Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? I’m probably feeling blah and vegging out, because I usually feel like crap for a day or so after the Covid and Flu vaccines (it’s currently the 16th and we’re heading out to get them soon). But I don’t have any real things to post about, so here are some quick, random updates.
1. Still waiting to find out if I’m still cripple enough for Medicaid. I have no idea what’s taking so long, but when I call to check on everything, they keep telling me it’s under review. And all I can do is wait and be polite and remain calm. Whatever.
2. We have tomatoes and jalapeños and even got our first strawberries! No pics because I didn’t think about it. It’s okay to be jealous though.
3. I’m so tired of seeing that name that’s currently everywhere. Had never even heard of him before this. Everything I’ve seen and heard since is disgusting. He wasn’t a good person. Every time he opened his mouth something ridiculous or horrible came out of it. He thought deaths due to gun violence were acceptable. Now, he’s just another statistic. I feel bad for his kids, but that’s the extent of my empathy (something else he had dumbass thoughts on). Stop idolizing people like him. It’s gross.
4. Raspberry Pepsi is yummy. I don’t know if it actually exists anywhere, but all you need is a Pepsi and raspberry syrup (like the syrups you put in coffee). It’s better doing it that way anyway, because you can adjust how much syrup you add based on your tastes. Pepsi with maraschino cherry juice is also good.
Anyway, I’ll be back next week with the usual book review.
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? I’m still waiting to hear from Medicaid about whether I’m still cripple and poor enough. Otherwise, I’m just super tired. So, today’s post is just a list of books I actually enjoyed reading this summer (June through August) in no particular order.
1. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. It was quick and fun. I figured it out pretty quick, but still enjoyed the story.
2. The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson. You can see why here.
3. Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao. It was a bit different from what I usually read and I found it really enjoyable. A bit sad, but ultimately a happy-ish ending.
4. When the Tides Held the Moon by Vanessa Vida Kelley. Super predictable, but fun. The representation in this book is fairly stereotyped, so if you’re sensitive to stuff like that, be aware. Otherwise, it’s a fun merperson story.
5. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune. Yes, yes, just yes. Go read it and the sequel. I love them both.
Hello, hello! How’s everyone this lovely Wednesday? I’m tired and have no good excuse not to blog, but I just don’t want to. So, I’ll be back next week with the end of the month book review!
Hello, hello! How’s everyone this lovely Wednesday? I’m still playing the waiting game. I’m also tired and generally blah, so this is a quick post to let you know that J.R. Dawson did it again! The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World was released at the end of July! I bought a hard copy because it’s so pretty! I also bought the ebook because it’s easier for me to read that way. But I definitely recommend a hard copy because the book cover deserves to be admired as it was meant to be. Anyway, I’m only a quarter of the way through and I’m loving it. I’ll probably end up doing a brief review when I’m done. I’m so happy for J.R. and her books!
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely first Wednesday of August? I’m still playing the waiting game for my Medicaid renewal approval. Apparently, they’re also trying to decide if I’m cripple enough for my long term care services (paying Dad to take care of me). That can take 30 to 90 days. Whatever. Anyway, I decided to post pictures of the grow room! There’s still some lettuce and herbs and bok choy that Dad keeps in rotation on the rail system. He’s giving up on the arugula because it refuses to do anything. Not sure if spinach will stay or become a once in a while thing or what. We’re still trying to figure out what and how much to grow so we eat most of it. Dad’s also started some strawberries (not pictured because these pics are a week or two old), so we’re hoping those grow well. We both love berries. In the bucket system with the cages, there are three tomato plants (a Black Krim, a San Marzano Roma, and a Sweetie) and a jalapeño plant. The Sweetie seems to be doing well. The Black Krim has a nice amount of fruit too. The Roma is being weird, so Dad’s going to try a different type if it doesn’t start producing. And the jalapeño is doing well. If only the fruits would start ripening so we can eat them! Can’t wait for a proper tomato sandwich. Mmm…
Hello, hello! How’s everyone this wonderful Wednesday? I have nothing to ramble about that will take more than a sentence or two, so here’s a quick update on life, then I’m going to read. 1. Turned everything into Medicaid last Thursday afternoon, so I’m just waiting on them to do whatever they’re going to do. 2. Dad’s tomatoes are growing! 3. Three doctors appointments between now (22nd as I’m writing this) and the 31st. Two for Dad (eye test and quarterly check up) and one for me (video visit with my pulmonologist). Fun. Anyway, I’ll be back next week with the regularly scheduled book review!
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are usual. Medicaid has decided it’s that time of year to prove I’m still worthy. Poor. Cripple. Whatever. So, I spent most of the day filling out a 20 page form. None of the answers has changed except how much Social Security I get, but I still had to trudge through the entire form anyway. Now, I just need to take a picture of my ID and get copies of my bank statements from April through July. Easy enough, right? But no. My bank just overhauled their system and even though everything was supposed to be up and running on Monday, they don’t have online access to any statements but June. Ugh. If that’s not up today, I’ll have to call them and convince them to email the statements to me. Once I get those, I’ll send everything to my CLASS case manager and she’ll fax it to Medicaid on my behalf so they’ll realize I’m on that particular program and hopefully not argue with my eligibility. If they had told me a week ago (before my bank decided to “improve” things and I could have just downloaded the statements) or waited until October, which is when I usually have to renew, I probably wouldn’t be complaining. I just hate having to call people. And I hate redundant forms. I just hate the whole process of being reminded I’m a poor cripple leeching off of society. Anyway, it’s late and I don’t feel like coming up with something nice to ramble about. Here’s a pretty picture by Yuumei instead of a real post.
