I just gotta speak up!

I can't believe it, but I actually made it through the President's entire speech tonight - and only resorted to talking back to the TV three or four times. As I said to someone earlier this evening, I wonder how many caught the logical inconsistencies & how many bought the smooth talk.

Let me get this straight. He proposed a plan that he claims will accomplish "three basic goals" that he identified as providing "more security and stability to those who have health insurance ... insurance to those who don't" and slowing "the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government."

Now, that all sounds good. Right?

But how, exactly, does all of that get accomplished? Here's part one of his plan:

"As soon as I sign this bill, it will be against the law for insurance companies to drop your coverage when you get sick or water it down when you need it most. They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or a lifetime. We will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they get sick. And insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies – because there's no reason we shouldn't be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse. That makes sense, it saves money, and it saves lives. That's what Americans who have health insurance can expect from this plan – more security and stability."

Yea! More coverage. No annual caps. No lifetime caps. More tests covered. More! More!

"And the people said, 'It is good.'"

But ... who, exactly, PAYS for the "More"?

Let's face it, the only way the insurance companies can pay more (and more and more) for everyone they insure is to charge more and more and more. (Remember the old adage: "you get what you pay for"?) Somewhere, someone has to pay the bill. As a middle-class American, I know who usually gets stuck with that bill!

Later in his speech, President Obama claimed that he had "no interest in putting insurance companies out of business." Yet, somehow, he expects them to provide more coverage to more people for less money. I'm a mathematician, a statistician and I've done some accounting work. Any way I figure the numbers, I can't see how that can work.

But, let's go on.

His second promise was insurance for those who don't have it. He says,

"We will do this by creating a new insurance exchange – a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for health insurance at competitive prices. ... For those individuals and small businesses who still cannot afford the lower-priced insurance available in the exchange, we will provide tax credits, the size of which will be based on your need. And all insurance companies that want access to this new marketplace will have to abide by the consumer protections I already mentioned. This exchange will take effect in four years, which will give us time to do it right. In the meantime, for those Americans who can't get insurance today because they have pre-existing medical conditions, we will immediately offer low-cost coverage that will protect you against financial ruin if you become seriously ill."

For now, I'll leave alone the whole issue of "a new insurance exchange." Let's look at the other promises. He promises that people can "shop for health insurance at competitive prices" and that there will be "tax credits" for those who can't even afford that. Since it will take 4 years to get this new "insurance exchange" up and running, "we will immediately offer low-cost coverage."

Who is "we"?

Ladies and gentlemen, that's you and me! Oh, it's the government. But, we know that it is "we" who pay for what "they" do!

And just in case someone still doesn't want to "opt-in" to one of his plans, he made it very clear that "under [his] plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance."

He equated this to the requirement that most states have for auto insurance. However, I am personally not aware of any state that requires you to carry comprehensive coverage. What they require is that you carry coverage in case you, in your huge piece of machinery capable of traveling at high speeds but of doing serious damage even at slow ones, happen to injury someone else personally or injure their property (there vehicle or other property), there will be coverage to pay for that damage. If you have a lien on the vehicle, the lien holder usually also requires coverage so they can recoup their money if you damage the property that is their collateral. All of that focuses on protecting someone else from the harm you might do them. It is not forcing you to insure against loss you might incur. If you own the vehicle (there is no lien), it is your decision whether you want to pay the cost to insure it (comprehensive coverage) so that you do not incur loss or take the risk of that loss. That is a cost / benefit analysis that each person must do for themselves.

Typically, those of us who keep our cars for a number of years finally reach a point where we choose to drop that additional coverage, because the premiums for it over two or three years exceed the amount we would receive if it were damaged. We choose to keep our money and, essentially, insure ourselves.

Similarly, today, those who are not provided health coverage in some way have the option to insure themselves for that possibility or not to do so. That is their choice. President Obama's point is that, in the end, "we" end up paying for them.

Well, there's the problem.

