Good Lord, where to start

 I'm an arm chair protester. I'm pretty much stuck in NW Ohio, not able to travel to the state capital, and not able to walk distances and stand for hours. I've called and left messages for Ohio's two Republican senators, much good that will do. I've bombarded my news feed on Facebook with all sundry of protests, issues and encouragement for people to stand up to the destruction of our democracy.

I'm sure that folks are starting to avoid my constant posts, but what else can I do? I've signed petitions and still I feel that it's not enough. My mood is basically stressed out and upset.

For any readers who might have voted for trump and consider yourself "Maga", if it hasn't hit you yet, what trump and musk are doing to the country you profess to love, is the destruction of our democracy. No healthcare or food assistance for seniors, the poor and the children. If you are not the age to collect social security forget about being able to collect when the time comes. If you are already on SS you should be worrying if the next check will arrive. Education, the VA, Medicaid, Medicare and SS are on their chopping block.

When we were young, and throughout are working years money was automatically taken from our earnings to be set aside until we reached retirement age. SS isn't an entitlement, we worked for our SS benefits. The money is Ours. Trump and musk are playing the biggest grift on record in the theft of our money., to pay for more billionaire tax breaks and line their own pockets. Why do people who have more money then they could spend need more? What they are doing is a crime and self enrichment.

Musk is the biggest thief of the two. He's closed departments that were investigating his businesses. He's dumped Verizon from the FAA contract to replace it with Starlink, his company. He has over 300 billion in government contracts and has cleared the road of anyone who might challenge him. So even though trump fancies himself a king the real emperor is musk. 

Whether you imagined your world as a republican or a Maga you're going to lose too. They have a plan and you aren't included. When everyday groceries are twice what you normally pay. When the electric bill becomes outrageous. When gas goes back up, you'll feel it. When lumber and alcohol become too pricey to afford. You can't blame Biden for your expensive eggs anymore because he's not the current president. Trump's tariffs are an act of aggression against countries who did nothing to deserve it, but the real losers are the people of the U S. A recession is coming. And you can thank the 7 times failed businessman and felon in charge. He has no real understanding of how tariffs work. He's a flipping bully and is destroying relationships globally. 

We are no longer the "shining city on a hill." Trump can't be trusted so neither can our country. When he openly supported Putin, the dictator, we lost our place as a beacon of democracy. When he threatens Greenland, Panama and Canada he's asking for war. Whatever motivates trump to believe that he's playing a game of Risk or Monopoly with the planet, he's dragging all of us along with him.

So yeah I'm stressed. We haven't been so close to WW3 since I was a kid.  We are going to feel the oppression of his presidency.  I hope that Maga people consider themselves responsible for what our nation will become. And I have a sad prayer I say each night asking God isn't it time for trump to go home?

Not going to talk about it yet

 Don't think for a second that I have nothing to say about the current status of the United States. I'm too pissed off and afraid to say anything yet. Let me just say that my own security and living expenses are being held for hostage and yes I'm afraid.

***shivers***❄️❄️❄️

 I've busted my tail and prayed over my car battery for the last 48 hours preparing for the potential ice storm predicted for tonight. I've lived through them before. The storms from my childhood were almost magical with the woods shimmering with ice, they looked like a fairy tale. As an adult, who once was a homeowner and still drives a car, they've been replaced with nightmare visions of nature's unsympathetic destruction.

Picture a quiet night in the mid 1990's. Sitting around the table when the electric cut off and everything became too quiet. Then the destruction began. A cracking sound followed by a solid Boom. A tree just snapped off from the top. My husband went outside to investigate, not wise at all, and ran back in as more trees rained down amid the ice assault. 

The next day the temperature remained zero and single digits. It looked as though a tornado had struck our community. Trees crushed cars, laid over the roads, had crashed through windows and roofs. Unlike a tornado, none were spared. Cars off the roads in medians and ditches. 

So no matter that I no longer am a homeowner or married, the memory of ice storms is still tapping on my brain, reminding me of that particular time. My racing around the past two days was in preparation for tonight. No driving until it melts. Enough supplies to cover my needs. No one, who is intelligent, should be out there driving right now, and yet I keep hearing the constant blaring of sirens meaning that they didn't think. 

Just sitting and wishing that this little box I live in had a fireplace. Or at least something to cuddle up with, preferably something with fur, whiskers and a tail.

Stay safe.

Kel 

Holidays? Humph

 First let me say that this is not a self pity party. I'm not weeping, not depressed. What I am is sort of blah. 

I do my best to beat back feelings of loneliness, I decorate, light those holiday smelling candles, try to get myself at least something new that I need. I talk with old friends who are dear to me. But inevitably I spend the holidays alone. And this year for some reason the blahs are continuing past the holidays.

I haven't left my apartment for two weeks. I don't really want to either. I feel insulated here in my chair, never changing out of my pajamas. Doing nothing but playing on my phone, reading and sometimes watching videos.

Anyway I  just want to say that staying in and shutting out the world is not something I normally do. I feel like a switch has been flipped and it's not returning to normal. It's a little late in life for me to become agoraphobic. 

So my refusal to take down the Christmas decorations and staying at home is maybe my mind telling me that we didn't really have Christmas and we're going to wait here for it. Let's just admit that in my past Christmas was a big deal, and having it shrink to nothing is very hard for me to deal with.

65 is BS

Turning 65 has been the biggest butt pain I've had since since 2022 when I was able to wade through the gazillions of paperwork to get Medicaid, social security and temporary housing assistance. It would be damn nice for things to stay the same, but nope.

