Really. I mean really?

I finally felt mostly better, except for a pain in my side from
coughing, and the cough and intermittent breathing problems. The pain
in my side has only gotten worse. Last night I couldn't sleep because
of the pain, and this morning it took me 5 tries to even sit up in bed
the pain was so bad.

So I spent 15 minutes on the phone with my insurance company talking
to a nurse to determine whether I should go to an urgent care or
regular doctor. The doctor wouldn't have an xray machine, and I didn't
want to have to go to the doctor twice.

They said- no. Just go to your regular doctor today or tomorrow. It's
not anything you need an xray for.

I go to the doctor who says, "it could still be pnemonia. The cough
you have is what triggered this. One lung sounds congested, but okay.
The one on your bad side could be pnemonia."

So, I have pain killers, muscle relaxers and steroids. I have to go
somewhere else for an xray tomorrow. Two doctors visits. Exactly what
I wanted to avoid.

Plus, she's said I need to stay at home, in bed, and rest. I've
already had to take 3 unpaid days because of this, and I guess another
one this week (half day today, half day tomorrow.) who knows what
she'll say if it is pnemonia (which I think is also contagious.)

So like I said... Really. I mean really? I just want to get better.

my moment of zen

I've been watching Jon Stewart for 10 years now.  

1999- end of the clinton administration- good fodder for funny.

2000- the first indecision.  indecision 2000- george w. v. al gore.  what could be funnier?

2001- the swearing in of george w, leading to 8 years of prime, prime material.  the writers couldn't have made up better stuff to work with.

2008- indecision 2008- while mccain is no george w.,  they still had plenty to work with.

which brings us to now.  barack obama.  the question was- could he still be funny with someone with a brain, respectability, and who actually won the election in the white house? 

answer- yes.  he takes his shots at obama.  sure- he goes easy.  he doesn't have to dig into him.  he's got the economic failure of our country and the house and senate dealing with it to rip in to.  what would he be doing without the clusterf*&k to the poor house?  i don't know, but at least there's one upside to what's going on right now.

Debt

I know so many people in debt. It seems like everyone I talk to
confesses to me that they have credit card debt that they can't
handle. And every time I talk to someone in this position, I tell them
what I did to get mine under control.

I will be out of debt as of 6/25/2010. I pay between 6 and 10 percent
interest rates. Luckily the 10% is on the card with the lowest balance.

I can't imagine facing the current economic situation with the kind of
debt I used to have hanging over my head. I'm so glad I started taking
care of it when I did, and only wish I had done it earlier. I wish I
could make everyone I know do the same thing. Once I pay off my debt
I'll be in a much better position to start saving for retirement. My
goal once I pay it off is not to use any of that payment to increase
my standard of living, but instead to put all of it into making up for
what I should have been saving these past 10 years. I think I'll meet
with a financial advisor when the debt is paid off to get real advice.

My first house will be in the floating city of new Chicago. (and if
anyone gets that- you're awesome.)

day 3

its my third day of being home sick from work (not including my days in aspen where i was sick last week.) and i know i'm on the mend because i'm bored out of my skull.  i still couldn't have gone in to work today if i tried.  i would have fallen asleep at the wheel on my way in, or at my desk, or coughed up a lung in someone's face, but i should be fine tomorrow.  

but help! i'm bored.  i've watched season 1 of my new favorite TV show, pushing daisies.  i've re-watched miss pettigrew lives for a day (simply because ned from pushing daisies is in it.)  i've watched a million crappy movies on netflix instant view.  i'm about to put in disc 1 of season 2 of the tudors.  but i know i'll still be bored.  i want to go out and DO something.  but i don't quite feel well enough to really do anything.  

maybe later i'll go to target to pick up supplies to start the cleaning and disinfecting process.  i'm paranoid that if i don't thoroughly clean everything either i'll catch this again next week, or leslie will catch it from me inadvertently.  

i don't like football

but i like events that bring everyone together.  

so i feel like it's a shame that i don't like football, because the Superbowl is one day a year that everyone seems to drop what they're doing to all rally around the same event, regardless of what side they take. 

tonight as a flew back from my worst vacation ever, i liked that the pilot would come on the intercom to announce the score, and the plane would react en masse to his announcements.  i got off the plane, and thought it was weird that everyone in the terminal was gathered around this one Mexican restaurant that is usually empty, leaving the Starbucks next door deserted. then i realized they were all watching the TV.  and something big was happening.  everyone had stopped what they were doing, and were cheering or yelling (depending on their affiliation) and watching the game.  the barristas had left the counter and gone over to the Mexican place.  as i kept walking, all the places with TVs had crowds, and i was leaving just as the game ended.  i liked that people had stopped working, put down their phones, and just taken a few minutes to share a common experience.  i was slightly tempted to join in.  maybe if i didn't feel like walking death i might have.  

its been years since i've gone to a Superbowl party, or even watched the game on TV. i usually go to a movie. but next year i think i might go to a Superbowl party. not because i care about the game but to share in that common experience.  to know that i'm doing what everyone else is doing at that moment.