In my car analogy, if I choose to drop comprehensive coverage and I damage the car myself, no one (the government included) is going to pay me for that loss. I would have to stand responsible for my decision. But, when it comes to health care bills and people making the choice to have a new car, the latest model & biggest TV, the latest DVD or Blue-Ray device, the latest model iPhone, and hundreds of CDs, DVDs, etc., but they "can't afford insurance," then "we" pay their bills for them. What we have lost in this country is personal responsibility.

Do not get me wrong. I am all for helping those who truly need it - like the Mom who is working two jobs to raise a family alone. But I still remember that notable photo of the guy standing in the soup line where Michelle Obama was helping out waiting to be served his free meal because he couldn't affort food and he was caught in this photo taking a picture of her with his Blackberry. Now, to my way of thinking, there was something wrong with that picture!

So, how much does this cost and how does it get paid for? His estimate was $900 billion over the next 10 years. Okay, for starters have you ever seen a government program that didn't exceed the inital budget estimate? But, not to worry, he made it clear that he

"will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits – either now or in the future. ... And to prove that [he is] serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don't materialize."

When have you ever known Congress to go back and make cuts to make up for their overspending?

But, it gets even better. The cost really shouldn't be an issue since they have "estimated that most of this plan can be paid for by finding savings within the existing health care system – a system that is currently full of waste and abuse."

Now I'm with you. The Medicare and Medicaid systems to which he was referring have SO MUCH WASTE that we can just cut that out and pay for the new health care system for everyone. What a deal!

So, the government that has been so inefficient at administering Medicare & Medicaid that they have that degree of waste and fraud (and the do have a LOT of it) is now going to miraculously turn that around and become so efficient that they can use the excess from that system to pay for the health care for everyone else who isn't getting it today - or may no longer have it provided once they know there is a "free" option available. By the way, he promised seniors that their coverage under these programs would not be changed while all those cuts are made.

He reiterated that

"Reducing the waste and inefficiency in Medicare and Medicaid will pay for most of this plan." He then went on to say that "Much of the rest would be paid for with revenues from the very same drug and insurance companies that stand to benefit from tens of millions of new customers. This reform will charge insurance companies a fee for their most expensive policies."

Ok, so those companies who now have to provide more people more coverage at reduced rates are going to be making so much money that he is going to tax them to pay for the government-run portion.

That's right, tax the private enterprise to subsidize the government program - until you run all of the insurance companies out of business. Somehow, it just seems that all paths lead back to that state. "That state" being ... The State taking over and running everything. The banks. GM. Chrysler. Health care.

Even if these aren't owned by the government (and if you will do your homework instead of just listening to main-line media, you'll learn that they are, actually, in part owned by the government as part of the bailout), they are told with whom they can - or must - do business, how much they can charge, what services they have to provide, etc. That is not exactly the way I learned that "free enterprise" works. It may still be "private enterprise" but it is getting very difficult to call it a "free" market system.

[I can't help but recall that the whole banking / mortgage crisis was caused by that very issue - the government mandating to banks & lending institutions what they HAD to do ... that they HAD to provide loans to people who did not qualify for them & did not have the resources to repay them. But the very legislators that framed those statutes and pushed them through and into law now take the credit for bailing us out of the crisis they caused.]

When will enough of us wake up to stop this train before it completely mows us all down?

oh that yardwork ...

Ok, so the last post to my blog was over 3 weeks ago & it was about starting on the relandscaping on July 25. I'm only 6 weeks behind in my reporting. :) So, I'm going to the Reader's Digest version to get this story told.

