Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Ineffective
Monday, March 26, 2007
Free Parking
But last year, the DMV -- after its annual check of state death records -- canceled 25,352 permits after determining that the people to whom they were issued had died. Caregivers or relatives of the deceased are supposed to surrender placards.
"Annual check"?? Supposedly cities in California are stepping up enforcement. Sadly (but predictably) it was the hit to parking meter revenue that got the bureaucrats off their fannies, not concern for people with disabilities.
I think I'd like my next career to be Placard Enforcer. I wonder if they give you a badge. What do you think of a TV show based on this fantasy career? Maybe "CSI: Parking Enforcement" or "Law and Order: Cheater Unit."
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Vegan Sunday Dinner, March 25
It was misty and cool today. The kind of day that's perfect for staying inside, drinking tea and reading. A day that called for comfort food. I made a veggie pot pie with whole wheat crust. I wish I could give you a recipe, but it was a little-of-this, little-of-that deal. Lots of crimini mushrooms, carrots, potato, onion, garlic, celery, broccoli, gravy (with mushroom broth, tamari, miso, nutritional yeast, a little corn starch, stuff...). It was good. On the side, some roasted fennel. The co-op had some gorgeous fennel AND beautiful spring red onions this week -- who could resist? I roasted them together with a little balsamic, olive oil, brown sugar and salt. Yummy.
For dessert there was an improvised apple-raisin upside-down cake. I used a basic vegan cake recipe on top of thinly sliced apples, raisins, a little vegan margarine, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, with about a tablespoon of maple syrup. It was good but needs a little tinkering to achieve dessert perfection. A mug of ginger tea topped it off nicely on this chilly evening.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Excuse Me?
Monday, March 19, 2007
Compassion of the Easy Kind
Halfway to my office, it dawned on me I could have asked him his size, walked a few blocks to Goodwill and bought him a new pair of shoes. This is what I would have done for any other friend in such dire need. What, I wondered, stopped me from thinking of this while I was talking to Mr. Shirthead Man? I imagined him walking to Goodwill in his socks.
Do I just go around dispensing compassion in amounts I think are appropriate, like some kind of goody-goody demi-god? Waiting for the gratitude? Am I afraid that giving too much away will leave me without enough for somebody else later? Am I fearful of being taken advantage of? Or do I really do what needs doing? I wish I had acted better. I hope I have another chance.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
New Template! Oops!
If I forgot to link you and you want to be linked, or if I never linked you before and you've been wondering why, let me know and I'll put you over there on that list.
No Sunday Dinner feature this week. We're going out (after a trip to Costco! WOOHOO!). Dinner will therefore look something like this:
Followed by something with vegetables.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Joy of Joys! Liz Returns!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
The Bush Administration Cares About Aging (Laughter)
I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak to you at today’s Summit on Global Aging. The event has served to sharpen two key points in all of our minds. First, despite our best efforts to ignore it, none of us are getting any younger and I want to thank everybody for reminding me of that. (Laughter.)
In other words, "HA! HA HA! I'm at a big important conference on aging! Telling funny funny jokes about getting older! While representing an administration that is working day and night to decimate medical and economic safety nets for aging Americans and those with disabilities! I slay me!"
Yeah. Haha.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
My Netflix Queue Doesn't Look So Bad After All
Okay, I might have seen a couple of the worst 100. Maybe even three. Thing is, they were awful. I can't really be expected to remember them all.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Sunday Dinner Again
Anyhow, I had these ingredients on hand and the bean sprouts weren't getting any younger, so I figured I'd just switch days. Big mistake. I made "Brooklyn Pad Thai" from the recipe of a friend's secret girlfriend. Very complicated and time-consuming for a weeknight dinner. Also? Too may pots and pans and dishes. Which makes The Dishmeister a teeny bit cranky. The meal was okay, not great. Too much vinegar and red pepper for my taste. Maybe in Brooklyn they make their Pad Thai differently? What do New Yorkers know from Thai food, anyway? It's probably not something I'll make again -- at least not without some tinkering.
Looks pretty though, doesn't it?
Sunday, March 11, 2007
What I Did Last Week
Here's my leg all bandaged up:
Here's my leg two days later after the bandages came off (shortly before I waited an hour and a half at the surgeon's office for my follow-up appointment!):
Moral: Stop crossing your legs, get plenty of exercise, keep a healthy weight and if you have a family history of varicose veins, watch those legs and find a good vascular surgeon. Just in case none of that other stuff works.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Sunday Dinner
I don't claim the label "vegan" because honestly, I haven't earned it. I eat fish once a week, I eat (and love, guiltily) honey, I wear leather. I don't have the patience to research every wine label to see if they are or are not animal-friendly. I am too busy drinking the wine! If a splash of milk makes it into my morning tea, I don't toss it out. I do avoid dairy, however. I stopped eating meat (except for the aforementioned fish) over two years ago and (mostly) quit dairy last summer. I'm down about 20 pounds, my energy and health are amazing, and bonus! The spouse's cholesterol levels are down to a level that finally stopped his family doc from threatening him with meds at his annual check-ups! Woot! Hey. I think he just went into the kitchen for a second piece of that cake...
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Know Your Elders
One true-false question in particular jumped out at me: "Most old workers cannot work as effectively as younger workers." This reminds me I haven't provided any updates on the spouse's age and disability discrimination case against his very very bad former employers. It's still pending, though a settlement might be close. He's being offered something far less than what is fair, but he's tired and we're both ready to move on. The latest offer structures the pay-out as wages -- meaning all employee withholding, FICA and etc. will be deducted. This is just another example of the ways these guys screw with him. This employer, by the way, is a nonprofit. In the health care field. We have a question in to his attorney regarding my responsibilities vis a vis the "non-disclosure agreement" the spouse is being asked to sign. If I am not bound by it, watch this space for sordid details! (Maybe I'm kidding. Am I kidding? Not really sure.)
If you think age discrimination on the job can't happen to you, think again. After this happened to the spouse, we heard multiple stories of shocking and blatant discrimination of older workers. As we boomers move into the 60+ category, look for this kind of discrimination to be commonplace. Simply put, younger workers are cheaper. It's all about the bottom line, after all.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Very Important Case
From the story:
Sally Herriot likes where she lives and doesn't want to move.
At 88, Herriot uses a walker, needs help getting dressed and is having problems with her eyes. Still, she knows what she wants. She regularly attends the San Francisco Opera, reads the Economist and says that with the help of her own round-the-clock aides, she has everything she needs in her one-bedroom Palo Alto apartment.
But Channing House, the retirement home where Herriot lives, disagrees, and officials there have told Herriot she must move from her spacious apartment into a much smaller, assisted-living unit at the home where they believe she will be better served by a trained nursing staff.
Herriot is fighting back.*snip*
Herriot says she's not planning to go anywhere soon.
"I wish we could sweep it under the rug, but we can't. They would love us to say, 'I give up,' " she said. "It'll be harder than that." Turning to her son, she asks him: "Can you envision me saying, 'I give up?' "
Couple-o' Three Things
2. Mark Morford can tell you exactly what's been going on at our house. Minus the porn. Good grief. I am in the process of driving every single person I know crazy with my indecision and materialistic ambivalence. Help. Me.
3. HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROG!!! May it be a year of love, peace and every kind of fulfillment.