Wow! It's been a while. But I'm back.
I don't really make New Year's Resolutions but I do think that the New Year is a good time to try something new. And so I have started a new regimen for my health.
I had been training for a half-marathon in Phoenix over MLK weekend. But I injured my shoulder in September and that threw my whole body out of whack with the injury settling in my leg. I developed an IT band strain and bursitis. Not fun. But, sadly, that required me to withdraw from the race.
I did everything my doctors suggested but wasn't getting over the pain. I needed to get off the drugs but the pre-Christmas cold snap made my pain worse.
Fortunately, my family loves me enough to help out in times like these. My aunt helped me find a homeopathic treatment. It required quite a few changes so I decided to start on New Year's Day.
I am no longer drinking alcohol, coffee or cola. I am eating one vegan meal every day. In addition to that, I have a whole list of herbals and vitamin supplements that I am taking. Plus two herbal treatments I can use externally.
A friend suggested that I document my improvement so I decided to do that here on my blog.
After one week - even without having all of the vitamins & herbals on hand just yet - I already notice an improvement. My pain is definitely less and goes away faster. My leg doesn't creak or click when I walk. And my co-worker asked me if I had lost weight! YAY!
The hard part is taking that many supplements every day.
But I am determined to give it a try for two months and see if I can be pain-free.
Stick around.
09 January 2010
12 August 2009
Health Care - My Two Cents
There is a lot of noise going around right now about Health Care. Town Hall meetings across the country resemble mosh pits more than anything else. Friends on Facebook are arguing on each other's walls. Twitter is a buzz with people voicing opinions and tweeting URLs to back up their points. Late night comedians are having a field day with the whole thing.
I decided that I would state where I stand on this whole debate unequivocally here. On my blog. Where I have some control over the amount of space I devote to this topic.
I support Single Payer Health Care. I have been a supporter for some time now. I have three close friends whose health care stories have influenced my decision, but along the way, I have met many others. I would not deny care to any of the folks that I have met, but private insurers would and have.
Let's start at the beginning (a very good place to start):
My friend was rushed to the hospital with kidney failure. A diabetic since childhood (Type 1), her kidneys had finally given up. Her insurance company will only pay for her to have one new kidney. Her transplant team insists on a new pancreas as well since that will help ensure that the kidney lasts. She has been on dialysis three times a week for the past five years! She can't afford to pay for the pancreas. The only way she could afford to have the transplant her team wants is to become destitute and go on Medicaid.
Another friend was shopping at Home Depot with her husband when a pallet full of pavers toppled over on her crushing her leg. My friend was rushed to the nearest ER where she sat waiting for many hours. The ER was not particularly busy, but that hospital didn't want to treat her because, as a schoolteacher, her insurance wasn't good enough. Her husband began calling other hospitals til he found one that would treat her. 30 hours later, she was finally treated.
Lastly, my cousin was nearly killed (technically she was dead) when she was hit by a drunk driver and crushed in her car. Her medical bills were enormous and the driver was under insured. She lives in a state where attorneys are entitled to one-third of the settlement regardless of what the insurance had paid for without suing so even if she sued successfully for full payment of her medical bills, she would still be short the money to pay them. She ended up having to sell her house to pay her bills. She was left with life-long pain management and other now pre-existing conditions that make her uninsurable.
For myself, I have worked a corporate job for most of my life and I have always had insurance through my employer. But after losing my job, I was not able to make the COBRA payments. If not for the Obama administration's current subsidy of COBRA, I would not have health insurance right now.
Single Payer Health Care provides health care to all citizens regardless of employment, pre-existing conditions, or ability to pay. Patients have free choice of doctors and hospitals. Care is co-ordinated through a Primary Care Physician. Co-pays and premiums are established based on ability to pay. Any care that is not medically necessary according to the Primary Care Physician can be obtained by waiting a prescribed amount of time &/or paying an extra fee. Prevention & Wellness are stressed as these are real money saving ways to provide health care. Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and other alternative treatments are also covered.
