Tocky on 1/1/2023 at 05:55
It's always a time of renewed hope no matter what has come to dispel the notion. The propagandists have about pissed me off and I worry the dumbasses in the Republican party have fallen head over shit stain for Russian propaganda just for the sake of owning libs, never mind selling out their country and values. BUT I have hope still. I feel that people will be able to figure out the whys and wherefores. Gah. I can't imagine hating a political party enough to sell out your nation to spite them but here we are.
On a personal level, I love you guys. You think. You take in all the information and form an opinion separate from what I or anyone tells you to think. That's cool. It's what I taught my kids to do. Give me hell when I'm wrong. I need course correction on occasion. I'm going to love you anyway. I'm going to love you because of that in fact.
But just now I'm feeling the warmth of wine and hear the boom of fireworks after my kids have gone. My little town rocks with the sound on New Years. They came to celebrate my wife's birthday. 1962 saved the best for last. Is she an easy woman to love? Oh hell no. But it's impossible not to. She loves all the way. I did a humorous drawing about how we steer this ship with us both pulling the wheel opposite and laughing about it and posted it on Facebook. It keeps us on even keel just the same. It holds us steady as if we just rested our hands limp but it's more fun.
We shot the fireworks I bought. It's like burning money in one way but making a memory in another. Memory always wins out for me. I always think I can out do the 500 dollar packages by picking my individual pieces with mixed results. This year too heavy on the spark and not enough on the boom. But we have fun. Then after it's spades for some and movies for others. Lana, my mini me, was showing me the horrors she liked on the Roku options and I discovered she had never seen The Thing. She asked what movie poster that was the fellow had in the background of the movie The Mist. Oh hell, just the best horror of all time. Let's watch it.
Dit comes tomorrow. Old friend on a new year is a great thing. No telling what he will bring aside from his new wife. No telling what the year will either.
You have different traditions, different lives, different loves. That's not important. What is important is that you do. I've put so many in the ground this year. Just Thursday I carried my aunt Marie to her grave. So often I get the honor of pall bearer. So live. Think. Do. It's not long we have here. Make it so somebody misses you when you are gone. Another year gone. Above all be happy. That is what your life is for. Fuck the rest. Enjoy this. It's your time. I love you for being the better part of humanity.
And last, forgive me. I make mistakes. I don't always live up to my best nature. If I have hurt then I did not mean to. I think of those I have failed and feel sorrow. I forgive you. It's hard to know what to do in all circumstances. I understand. Forgive me.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
PigLick on 1/1/2023 at 13:10
Best to you also, I had a pretty quiet one, just playing boardgames with the kids and my sister, seeing the new year in and then bed.
Hit Deity on 1/1/2023 at 15:41
Thanks, Tocky. Same to you!
My wife goes for a diagnostic procedure in a couple of days that we've been trying to get resolved for a while now (since 2021!) but it's been a shitshow from the beginning. The doctors here just want to pat you on the head and tell you it will be okay and to come back to see them when you're actually dying.
"Preventative measures?! What are those? You're not dying? Next, please!!"Wish us luck. Hopefully it's nothing. Otherwise, some heads are gonna roll. Meanwhile, I've got an acre of land to un-decorate.. Wanna see what it looked like?? :-)
This should work (lemme know if it doesn't); you should be able to click each icon and view them:
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https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7c8qot9493rukf4/AAA69MXhEPV5Pzr-oNRrwDR0a?dl=0)
Yeah, I checked. Looks like it's working.
Pyrian on 1/1/2023 at 22:07
Happy New Year!
I'm resolving to lose weight and work harder like basically everyone does. ...Also to get myself and the kids up-to-date on our dental work.
Starker on 1/1/2023 at 23:36
Here's to a better year than the past few, at least.
PigLick on 2/1/2023 at 14:20
dental work I hear you, my son has to have wisdom teeth done and its an absolutely eye watering amount of money.
heywood on 2/1/2023 at 18:12
Ain't that the truth. A couple of my oldest friends are primary care physicians and their practices are all about cost cutting because Medicare only pays so much and insurance companies squeeze too. Meanwhile, dentists seem to be raking it in because insurance companies have (by and large) stopped covering dental, so when you really need work, they're going to gouge you. My brother lives in the Carribbean and needs a lot of dental work. He's been shopping around, and it's amazing how much of a disparity there is in pricing from country to country. He's going to end up getting the work done in Mexico.
Anyway, I wouldn't complain too much overall because you're not paying out the arse for primary health care. When I was living in Sydney, I was on a "global" heath insurance plan where I had to pay the full price out of pocket for absolutely everything up to but not including hospitalization, and then I would submit receipts and they would reimburse me. I did need care while I was there. In addition to the routine, I was in with heart pains and had an electrocardiogram and blood tests, and one time I burned my hand with oil while making Buffalo wings for my friends. After that, I went to my physician and she sent me straight to a plastic surgeon at Royal North Shore Hospital. I was also on blood pressure meds while I was there. The quality of the facilities and care was first world standard and the costs were dramatically cheaper than in the US. Dental costs were closer to parity though.
Nicker on 2/1/2023 at 20:08
Imagine how much more healing could occur if insurance companies didn't spend so much on screwing people out of the coverage they paid for.
Pyrian on 2/1/2023 at 20:12
Quote Posted by heywood
He's going to end up getting the work done in Mexico.
A friend of mine did that. Saved a ton of money in the short term. ...Regretted it a lot a few years later. Apparently they did a terrible job on him. Caveat emptor.
