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Not Dying This Week

Although it might seem odd to some, there's a certain sense of relief upon learning that one is not on the verge of death. In the past few weeks I've visited members of the medical profession for the first time in many years. At forty-six with a family history of heart disease and a personal run in with melanoma, I feared the worst.

At first, I was not convinced that this emerging attention to health matters was at all a good thing. Certainly , my mother was healthy as could be before they ran that MRI to see what her vertigo symptoms would reveal. Sure enough, there's an embolism on her brain that could pop at any second. Or never. That's not something I'd want to think about. In fact, for all they can tell, it's been there for years and years.

After the first visit, I had to start taking blood pressure medication, lose a lot of weight, stop exercising, come back for blood work and ponder the 'ridge' that the good doctor had discovered on my prostate. The blood work, of course, revealed that my 'PSA' (prostate's sick alright) test revealed what it is intended to reveal and prompted yesterday's visit to the urologist. (I scored a 3.7 out of 4.0 -- not bad if I were still in school.)

Now, why anyone in his right mind would become a urologist is beyond me. There are things that even gobs of money out not to incite. But anyway, Dr. Jellyfinger and I had an intimate moment while 'The Mrs.' waited outside the exam room. He could feel the ridge, but commented that it didn't seem like much of anything to worry about. Of course, he added, the only way to know for sure is to have a biopsy. That's my next stop.
Some Monday morning in September, I'll shuffle up to the outpatient surgical office her prefers and have twelve tissue samples taken. Twelve. Not one. Not even five. Twelve! I'll be sure to let you know how the rest of that day goes.

The moral of the story, I guess, is that one ought not visit the doctor unless one is prepared to hear bad news and visit more doctors. While ignorance surely can lead to an early demise, knowledge can sure as heck put a strain on whatever time one has left. Will I ever have pizza again?

First Monday of the Year

Themes of World History . . . what a day! Lots of smiles, yawns and quizzical looks. I did my annual "There is no contemporary event that can't be directly linked to World History" schtick today. Always a crowd pleaser as the kids rummage through their brains for something . . . anything . . . that happened in a historical vacuum. Again, no luck.

We also had some fun with "universal absolutes." Nothing like infanticide and disfigurement to get the attention of a room of sleep deprived 10th graders. In a few weeks, when they are back on a regular schedule, there will be lots to discover. Perhaps even a few will realize that the "least relevant course" in high school is, as I've told them, the one that will enrich their day-to-day lives in many, many ways.

We shall see.

Honduran President

So who are the good guys here? Is this another case of a liberal/progressive/socialist/Marxist (you pick) state being returned to the powers of internally sanctioned colonialism. A state in which the economically privileged act as overseers for the global industrialist class.

Memorial Day

No politics today. Just a simple thank you to those who have given their lives in service of our great nation. Whatever side one is on, may we all use today to remind each other that we are all, in fact, on the same side.

Democrats, Republicans and everyone in between and beyond have the same debt to the men and women who died and continue to die in the belief that those of us on the home front have the RIGHT to disagree -- even when we are wrong.

My Summer Vacation

Hmm . . . some things are best written about after they occur. Good thing this ain't one of 'em.

So far, my vacation has consisted of grading exams, writing comments, getting ready for summer school, prepping for in-law visits, worrying about money and feeling anxious about how all this unscheduled time is playing upon my peace of mind.

God, I can't wait for school to start.

Up and Running

After a months long hiatus during the midst of "election fever" I've returned to the blogosphere with words of wisdom. Well, maybe just words.

For example:

The stimulus package is being labeled by its opponents as a "spending package" although no member of the Republic Party has yet offered a manner in which a stimulus package can exist absent of spending provisions.

Rush Limbaugh has emerged as a de facto spokesperson for the Republic Party, thus assuring its complete and inevitable relegation to the fringe of American politics. Let us all just hope that the devil we know is NOT, in fact, better than that whom we have not yet met. (Although I must admit that it'll be tough to top El Rushbo's racist, fascistic rantings.)

My state, Florida, is now "blue." I'm not yet sure what that means. It's still a place of Confederate Flags and anti-immigrant sentiments. We have a Republic governor, a Republic-controlled legislature and a continuing love affair with all things regressive. I'm guessing the Kennedys will continue to visit the West Palm place infrequently.

Progress is a difficult phenomenon to quantify. Obama's election: progress. Florida voting for Democrats: progress . . . ? Rush Limbaugh emerging as a bona fide political figure: ?

LifeinSeminoleHeights: So much for the "straight talk express"

LifeinSeminoleHeights: So much for the "straight talk express"