My Thursday is most people's Monday,

                    

   Today most people look forward to the weekend, I look forward to work.  I am not complaining mind you, I just got off a 7 day stretch off......but thinking about a 4 day stretch of 12 on makes my skin crawl.  But hey, I'm employed and its a good thing.

 Warning, Warning, Warning.  You may not want to read any further.

        I AM having a ugh day.  Just feel grumpy and mean today.   Right away the news ticks me off.  They just raised the cigarette tax a dollar here.   Now I don't smoke but if you think that won't affect me your wrong.  Every time a tax gets raised the trickle down effect hits my pocket book.  And then they had to guts, the legislators, to give themselves a nice big raise.  And you know what, they could care less if you smoke or not, the government.  As long as they can tax you and fine you is all they worry about.  Drop a cigarette butt, $100 dollars.  Throw you old fridge in the woods behind my house, gee what a shame.

They say 500 people a year die of 2nd hand smoke.  I have worked in a hospital for 27 years and never taken care of a single patient with that diagnoses.   Independent studies have never been able to prove the horrible dangers of 2nd hand smoke.   But I am paying for it.  Sigh.  What happened to all the money when they sued the huge tobacco companies a few years back?  I never saw them do a darn thing with that money.

    On our way to Sioux Falls the other we saw a man hitch-hiking.  He was holding up a sign which said, the Boat.  Meaning our gambling boat.  I told Rick... If he can't afford a cab or bus fair to get to the boat he sure can't afford to be gambling. 

    Which brings me to another thing that ticks me off.  When they voted in having a boat here they went on and on about how the extra money would be so good for the community.  It would help the elderly, environment, and education....all the usual selling crap they always use.   Well how has it helped.  They have taken over most of our river front and put a oh so attractive parking lot where walking paths and grass used to be.  They cater to our elderly at their nursing homes and senior living apartments and drive them to the boat so they can gamble away their savings.   Originally you could only be a gambling boat if you cruised the river and they had a cap of you only being able to spend $200.00 a day.  They got their foot in the door and then enlarged the opening. 

   Now they don't ever leave the dock.   One poor man who had early dementia lost his entire savings and house before the family realized what had happened.  One man leaped to his death off the bridge of the boat.  Probably having so much fun at the boat, right.  You can now spend as much as you like. 

    The lottery was also suppose to give us money for education right?   What they did was withhold government funds since the lottery would pay and the schools ended up no further ahead then they were to start with.  And giving our teachers a raise again.  Now I know there are good teachers out there, but there are some real nuts out there also.  I got a note once that I was tempted to correct the spelling on and send back.  I don't think the teachers are as bad off as they say and I know they make more money then I do.  I have to pay school tax to my state for kids that aren't even legal every year.  Whether I have children or not.  And do these taxes really ever go to the children?  Show me.....just show me who benefits.

   We are being taxed to death in this country.  Now with this new government in power they are going crazy passing all kinds of bills raising our taxes.  I listen in shock and disbelieve to the crap that is being taxed.  Carbon footprints!  Global Warming, 2nd hand smoke.    They think we are all so busy watching American Idol that we don't see this all going on.  When was the last time any of you saw your savings accounts actually grow?

   Oh man.  If you made it this far I am sorry about going on and on.  And no, I don't belong to either party.  I am equally cynical and I think its a good thing.  These people were put there to be there for the people, not so they could rob the people.  But they have all forgotten that.

   One reason I am grumpy is because my pain level is high today.  You know the pain scale.....1 to 10.   With my arthritis I usually am about a 2 to 4.  Today I am an 8.  When I had my neck surgery my Doc told us I had some type of rare  arthritis that they usually only see in male Japanese.  Say what?  It was growing all over my spinal cord and that is what caused my disc's to rupture.  He got rid of as much of it as he could but of course couldn't get rid of it all.  I have 3 more disc's that are bulging last check, but it could be more.  Some days the  discs cause me problems and today is one of them.  My neck is going into spasm every time I turn my head.  I could feel it bothering about 3 days ago and started using biofreeze and ice packs, all the usual things.  Taking glucasomine.  Most of the time I can ward it off from getting really bad.  Not today. One of these time one of them will rupture.  I will need yet another surgery.  But if I have anything to do with it will be a long long time from now.  And not this year.  This year I am having a doctorless year.