I have supported the Single Payer movement here in CA, both with my time and my wallet. I supported it when I was fully insured by my employer and when I was uninsured because I couldn't afford insurance. I am happy to say that Senator Mark Leno has taken up the reins and authored SB 810. I encourage everyone to read it:
CA SB 810
There are two current bills in the US Congress. One is HR 3200. Dennis Kucinich has written an amendment which would allow states to keep or enact a Single Payer option. The other is HR 676 which is the National Health Care or Medicare for All bill. You can read that bill here:
HR 676
The important thing in the current Health Care debate is to not be swayed by the media coverage of riotous town hall meetings. The important thing is to keep your eyes on the target: Health Care Reform. I encourage everyone, including our President, to take the time to read the various bills pending before Congress and to write to your representatives to let them know how you want them to vote.
You can find your representatives here:
US Senate
US House of Representatives
Remember, your elected Representatives work for you. So be a good supervisor and tell them what you want them to do for you!
I decided that I would state where I stand on this whole debate unequivocally here. On my blog. Where I have some control over the amount of space I devote to this topic.
I support Single Payer Health Care. I have been a supporter for some time now. I have three close friends whose health care stories have influenced my decision, but along the way, I have met many others. I would not deny care to any of the folks that I have met, but private insurers would and have.
Let's start at the beginning (a very good place to start):
My friend was rushed to the hospital with kidney failure. A diabetic since childhood (Type 1), her kidneys had finally given up. Her insurance company will only pay for her to have one new kidney. Her transplant team insists on a new pancreas as well since that will help ensure that the kidney lasts. She has been on dialysis three times a week for the past five years! She can't afford to pay for the pancreas. The only way she could afford to have the transplant her team wants is to become destitute and go on Medicaid.
Another friend was shopping at Home Depot with her husband when a pallet full of pavers toppled over on her crushing her leg. My friend was rushed to the nearest ER where she sat waiting for many hours. The ER was not particularly busy, but that hospital didn't want to treat her because, as a schoolteacher, her insurance wasn't good enough. Her husband began calling other hospitals til he found one that would treat her. 30 hours later, she was finally treated.
Lastly, my cousin was nearly killed (technically she was dead) when she was hit by a drunk driver and crushed in her car. Her medical bills were enormous and the driver was under insured. She lives in a state where attorneys are entitled to one-third of the settlement regardless of what the insurance had paid for without suing so even if she sued successfully for full payment of her medical bills, she would still be short the money to pay them. She ended up having to sell her house to pay her bills. She was left with life-long pain management and other now pre-existing conditions that make her uninsurable.
For myself, I have worked a corporate job for most of my life and I have always had insurance through my employer. But after losing my job, I was not able to make the COBRA payments. If not for the Obama administration's current subsidy of COBRA, I would not have health insurance right now.
Single Payer Health Care provides health care to all citizens regardless of employment, pre-existing conditions, or ability to pay. Patients have free choice of doctors and hospitals. Care is co-ordinated through a Primary Care Physician. Co-pays and premiums are established based on ability to pay. Any care that is not medically necessary according to the Primary Care Physician can be obtained by waiting a prescribed amount of time &/or paying an extra fee. Prevention & Wellness are stressed as these are real money saving ways to provide health care. Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and other alternative treatments are also covered.
I have supported the Single Payer movement here in CA, both with my time and my wallet. I supported it when I was fully insured by my employer and when I was uninsured because I couldn't afford insurance. I am happy to say that Senator Mark Leno has taken up the reins and authored SB 810. I encourage everyone to read it:
CA SB 810
There are two current bills in the US Congress. One is HR 3200. Dennis Kucinich has written an amendment which would allow states to keep or enact a Single Payer option. The other is HR 676 which is the National Health Care or Medicare for All bill. You can read that bill here:
HR 676
The important thing in the current Health Care debate is to not be swayed by the media coverage of riotous town hall meetings. The important thing is to keep your eyes on the target: Health Care Reform. I encourage everyone, including our President, to take the time to read the various bills pending before Congress and to write to your representatives to let them know how you want them to vote.
