A Drive-by Shooting-Yourself-in-the-Foot

Driving by the Magna Powertrain plant on I-90, a couple nights ago, I mentioned to my wife that union workers there seemed headed toward a vote that would likely close one of the last large-scale manufacturing operations in Central New York.

She said that union workers at the hospital where she's employed seemed poised to do the same thing. Much like Magna, they were being asked to defer scheduled pay raises until later this year.

Under current management, the hospital had recently been saved from bankruptcy and she didn't think the new concessions unreasonable, given the challenges now faced by the health care industry in New York state. They seem to think, she said, that a closure couldn't happen there.

Such short memories. Hope governor Patterson is prepared to do something about overcrowding at the state-sponsored training classes for Wal-Mart greeters...

Yaaa-hoooo!

Just got back from my six-month post-op examination and the doc, after reviewing my x-rays with me, shook my hand and said, "Everything looks good, have a good life!"

So that's it. I don't have to go back unless I have a problem.

On my way out of the office, I picked up my card for airport security that says I have a "permanent metal implant" that "may activate a metal detection device."

I forgot to ask if I could possibly get yanked out of my shoes, by one of those overhead cranes, if I walk by a salvage yard. Guess I'll just try to avoid that one.

Other than that, I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Was it really that bad?

This morning, everything seemed to be going wrong and everyone seemed to be running late.

I was rushing Little Jay out the door, to put him in his car seat, when he stopped dead in his tracks.

"That's not our car," he said, with absolute certainty.

"What?" I said, momentarily baffled.

"That's not our car," he repeated.

Despite logic, my own certainty, and the fact that I'd just used my key to open the door, I glanced at the shiney, silver Rav in front of me.

"Oh," I said, "it's ours. I just ran it through the carwash yesterday..."

broken house

sometimes
all you can do
with a broken house,
as with a life,
is cover up
the windows;

after that,
no one else sees in
but, on the
other side,
there's not much
light, either...

LPK
2.4.2009 (a)