseburger with friesI got a cheeseburger w/bacon, oinions & lettuce and we shared a small Pepsi. The total? $15.47. Really? I thought that was completely unreasonable.But it was so much more unreasonable then I knew.
Both burgers were wafer thin and over done. The bacon on mine was old and hard, the onions were dry and old.
Griff's fries were limp and room temp.
To tell you the truth, if I weren't with a 3 year old I would have gone back and dumped it on their counter..AVOID THIS PLACE!
Friday, February 10, 2012
One Year Later
February 10, 2011 I was in NEMC having my bone marrow re-introduced into my system via a catheter in my neck.
One year after my bone marrow transplant.
I opened this post because it seemed I should say something. But now I have nothing to say.
One year after my bone marrow transplant.
I opened this post because it seemed I should say something. But now I have nothing to say.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Mimi Alford Is Disgusting
I just accidentally flipped into the interview she is giving Meredith Vieria on TV.
And now I'm queasy.
Whatever her motive is, I don't care. But I'll tell you one thing, it isn't telling the truth.
You know, people are so quick to believe salacious stories about a man who can't defend himself because he's been dead for 48 years. It's sad. They don't even calm down and think about it logically. This Alford loser says it so it must be true? Really?
How about this? Jack Kennedy had so many medical conditions that I probably can't name them all here. But chief among them, he had Addison's, anemia, Celiac disease, a bad back, recurrent urinary tract infections and constant bouts of diarrhea.
Think about that for a minute. Historians believe that Kennedy was in terrible pain nearly every day. You really think he was doing every piece in sight? Please.
I know what you're thinking. "Plenty of people have charged JFK with infidelity, why are you so excited about this one?"
Well this particular assclown decided that it wasn't enough to jump on the bandwagon. Alford decided that she would also drag Dave Powers name through the mud as well.
Guess if you want the big bucks after all this time, you have to sink even lower than the pond scum that preceeded you.
And now I'm queasy.
Whatever her motive is, I don't care. But I'll tell you one thing, it isn't telling the truth.
You know, people are so quick to believe salacious stories about a man who can't defend himself because he's been dead for 48 years. It's sad. They don't even calm down and think about it logically. This Alford loser says it so it must be true? Really?
How about this? Jack Kennedy had so many medical conditions that I probably can't name them all here. But chief among them, he had Addison's, anemia, Celiac disease, a bad back, recurrent urinary tract infections and constant bouts of diarrhea.
Think about that for a minute. Historians believe that Kennedy was in terrible pain nearly every day. You really think he was doing every piece in sight? Please.
I know what you're thinking. "Plenty of people have charged JFK with infidelity, why are you so excited about this one?"
Well this particular assclown decided that it wasn't enough to jump on the bandwagon. Alford decided that she would also drag Dave Powers name through the mud as well.
Guess if you want the big bucks after all this time, you have to sink even lower than the pond scum that preceeded you.
Monday, February 06, 2012
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Kevin White's Funeral
I had thought about getting up early enough to be along the procession route. I figured I'd take the 93 downtown and stand near his statue across from City Hall. But yesterday was a full day. I just couldn't make it.
But....all the local TV channels were covering it. So I plopped on the couch with my breakfast to watch WCVB.
If you've read anything else here, you know I'm a political nerd, a staunch Bostonian and I loved Kevin White. To me, Kevin White epitomized all those things. He was a brilliant, incandescent political animal. He loved Boston and his vision for the city is why we are a world class city today. Everything about him fascinated me. So of course, I was looking forward to listen to the eulogies.
Menino did a good job. He's always better when he has prepared remarks to read from. Menino was followed by Barney Frank. Loving Kevin White is probably the only thing that Barney and I would agree on. And for the most part, he did a good job. Frank did drift off into politics for a few moments, but then got back on track.
The front of St. Cecilia's had a few rows of chairs on each side to make more space. The right side was for family and the left side was for political VIPs. The camera moved around but was on that political front row fairly often. Menino, his wife, Barney Frank, Bob Crane.....and in the middle, much to my disgust.....gov Patrick and Sen Kerry. Could there be anyone less worthy? I mean....Muthr-A-God! as the Mayor himself would say.....Patrick didn't even know Kevin White. Mayor White suffered from Alzheimers and stopped being politically active before Cadillac Deval moved to Massachusetts. And Kerry? Well you know how I loathe him. And didn't he look ridiculous with his two black eyes and slack jaw. My mother and I were laughing. Hockey injury, my eye!
Kerry lived up ..... or should I say down....to my lowest expectations. The Senior Senator from Massachusetts, in a spectacularly classless move, left halfway through the Mass.
Seriously? What in Heaven's name could have been so crucial? Disgusting.
Although I'm sure no one is as pissed about that as I am. After all, there were two more speakers after the Mass.
Mark White, Kevin's son gave a heartwarming speech about his Dad. I was a little misty.
But the corker? Former Massachusetts Treasurer, Bob Crane. He's 85, even older than the Mayor who was 82 when he passed. Sitting there in the front row, he looks it. When Jack Connors helped him to get to the lectern, I wondered how it would go.
I shouldn't have worried. As the saying goes.....He smiled and the sun came out! Crane began to speak and the years fell away. His wit, his warmth, his perfect timing....all still there. What a lovely surprise!
All in all, it was just what I hoped for. A spectacular tribute to a remarkable man.
But....all the local TV channels were covering it. So I plopped on the couch with my breakfast to watch WCVB.
If you've read anything else here, you know I'm a political nerd, a staunch Bostonian and I loved Kevin White. To me, Kevin White epitomized all those things. He was a brilliant, incandescent political animal. He loved Boston and his vision for the city is why we are a world class city today. Everything about him fascinated me. So of course, I was looking forward to listen to the eulogies.
Menino did a good job. He's always better when he has prepared remarks to read from. Menino was followed by Barney Frank. Loving Kevin White is probably the only thing that Barney and I would agree on. And for the most part, he did a good job. Frank did drift off into politics for a few moments, but then got back on track.
The front of St. Cecilia's had a few rows of chairs on each side to make more space. The right side was for family and the left side was for political VIPs. The camera moved around but was on that political front row fairly often. Menino, his wife, Barney Frank, Bob Crane.....and in the middle, much to my disgust.....gov Patrick and Sen Kerry. Could there be anyone less worthy? I mean....Muthr-A-God! as the Mayor himself would say.....Patrick didn't even know Kevin White. Mayor White suffered from Alzheimers and stopped being politically active before Cadillac Deval moved to Massachusetts. And Kerry? Well you know how I loathe him. And didn't he look ridiculous with his two black eyes and slack jaw. My mother and I were laughing. Hockey injury, my eye!
Kerry lived up ..... or should I say down....to my lowest expectations. The Senior Senator from Massachusetts, in a spectacularly classless move, left halfway through the Mass.
Seriously? What in Heaven's name could have been so crucial? Disgusting.
Although I'm sure no one is as pissed about that as I am. After all, there were two more speakers after the Mass.
Mark White, Kevin's son gave a heartwarming speech about his Dad. I was a little misty.
But the corker? Former Massachusetts Treasurer, Bob Crane. He's 85, even older than the Mayor who was 82 when he passed. Sitting there in the front row, he looks it. When Jack Connors helped him to get to the lectern, I wondered how it would go.
I shouldn't have worried. As the saying goes.....He smiled and the sun came out! Crane began to speak and the years fell away. His wit, his warmth, his perfect timing....all still there. What a lovely surprise!
All in all, it was just what I hoped for. A spectacular tribute to a remarkable man.