You can find your representatives here:
US Senate
US House of Representatives
Remember, your elected Representatives work for you. So be a good supervisor and tell them what you want them to do for you!
04 August 2009
The End of Funemployment
Today I accepted a Part-time job so thus marks the official end of Funemployment. I need to find a second part-time job to supplement the income. But I am excited at the possibilities that this new job has in store for me.
So I hope to write more inspiring blog posts in future!
So I hope to write more inspiring blog posts in future!
26 July 2009
Oeufs En Cocotte
For those of you who are vegans, or otherwise don't eat eggs. You might as well stop reading right now.
This post is about eggs.
I have always loved eggs for breakfast, especially poached eggs. When I was little, my favourite breakfast was either a soft-boiled egg with toast soldiers or toad in a hole (my mother's version was an egg fried in bread). On special occasions, I would get oeuf en cocotte - an egg baked in a ramekin with butter & cheese.
When I was married, I sometimes made toad in a hole but I made oeufs en cocotte a lot. My then-husband also had his grandmother's egg poacher which we used quite a bit.
Since I've been divorced, I've made soft-boiled eggs, and toad in a hole, but I had not made oeufs en cocotte. Until today.
I began reading "Julie & Julia" which my aunt had given me for Christmas several years ago (while it was still on the NYT bestseller list) but which I had just not gotten around to reading. Since the movie is coming out, I decided that I had better get to it.
Of course, Julia Child loved eggs, butter, cream, and cheese which are exactly the ingredients of Oeufs en Cocotte. Julie Powell, the author, makes them frequently in the book, calling them the perfect dish.
And then this morning, I was inspired to make them when one of the people I follow on Twitter complained that no matter what he tried to do with eggs, they always end up scrambled. I found an easy recipe and tweeted the URL back to him. Then I proceeded to the kitchen to make them myself. Because if there's something I nearly always have in my kitchen, it's the ingredients for Oeufs en Cocotte.
Here's my recipe:
Preheat oven to 450 F
In a ramekin, place 1 tbsp of butter (if your ramekin is large enough for two eggs, use 2)
On top of the butter, crack 1 egg (or 2)
On top of the egg, put 1 tbsp of cream, creme fraiche, 1/2 & 1/2 or sour cream (or 2)
On top of the cream, put 1 tbsp of grated cheese of your choice (or 2)
Place ramekin in another baking dish, fill the outer dish 1/2 way with hot water. Place in hot oven and bake for at least 10 minutes or until the eggs are done to your taste.
Remove ramekin from baking dish and place on serving plate. Salt/pepper/parsley to taste. Serve with toast. Makes one serving per ramekin.
Easy Peasy!
It was delicous btw.
This post is about eggs.
I have always loved eggs for breakfast, especially poached eggs. When I was little, my favourite breakfast was either a soft-boiled egg with toast soldiers or toad in a hole (my mother's version was an egg fried in bread). On special occasions, I would get oeuf en cocotte - an egg baked in a ramekin with butter & cheese.
When I was married, I sometimes made toad in a hole but I made oeufs en cocotte a lot. My then-husband also had his grandmother's egg poacher which we used quite a bit.
Since I've been divorced, I've made soft-boiled eggs, and toad in a hole, but I had not made oeufs en cocotte. Until today.
I began reading "Julie & Julia" which my aunt had given me for Christmas several years ago (while it was still on the NYT bestseller list) but which I had just not gotten around to reading. Since the movie is coming out, I decided that I had better get to it.
Of course, Julia Child loved eggs, butter, cream, and cheese which are exactly the ingredients of Oeufs en Cocotte. Julie Powell, the author, makes them frequently in the book, calling them the perfect dish.
And then this morning, I was inspired to make them when one of the people I follow on Twitter complained that no matter what he tried to do with eggs, they always end up scrambled. I found an easy recipe and tweeted the URL back to him. Then I proceeded to the kitchen to make them myself. Because if there's something I nearly always have in my kitchen, it's the ingredients for Oeufs en Cocotte.
