THE BEST LAID PLANS…..

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Happened to me yesterday.

I was supposed to have a cath scan yesterday morning. Did preparatory blood work last week. Fasted yesterday morning.

The cath scan could not be done. An iodine dye is injected for contrast purposes. I am allergic to intravenous dye. Could die.

A total foul up. There are some pills I have to take to avoid the possible consequences of the dye. Not arranged. Plus blood work results to check kidneys lost somewhere.

I was not upset. Especially re the preparatory prepping. Want to get it right!

I am being rescheduled for next week.

Hospital visit not totally wasted. One of the nurses a member of Sons and Daughters of Italy with me. Ran into a nurse who took care of me for 10 years when I was with a different primary. And met Tracy. Some sort of big shot in the cath scanning department. She was kind, thoughtful, explained everything in detail, etc.

All the preceding took 2 hours. The scan would have taken 20 minutes.

I did not waste the morning. Almost noon when I left the hospital. Went to Harpoon Harry’s and enjoyed eggs benedict.

Last night began with the Chart Room. John bartending. Met Cregg. Great guy!

Cregg was bartender at the Chart Room in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. He was there when Mel Fisher and David Wolkowsky were regulars. Mel Fisher would always tell him “…..today’s the day.” Today arrived to the tune of $400 million.

Cregg’s recollections informative as well as interesting.

Cregg on vacation. Staying at the Pier House with his wife. He now works out of Atlanta. Does major food and drink events.

Mary showed up. We had dinner at Pier 1. Pier 1 is part of the Pier House. The food outstanding. No real formal dining room. The weather was warm so we ate on the outside deck.

Stepping back a day, thursday evening at the Chart Room was one of the best I have experienced. Saw some old friends, made some new.

The evening began with Pittsburgh John. We met 2 year ago in the Chart Room. A big man physically. In the cement industry. Visits Key West 3 times a year. Ran into him again last night in the Chart Room.

Chatted with Sam a while. A new acquaintance. Retired. Lives in Key West off and on. Here this time a year already. A carpenter in his former life. Worked his way up and eventually became a business agent for the union. He was very proud of his career and union affiliation. Properly so.

Abbie and Joe from Vanvilt (sic), Illinois.Both retired school teachers. Visit Key West once a year.

I especially love Abbie. She reads this blog every day!

They have 3 children and 2 grandchildren.

Met Jeff and Beth. From Pittsburgh. Friends of Pittsburgh John.

Jeff a former police officer. In a shoot out. If memory proves correct, he was shot twice. Now retired, he is in security work.

Wife Beth in finance.

They visit Key West 1 or 2 times a year.

Last but not least, Cindy and Larry. From Ontario, Canada. Met them before. Cindy on my love list. She reads the blog everyday, also.

Cindy and Larry own a second home on the golf course. The same golf course I live on. Cindy insisted I come to dinner. Great! Don’t forget me Cindy!

Trump has had another phony moment. He declared the national emergency he has been threatening for a couple of months.

A guaranteed loser in the courts. It will find its way to the Supreme court. Even a conservative Supreme Court will not tolerate his flagrant abuse of power.

Ian Welsh, the Canadian blogger I admire. Though I do not always agree with what he writes. On February 2, 2019, his blog was titled Republic’s End: The National Emergency. His thoughts re Trump’s declaring a national emergency.

He believes Trump to be wrong. I have picked a few lines out of his blog to share. Edifying.

He began with the famous Benjamin Franklin quote re a Republic. Franklin was asked at the Constitutional Convention: “Well, Doctor, what have we got-a Republic or a Monarchy?” Franklin responded: “A Republic, if you can keep it.”

Some Welsh comments directly.

“If you have an abusable law or power, it will eventually be abused.”

“If you set up a law that allows someone to act as a dictator, someone will.”

“The U.S. is accelerating its slide towards depotism.”

“The Founders knew all Republics end.”

Welsh does not believe Trump will be the man to end the U.S. Claims Trump is too incompetent and petty. However, Welsh believes this act by Trump in declaring the national emergency moves the U.S. closer to that day.

I frequently comment that U.S. victims of natural disasters are forgotten. Those of hurricanes and fires. I am correct. The following supports my conclusion.

Rep. Neal Dunn, a Republican, represents the Panama City area of Florida. Part of the Panhandle. Destroyed by Hurricane Michael last October. A category 4 hurricane. Knocked everything flat.

Dunn is disappointed. Those he represents are disappointed, suffering, and angry.

The bill recently signed into law to avoid another governmental shutdown failed to include any relief for the Panhandle. Though the Senate and House had approved $12 billion and $14 billion respectively for disasters. The votes took place 3 weeks ago.

The “disasters” were left off the table in the final deal made.

Let me put this in perspective. One third of all peoples in Florida and Georgia are homeless because of Michael.

Indications are the disaster funding was left out of the law so as to be used in future negotiations re a further spending bill. Such would give Republicans leverage in negotiations with the Democrats.

How callous! How thoughtless! How unconcerned!

When Dunn arrives home to the Panhandle, no one will care about budget negotiations down the road. They need basics. Shelter, water, food, sewage facilities, etc.

The people of the Panhandle claim they have been forgotten. They have.

Representative Dunn says, “I am going home to a disaster.” He is. As well as the rage of those he represents.

Enjoy your day, if you can under the knowledge that others are suffering big time and that those who should care are not.

 

 

2 comments on “THE BEST LAID PLANS…..

  1. Seems like Trump may be overstepping his authority. Surely it will play out in the courts.

    Looking forward to seeing how Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spends the 3 billion now that Amazon is not coming to her district.

    • …and hopefully also play out in the minds of those who blindly trusted him. Where is their copy of the constitution nowadays? If it were not for their foolish support, the honest people of this country would not now be in this mess. May a pox be on them too!

      AOC will be just fine without that Amazon Money and trouble! But thanks for your phony concern!

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