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? I’m not okay for a plethora of reasons. No one cares. The people who do care can’t do anything. So, let’s move swiftly along! I don’t really have much writerly or bookish stuff to ramble about, so I guess I’ll find something else. Our old shower head broke. Again. It was a fancy Delta with 5 sprays and a lifetime warranty, but every few years the color starts peeling off the hose and the switch to change sprays breaks because, while most of the shower head is metal, that part is just plastic. This was the second or third replacement we’ve had since 2018. It’s just not worth the hassle to get another one. Instead, Dad went looking for all metal shower heads in an oil-rubbed bronze finish (I guess no one likes that finish because it’s pretty difficult to find). That’s when he found The Shower Head Store.
Dad decided to go with the All Metal 3-Spray Dual Shower Head Combo with Hand Held & Rain Shower. And yes, it comes in multiple finishes including oil-rubbed bronze! It’s also a small company that seems to be customer focused still, which is always nice. We did have an issue because they originally sent the single spray head instead of the 3-spray. Dad initially emailed them, but decided to call them after 24-hours because I need the jet spray to get properly cleaned and he didn’t want to wait too long. Anyway, he got in touch with someone named Temar who helped him out and asked for pictures. After the initial phone call, everything was done via email. The shower head was out of stock, but they got it in within a few days and sent it right out. So, customer service and Temar are great. They do however spam you with auto-emails telling you to register your product and review it and whatever, which was the only annoying part of the process since we didn’t even have the right product at the time. Otherwise, accidents happen and they fixed it in a timely manner.
The handheld portion of the shower head is nice and works great for my needs. I require full assistance in the shower, so all of the ability issues I mention from here on out are just random thoughts. It’s not a comprehensive list and every disability is different so my thoughts might not even apply to you. Anyway, the shower head is a little heavy since it’s metal, so if you’re cripple and weight is a concern, you might want to find out if you can handle it before buying. The three sprays are wide (the typical shower head), massage (the single jet), and mist (the stinging bees of doom setting). The first two are exactly what I need. The jet does sting a little from certain angles, but it’s strong and gets the job done. I hate the mist setting. I always hate it. It’s buzzy and stingy and I don’t know what kind of masochist enjoys it so much that they keep including it on shower heads in general. But other than that, no complaints about the sprays. Switching between sprays looks easy enough, but I can’t do it myself because I don’t have the strength or gripping abilities, so I don’t really know if it’s cripple friendly for people with grip issues or not. There’s no trickle valve built in, so if you need to be able to reduce the flow to conserve water while soaping up or whatever, you have to buy an add on. It gets installed between the hose and handle, so the placement is a bit awkward and easy to accidentally activate or deactivate. It’s super easy to press though, so that’s good for cripples with strength issues in their fingers.
The rain part of the shower head is interesting. Tried it. It feels nice. I can’t really use it. But Dad loves it!
So, yeah. It’s a good shower head and works great for us.
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? As I was thinking about what to write for this post, I was faced with a couple of stark reminders of why Medicaid and proper healthcare and assistance for people in times of crises are super important. You know… all that stuff the Republicans are hellbent on getting rid of in order to seemingly help the deficit so some rich people can get tax breaks which will add trillions more to the deficit than they save by gutting social programs. Anyway, I’m starting to rant and that isn’t what this is for.
My first reminder of why these programs are important was the batteries that were installed on my chair today. The old ones were dying pretty quickly and I wouldn’t have been able to afford them out of pocket, so we started the process to get them replaced. When did this process start? A week ago? It couldn’t take that long to just get batteries, right? May 22nd. I started the process on May 22nd and they were finally installed July 1st. Don’t be fooled when people tell you that countries with universal healthcare have ridiculous wait times. Ours are usually worse or about the same. Cutting funding to Medicaid will only make those times worse for the people lucky enough to still be covered. It’s going to make a lot of things worse.
The second reminder is the most important. My friend’s newborn nephew has heart issues and requires surgery. Before they can perform surgery, there’s an infection that has to be taken care of. There’s no telling how long this baby boy will have to be in the hospital. A friend of the family created a GoFundMe for them because the financial burden of having to take time off work, travel back and forth to Seattle, pay for lodging and food, and also worrying about their daughter is already taking its toll. They need help for a situation that no one can ever plan for, but instead of having access to government programs designed to help in these situations, they have to rely on people on the Internet who try their bests to help each other. So, I’m sharing the link to their GoFundMe below in the hopes that some of the kind people on the Internet will see it. Share it on your pages if you’re willing. The wider the audience, the better.
Anyway, stay strong and have a good Disability Pride Month despite everything going on in D.C. We matter. We are not burdens. We are not leeches. We deserve to live, not just survive.
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are about the same as usual. A thin veneer of normalcy covering a deep and enduring sense of impending doom. But let’s celebrate something good! Tomorrow (the 19th) is Juneteenth!
Juneteenth is the celebration of the end of slavery in the US. It took about three years after the Emancipation Proclamation for it to be fully enforced, with Kentucky and Delaware being the last to free slaves in December of 1865. So, why Juneteenth instead of December something? Because the earliest observations of the holiday were in Texas, which enforced the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19th of 1865. It’s been celebrated in some form ever since 1866. When black southerners were forced to spread across America in order to, you know, live… (the south was not/is not a great place to be for a lot of people), they took the celebration with them. So, even though it began here in Texas, all of the states eventually adopted the holiday in some form or another. It also became the first new federal holiday since 1983 (MLK Day) when Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law in 2021. Happy Juneteenth!
Shawna's Blog of Doom 