20201107 - That was easy

Despite the cloak-and-dagger conspiracy theories presented by the sitting pres and his cast of legal characters, we have a new President - Elect: Joe Biden.

To those facing social injustice: make your vote count. This does not end your cause; it is but one step along the way. Certainly relish the moment, but know that there is yet very much work to be done. Let's start doing it - together.

20201106 - The Election

Ballots were cast on the third for the election, and it is still undecided on the sixth. Largely, there are five states that we are waiting on to determine the results: Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona. I doubt that we'll know for certain today, either, since some of these states have automatic recount laws that may come into effect should the final count be very close. And then there's the suits. Yes, the sitting pres has sued any state that resulted in a electoral votes for the democrat candidate. I suspect that will take a while to sort out. I'm sure that the democrat candidate has also filed a number of suits as well, perhaps better founded.

I'm expecting business-as-usual out of the senate and house - stalemate, finger-point, equivocate, ambiguate, lather, rinse, repeat... I will be interested to see if new members have bettered or worsened the demographics of the two chambers. 

Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are over 100,000 per day and deaths from that disease are over 1,000 per day in the US. Black Lives Matter continues in the news, as police seem to routinely shoot blacks. The US has officially backed out of the Paris accord. Tropical storm Eta, the 28th named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane season, is approaching Florida this weekend.

Not a banner week.

On a better note, my past illness has subsided. I still have pain in the right side, but the CT scan showed nothing abnormal. However, that visit to the doc has let the "Djin out of the bottle" 🧞‍♂️. I have a host of tests over the next two months for my new cardiologist 🙄.

20201017 - Under the weather 🌧️

Okay - I'm ill. I'm not sure what the illness is, but I am not so spiff. I have a pain on my right side that won't go away. It's about 4 inches below the armpit, though the pain radiates to the pec and back to behind the shoulder blade. The pain from it comes in surges, and there's little rhyme or reason to when they change intensity. This started on Saturday last week as a sharp pain directly in the side, and it has "migrated" to manifesting itself along the entire right side. When the pain increases, it's really bad - about a 6 or 7 on the pain-o-meter, even with a dose of Tylenol in me. When the pain ebbs, it's about a 2 and I can function pretty well. For the past week, it has been on the lighter side most of the time. Our suspicion is gall bladder, though the doc isn't sure. I had a CT scan yesterday to see if something gastro is causing the pain. I won't know the results until perhaps Tuesday next week. So, I'll be a bit sleep deprived until some plan of action comes forward. 

20201003 - Nolo contendere

 

The broadcasters announced yesterday that the president and his wife tested positive for COVID-19. Presently, he is in Walter Reed Hospital. This virus does not care about your station in life. It does not care if you game the reporting statistics. It has developed a method of self preservation that suppresses your immune system while it replicates, only to have the eventual overly-aggressive immune response kill you. Should you survive, then it is likely that the scars of the virus will continue. Returning to "normal" will be an ungranted wish.

Get well, mr. president and first-lady. No one should endure the suffering of COVID-19.

To Ken

9/12/2020:

I miss saying "Hi" to you!

Keep fighting!

Update 9/15/2020:

This morning, Florida reported 139 deaths due to COVID-19. One of those was Ken. He took his last breath as his wife listened over the phone yesterday evening. We get caught up in the numbers and the bias, but we so easily forget that behind those numbers are moms, dads, workers, and retirees like Ken.

I still miss saying "Hi" to you!

Update 9/26/2020:

We held the memorial for Ken over Zoom today. His wife was strong, but I think that she has cried her eyes out over the past month. Now, when I hear or see the COVID-19 numbers, I think of Ken. The statistics are very different when they are humanized.

I still miss saying "Hi", Ken!

To Dorth

To Dorth

At nineteen, 

we walked hand-in-hand to an uncertain future that was about to be.

It was the last time that I'd pass that candy store,

and I cried terribly that day.

At twenty-nine,

I smiled as I walked from the car. I waved and said, "I'll be okay."

After the hugs, and kisses, handshakes, and reminders,

It was the time that college began, 

and I waved to your babies that day.

At thirty-nine,

you decorated the maple tree with yellow ribbons for me.

The Navy was my life and I said goodbye yet again,

and I held back tears as I boarded that plane.

At forty-nine,

I couldn't recall that ten years had passed, my life was moving very fast.

You saw your children married and start their lives,

and between the moments we cried.

At fifty-nine,

My wife and I came to visit, brought you "Fluff" and later we sent a train

that you said that you once had had. It had a special story

and I cried just knowing what it meant to you.

At sixty-nine,

we all had gathered, enjoyed a meal and shared some drinks

because we had come from the graveyard where we had laid you to rest.

I cry every time I think of that day, because in every conceivable way, 

you were my mom.

- Steve Scheider, September 2020

Sorry that I didn't come up with this sooner, Dorth.

20200905 - twenty-five/fourteen

Howdy and greetings from our little tin can by the sea. We are both doing very well and happy labor day weekend to all. I've decided that following the news has made me become bitter, so I'm not posting my usual recap this week. Here's the numbers.

Scope	Cases	% Inc.	Deaths	% Inc.
Worldwide	26,941,620	8.0	881,285	4.7
United States	6,404,456	5.0	192,358	3.4
Florida	643,867	4.6	11,815	7.8
Pinellas County	20,355	3.1	671	4.0

Meanwhile, in LA...

Today is a David Gilmour day...