All Aboard the Crazy Train!

After a really nice Labor Day weekend in my home state of Michigan, I returned home this week to chaos again. I have more electrical work scheduled for tomorrow to, hopefully, fix things the crazy wiring in my apartment. I am optimistic that tomorrow's work will wrap things up for good.

However, I'm not as optimistic about the nutjob running the US Department of Health and Human Services. For everyone who voted to confirm RFK, Jr. (especially the physicians who voted for him), I say, "You have no one to blame but yourselves for this disaster!" To all of the people who voted to confirm him, you chose to let this guy drive the crazy train and we're all going to pay for that decision. How do you let a guy, who's not a doctor, has no medical or scientific education or training, and who's, clearly, a few cans short of a six-pack, run Health and Human Services? I bet Donny T wouldn't rely on RFK, Jr. for advice on his own medical care, so why should we? 

Every week (almost every day) there's more ridiculousness from this administration and its cronies. I try (I do) to avoid the hot mess that is the US government right now, but it's hard to block it out when so much of it impacts my life and the lives of others. Just when you think the shit show can't get any shittier, it does! 

Old Stuff

Here in Chicagoland, it looks like summer is finally winding down. The kids are back in school (or going back soon) and the weather has cooled off. We've had a hot and muggy summer here this year and I hated it. A few weeks ago, whenever I turned my air conditioner on in my bedroom, the power went out in my bedrooms and bathrooms. After fipping the breakers in the basement, the power still didn't come back on and I ended up having to call an electrician to come out. I live in an older building and the wiring isn't great here. The electrician did some work earlier this week and things were fine (at first) but after he left, I noticed an outlet behind my bed wasn't working, so I had to call and have the electrician come back out. He said he'd have to come back with a helper and try to figure out what the problem is. Great. In the meantime, while I'm awaiting his return, I'm living with bedroom walls that are lined with blue electrical tape (see the photo below) until I can have them patched and painted, but I can't do that until the electrical work is totally done (whenever the electrician can come back and finish the work he started). I knew when I bought my place back in 2018 that the electrical system was janky. Most of the rooms in my apartment only have two outlets. It's not ideal, but I make it work and I had not had any problems until a few weeks ago. The next place I live (and there will be a next place, I'm sure) will have to be more modern and have in-unit laundry. I'm so over sharing washers and dryers with others, but that's another story for another time.

In other news, I also found out I have to have a tooth pulled. The tooth I had a root canal on back in 2020 is cracked and has an infection at the root. My dentist advised me to have it removed and replaced with an implant. Great. I've been reading up on implants ever since I got the news and you can't get one put in right after the extraction, so I'll have to wait several months for my gums to heal. That means walking around for months with no tooth! At least the tooth in question is in the back of my mouth, but I'm still not happy about it. This is what happens when you get old! My tooth, like my apartment's electrical wiring, is breaking down.  

Hamilton!

I just read a couple of articles online in the NY Times about the musical Hamilton and that it's the show's 10th anniversary. Wow. (It's also Leslie Odom, Jr.'s birthday today!) 

While I was in Alabama a few weeks ago visiting family, my sister insisted I watch Hamilton on Hulu, so I did. (Well, I watched most of it.) My sister is a big Hamilton fan and loved the soundtrack before she even saw the play. I, on the other hand, heard some of soundtrack songs and was underwhelmed with a lot of the music and, ultimately, wasn't interested in seeing the play. No offense to Lin-Manuel Miranda, but hip hop and history just are not my bag, baby. While I enjoy some of Hamilton's music (the Schuyler Sisters, the King George bits, The Room Where It Happens, in particular), I'm not crazy about most of the tracks. I also didn't think Miranda had a strong enough voice to play Alexander Hamilton, especially when he was sharing the stage with much better singers like Leslie Odom, Jr., Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Jonathan Groff and watching the production on Hulu made that painfully obvious.

Clearly, my opinion is in the minority given the acclaim, awards, and money that Hamilton has made over the years, so what do I know? I'm glad so many folks enjoyed the show, the music, the cast, and the message of Hamilton.