I spent the next three weekends (Saturday & some Friday evening time) getting what was in the old bed in front of the main section of my courtyard wall pulled out, along with all the sod for the area that I was enlarging the bed (between the new curved walkway and the wall). I replanted all of that sod in bare spots in other areas of the yard. I also planted 4 more rose bushes - 3 carpet roses and one that will grow taller along with potting 2 tree rose bushes. The tree roses will have to be brought inside (or at least into the garage) for the winter. What is left to be done in the bed is put down some additional top soil & then cover it with the landscaping cloth and put down the large river rock to match the bed discussed in the previous post. Anyone want to help shovel river rock??? (Hey, you can't blame me for asking. It has a similar effect to lifting weights at the gym - and it's free! I'll even feed you afterwards. :)

The reason the river rock isn't already down is because of needing to paint the courtyard wall. So, the next Saturday (we're up to Aug 22) was spent digging the rock, mulch & dirt AWAY from the wall, so that I could paint down below the "ground" line. Oh, that was soooo much fun. The plan was to then wash down the wall & paint the following weekend (that would have been Aug 29).

Problem 1: When I got to the "wash down the wall" part, I realized that the capstones weren't simply going to "wash down." I couldn't determine what was on them - not mold or mildew - but it wasn't washing off. Recommendation was to use a pressure washer. So ... the next Saturday (Aug 29) instead of painting, I went and borrowed a pressure washer. (That was a God-send. I had planned to rent one & "just happened" to talk with someone at a social I attended Friday evening who had one & offered it. God bless Tim!) The walls got pressure washed, but ...

Problem 2: The pressure washer did not "touch" whatever was on them. Nor did it remove the residue from where we had pulled the ivy off the wall between myself & my neighbor to the south. So, I climbed up a taller ladder to get a better look at the capstones. LONGER STORY made short - it wasn't something "on" them. It was the decomposition of the limestone. Ever been in a cave? That's what was happening on the unsealed limestone capstones. So, I was now hunting some sort of sealer/primer that would seal the "holes" in the capstones.

Problem 3: During all the "extra" time, we had a period where it rained for three days. So the new bed (the one that doesn't have the river rock yet) had 3"-4" of standing water. Needless to say, it washed all the dirt back against the wall. Which was also true in all the other beds. So all the work to move it away from the wall & wash the wall had to be repeated.

But, I'm keeping my optimism. I'm thinking that surely over this "long" weekend, I'll get this wall painted. Right?

Wrong!

Problem 4: In the meantime, I have realized that where the capstones were supposed to have been resealed both to the top of the wall & to each other BEFORE I closed on the house, the job had not been a very good one. They were sealed to the wall (though not evenly and definitely not properly), but the seal to the mortar between then was already cracking. So, they needed caulking all the way around & at every joint. [Note: That's not what should have been done, but given the fact that there still sealed enough they could not be removed and resealed properly, it was the only option.] Also, when they repaired these before closing, they failed to repair the smaller section I share with my neighbor to the south. So that section of wall needed to be repaired. Since all of her wall needed repair, she agreed to take care of that section with the rest of hers & I agreed to paint it. [However, that is one reason that the entire project has been so delayed. She has been "going" to do that all summer. She finally committed to getting it done this weekend.]

I spent Saturday re-caulking & scrubbing off the residue from the ivy. I had actually started that task previously, but had only gotten about 1/4 of it that night. It required a steel brush, water, and LOTS of "elbow grease."

I then spent 4.5 hours Sunday afternoon & evening painting the very thick primer on the capstones of the two larger sections of wall.

But, I'm still full of optimism that I can get the painting all done today. Well - the painting of the two sections of wall. The section I share with the neighbor to the south was repaired on Saturday & Sunday and it needs to set before painting. So, that pushed it off until next weekend.

Once again, I overestimate my abilities or underestimate the task - I'm not sure which. I spent 8.5 hrs out there today and what I accomplished was putting two coats around the bottom of all three sections (so if it rains again, I don't have to pull the dirt back away from the walls!) and putting one coat on the primed capstones. I did also do the "ends" of the walls where the gates are attached and the other areas that would take a brush & special care. That leaves a 2nd coat for the capstones and then two coats on the main portion of the wall. The main portion of the walls should be the easy part! Just roll it on. Right? (Don't answer that!) Then, of course, the 3rd section still needs to have the capstones primed & painted & the walls painted.

I'm beginning to think that my friend who recently moved back to apartment dwelling when her house sold has the right idea!

making progress on the landscaping

I still have "a ways" to go, but at least I am making progress on relandscaping. The focus for this summer has been the area on the street side of my front wall.

