State of the Oaf

Right now I don't feel like taking the time to put up something new, so here's one that pissed the missus off the first time I put it up. "You are not a gorilla!" It's true; gorillas are larger and stronger than I am, and herbivorous.

So. Lately I've been insanely busy. And one of the effects of this is that things have gotten away from me. Well, last week a neat bit of punctuation came up, and now it's time to take stock.

I've been in rough financial shape for a while now. Well, that is undergoing a brief change. My mom's house sold, and I got a nice chunk of money. I'm setting aside enough to pay for my household expenses while I go to school, another chunk for emergencies, and then a few thousand will go toward making some necessary and some luxurious changes in my living status.

So. What do I need to do?

Health Issues

If I join California Lawyers for the Arts, I should be able to get on an affordable health-care program. Between the lump in my neck, my worsening insomnia, constant nausea, blood-puking, and a vague sense of impending doom, I think I'm due for a checkup. Haven't had one of those in well over a decade.

I also need to get into counseling. I've been self-medicating for my mental illness for a while now with surprisingly good effects -- I haven't had a single major mood swing since I began -- but it's clearly not something I want to rely on in the long run. I'm right on the verge of functional, but I think with some advice and focus I can do a little better than that.

I need to see my pain control physician and arrange for a cortisone shot. I hate to do it, it's an admission of my declining condition, but it is there for a reason. My pain is getting worse, and I need to do something about it.

Speaking of which, I also want to get some counseling on getting into an athletic practice. I need a certain amount of physical exertion to be in top form and I haven't been getting it. I bet I could do weight training as long as I never compressed my spine -- lat pulls, bench press, all that stuff should be harmless. But I want to talk to an expert first. Maybe there's some kind of fencing or something that would suit me.

I'm going to break down and get a damned Medical Marijuana card, weird as I feel about that. And of course I have to get my teeth cleaned, and whatever disasters are attendant upon that situation.

And most excitingly, there may be an option for my eyes. My worsening eyesight and worsening insomnia were the two crucial players in last year's disintegration. Well...

Here's the story. A few years ago I read an article, I think it was in an old Co-Ev Quarterly, about some glasses that were being distributed in the third world. The lenses were water-filled plastic, and you could adjust the focus with a syringe. No need for an optometrist, and you could fiddle with the things until you got what you wanted.

I went to the missus and said, "Why can't I have these?"

Well, check it out.

Yeah, it's a thousand fucking bucks for a pair of glasses. Which is nothing compared to having to have four fucking pairs of glasses, which is my current situation. No division in the field of vision. They can handle my astigmatism. No fixed focal distance, so if I want to take in a motherfucking vista I can take in a motherfucking vista!

So that pretty much takes care of my health issues. You begin to see why I've been feeling overwhelmed. Oy.

Next? Probably the studio.