Hey!! Happy birthday! We have a present for you. You will no longer be covered under Medicaid. Oh! And we're going to take money out of your social security check to pay for Medicare, because we know your broke, but thems the rules. So sorry that you are on so many medications, you'll need to pay some more for that coverage.

It's like it wasn't obvious that I was on Medicaid because I'm poor. That seems to have suddenly changed overnight.. because now I'm 65. I have spent the last couple of weeks calling and waiting on hold to try and make this a sensible transition. Why the federal government thinks that 65 is a great age to mess with older folks is beyond me .

But it could be worse and likely will be. Why? Because the person who won the election has a little 900 page guide on how to strip funds and melt down government agencies. He doesn't give a HOOT who is hurt by what will be done. I can honestly say that millions of our elderly will lose their homes, meds and food. It will be the biggest crisis imaginable with the old folks pushed to the streets. The authors of project 2025 must have not taken to account what messing with SS and Medicare will do. They think that all of us dependent on SS should go back to work. Work till we die. I guess only the wealthy deserve to retire. We worked for that security for years. It's ours and not an entitlement, some sort of gift. NO IT ISN'T.

So I'm trying my hardest to wade through this, but how long will it be before they destroy it? The end of 2025 is what has been predicted. I'm sure it would solve their problems by rounding us up and placing us in camps like they intend to do with immigrants. Just gas the old folks so they can take the money they want so badly.

The morons who voted him in are not separate because of their votes . Yeah, you voted for someone who has no respect for our democracy. He will systematically dismantle the Constitution. Your rights will disappear the same as the rest of us. I'm sure you'll be proud of your choice when our democracy becomes a dictatorship. Thanks so much for fucking the country over.

For David, please rest in peace.🙏

 This.morning, after I had been asleep about 2 hours, my niece called to let me know that my brother had died. It didn't hit me right away, at least not until after the call. Trying and failing to go back to sleep I've given up and so here I sit with my coffee, writing in my blog trying to make sense of a sad life and a sadder ending.

I'm going to stop here and come back later.

†""*""***"""""****""***

I prefer the memories of our youth. My brother became an almost unlikeable adult. As a child he was a temper inducing name caller and a mimic. So you're wondering he was worse as an adult? Yes.  Whatever mental or emotional cause he had as a child it wasn't properly diagnosed. When he was in 2nd grade he was tested and diagnosed with a "perception problem". All I can remember is that Mom described it as "if you are seeing a telephone pole that is straight up and down, he sees it as leaning." It still didn't touch on his problems. Full blown tantrums before bedtime every night. Going to extended family's homes and refusing to take off his coat and leave the front door. He did grow out of this as he aged 

He couldn't go up to a neighbors house and knock on the door. As I got older it seemed like social anxiety. But, as an adult he consistently was a no show for holidays and birthdays, especially for his own children who were raised by our mother because he failed at taking proper care of them.

He seemed manic depressive in a big way. He talked about himself like he had superhuman powers (which freaked me out) and then would hit the lowest of lows and say suicidal intentions. Starting at age 15 he found marijuana which became a life long habit. He also drank everyday.

As far as personal relationships went, he had none. He was briefly married because he was responsible for 2 pregnancies, same lady, who happened to be my best friend. My father pushed them into marriage and it was a disaster. He bullied. He selfishly told her that his paycheck was for him, and that hers should pay for the kids needs. He bullied and raged at our mother. 

So yes, the only good memories I have were during his name calling years. After years and years of him not being a part of the family and general strange behavior, I distanced myself from him. So did his children and the rest of the family. He would sometimes comment on my Facebook posts, and I'd answer him.

It does hurt that he died. He had fallen and broke ribs. I told him to see a doctor, and he did go to the E.R and had X-rays. However, he failed to follow up, self medicating with pot and beer. I suspect that he was given pain meds while at the hospital as well. He fell again, vomited blood and died. The police detective had to search to contact the family.

Sadly no one in our family has the money to pay for funeral costs. I'm not sure if we will get together for a remembrance because frankly there were not many happy ones. I cannot afford to fly out or drive that far.

I live alone as well. I don't do drugs nor consume alcohol. My health is eh. Fix one problem, find another. I've told my niece and Aunt and Uncle that when I go I also want to be surrendered to the state. I figure I'll be gone and spending money on me would be against my wishes. 

I wish my brother had had a happier life. I hope that he finds the peace and joy that eluded him on earth.  That's what I wish for all of us.

Kel 

Buried in paper 🤨☠️✍️

These requests for documentation come in waves, usually 4 times a year, And I hate every second of it. Digging through old records, deciphering the legal speak, rushing to copy and deliver. It never arrives singlely, typically it's multiple requests from different sources. 

The pension plan paperwork from a past employer has a total of 33 pages designed to make your mind whirl like a rabbit being chased by a fox. I've spoken with both my bank and said pension company and still don't know what to do. I need expert advice. I've left a message for my uncle for a call back. He's a finance whiz, but I'm not sure if he will be up to the task due to health issues.

The other one is a quarterly request from Medicaid because they somehow feel that I'm a millionaire taking advantage of the system. This time was car title, pension and bank account info just in case I die, since I will be 65 next month and they want my leftovers. I didn't know that 65 was a death number, I've always thought it was just another year.

So yeah, I hate paperwork. That's not going to change, ever. In past jobs paperwork was part of the battle but I didn't hate it. I just hate my own.

Kel