You Knew This One Was Coming...

I just couldn't help it.  I wrote a letter to the editor of our local newspaper.  Hearing political candidate after candidate say they would work to repeal the current Health Care Bill was too much for me.  Tater is on Medicaid.  Our family relies on a social program most people don't know about.  I felt like I needed to say something.  And then was mortified when it was published.   Because then people who don't know me read what I wrote and the editor had to edit my wordiness heavily.  He didn't change the tone or message at all, but man oh man I need to revisit English 101.  Then a mom from Kindergarten emailed me to say she read the letter so now I'm wondering who else in my daily life read it and what they think about it.  oy.  ack.  hide.

I know.  I KNOW.  I have a blog.  People read what I write.  But I can pretend only my friends and family read it.  I'm used to embarrassing myself in front of them.  It's what I do-make others feel great about themselves by showing them what real embarrassment is.  It's my gift to the world.  Now, I've shared my gift with the greater metro area and those damn politicians probably won't ever see it.

Oh well.  In my illogical mind, the best way to combat embarrassment is to open myself up for more.  Following is THE LETTER, published in the Huntsville Times on November 4th:

It has been disconcerting to me to hear several candidates state some version of promising to help repeal the "socialist" health care plan if elected.  Not everyone who benefits from the "socialist programs" is poor, lazy, or unwilling to pay for the benefits they receive.

My son was born with a rare medical condition that will exhaust his portion of the insurance benefits we receive through an employer-based health care plan before he becomes a teenager. Because of his condition, he receives Medicaid through the Alabama Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program as secondary insurance to our primary insurance. We are a middle class family living in a nice community, paying taxes, relying on the health care programs so many candidates want to get rid of. We're not millionaires so we are unable to pay the costs associated with our child's medical care.

Sadly, we are not alone of being in the middle class and having to rely on social health care programs. Many of us work hard to live the American Dream but face the American Nightmare of being caught up in a political game of who is worthy and who is not. As taxpayers, our families are worthy. As voters, our voices are worthy.

Caty B. Stokes

Huntsville

Convalesence

Hello.  What are you up to today?  Me?  I'm trying to get a 3 year-old to stay on the couch so he doesn't rip open the stitches from surgery on Friday.  Said stitches are in an, um, delicate place and while he's aware of them, he no longer feels bad enough to lay around.  We've cut back on the pain meds because he doesn't seem to need them and they make him loopy -but at least he was too drunk to get up when he was on them.  (He looked at Mr. A yesterday and asked "Daddy, why I spinnin'?" Heh!)  I think we may have to pull out some movies Santa was planning to give him for Christmas because the Sunny Side Up Show is no longer cutting it.

Tater has wracked up in the sympathy gift department and is currently playing with: Buzz Lightyear from Wissa, Bumblebee (the Transformer) from LaLa, Iron Man figure from Coco and trucks from us.  He never really remembers much from before or right after surgeries so other than the pain, I'm sure he thinks surgery is kinda like Christmas.

Toser decided that getting fever-vomitting sick 12 hours before Tater's surgery would be great timing.  Last time Tater had surgery, Toser got sick so this seems to be par for the course.  Of course, Coco came through for us again.  She was planning on spending the night at our house Thursday night so she could take Toser to school Friday morning.  When she got here, Toser had already been sick and it was apparent he would not be attending Kindergarten.  She asked if he wanted to stay at home or go to her house; Toser slowly got up from the couch, got his jacket and took his puke bucket out to her car.  I guess even in his sick state, he knew he was much better off at the grandparents'.  Papa had the couch set up for him when he got there and all reports point to him feeling much better and getting his fill of Angry Birds Halloween.

I'm about to head out to my Godson's baptism.  I've never been a godmother before and I have no clue what is expected of me.  I think all I have to do is spoil him and be nicer to him than I am to my own children. Sounds good to me.  Especially since he's so darn cute and I think his parents are pretty cool.

So Much For That

I checked Toser out of school today so he could go vote with me.  Our voting precinct is at the fire station next to his school so he was gone all of 10 minutes.  I sat down with him to show him the ballot and show him how we vote for each candidate.  He started glossing over and soon asked how much longer I was going to be because he didn't want to miss PE.  Thus ended our Civics lesson for today.  I know 5 is young to care about stuff like this but I really thought he would like it.  Heh.  Joke's on me.  (And I'm going to torture him for the next 15 years, embarrassing him by checking him out to vote with me.  Fair is fair.)