Too Hot!

I returned last night from spending a few days in Alabama with my family there. For many years, I've avoided going to Alabama during the summer because it's just too hot, but I went this year and, while I had a great time, it was way too hot for me. My glasses would steam up whenever I went from an air conditioned car or an air conditioned building to the outside. I don't know how folks live there in the summer. The heat is oppressive and it doesn't cool off. Even at night, it's still warm outside. Ugh. 

I did have an opportunity to go to a Montgomery Biscuits ballgame last Friday night and had a great time. I've said before that I have a love/hate relationship with Alabama. My father is from there and I've been going there to visit since I was born, but I don't think I could ever live there especially now during the second term of Donny T. (Ugh.) But I do enjoy visiting and I have a time share on the Gulf (of Mexico...suck it, Donny) that's very relaxing. Maybe I could live in Alabama if I lived in or around the Gulf area, but probably not! 

The artwork below was taken from the Alley, a hangout spot in Montgomery near the Biscuits' stadium.

I Thought It Was the Fourth of July

Since the 4th of July is upon us, I keep thinking of the Soundgarden song by the same name. It's such a great song. (Chris Cornell, we miss you!) I've had a lot going on over the past few weeks: a colonoscopy, a visit from my sister, stress from my day job, etc., so I'm looking forward to doing nothing for the holiday weekend (well, nothing that's going to stress me out). I'm taking Monday off too for an extra long weekend. I need a break.

While my sister was here, we went to see a performance of Pagliacci at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. The performance was put on by the Opera Festival of Chicago and it was great. I am not an opera person and I was reluctant to go, but my sister really wanted to see it and I love a clown, so I said, "Okay." I really enjoyed the show. The guy who was Pagliacci was excellent. Everyone in the play was excellent. Maybe I need to reconsider my views on the opera and expand my horizons more often.

Have a safe, happy, relaxing 4th of July holiday!

Beating the Heat

We're having a bit of a heatwave in the Chicago area this weekend, so I'm staying indoors in the air conditioning. It's a good weekend to do some reading and catch up on some TV watching. This past week was also time for me to have a colonoscopy. With a history of colon cancer in my immediate family, I have to be vigilant. Thankfully, everything turned out fine. The prep was the most awful part. With all of the medical advances made, you'd think someone would be able to create a better-tasting prep solution because Trilyte sucks hard. Ugh. I miss the days of drinking that stuff from the green bottle (that was taken off the market, I believe) and taking laxative pills. I was glad to get the procedure over and done with so I could have solid food again. I'll get back on my regular eating plan starting tomorrow, but for the weekend, I've indulged a little. 

One thing I haven't been doing is writing. I've been struggling with the story I've been working on. I don't want to abandon it, but I need to make it a priority and get it finished. If I don't have a good draft done by the end of the summer, I might have to kick this one to the curb and start on something else. I'll cross that bridge if or when I get to it.

Frightening Times

Happy Pride Month! I know I'm late acknowledging Pride Month this year, so apologies for that. The mood is definitely subdued this year due in the US due to the current government administration that has done things like strip Harvey Milk's name from a U.S. Navy ship. (Whiskey Pete strikes again!) Ugh. It's hard to stay positive as you watch MAGA (Morons Are Governing America) in full force. Ugh again. 

I read an article recently in New York Magazine that's titled Could You Prove You're a Citizen? You think because you were born in the US and have a US birth certificate that there's no way you could be rounded up and deported to El Salvador, but think again, folks. People are being rounded up by ICE and not even allowed an opportunity to call anyone for help. And what kind of help could you provide? What if your family presents your birth certificate to the authorties and the government thinks it's phony? What then? We're living in frightening times, folks.

Still, we have to try and stop ourselves from going crazy over every awful thing this administration is doing or trying to do. Pride Month is still going on and people need to celebrate who they. Block the noise, folks, or try to block as much of it as you can. Live your life. Love who you love.