Sunset Veranda

This is my commentary about this article I saw in the news about the Ontario government.  I am taking bets as to if any of these vans will be wheelchair accessible.  I find that the government in Ontario is SO stupid that they probably will not be wheelchair accessible. I think this because it is so OBVIOUS that they need to be wheelchair accessible.  My kids have missed out on many appointments because our van was broken down.  This will have a negative impact on the patient transfer services provided by many transportation companies who are already doing this for free of charge?   Who will be driving these vans???? There seems to be a lot of unanswered questions about the government just out of the blue dropping 2.4 million into the hurting auto industry.  Does this seem like it was just whipped up?  Right now, surgeries and patient services are being cancelled or can not be performed because there is a huge shortage of short term beds.  Don't you think that 2.4 million on mini-vans could be used to pay nurses and practical nurses in some of the long term facilities that have wings closed???? 

I think the money should have been used for other things, more tangible, like hiring a few more doctors in emergency departments.  If you really need to get to an appointment, there is always an ambulance, bus, wheelchair taxi, family, friends, isn't there? At a time when gas is so high, more vehicles on the road does not seem like an answer to anything, or is it just me?  So lets say a person suddenly takes a spell for the worse while riding in one of these vans?  Will there be any attending paramedics/nurses aboard? Probably not. 

That's the view from here.

TORONTO - Ontario's Health Ministry has bought 100 new Dodge Grand Caravan minivans to help shuttle people without the means to make it to important medical appointments and cancer treatment sessions.

The announcement came Friday in Windsor, Ont. - the heart of the province's beleaguered auto sector industry that has suffered thousands of job cuts in recent months.

The vans will cost the government $2.4 million, and a second Windsor company is expected to benefit from a $56,000 contract that will have it adorn each vehicle with decals.

Details about the types of services the vans will be used for and where they'll be located were not released Friday.

But a spokeswoman for Health Minister George Smitherman says the shuttle service will be free for Ontario residents who don't have a way to get to important medical appointments.

The government is expected to announce details of the new provincial program when the vehicles are delivered in the next three or four weeks.

Some of the other things that have recently happened in my life include the surgery on my thumb.  I have only included these two pictures and they are nasty, so, I am sorry if I grossed anyone out.

For quite a long time, about 2-3 years, I have had this thing on the end of my left thumb.  The doctor burned it off, but, it came back, so he sent me to a Dermatologist in the Fall, who sent me to a surgeon in the spring.

So, on April 11, me and my security team, (The Man) went to the surgeon to have this "thing" removed.  The doctor put 3 needles into the base of my thumb to put it asleep, then put an elastic band around the thumb to stop the blood, and then he started to cut.  He ended up cutting out a tumour, in a capsule measuring 8mm x 4 mm.  It looked like an oversized piece of rice.  He was pretty sure that it was benign, but off it went into a jar to be sent to Toronto for pathology.  

I then ended up with 3 stitches in the end of my thumb that went right through the nail, and no working or typing for a whole month!!!Talk about pain.  I couldn't do my pants up, or cut any meat, hold a hamburger, put toothpaste on my toothbrush, type, wash my hair.  It made me realize the importance of the THUMB!

In 10 days, I got the stitches out and the pathology report which said basically that they didn't know what it was exactly, that it was not cancer, that it was inflammatory and was made up of  granulous  tissue.  (It kinda means that my body was reacting to it and the cells were changing, who knows, in time it could have changed to cancer??) So, I was glad to have it gone.  I went back to work on May 12.  My thumb is healed on the outside, but it still healing up in the inside.  If I hit the end, it hurts, and the nerves are still healing and are tingly sometimes as well.  My time off was pretty nice, but for 1/2 of it the weather sucked, cold and rainy. 

There has been so much rain and cold weather that the yard does not look too good.  It is too wet to cut the grass all the way, and I have weeds that are up to my hip!!!!!! So, please could we have some decent weather for a change??? Is that too much to ask????

And that's the view from here. . . . . (here being "Sunset Veranda, the world with no clouds or rain, just brilliant sunsets.)

I have not written anything since forever!  I used to blog everyday.  I think I am going to start up again, now that I have a new computer I bought at Christmas.  I find that MSN is very frustrating!  I have not been able to play music or a video on my site, and I don't know why!!!

Anyway, just wanted to share a picture of my new dog, Jake.  He needed a home, and our dog Charlie needed a friend.  HE is very good and smart.  No real problems, but, he wants to be kissed, and, quite frankly, I do know where that mouth/tongue has been!  So, we are trying to break this habit.  He gets into your face and won't back off until you kiss him.  I just make the sound and then he backs down, but, sometimes, he's quicker than I and I get a wet nose on my face/lips and that's just disgusting!

Anyway, gotta run!  It's American Idol time. 

CU!

2008 Contract

After serious & cautious consideration.....

Your contract of friendship has been renewed for

the New Year 2008!

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills. 

May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires.

May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had forget your home address!

In simple words............
May 2008 be the best year of your life!!!