Deep and wide, back in business, defeated

So I had the skin cancer cut out yesterday.  It’s never exactly a fun time but I am pretty used to the procedure by now.  The worst part is the injection of the numbing stuff.  It sort of feels like liquid fire is being injected into your skin for a few seconds.  I did not look as the doctor carved open my shoulder like a turkey.  Although there is no real pain there are a lot of weird sensations as you feel your skin getting cut away and subsequently tied back together.  The stitches below the skin felt particularly weird as they were pulled tight.  It felt like someone was pulling shoelaces together.  The entire procedure was over in around 20 minutes.

As the night went on and the numbing went away I started to feel the wound a bit.  At times it was hard to tell if the discomfort was from the cut or from the super glue strength tape that was pulling at my skin.  I was given 3 Vicodin if I needed them but I don’t plan on popping them.  The pain isn’t bad enough to warrant it.  I’ll keep those for a rainy day when I want to “party”. 🙂 

I got a clarification as far as my exercise restrictions go.  They recommended I lay low for a couple days before doing anything.  After that, lower body and cardio exercise should be ok but anything that stretches that area is off limits until the stitches come out in two weeks.  Basically almost any upper body work is out.  It will be cool to switch up my program for a couple weeks, it’s a good thing to do anyway.

I got an excited call from my mom yesterday, she is getting her job back, sort of.  Evidently business has picked up enough that the store wants mom to come back part time, roughly 32 hours a week.  They will be paying her a salary plus commission but no benefits.  Except for no insurance, it really is a great fit.  Mom already knows the job and part time actually works better for her since she has just started receiving social security benefits.

I think most importantly of all, it will get mom back out into the world and out of the condo.  She was feeling rather worthless sitting home with little more than to do than read and hang out with old ladies at the community pool.  I’m excited for her.

So a republican was voted in to replace Kennedy in the senate.  Evidently it is the first time since the early 70’s that a republican has held that spot.  Obviously this is a loud and clear sign that people aren’t happy with how things are going.

I’ve made my thoughts known about how things are going a few times.  Obviously the Obama ship has sprung a few leaks and to be honest, I can understand why to a degree.  Although I still think Obama is a very compelling, intelligent and thoughtful leader I also think he has smashed into the reality of both what was left for him to clean up as well as the quagmire which is Washington DC politics.

Pre-election he went on endlessly regarding getting us the F out of Iraq (and hopefully Afghanistan)  This has proven to be the ultimate catch 22.  He is f’d if he does and f’d if he doesn’t.  This wasn’t his cluster f but if he tries to pull us out and things immediately revert to chaos (which they will) it’s his fault.  If he leaves our troops in there indefinitely he fails on his campaign promise.

The health care bill is a huge mess.  What in theory should be a very simple concept, people should be entitled to health care, has mutated into a very ugly, concession riddled piece of bloatware which even I can’t get behind. Obama has tried to stress the positives of this bill which there are many but you simply can’t ignore all of the bullshit that has been loaded on top of it.

It is the reality of the political process in modern America.  It no longer matters what is right and what is wrong.  What matters is how much money you have and who you throw it at to get what you want. 

I have heard much joy and jubilation from many conservatives today about the huge victory in Massachussetts.  Yay!  We get to enjoy more status quo!  Me first, f you, God bless America!