Here's my recipe:
Preheat oven to 450 F
In a ramekin, place 1 tbsp of butter (if your ramekin is large enough for two eggs, use 2)
On top of the butter, crack 1 egg (or 2)
On top of the egg, put 1 tbsp of cream, creme fraiche, 1/2 & 1/2 or sour cream (or 2)
On top of the cream, put 1 tbsp of grated cheese of your choice (or 2)
Place ramekin in another baking dish, fill the outer dish 1/2 way with hot water. Place in hot oven and bake for at least 10 minutes or until the eggs are done to your taste.
Remove ramekin from baking dish and place on serving plate. Salt/pepper/parsley to taste. Serve with toast. Makes one serving per ramekin.
Easy Peasy!
It was delicous btw.
25 July 2009
Defrosting the Minibar
Look to your left. No, not my left, your left. Do you see those lists in the sidebar? Have you noticed that they have new titles? Well, that is in honour of Minibar's 10 years in Los Angeles.
Minibar is my favourite band - you see them right there at or near the top of my list of bands that I have seen this year (LPs I Scratched Over Time is the heading). I first met Simon Petty and Sid Jordan who are one-half of the 'bar in Finn McCool's in Santa Monica. My friends were regulars there on Thursday nights and had been trying to get me to go for about a year, but I had another commitment. Finally, it was one friend's birthday and she was having her party there so I went. I was hooked. That was about 6 years ago and since then I have been to as many gigs as possible.
I have seen Minibar play all over the US - either alone or as Pete Yorn's backing band, and sometimes as both.
I've been thinking a lot about the time I've spent seeing Minibar lately. They had their "10 years in LA" show last night at Largo. It was phenomenal. I videotaped it so I hope we can all enjoy it for years to come. A week from this Thursday, Sid & Simon will play their last regular gig at Finn McCool's. I am hoping to make it one last time.
In the time since I have known them, they have gone from being four bachelors sharing an apartment to three out of four being married (and no longer sharing one apartment - in case you were wondering). Oddly, everyone but Malcolm seems to have more hair.
I just wanted to say "Cheers" to the four of them.
Minibar is my favourite band - you see them right there at or near the top of my list of bands that I have seen this year (LPs I Scratched Over Time is the heading). I first met Simon Petty and Sid Jordan who are one-half of the 'bar in Finn McCool's in Santa Monica. My friends were regulars there on Thursday nights and had been trying to get me to go for about a year, but I had another commitment. Finally, it was one friend's birthday and she was having her party there so I went. I was hooked. That was about 6 years ago and since then I have been to as many gigs as possible.
I have seen Minibar play all over the US - either alone or as Pete Yorn's backing band, and sometimes as both.
I've been thinking a lot about the time I've spent seeing Minibar lately. They had their "10 years in LA" show last night at Largo. It was phenomenal. I videotaped it so I hope we can all enjoy it for years to come. A week from this Thursday, Sid & Simon will play their last regular gig at Finn McCool's. I am hoping to make it one last time.
In the time since I have known them, they have gone from being four bachelors sharing an apartment to three out of four being married (and no longer sharing one apartment - in case you were wondering). Oddly, everyone but Malcolm seems to have more hair.
I just wanted to say "Cheers" to the four of them.
08 July 2009
The Russians Are Coming!
For some reason, I am gaga for Russian art in many forms. I love the music, the poetry, the plays, the operas, the literature. It can't be genetic since, despite the name of this blog, I'm not Russian. I do love melancholy things though so maybe that's the connection.
This musing was brought on by my trip to hear the Philharmonic perform selected works of Sergei Prokofiev. So I thought I might mention a few other Russian artists that I truly love.
Modest Mussorgsky wrote my favourite piece of classical music by a Russian composer: Pictures At An Exhibition. He also wrote Night on Bald Mountain which is featured in Walt Disney's Fantasia and the opera Boris Godunov.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is probably the most famous Russian composer, especially if you are a ballet lover. I was lucky enough to be selected for District Honours Orchestra the year that the entire Nutcracker (not just the Suite) was on the performance schedule. I also love Swan Lake & Sleeping Beauty. And who doesn't love the 1812 Overture performed with live cannons & fireworks! He also wrote operas based on stories by Alexander Pushkin - my favourite opera of all time "The Queen Of Spades" and "Evgeny Onyegin".