As most of you know, I had a curved sidewalk poured from the driveway to my front walkway last year. The only landscaping in front of that section of wall had been about a 1ft (maybe a little more) bed in front of the wall with (what is supposed to be) decorative grass on both ends and some sort of bulb plants (bloom yellow - but not daffodils) in between. The "clumps" of grass were definitely NOT decorative to my way of thinking ... and the other plants were okay, but not really healthy (not very pretty).

I then "share" a wall with my neighbor to the north. In front of her side of it, she had a nice "curved" bed with several nice plants. In front of my side was the same straight area with another of those grass "clumps" by my walkway and more of the yellow flowers.

So, I started with that section & "curved" the bed on my side out to my sidewalk to be symmetrical with hers. I removed the grass clump and most of the yellow flowers as well as all the extra sod from the new portion. I thought the sod would be hard part. I dug it up carefully, so that I could transplant it to other areas of the yard that had bare spots. Well, I found the reasons for those bare spots! Underneath them was either rock, clay or roots! So, relaying the sod was more difficult than digging it out. :(

Once I had gotten the sod laid, I returned to the bed. Digging out the huge ornamental grass plant turned out to be the REAL work. Since this (original) bed had large river rock instead of mulch, I had to move it out of the way to dig around the plant. Of course, you always place some sort of cloth underneath rock to keep it from sinking into the dirt. Whatever they used was VERY good. I could not break through it to dig the plant out! I had to pull it up from that entire section so I could dig the roots out from under it. But, since the original hole cut for this plant had become too small, the roots had actually enmeshed into the cloth! The only way to free it was to cut it out. That whole process took longer than digging the sod out!

I then also dug out most of the yellow plants so that I could put a dwark crepemyrtle near the wall (again, adding symmetry to the other side where she had one as well). I later planted a carpet rose bush in the front "curved" portion of that bed.

What is left to do in that bed is get more river rock and get it put down in the new area. It's waiting for completion of the other side to do that all at once for both beds.

That was "Day 1" of the project - which was July 25.

I'll continue the saga in another post ... it's still "in work" but I am making progress!

is it spring yet?

So much for getting landscaping done this year. Okay, at least I had indicated that it would likely take me 2-3 years - and that was starting this year, since 2008 with all it's issues doesn't count!

At least I am finally getting started. I cut the wisteria back last fall as far as I could with heavy-duty pruning sheers. This spring, after cutting back all the new growth coming out of the stumps that were left (3' to 4' each) a couple of times, I sawed the stumps off as close to grown level as possible. There are nine of them - three across my back patio & six along the wooden fence that is on one side of my front courtyard. Some were 8"-10" in diameter.

The other major projects this year - outside of normal weeding, etc. - have been trying to limb up some trees. There's a huge Austree ("swamp willow") out my back area, between me & the neighbor to my south. The HOA is in the process of taking the 30-somthing of these that were planted in "commons" areas in the development down and replacing them. I would like to do the same with this one. They only have an expected life of about 15 years and they are 10-12 years old. Hence, they are losing lots of limbs (they are dying). In addition, the roots run along the surface of the ground and go everywhere - which can tears up your patio or foundation! Unfortunately, my neighbor loves it. So, I keep trying to get the limbs that are over my house cut down. I've gone "three rounds" with it. After cutting them down, I have to cut them up into small enough pieces for the trash service to pick up (no more than 2.5'-3' sections, bundled) - and cut up and bag all the smaller pieces and leaves. THAT is what takes the time. And now I am down to a couple of larger limbs that I need help to get down safely. (Note that I am doing all this with a hand limbing saw. :)

