Warning - rant ahead

(you have been warned)

Scenario  - rant

You come across someone who is passed out in front of a business:
Do you
a) step over him/her in disgust
b) go inside and inform someone who is working at the business
c) walk past, scratch your head and say wtf
d) call the local authorities and say... there is someone who I am concerned about - here is the scenario, and am I right in being concerned

Last night I went down to the grocery store - and on my way back home I saw a person passed out drunk half in a planter box half on the sidewalk in front of a gas station.  My thought was... he is moderately in the drive way and with the way people are driving now - he could be killed... I went in to the station and said... "Ummmmmmmmmmmmm are you aware that there is a person passed out in your planter box...?" The woman's response was "yea,I know,  I don't know if **** wants me to get involved"... HUH... you don't know if your boss wants you to get involved... ummmmmmmmmm (thinking to myself) what is wrong with this picture... she then said - I'm sure that the police will come along soon and check him out - I'm surprised they haven't yet... and I'll give you the change if you want to use the pay phone to call some one... and I said no... that's o.k. I'll use my cell... I call the local p.d. and told them what I had seen - and they were there w/ambulance within 5 minutes.  Said person probably had alcohol poisoning, as (according to the clerk) when he would try to get up - he would fall back down in a heap.

Good and bad the guy is going to have a bill from AMR, and from what ever hospital that he was taken too... but - as far as I know, he is still alive, and I have a new (sadly) understanding about the person who didn't want to get involved.

Life interrupts

This past Friday, I became a statistic… I was assaulted, basically (in my opinion)  because I didn’t ‘mind my own business’ .  I saw a person go into a yard, where I knew he didn’t belong, and asked what he needed there… his answer was he was seeing friends…  Because I knew the people at the house, I asked who he was going to see… and was told… “ummm well I’m sick…“ My feeling then was ‘this is not a good thing’!  When I asked him further, he stated – “if you don’t like it, call someone”… so I called the local police. And as I was speaking to the police, he came running at me, and knocked me down.  I now have a lovely blackening eye, and found out last night that I have a broken collar bone.

The local police were there within in minutes… and I was told that my face was bleeding, which didn’t really surprise me, as it was scraped… and was asked if I wanted to go get checked out… my thought was, it is now almost 6 a.m. and I have to be at work at 8… there is no way that I can be in and out of the e.r. within 2 hours.  I declined, and the officer looked at me rather strangely, and I said, ‘if need be, I will get checked out later, how ever, I am it at work… If I don’t show up, things don’t get done’.  He then asked me if I was sure that I would be o.k., and I said… I have to be.

Last night while I was at E. R. I had an assistant ask me if she needed to call Adult Protective Services for me… which very much touched me… and as I explained to her, the only person at home was me… and that I wasn’t into using a sock and orange to make it look as if I had been beaten up for sympathy!

The venture last night took about 4 ½ hours, but it could have been lots worse, and although I am battered and bruised, I am and will be fine!

Before you ask me...

the answer is no...

No I do not want to go out with you
No it is none of your business how long its been since I was with someone
No I don't care if I look like your ex-wife
No I don't care if I look like your ex-girlfriend
No it doesn't matter how young you are - and how old I am
No I don't care if you have "11 inches"

more importantly

I do not want to be given 1 (or more) of four "gifties" Herpes, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, or Aids... Sharing these is not caring... thanks any way!

Why would you ask that of me?

Freedom

This past Sunday, was the 4th of July… the celebration of the beginnings of my country’s freedom.

The Declaration of Independence begins with: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Granted, this was written by men more than 200 years ago, but, I got to thinking about the things that I take for granted, little things, like being able to wear jeans and a t-shirt to work, instead of a dress and nylons….

Being able to pick a name for my child instead of being told that it the name had to be either feminine or masculine… and a prescribed name for a girl or boy, no gender neutral names…

Being able to drive myself to a get together, rather than relying upon my father uncle, brother, or other male family member to take me…

Being able to travel unaccompanied to my place of employment…

Being able to work in a profession that is of my choosing, rather than that of my families…

Being able to talk to my customers…

Being able to vote…

Being able to …

What I think the reasoning behind the various attacks on ‘us’ and on the U.S. is people may be looking at us and saying that because they can’t do xyz, that we shouldn’t be able to do it either. It is said that misery loves company, and people who are hurting want others to share the hurt… I can understand that… I try to not impose my hurt on others but sometimes I do rant and rave beyond a bit… That said, I don’t go out and say – you did xyz to me so you will have to pay back. Or you did xyz to my friend and I am going to retaliate.

I very much value the freedom that I take so much for granted.

The Uninsured...

You see this face? This is the face of the un-insured in America.

You see this face? This is the face of a woman who earns too much money (at $1600.00 a month) because this is the face of a single woman who has no dependents, and no insurance.

You see this face? This is the face of a woman who has to decide, if she pays the phone bill, and the mortgage, or goes to a clinic and sits for 2 or 3 hours to see a clinic Dr. for 5 minutes to get a prescription, and has to pay $60.00 (at a sliding scale clinic) for that privilege.

This is my face. I am a single adult woman aged 55, with no dependents (under the age of 18), who earns $1600.00 a month. And can’t afford insurance as it stands now.

Catch 22

 I LOVE my job, but right now I don't really like it... 10 days ago I told my boss I needed certified tickets... a week ago, they were supposed to be ordered... today I found out that they hadn't been ordered, as they need $400.00, which "we don't have"... catch 22, I can't bring in cash if I don't have tickets, I can't get tickets with out the cash... I took over $450.00 in petty cash... here is hoping that in about 2 weeks I have tickets.

Changes...

Yes I've been quiet for a while...

Lets see... I've changed guilds at faire, I'm now working with St. Ives which portrays the middle / merchant class at faire, At Ives, I am working with the Bell, which is a house of 'negotiable affection'...My character there is 'Nursey' (think of the nurse from Romeo and Juliet, or Shakespeare in Love...) It has indeed been a lot of fun playing there!  I'm still a part of St. Cuthberts, but will be active with them mostly at Casa De Fruita...

 

And... I've started my 5th year at the scale... May 2nd was my jobeversery... I was hired at the scale May 2nd 2006... my goodness how time flies when you are having fun! 

I've started a 'not yet named' scarf, using Merino lace weight... the pattern is interesting, and there have been a lot of stops and starts, and re-starts... I've also done several other scarves, hats and socks... (can't forget the socks!!)

I've had another birthday, I'm now 58, and as a friend of mine put it, although I can get senior discounts, middle age is 10 years away...