Through luck, more than anything else, I have coverage through both Medicare and a secondary policy through my old employer (who no longer provides such things to its retirees - hence one part of the luck aspect of my coverage), but I've spent years when I wasn't covered, years when it turned out I indeed needed it badly and got it from the state. Since I had no money, as such, it didn't wipe me out, I was already wiped out, but I can sympathize with those who've been caught in our less than forgiving system.

So I support single payer in the same way all other successful systems are structured and getting rid of private insurance companies altogether (I have a cousin who was the CEO of one of the big west coast medical insurance companies, but he's retired now and will probably forgive me for my position). All the other “advanced” countries in the world, who provide high quality insurance, do it with a single payer system and at a great deal less cost than we manage with ours, curve ball propaganda from the industry aside, so that's what we should be doing and to hell with all the religious liars from the right. People shouldn't die when it's so much easier to keep them alive. So there. (Stomp foot.) Hup!

A nap listening to the news after breakfast, rejuvenated now and ready to pick up the guitar for one last session before my lesson at noon. Otherwise the day and the head go reasonably well. The teeth hurt, but the teeth and the sinuses always hurt, but not so badly as to notice them more than now and again, so the day, as said, starts well.

Later. Naps. More naps broken up by the guitar lesson. Most of which I'll have to repeat next week as my performance was not up to snuff. I think I played some of the pieces better last week than I did this week, I'm not sure why. Maybe “tired” affects your ability to play? Lack of proper practice has a similar effect.

Then again, what the hell, the day is still young. We'll take a walk later, just head out the door however we're feeling. I, at least, had the smarts to pick up some necessary items at the supermarket on the way back so that at least has been taken care of. I was noticing how grumpy I was driving home. Nothing overt to demonstrate it to a wider audience (I was both amusing and polite with the checkout lady), no acting any of this out in public, just noticing a level of crabbiness I dislike. Was I upset after the lesson? Could be, I guess, although crabbiness is one of those things you notice in (some) older folks, one of those things I'm seeing more often in myself.

Another nap will take care of that.

Believe me, I'm working on it.

Later still. Out the door to go by the ATM over on Lakeshore, an excuse to get out. Fine, an ice cream cone at the Dryers shop, heading on then on to take pictures of two new “replacement” palm trees noticed for the first time in Splash Pad Park. I was hoping that's what they'd been up to, seeing the two deep holes earlier this week where the old dead tree had been taken down, and now there they are. Nice.

A stop by the white columned pergola to sit, spying two of the gosling families feeding on the lawn, all of them with their heads down moving inexorably along like little lawn mowers, paying no attention whatsoever to the photographer. But enough, we've found a picture for the day, back to the apartment.

The head still hurts, the teeth ache and I'm thinking, after just now taking more of the pain meds, of getting into the sake I'd picked up at the supermarket. You did understand, mentioned or not, I'd picked up sake along with everything else?

You did this after the Jack Daniels from night before last?

What is it you don't understand about aching teeth, soulful evenings, sloth and short term memory loss?

Evening. They warn about mixing these pain meds with alcohol, but in moderation (moderation is so P.C., feels just like you've just flashed a get out of jail card at a traffic stop) they do together make an evening go by more nicely than it otherwise might. We'll see how we feel tomorrow. If there are problems we'll turn the discussion to getting a better mattress because the one we're sleeping on obviously isn't, even with the aid of chemicals taken in moderation, allowing me a good night's sleep.