There is also a fruit tree of some sort (I haven't figured it out) in the center of my courtyard that got a good limbing on my last "work day." I would actually like to take it down & plant something else. I was multi-trunked; but one of the three had been sawed off to ground level before I bought this place. I assume an ice storm got it - that's the usual culprit in such cases. So, it's already only 2/3rds of a tree. Then, this year, there were a LOT of dead branches on it. So, I cut all of those down (and cut them up for the trash - that's just "so much fun!"). And there is a pear tree between me and my neighbor to the north that I keep trimmed (the new growth "suckers" mostly). It has a couple of branches that I would take down if it were mine, so that the mowers don't have to duck to mow - but I haven't cleared that with my neighbor yet. She was grateful that was doing the other - and that I helped her trim her wisteria back last year. I did that partially because it was "over the fence" and on my side. She said she wants her's taken out as well, but didn't want me to trim it back as severely as I did mine - so it's all overgrown again. (She is in her late 70s & is quite interesting. She's a strong believer & is a former KS state representative & KS state senator.)

Okay, back to the wisteria. One reason for planting wisteria is its resilience. You just about can't kill it! So, I regularly go back and break or cut off the shoots coming up around the stumps. I have been told that drilling holes in them & pouring RoundUp concentrate will kill them. I was going to try that today, but it rained (hard!) this morning & I didn't want to pull the power cord for the drill across the wet ground! So, that job is left for another day.

I did spend 4+ hours cutting back the wisteria shoots, pulling weeds in all the beds, (finally!) putting mulch around a couple of trees, and pulling up ivy ... and more ivy ... and more ivy.

For those who have never visited my new home, there is a bed that runs between my house and the front sidewalk as you approach my front door. It's about 30' long and about 2' wide. The previous owners had attached three huge trellises (probably at least 4' wide & nearly the height of the house) to the side of the house and planted ivy in the bed to grow up them. The portion of the bed closest to the front door (and under the covering of the porch area) has ivy all the way up that trellis. In fact, the main base of ivy there is as thick as the wisteria stumps. (I didn't even know it would do that!) There's one other area of one of the other two trellises that has some ivy that they had growing up a pole. (That is also a "stump" at the base.) There are three shrubs in the portion of the bed that is uncovered. But ivy was everywhere through the bed.

I pulled ... and pulled ... and pulled. I filled 3.5 of the large, outdoor trash bags. And there's still ivy in that bed! I think I got most of it, except for what is coming directly from the two main stumps. We'll see how much of it I just "broke off" instead of getting the root when it starts growing back. :( I left trying to dig out the stumps out for another day. I cut back what was growing on the one trellis to get everything except what is coming from that one source and was above my head.

That wasn't exactly the project I had in mind for today, but at least it does look much better out there. I intend to also remove the three shrubs that are in it - as well as most (if not all) of those around the courtyard, inside & out. I plan to plant roses in the portion of that bed that is exposed to the sun. But, I'm having a hard time finding any of them (or anything else I want) left this late in the year.

Oh, I guess I should explain why I have kept delaying on getting started (besides time, of course). I need to paint my concrete wall. I was waiting to redo the landscaping until that is done, since part of what needs to be redone is both sides of that wall. However, before I paint it, there's a portion of it that needs repair. Actually, there are three "sections" to "my" wall. One is mine, exclusively. I share each of the other two with a neighbor - one on one side & one on the other. (Don't ask me why they built them that way!) Part of the "shared" wall needs repair. I keep waiting on my neighbors to make decisions about what to do with those & get them done before painting. And waiting on painting to redo the landscaping. So ... that's (at least part of) the reason for the delay.

And I thought I was moving here to get out of yardwork ... :(

How many people does it take to change a light bulb?

The old joke goes, "How many [whoever you want to name] does it take to change a light bulb?"

Well, it isn't a joke when there's only one of you and it really calls for two!


For those "not in the know" ...

My utility room has florescent lights on the ceiling. They are the kind that are 4' long, twin bulbs, enclosed in "case" with hard plastic ends and a flexiglass type cover.

Last Saturday evening, I flipped them on as I headed to my pantry that is in the rear of the utility room and had instant disco. (You know, strobe lighting.) Okay, those are the one kind of bulb I didn't have on hand. But, no biggie. I would pop the cover off, check to see the exact type, and pick them up on the way home from church the next day. Simple. Right?

