slightlv
slightlv's JournalI post this here because it's hitting women
(and the elderly) most disproportionately. After two years of trying to get the "correct" documents together... or those that look "okay" to the DMV people, and having my request forms "lost" more than a few times to states... my REAL ID driver's license finally came in the mail yesterday. It only cost me $18 at the DMV... $18.00 for two certified copies of one document.. and over $20 in postage fees to finally get someone to sign for the request and mail it back to me. That's not counting all the hours I've lost trying to track through unpacked boxes from several different moves, nor the frustration level when I think I've finally got it all together, only to have someone else at the DMV tell me this or that document doesn't meet their standards. For example, there was white out on my original marriage certificate and they wouldn't accept that... although all it looks like TX finally ended up doing was copying the certificate onto white paper and stamping it. So it was what? Close to $60 dollars to finally get ONE document that would meet up to the standards of DMV, and goddess help me, I actually found the appropriate page from a long-ago divorce that I'd saved into an old children's bible my grandma gave me a million years ago.
Funny thing is, I don't feel relieved or happy to have finally gotten this in the mail. To me, it seems more of bowing to an authority I don't morally, personally recognize as legal, for a process I feel deeply humiliated by, for a law that was made in extreme circumstances and rapidly in reaction to, rather than as a reasoned one. Looking back now, how many of these congress critters who made this law were serving during Cheney and GW's reign? With as much trouble as it is for women and the elderly, not to mention the costs involved, was this already an assault on our rights years before trump came on the scene... but not so early for some of these white, male congressmen. I still say Kudos to those who had the guts to stand against the law as it was proposed. I believe there were very few with the courage, but I want to remember at least one of them was a woman. If so, I dare say a very prescient woman.
Has anyone else watched "Zero Day" on Netflix?
I just did a binge of it today. Was a little concerned about going down the political rabbit hole right now, but I thought this an excellent, very timely movie... which is probably why De Nero signed up for it. He was excellent in the movie, IMO... got the feeling of a Carter presidency... but oh, the Congress! One only wishes for art to become real life!
April 19th
I've been planning on heading to Topeka tomorrow to join in the demonstration there tomorrow, and was dreading the back pain of both the drive and the standing/walking. But I got an email from Penzsys Spices today reminding everyone about tomorrow, and I checked on the link just to see if anything had changed.
I don't have to drive all the way to Topeka! This little city is doing it's own demonstration at the county courthouse tomorrow at noon! Five minutes from my house, and I may even run into someone I know! If not, I look forward to seeing who is there and how many this little burg can turn out. I'm going to take my phone with me and take pics... not that I've ever been able to get pics to show correctly here (sigh). I'm just tickled to find out there's an Indivisible chapter here in this red, red city.
Grandson is picking up poster board so we can make posters tonight, and I'm debating on whether to bring my cane or my walking stick. I have a feeling I won't be the only senior age veteran there. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it!
I thought I'd have to travel to Topeka to take part
in the demonstration tomorrow, and was dreading the back pain of both the drive and the standing/walking. But I got an email from Penzsys Spices today reminding everyone about tomorrow, and I checked on the link just to see if anything had changed.
I don't have to drive all the way to Topeka! This little city is doing it's own demonstration at the county courthouse tomorrow at noon! Five minutes from my house, and I may even run into someone I know! If not, I look forward to seeing who is there and how many this little burg can turn out. I'm going to take my phone with me and take pics... not that I've ever been able to get pics to show correctly here (sigh). I'm just tickled to find out there's an Indivisible chapter here in this red, red city.
Grandson is picking up poster board so we can make posters tonight, and I'm debating on whether to bring my cane or my walking stick. I have a feeling I won't be the only senior age veteran there. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it!
As if you didn't already know...
It's 2:05 on a Monday afternoon. I'm logged into my account. Every page I try to click into gives me a 504 Gateway error. Even trying to open DU gave me the 504 error. Any closer to finding out what gremlin is kicking us? Thanks!
It is 10:30 PM CDT
I'm logging off DU because it's unreadable for me tonight. Every link I try to open gives me a "Gateway Error" that says my browser is ok, the Kansas city Cloudfare is OK, but the DU is not okay. I'm glad to know it's not me.... but I hate that I can't read the site. (sigh)...
Just an FYI...
Continuing trouble.. or new set?
Having a horrible time trying to get anywhere on DU tonight (it's about 10pm CST right now). I keep getting
-------------------------
503 error:
Service Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.
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My WiFi connection hasn't been the best this past week, so I'm wondering if it's me, or if the board is still having problems from the BotNet or whatever it was earlier... If it's you guys, good luck on tracking it down. If it's me, well, crap. (LOL)
A couple of weeks ago, hubby and I started the process of looking into installing
solar to the house. I knew under KS democratic governor some rules had been reinstalled since brownback tried to bury the industry. Also the Feds have a tax incentive that would help defray the cost.
What's bee happening under trump has worried me about getting caught in something with no way to pay for it now. So, today, when I got a message asking if anyone had taken a picture of my fuse box, I texted back that yes... the rep had come out last weekend. Also, unless things change drastically, the entire situation was a no-go for us with trump cancelling all "green deal" programs and firing everybody who works with the Feds. Told her I hated to say that, but knowing what I knew about him, *I* didn't vote for him.
