I’m going to write at length because I can, about everything under the sun. So, rest your eyes. Get a drink. Be comfortable (not that comfortable).
Birthdays are strange for me. There are swirling emotions of apathy, excitement and disappointment every year. June is a very busy time for most people (and friends). Endings. Beginnings. Movings. General busyness. I don’t want my birthday to be a production with surprises, gifts, cakes, but at the same time I want to be around close friends, relax, talk; fellowship if you will. I don’t go around telling everyone its my birthday yet somehow I want them to know (I know, idiot right here).
Time. It’s about time. The older I get (the older we all get), the less time there seems to be. Schedules. Kids. Distance. Obligations. A birthday just seems to be in the way, or last minute, or forgotten. I’ve grown used to it — while retaining a bit of hope for something that I can’t even put into words. So … there that is … I have no idea what else to say …Our health insurance rates are being raised. What a surprise (not). Every year they go up about $75 to $100. Either we keep paying the outrageous premiums or have to go shopping for coverage. At this point we’ve used every provider in Cincinnati. Anthem. Medical Mutual. Humana. I’m considering “dropping out” altogether and getting into the health savings accounts. This is f-ing ridiculous. We pay $290 a month for maybe – maybe – one doctor visit a month. Take all of that, put it into a savings account, and use that saved money for the visits, and if God forbid we have to go to the emergency room, or need x-rays, etc, we’ll have pooled together the money to pay for that. I have to do more research. I think these sorts of options are where everyone is going to be forced to go; until insurance companies are challenged in their monopoly on our health and give doctors the control over their patients, advice, time, etc.
The Reds suck. This organization needs to be dismantled from the top down (starting with John Allen, and all the scouts and coaches). Trade Dunn. Get younger, quality, good name pitchers (pitchers will win a game for you any day over the possibility of a home run – or more likely with Dunn, a strikeout). Unload Milton, Wilson, Aurilia and keep developing these young pitchers. At that, it’ll be years (if ever) that this team is what it was in the early 90s.
I need a Guinness.