Well, the plan fell apart at step 1: "pop the cover off."

After several minutes of looking, struggling & attempting to use force, I decided this was a task best left for another day. It was 9:30pm; I had left for a a 7:30am meeting & had just gotten home a few minutes earlier (hence, putting up groceries in the pantry), and this just wasn't a time to stop and get frustrated over changing a light bulb. Off to my other "chores" ...

So, Sunday afternoon, I decided I should resume the project. I once again spent quite some time looking, strugglilng & attempting to use force. The cover didn't "pop" off. It wouldn't "slide out." Neither end was moveable. And I let the Scarlett philosophy kick in. ("I'll think about that tomorrow.")

Tomorrow came and went, and it was Saturday again.

I did finally see how to "pry" the end off. Of course, when I got one end off (which took a little force - which means it also took both hands), the cover also came off. (Interpret: fell & I had to catch it.) One of the connectors to the first bulb I went to remove was loose, so it almost fell as well. I took the second one out a little more gracefully.

Fortunately, the bulbs I had purchased earlier in the day were correct. So, I'm feeling this project is almost over.

Not so fast ...

When I would get the bulb connected properly in one end and then try to move to the other end (remember, they are 48" long) ... you've guessed it ... the first end would come out. And remember that loose connector I mentioned? Hmm ... That was not "helpful" either.

The simplest of tasks, if there were two people.
For one, not so easy. :(

However, some minutes and one electric shock later, I prevailed!

Now, I just needed to put the cover back on and replace the end piece.

Okay ... here we go again. Not difficult, if there are two people - one to hold the cover in place while the other replaces the end piece. With one set of hands trying to do both ... let's just say "it takes a little longer!"

Perseverance!

So, "How many people does it take to change a light bulb?"
I guess, only one.
But it sure would have been faster, easier, and less frustrating with two!

In Colorado Springs

I drove out to Colorado Springs today for the USAA (US Apostolic Alliance) Conference that starts tomorrow evening. Praise God the roads were clear and dry. After the freezing rain & snow that blanketed Kansas the past two days, that was truly something for which to be grateful!

[Side note: The willow trees the initial developer planted all over my subdivision did not fair well with the ice storm in Wichita. Lots of limbs down. Praise God, the one in my yard did not have any limbs break. I'm glad I spent the energy to trim it up last year!]

The drive out was "uneventful" - other than I really missed Mom. We made our first trip to Colorado to this same location, Colorado Springs, in 2001 for me to attend a conference and then spend a little time enjoying the beautiful scenery. We came back "through" Colorado twice more returning from trips further west. I did okay through the Kansas "flatlands" (because I have been all over Kansas various times without her), but as I got closer to Colorado I began remembering our times out this way together. I would see things that were pretty that we would have pointed out to each other, and there was no one with whom to share that anymore.

The good part is all the places we did go together and the things we did see. Besides our frequent trips to Florida & Branson, I would have never made the other trips (to S. Dakota, the Grand Canyon & other canyons in Utah, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glazier, etc.), if it hadn't been for taking her to see them. The time we had together really was a blessing in so many ways.

But that was "the last season" of my life. Now it is time to focus on this season - and plan for the next one. :-)

I am looking forward to the conference & what God has to say to me while I am here.

2 Years Ago Today ...

It's hard to believe it has been two years since Mom slipped so quietly away from me.

I will always remember the calmness and peace of those last moments - after the months of struggle to battle back from the bleed on the brain. We won that battle. But her heart and lungs gave out in the process and we ended up losing the war.

Nonetheless, she was back "at home" - in our home, in her bed, as we had both always wanted it to be. And I can still see the look on her face as she gazed intently at a scene I could not see.

After all we had been through, I will always be so grateful to God that He allowed us that "at home" time. And that we both knew and were in agreement when "enough was enough" of all the meds and all the things to try to get better. We both knew it was time to let each other go.

And, yes, I still miss her ...