I failed to mention in last week’s report that, although not an avid gift-giver, I couldn’t resist buying Shauna a holiday gift at the Dollar Store. In the dental hygiene section ( I know, I know, the Dollar Store has a dental hygiene section!) I found a Justin Bieber - I call him “The Beaver”, to acknowledge his Canadian roots, and because he is just so cute - musical tooth brush. Not only is it a perfectly functional manual toothbrush, but it also plays two different Bieber hits! Who needs an Ipod, I can just play the toothbrush when I want to dance?!
Of course, tonight is New Year’s Eve, and while some of you will be guzzling champagne in gala Gatsby-esque soirees, or attending some fancy tux n’ gown first night celebration to watch a ball (or transvestite if you live in Key West) drop, I will be doing a 5-11 pm nursing shift to cover a gap in our as yet imperfect nursing rotation. We have not been able to leave this house for three weeks other than to shop in supplies or to check in on our house sitters up north. For all of you aging codgers out there deluding yourselves that you can live forever, or put off any contingency plans for unanticipated medical care, shame on you. You will fail; it’s not if, it’s when, and you should not put the burden on your kids to drum this into your heads. Those kids may be faced with the same nightmare Shauna and I are now facing, one I have now faced twice, wherein they find themselves behind the eight ball (in our case during the worst week of the year to find assistance), scrambling desperately to enlist the necessary care to keep your parents safe. Just for the record, that care does not easily fall into place, and it will be your kids who suffer immeasurably.
In the news, Sen. John Kerry is being vetted to be the new U.S. Secretary of State to fill Hillary Clinton’s post when she steps down. Mrs. Clinton is presently on injured reserve and visibly spent after a recent fall and resulting concussion sidelined her from her stately duties. I understand she is again back in the hospital with a blood clot related to that concussion. Last Saturday marked the 105th day of the NHL lockout and I’ll be shocked if those bastards manage to begin the new year without scuttling the season. Bad press is bad press, and in the public relations game, regardless of who is more “in the right, they should ALL be ashamed of such prolonged bad faith. Too much money is going to the wrong people, don‘t you think? In a perfect world both the NHL players and owners would be forced to hand over some of their ill-gotten gains to all the lower tier businessmen and women who have been so negatively impacted by this fiasco. I would love it if this dark stain on professional hockey deflected some of the abused fans and obscene money away from those overpaid fools and back to some of the more exciting amateur leagues, or maybe even indoor lacrosse; I hear that’s exciting.
Here’s my final rant for 2012, because this past year’s big stories have already been covered ad nauseam. There were the Olympics stories, the hurricanes, and tornadoes, and floods, and the resulting debate about our control of climate change. There was the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the civil war in Syria, the ousting of Momo Q. in Libya, the turbulent changes in Egypt, the ever-changing threats to Israel, and the tragedy of Palestine. But in my myopic view 2012 was the year American politics officially went completely off the rails. Of course, like the ever present extension agreements that stave off inevitable cuts to services and painful tax increases, that derailment is subject to periodic reinterpretation. What will be the new normal in ten years? Socialism? Theocracy? Spin the wheel. While the Chos, and the Kaczynskis, and the Loughners and Lanzas flow like a quiet lava burning through the core of our society, politicians and high end money changers seem to be incapable of leading us out of this mess we’re in. We intoxicate ourselves with inane television, which these days includes most of the news. Doubtless it is easy to succumb to the feelings of alienation that can poison our civilization. I’m going through a rough patch right now, and forgive me my angry self righteousness, because I know I’m just as guilty and clueless as the next guy. I know one thing only - right now I am where I need to be: helping and loving my family. I have no idea what will happen in the next several weeks, much less the next four years. I don’t care about exercising more, or swearing less, or even being nicer to the French as I annually resolve to be. My resolution is ongoing, it involves trying to do a better job of loving. I’ve got a long way to go.
Do you think they make Metallica toothbrushes?
Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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