Anton Chekov is a favourite playwright. I especially love "The Three Sisters". And though some may scoff at Leo Tolstoy and avoid his books, I really did love "Anna Karenina". It was sort-of Jane Austenesque, except that it was Russian. Anna Akmahtova and Alexander Pushkin are favourite poets.
In school, I made a film set to Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird". Hmm. I wonder if I gave Disney the idea to use it for "Fantasia 2000". Probably not.
The strangest connection I have with Russian art, though, is with the Rimsy-Korsakov piece "Scheherazade". As if my name wasn't odd enough, my pet name at home was Scheherazade. Go figure. At least it's a nice piece of music.
So, even if Shostakovich Tone Poems aren't your thing, maybe there's a Russian artist out there that you would enjoy.
This musing was brought on by my trip to hear the Philharmonic perform selected works of Sergei Prokofiev. So I thought I might mention a few other Russian artists that I truly love.
Modest Mussorgsky wrote my favourite piece of classical music by a Russian composer: Pictures At An Exhibition. He also wrote Night on Bald Mountain which is featured in Walt Disney's Fantasia and the opera Boris Godunov.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is probably the most famous Russian composer, especially if you are a ballet lover. I was lucky enough to be selected for District Honours Orchestra the year that the entire Nutcracker (not just the Suite) was on the performance schedule. I also love Swan Lake & Sleeping Beauty. And who doesn't love the 1812 Overture performed with live cannons & fireworks! He also wrote operas based on stories by Alexander Pushkin - my favourite opera of all time "The Queen Of Spades" and "Evgeny Onyegin".
Anton Chekov is a favourite playwright. I especially love "The Three Sisters". And though some may scoff at Leo Tolstoy and avoid his books, I really did love "Anna Karenina". It was sort-of Jane Austenesque, except that it was Russian. Anna Akmahtova and Alexander Pushkin are favourite poets.
In school, I made a film set to Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird". Hmm. I wonder if I gave Disney the idea to use it for "Fantasia 2000". Probably not.
The strangest connection I have with Russian art, though, is with the Rimsy-Korsakov piece "Scheherazade". As if my name wasn't odd enough, my pet name at home was Scheherazade. Go figure. At least it's a nice piece of music.
So, even if Shostakovich Tone Poems aren't your thing, maybe there's a Russian artist out there that you would enjoy.
03 July 2009
Happy Birthday America
On this, the eve of America's 233rd birthday, I wanted to reflect for a bit on people that I am grateful for having served America.
My cousin Tom. He's a career military man. He served in the first Gulf War, in Bosnia, and has done two tours in Iraq. We are in a cluster of cousins 8 months apart in age. He is the oldest and I am the youngest. He is my hero.
My father. He was drafted and served in World War II. He never left California, though. I have his discharge papers that state "Foreign Service 0 years 0 months". He was stationed near Sacramento and had dinner every Sunday with his mother.
My friends Don & Elizabeth. They met in the Vietnam War. (How many people do you know who can say that?) He was a Naval Aviator. She was an Army Nurse. They met at a dance at an Air Force Officers' Club. Recently, they went back to Vietnam on vacation with some of their buddies from the war. I admire them greatly.
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
Happy Independence Day!
My cousin Tom. He's a career military man. He served in the first Gulf War, in Bosnia, and has done two tours in Iraq. We are in a cluster of cousins 8 months apart in age. He is the oldest and I am the youngest. He is my hero.
My father. He was drafted and served in World War II. He never left California, though. I have his discharge papers that state "Foreign Service 0 years 0 months". He was stationed near Sacramento and had dinner every Sunday with his mother.
My friends Don & Elizabeth. They met in the Vietnam War. (How many people do you know who can say that?) He was a Naval Aviator. She was an Army Nurse. They met at a dance at an Air Force Officers' Club. Recently, they went back to Vietnam on vacation with some of their buddies from the war. I admire them greatly.
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
Happy Independence Day!
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