H1N1 cough etiquette (parody)

Haven't decided whether to get the shot, or just follow the cough instructions in the video. :-)

Today I am grateful for:

Yoga, yet another new fitness activity.

Family, and the opportunity for all of us to be together on Thanksgiving.

Second chances, and the gift of not living in a alcohell induced haze.

Sober holidays, the real way to celebrate.

The suitcase is unpacked

Back home from two trips, with a day to gather thoughts in between. There really is no place like home.

Today I am disappointed since two friends are (seemingly) back out doing field research. I know that I only have control over my own actions, but I am sad nonetheless.

I think of the statement "My worse days sober are way better than my best days drinking", and how very true this is. I wish there was some magic potion or spell that I could use to help others embrace this, and not give in to the swan song of the poison which is alcohol.

As I write I sense that this blog has taken a turn to doom and gloom....

But in actuality, it is not so. I am sober, alive, and grateful.

I have a precious gift of sobriety, a fragile state to take great care of. Things are going very well, there is much to do this weekend, both chores and recreation. So, time to catch up on some other blogs, relax, and enjoy some beautiful Fall weather.

Sobriety is addictive.

Off for the (sober) weekend

Heading north this weekend to help our eldest daughter set up the condo she (finally) managed to purchase. Home purchases can be an extremely stressful process, especially in the aftermath of the fiscal meltdown.

After making the offer, she decided to go with lender #1. Lender #2 was extremely unprofessional and slandered #1, saying they couldn't get the loan done, they were using a bait and switch on the rate, and so on. Needless and unethical sour grapes that caused unnecessary stress early on.

Then, on the day before closing, the lender calls and says that no one will write mortgage insurance on these condos, which is required for a 10% down loan. The apartment she was in was already rented out, so instead of moving into a condo, she moved into a storage unit, well her stuff did...she found a couch with friends. The contingency date past, a substantial deposit was at risk of being lost.

FHA didn't seem to be an option, but that is the route the lender took next. One week later, FHA approved, the close took place...can't get a loan for 10% down, but can with 3.5%. These are interesting times.

So, the plane tickets we purchased will not go to waste, the deposit was not lost, and a teeth gnashing, hair pulling, stressful week seems to be coming to a happy ending.

While packing I thought back to trips in the past when I looked up the drinking laws of the state visiting, to make sure I had access to a ample supply of beer. If it looked like I might not be able to find a store near the hotel I would pack a bottle. If I ever have a doubt, memories like this fully confirm my alcoholism... Anyway, now there is one less thing to worry about, and flying without a hangover is so much better than flying with one.

In the news

I heard the following story on the news today:

Students of Marion County Public Schools, in Ocala, Fla., were surprised when a couple driving a riding lawnmower struck their school bus, causing the two riders to fall off. Neither Ron Martin, 29, nor Charlene Mallorey, 30, were injured, but they were definitely something — drunk. The two quickly — well maybe not too quickly — jumped up, and when they heard the students laughing at them, began banging on the school bus door and demanding to be let on.

Officers were called to the scene and, surprisingly, Martin had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, his eyes were bloodshot and watery, and his speech was slurred. Shockingly, he has also unwilling to cooperate with police and was arrested and taken into custody.

I'm not really 'surprised' or 'shocked' about the aspect of alcohol and Martin's unwillingness to cooperate. Most folks probably think this is a funny story. I guess they're correct in a way, but I think it's kinda sad to see someone steal a lawnmower, drive it drunk, run into a school bus, and then try to break nto the bus when laughed at. I guess reading about alcoholics or addicts screwing up simply doesn't tickle my funny bone.

In other news, a motorized La-Z-Boy used by a man who pleaded guilty to driving it drunk is going up for auction on Ebay. The chair is powered by a lawnmower engine, and comes equipped with a stereo, cup holders and lights. Top speed is 20 mph.

With the advent of these alternative vehicles I may need to reevaluate my opinion on mandatory interlock devices.

