An Update to the Update

• I have acquired a Crudde. Throat hurts, sometimes sharply; chest much tighter than I like; some nasal congestion; not able to sing, except softly. Not happy.
• I am seeing a doctor today. Fortunately for my Crudde, it's my new urologist. The old urologist, a gifted young surgeon who gave me the ability to pee in a minute or two like a regular person... well, her I haven't seen for a couple of years because I didn't have insurance. So, when I called in to make an appointment, turns out she's moved -- voluntarily, mind you -- to Alaska. What the fuck.
• I have insurance. Did I mention I have insurance? This is the big, big news of the spring: I got the Social Security Disability. Got the "fully favorable" ruling, which means I am on Medicare, no more waiting and hoping, I'm there baby as of April 1, and later this month I'll get my first supplemental income payment, which I think and hope will help me catch up with every damn thing. The difference this has made in my attitude the past few weeks has been phenomenal. I am once more filled with hope that things will work out all right.

Love all you guys. How's your week starting out?

Farewell, Maurice Sendak

Great sadness. Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, best known for Where The Wild Things Are, has passed away at the age of 83.

Sendak's work is like a cross between that of Dr. Seuss and Edward Gorey: whimsical, detailed, unnerving, scary, and most of all engaging. I am shamed to say I am not as familiar with it as I should be, but WTWTA is fortunately damn near universal. (And, as an aside, you can get the fairly well received movie on DVD at Target on their five-buck-movies-for-kids endcap.)

Farewell, sir, and thank you.

Republicans, Get In My Vagina!

Starring Kate Beckinsale, Judy Greer, and Andrea Savage.

Signal Boost: Help Tim Ryan (archiver_tim)

A longstanding member of the filk community, archiver_tim, is in a very bad way financially. He's about to lose his house to foreclosure, and he needs a place for him and for his stuff. Quite a bit of the stuff, he is willing to sell or even give away. Click here for more info.