I just got back a one word text message -- "Okay." Something tells me I'm not the only one who's backed out of this program because of what trump and musk are doing! Thought afterwards, too... maybe she DID vote for trump. Surprise! FAFO.
Early morning hours...
have been fairly eventful for me lately, where wildlife is concerned. I live in the middle of residential area, so I don't often get to see even raccoons anymore. But the first of Feb, I saw a fox standing in my yard, getting ready to head towards the creek across the street. Beautiful animal! I was so blown away, I forgot all about my phone having an internal camera! Anyway, it was about 4am, and my brain isn't really working great, then, anyway.
This morning, around 4:30, I started hearing this mournful cry. It sounded kinda like a hound dog doing a quick cry, and then fading out. I heard 4 times, and the last one was loud enough he could have been standing under my window! I made room for me at the window beside my bed, shoving aside the four cats who were also trying to see where the noise was coming from. I mean... imagine... here's this low window, with me and four cats all hanging our heads out trying to see where this call was coming from! (LOL) The last cry, I was putting on slacks and finding my robe to go out and make sure no one was hurt, but I still couldn't see anything when I opened the front door. But I DID hear the greatest Hoot Owl I've heard in a long time. And he was being quite vocal. THAT made me wonder... I'll bet it was any kind of dog I heard howl... I'll bet it was my little fox again. I need to find a sound file to see if it was the same voice I heard. But as I seem to be waking up around 4 am these days, at least I have something to look forward to -- in addition to the wonderful rising sun skies I've gotten a few pictures of. Today it was blood red, and made me think of that old rhyme... Red skies at night, sailors delight. Red skies at morn, sailors be warned.
All a little weird and wonderous when you're living in the middle of suburbia! LOL! Sweet dreams, everyone... I'm headed that way now... my sleeping buddies have already staked out their pieces of the bed without me!
We had Mom's funeral this morning. It wasn't large, just the family and a few close friends
from her younger days and those who came to support me and my sister. Some got sidelined to work in AR, unfortunately, and missed it all. I was SO impressed with the Methodist preacher who did the small service. I just came clean with him that there were many Xtian sects represented in this small group, and some that were not Xtian at all. He understood just what I was saying and while not diminishing his faith, he didn't diminish any of ours, either. He did work in my Native American prayer into the service, as well as the "Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep" poem. He was also very giving and caring, which is a different experience from my last few interactions with Christian ministers when they find out you're not of their faith. I'm Pagan dyed-in-the-wool... but I don't think I'd have any problem popping in sometime to his church.
It was bitter cold... 7 degrees. And, true to form, the car got stuck in my driveway as I was trying to drive out. Took me, my grandson, my hubby, my daughter, and a close friend to rock that car enough to get it back onto pavement. And then I drove to the Baptist church instead of the funeral home! IOW, my mind was completely bonkers this morning. I know Mom had to be looking down and laughing her butt off at me, all the while saying "You never get anywhere on time!" (LOL)
A friend with a jeep is going to pick me up this weekend and we'll head out to the memory home to pick up the stuff Mom had there. With that, that chapter is closed. And maybe I can come back into a sense of balance. After everyone left this afternoon from the house (we had food here), I tried to lay down and sleep. It's been three nights since I've slept. I'm so emotionally drained and tired... but I just can't fall asleep. Grandson asked if I was beginning to get a phobia about sleep. I don't think so, but nothing seems to help. I feel very empty tonight, which is strange, I think, because I've had a week to live with the shock of losing mom. But leaving her and her casket there at the graveside pavilion just felt "off"... I was leaving her behind, and it just didn't seem right. I'm going to make myself eat supper tonight and then head into my bedroom where it's quiet. I think it'll be easier to let down and cry now. And maybe that's what I need before I can feel okay about sleeping again. It wasn't as elaborate a service as I would have wished for Mom... and we broke up into small groups to talk and share stories, rather than speak at the podium, but I think Mom would have appreciated it and not been embarrassed by the "attention." She was always on the shy side.
So, I'll try to sleep tonight, a magic brownie might help that, if I can find where someone put them. Then we'll head out to the home to gather Mom's things, and I'll once again try to corral the kids into dividing up her stuff among us. When that's done, I feel like that will be the end of the chapter. No one has told me anything else I need to do; the funeral home said they've already contacted SS and Medicare with death certificates; I will probably have to contact KanCaid (Medicaid in KS). Then grandson and I will start rearranging the house here and pitching a lot of stuff not needed to try to make more room for his stuff. Work out a bill payment schedule and make sure all of Mom's are complete. I think at that point, it'll be time for me to make positive changes in my own life, instead of just working around to make sure everyone else is taken care of. I am glad this is over with... as good as everyone was to us, this was a hard thing to go through today. For me, there is no "new normal"... I feel at loose ends without my Mom in my life, and terrified at the directions and harm trump is going to take us. I am telling myself over and over, tho... One Step at a Time. The rest will wait. Meanwhile, I do hatch a slight smile at the thought of all the Irish Stoner female ancestors, gathered together once again, hashing out the latest herbal cures for what ails ya. I'm the last of that generation, and I'm working now to pass my knowledge on to my grandson. Nothing will be lost, cause I'm thinking of writing down all the stories in a book.
Profile Information
Gender: Do not displayHometown: Kansas
Home country: USA
Current location: Kansas
Member since: Mon Dec 14, 2020, 10:27 AM
Number of posts: 5,491