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Life and Death
Thank you for that. I had to stop writing at that point... before I could get to my point. When my partner and I were dating, he tested positive for HIV, while I remain negative to this day. Just after we opened escrow on our house, he became ill with ITP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiopathic_thrombocy… and I was sure I was going to loose him. He got his AIDS diagnosis from that episode, and they had just discovered AZT as a treatment. That was 19 years ago, and I have repeatedly prepared myself for his death, and breathed a sigh of relief as he responded to each cycle of drug discovery, over and over. He was a pioneer, partaking in every study that came along. I got used to telling people who breathlessly shared the latest news in the media, "Robert's been on that drug for a month now. Been there, done that." Because of this reality, I feel we are the most prepared for death people on the planet. Robert and I had to create an extensive Living Trust manually since we are barred from marriage. I had to put "our" trust in my name, to protect me from California forcing the sale of our house upon his death. We cannot even register as legal Domestic Partners, because that would disqualify him from MediCal which pays $100,000 *per year* for his drugs, for which they lay claim to his estate. I am glad I handled the estate of my Aunt Norma. It trained me for what lays ahead, and it ain't pretty. I recommend that you and David prepare too. Unless you die together, the survivor's gauntlet will be tougher if you're unprepared.— April 12, 2012 10:17 p.m.
Life and Death
Last year my partner and I had a room-mate... A young guy I had known for a few years but became "down-on-his-luck" as they say. On the verge of homelessness, he moved into my RV rent free. I hired him to make repairs to my house. I praised his workmanship to my friends and got him more customers. When my partner worked out-of-town for weeks at a time I felt lost in our own kitchen, but Justin stepped up and put out some awesome meals. He became like a son to me. One morning while driving up I-5 to a client in Vista, I answered my cell phone using my blue-tooth headset without viewing the screen on the phone in my pocket. An Emergency Room nurse at Mercy Hospital was asking if I knew a Justin Newman and did I know how to contact his next-of-kin? http://www.10news.com/news/29352342/detail.html How does one react to having his heart cut out at 65 miles per hour on the freeway? I was too busy living... http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/1…— April 11, 2012 8:31 p.m.
Inside the Easter Basket
**Edible Easter Grass** Since my cat thinks the plastic kind is edible, maybe this will save me a trip to the Vet this year!— April 4, 2012 8:08 p.m.
iPhreaks
Fools rush in where David fears to tread. Thank you for your reports from the retail front. I have not bought a new technology on the cutting edge since the Reagan Administration, and your diary reminds me why. My kudos to David for his sensibility.— March 28, 2012 6:39 p.m.
Betty and the Pets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwb2UNMNTZ4 The most lasting thing I remember about the show is the 1st season opening credits showing the complete life-cycle of a newspaper, beginning and ending with a bird.— March 22, 2012 5:20 p.m.
Betty and the Pets
Jo Anne Worley draws a blank look? Child, that makes me feel so old! While I also loved Ed Asner's work as Carl Fredricksen in "Up", I remember him best as the title character of the TV series, "Lou Grant." How he took a character born of inane comedy (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) and made a dramatic social conscience out of him was brilliant! I think that TV show ingrained Newspaper Readership in me as a young adult, which I fear has become today as much a wasteland as network television news.— March 21, 2012 7:43 p.m.
What Boils Your Blood Most?
Brittni: you go girl! Not only are they slow on the entrance ramp... (I usually holler, "Lost the gas pedal again?!") ... they race by at 75 mph once they actually get on the freeway. ("Oh, THERE it is!")— February 15, 2012 4:21 p.m.
Fretful Fiasco
I've been trying to do this (without success)for years! Was there anything magic you told your family? Or was it just that you stood your ground? The best I can manage is to grumble "Bah, Humbug!" from the periphery.— December 21, 2011 10:36 p.m.
Watch Your Step in City Heights
"...while jogging up Wightman Street through City Heights..." This caught my attention. I own my home in this 'hood. I also decry the conditions you rant about. I have actually DONE something... at least near my property. I have placed FREE once used shopping and newspaper bags with a sign: "Be a good neighbor - pick it up!" at the sidewalk. I also have put out a garbage can near the corner. It takes little effort to add its contents to my brown bin on trash day. Mine gets emptied more often than the city empties the ones on University Ave. These things are readily available, and I have met some nice people who thank me for doing it. This doesn't cost $8000 either. If more residents would CONTRIBUTE to the Neighborhood instead of criticizing from the sidelines there wouldn't be such a problem.— December 16, 2011 7:34 p.m.
City Heights, now East North Park
East North Park indeed! I guess all of our "Neighborhood Association" efforts in the 1990's went to waste. City Heights is a large area that has smaller neighborhoods within it. Between 805 and 15 are two such 'hoods with OFFICIAL names. "Corridor" is the area you perused, North of University Avenue. South of University Avenue is "Cherokee Point" where I have owned my home since the last recession (1990 to 1995) and pre-freeway construction on the 15 briefly brought home prices within reach of the average Joe. It is the Post Office we have to thank for the Realtors' marketing ploy. The Zip Code boundary between 92104 (North Park) and 92105 (City Heights) is the alley between Cherokee Avenue and 37th Street, cutting these 'hoods again from North to South. Check your new Zip Code; if you are East of Cherokee Avenue your aim just missed your target and your 92105 excludes you from claiming the coveted "North Park" real estate ruse. Speaking of Park-ing... (lame segue) GOOD LUCK! I like to tell my friends that the overtime I am required to contribute to my prize (A Job!) has forced me to park in the next zip code... Ha Ha Ha— October 13, 2011 8:56 a.m.