Any Time

We went to Kroger today. The plan was to drop Shekinah off at work and pick up a few snacks for New Years Eve. We got our items and went to the "express" lane. It was not. There was an older woman in front of us who wanted to be chatty. I just wanted to pay for our things and get out of the store. They were very busy. In keeping with their business plan there were long lines at every lane so folks will get frustrated and go to self check lanes. I never will. That isn't what this story is about.

The talkative older lady had a sweater she was buying. It had the characteristics she wanted, ugly and on sale. She needed it for ugly sweater parties she attends around Christmas. She encouraged us to go buy one since they were only $11. We told her we were from up north and didn't find a need for sweaters in southern Georgia. She asked where we were from. We told her Illinois and she shared she was from Fargo, North Dakota and retired for warmer weather. Another lady walked up and started talking to her about the Zumba class they both attend. The conversation got interesting after that lady walked off.

She told us that there was a senior citizen class that was reasonably priced at AnyTime Fitness. She encouraged us to attend. I managed to hold my tongue and not say anything ignorant. I was thinking: "Do we look like we need to exercise?  Do you think we are fat and lazy?" We are clearly fat. I wondered how she could think that at any time we would be going to a fitness class at AnyTime Fitness. I wanted to ask if they had a bar there. I didn't find the prospect of sharing time with a room full of sweaty oldsters appealing.

So at no time will I be going to AnyTime.

Just Pictures

Things to Think About

The picture above is of the 20 children murdered at Sandy Hook school six years ago today.

Charlotte Bacon, 6

Daniel Braden, 7

Olivia Engel, 6

Josephine Gay, 7

Dylan Hockley, 6

Madeleine Hsu, 6

Catherine Hubbard, 6

Chase Kowalski, 7

Jesse Lewis, 6

Ana Marquez-Greene, 6

James Mattioli, 6

Grace McDonnell, 7

Emilie Parker, 6

Jack Pinto, 6

Noah Pozner, 6

Caroline Previdi, 6

Jessica Rekos, 6

Arielle Richman, 6

Benjamin Wheeler, 6

Allison Wyatt, 6

They were murdered 6 years ago today. We could have done something in the years since to address the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. We have done nothing. The news today is that gun violence has reached a 40 year high. The gun debate appears to be over. When we allow 20 children to be murdered in their school one must wonder. What level of murder and mayhem will it take for us to act? Over 20 killed in a church? No! Over 50 killed at a concert in Las Vegas? No!

The Sandy Hook victims would have been 12 or 13 this year. They are forever 6 or 7. Take a moment today to remember them.

Doctors

I wrote a few days ago about going to the doctor for abdominal pain. It has gone from doctor(singular) to doctors(plural). When I saw the gastroenterologist he recommended an endoscopy and a colonoscopy to determine what exactly was happening. So I went on the 3rd of December and had the endoscopy. I was unconscious after the procedure so the doctor talked to Carol. He told her my esophagus was "ugly" and "angry". Not exactly medical terms. They did communicate that things were not normal. He took some biopsies while he was looking around down there. He told Carol I needed to take my acid reflux medicine twice a day instead of once.

I went to my regular doctor on the 6th and got quizzed about what I had done in the past month. I told her I had the endoscopy and she asked what the doctor told me. I answered the question she asked and told her he didn't tell me anything since I was unconscious. Sorry doc, old corrections training. Don't try to figure out what people want, just answer the question they ask. Even if the question is stupid and the answer is unproductive. Carol stepped in and shared what she was told. The doctor changed my acid reflux medication to twice a day. She scheduled another appointment for me in three months.

What's next? I see the gastroenterologist on the 19th. I'm sure he will enlighten me on what an angry, ugly esophagus means. I was informed on Friday that my biopsy results were benign. So that was good welcome news. I have a colonoscopy scheduled for January 2nd. Happy new year to me. People have asked why that day? It was the first appointment they had available. Why not put it off a few days? I figured it was like going on a diet. You can find an excuse every day. Hell, sometimes every meal.  Why it should wait until some other time. I would like to use some excuse, any excuse, to not have that test. I'm just at the point that something has to be done to figure out what is causing my pain. As my friend Mike and I mused a couple of weeks ago, the days of drinking, smoking and mistreating our bodies are over. The bill for our misspent youth is coming due and we aren't happy about it.