I am simply grateful that today I am sober, and not worried about driving under the influence.

Going going gone!

The house that I grew up in is sold, finally. My mom is now living in an apartment with other seniors and is the happiest that I have seen her in a very long time. After my father passed away last summer she was alone much of the time. With the exception of one sibling, the rest of us moved away long ago (to jobs). Some of my aunts and uncles are still in the area. Still, without my father, and never learning to drive, she was quite isolated in a pretty drafty house that cost way too much to maintain. Up north the days grow very short in the winter, and the snowbanks quite tall.

So now she is in a bright apartment, surrounded with others her age. There is transportation for doctors appointments, a van to the grocery store, trails for walking, and many many activities. The positive change that I have seen in her since the move is quite amazing.

Even while my father was still alive, the last few years were pretty rough at times. He was a four year lung cancer survivor, and we were fortunate for all those years. However, the toll lung cancer takes on a person is painful, uncomfortable, and draining as the battle is fought to an inevitable end. The mental and physical demand on the caregiver is also extremely difficult.

My request today, for anyone still smoking, is to stop now. The facts are quite clear, it causes cancer. As a long time ex-smoker I will share that quitting is hard (like beating any addiction), but the benefits are sooo worth the effort. If you won't do it for you, please do it for those who love and care for you. It is not just yourself that you are affecting.

And if you have children:

Sad but true

(image credit-WQD Forum)

So, I happened to pick up the local school paper while out having coffee with friends. The headline was about a faculty member (many published books, quite an impressive background) and a shuttle driver who drives (used to drive) students from place to place. In separate incidents, both were caught drunk at work, arrested, and terminated. The discussion around the table was 'what were they thinking'. I was pretty sure that I knew what they were thinking, and offered that alcoholism is an equal opportunity affliction. Got a couple of head nods with that comment.

While not intending to minimize the seriousness of this, and the fact that what they did was horribly wrong; still, I think that I can identify with the 'why'. I don't know these individuals, but hope and pray that they come to also realize the why, and find the help they need. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Just another reminder of why I hate alcoHell.

Interlock Device Mandate

A component of the draft Highway Bill will mandate that all 50 states require ignition interlock devices for drunken driving convictions. Not doing so will mean the loss of federal highway funds. Two groups are protesting, lawyers who defend drunk drivers and the American Beverage Institute (ABI). Here is an excerpt of a letter written by ABI to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee:

Mandating ignition interlocks for low-BAC (blood alcohol concentration), first-time DUI offenders is the wrong approach.

The average BAC of drunk drivers involved in fatal accidents is .19—more than twice every state’s legal limit of .08. Studies have shown that drivers are more dangerous talking on a hands-free cell phone than they are driving at .08 BAC. And yet that is the level at which this bill would mandate ignition interlock devices—which, due to their fallibility and intrusiveness, have previously been reserved for hard-core offenders.

Only 11 states currently have the interlock device included as punishment for first time offenders with a BAC below .15.

Why would this Restaurant Trade Association and the aforementioned group of lawyers oppose this restriction after the first DUI? Easy answer, money.

Of course, they're wrong, and their profits should not be a factor when a simple device can save so many lives. Some statistics:

• Nationally, an estimated two million drunk drivers with three or more convictions, including 400,000 drunk drivers with five or more convictions will share our roadways this holiday season. (DALLAS, Nov. 25, 2008 — MADD website)
• Alcohol-related car crashes kill someone every 30 minutes and injure someone every two minutes.
• In the United States, drunk driving is the leading criminal cause of death.
• More than 17,000 people are the victims of drunk driving accidents every year.
• Approximately 40% of all motor-vehicle fatalities are alcohol-related.
• Frequent drunk drivers are responsible for almost 60% of alcohol-related fatalities.

"Frequent drunk drivers"...60 percent.

I am generally against the federal government dictating what states need to pass as laws, but I really hope this goes through. Stop the frequent drunk drivers the first time they are caught.