The Calendar

Yesterday I saw my grandson at my father's 95th birthday party. I took his hand and walked him into my sister's house. As we were walking, swinging hands, he told me that he had a new calendar. He said it came with stickers. There were smiley faces and frowns. At the end of each day, you put a sticker on the calendar to reflect how the day went. He told me that he was going to put a smile on the day. I said that was great because it meant he was happy to be at great grandpa's party. He said the smiley face was not for that. It was because he saw me.

Happy 95th

Today is my father's 95th birthday. He is still able to enjoy life. He lives in his own home during the week and comes to be with me and my sister for the weekends. He is the same jovial man we all know in public. In private he still grieves for my mother. His grieving will never end. I once heard that it takes 1/2 of the time of the relationship to grieve and move on. That would make him about 134. We are having a party for him today with close family. He is looking so forward to it. He told all of his friends at dialysis that his kids are making a big celebration and what wonderful children he has. In some way, I am sure that my mother will be there but I do not know how she will show us her presence. She loved him too much to not show up.

Perfect Family

The perfect American family used to be a mother, a father, one son, one daughter, one dog and a house with a picket fence. I want to recreate the perfect American family. It needs to be an extended family consisting of all of the above criteria, but then I want to add to it. It needs to be a five family core. Within that core group there need to be one of each of the following:
One doctor
One lawyer
One plumber
One electrician
One accountant
One handyman
Out of the ten adults in the core, the jobs can be held by either men or women. That leaves four slots open for stay at home moms or any extra occupations that will add to society. If you need help, there will always be a family member to look out for you. Of course, there would be no payment made to them because they are your family. This would make the society a kibsocdem society. This stands for part kibbutz, part socialism and part democracy. Everyone's needs would be met.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

I try to stay away from political discussions. I know my opinions and do not have to defend them to other people. As the expressions says, "You do you and I'll do me". I was watching the news yesterday and it seems that one political party wants to change the way our justice system runs. They want it to be, "Guilty until you prove yourself innocent". I thought it was, "Innocent until proven guilty". I cannot defend anyone's actions without knowing the full story. I remember reading about the Salem Witch Hunt and I see it happening all over again. One person claims something and everyone else jumps on the bandwagon. The stories become more outlandish as they grow, like a game of telephone. What started off as a 15 year old possibly touching a female, is now escalating into gang rape. Soon it will be murder. Next genocide. Where will it end? I think I will tell my grandchildren to sit out recess. They may be accused of violence 30 years later if they push someone in the sandbox.

#We All Die Anyway So Who Really Cares

I have my own hashtag thought. #we all die anyway so who really cares. I am tired of all of the world's quibbling and fighting. We have gone from a Puritanical society to a free spirited society and are adjusting back to the Puritanical side. Actions that were commonplace in the "Free 60's", "Wild 70's" and "Disco 80's" are now being scrutinized. They were acceptable and common place then.The rules changed 30 years later when the actions could no longer be adjusted. If a group of disgruntled people were to put anyone's life, who lived in those decades, under a microscope, they would find something. I once insulted a girl after playing tag. I hope that never comes up publicly. When a group of people have a vendetta and an agenda, no one is safe.

Louder But Not Correct

Yesterday I was screamed at by a patient's mother. We have a strict "no show" policy. If you miss an appointment or call in to cancel at the last minute, you still pay. You have the option of a phone session as the time belongs to you. One young girl has cancelled late three times. For the first two we did not charge, but documented that she cannot do it again. The third time we charged the full fee. The reason she canceled was that her phone broke. She was not sick or delayed by traffic. Her phone broke and she wanted to get it fixed. When her mother called, I explained the policy. She flew out of control screaming like a wild woman. At that point I put her on speaker phone so everyone could hear her vile words. This way I had back up when she tries to lie about the conversation. I let her vent uninterrupted, but she was still not happy. After calling the doctor a "child with no discretion" I ended the conversation. I called the director and documented the call. I will hold firm on the charge. Had she spoken softly and kindly I would have refunded her money, but made it clear, directly to the mother, that this was the last time I could do this. When she lost control, I gained power.

Recipe

I cannot wait to eat dinner. Last night I recreated one of my favorite dishes. All of my food network television watching finally paid off. I was able to figure out what ingredients go into a dish. The result was so similar that I was impressed. When I watch the shows and they say that they are adding "a little salt", they mean 1/8 cup. I used to think a little meant a sprinkle. I usually never add pepper but they think it is essential. I learned that for Caribbean flavors I should add cumin. I baked the dish for four hours to make it tender. When it was done cooking at 8pm, I took a taste and had to hold myself back from eating the entire dish. Now I have something to look forward to later.