Sunday, February 28, 2010

It's was snowing again

I'm lucky, when the weather gets bad, my husband can work from home. Friday at 5am he got a e-mail from the 2nd man in charge of his whole company, who said' have a good snow day, work from home, to everyone! So he did!

We have had some weird weather so far, rain then snow then heat so that all the snow starts to melt again. Isn't it strange, in some ways the weather is like politics, just when you think that you understand what is happening, they throw a monkey wrench into it and you have to start all over again.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

It was kinda kewl today

We must be kind of important people, I mean, we got 2 important phone calls today. Just Dan Malloy the past mayor of a major city, who is running for governor and then George Jepsen, an attorney, who is running for Attorney General! Both of them wanted to talk to me and Mike. Mike talked for about 10 minutes with each of them, and they asked for our support. It was a bit strange, two phone calls within a half hour of each other? Mike thinks that the candidates just go the official list of each cities Democratic Town Committee Members! And here I thought they just missed us! LOL But, this election will be REALLY interesting, Ned Lamont wants to be governor, we have good guys who want to be Senators, it shall be different. Let's hope it's a clean election, already there are rumors that it is getting NASTY!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Now we need health care quick..

On Wednesday night my 29 year old son tried to snowboard in a field at midnight. Guess what, he broke or tore his left clavicle! Didn't get home from the hospital till early Thursday morning and he gave me papers about a follow up. That's when the fun began. I called the first number, because the hospital referred us to them. They said that they have to get paid before they will see him. Now, my son has no job, has no money, lives with us, but has nothing to even sell for money. The hospital, the doctors office and the clinc's office all have reasons to NOT see my son, but at the same time have no idea what I can do to help him. As he is still in AGONY I have to figure that it is torn and will have to have surgery to correct it. I even got him the state form for insurance, but they won't cover him, this time! Now what do I do, any ideas? I made an appointment at the original Orthopedic Surgeon's office and will ask to speak to the office manager if it get's bad. But, and here is the problem, if we HAD HEALTH CARE implemented NOW it wouldn't be such a problem now! And I'm one of 100,000 with the same problem nationwide. Torn cartilage or tendons and no one will look at me because we don't have insurance!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Olympics to date

My husband was watching the downhill snow boarding and he started talking about what it was like in VT in the '60's. He remembers when all of the kids would take lunch trays and go outside and do their own sort of snowboarding. They would just got over major highways as they tried to be the best of the day and make the best trail ever! Watching the snowboarding now just doesn't seem the same. Wonder what other neat winter Olympics my husband will teach me? Any of you ever have anything like this happen to them?

Thursday, February 18, 2010

First meeting

Well we had the 2nd Taxing District meeting Tuesday night. It was cold, snowing, but because we had an attorney coming to talk to us, we had to hold the meeting. But since the train station has a parking garage and we own a condo in the train station, we were able to park there and not worry about the snow during the meeting. The meeting started at 7pm and we didn't get out till almost 10pm. Three executive sessions later I now remember why so many other people said that they never wanted to be doing what I am so happy to be doing! Different strokes for different folks I guess!

Spent the first 1 1/2 hrs on the budget, man I am so glad that we have such a great general manager! He makes the budget almost able to be understood, and that's from a rookie (me). The others understand him in ways that I expect I will a lot faster, since my husband heard all this for 4 yrs and therefor so did I! It's just that now it is MY responsibility to understand everything, thats all.

I still think that we are lucky to have our own electric and water company, I wonder how many others are so lucky?

Monday, February 15, 2010

Guardian Angels

When my husband was a common councilman back several years ago, he got word that, because of violence in Norwalk, people wanted to get the Guardian Angels involved. As he had heard of them, but really had no factual information, he called the Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa to get some info. We were in CA visiting my grandchildren when he called my husband back, and they talked for about an hour as we were driving up I-5 (if you live in CA you would know that this road goes from Mexico to Canada).

Mike wanted some info and after awhile invited Sliwa to come talk at his Health, Welfare, Public Safety and Emergency Management Committee Meeting has he felt that if people were talking about the Guardian Angels and wanting them, then he a chairman of the committee, should get them together so that the people can talk to them and find out what they are all about.

My husband tried to get a hold of the mayor, but it was after 5pm EST so he figured he would call him from the airport tomorrow. We never got a hold of the mayor till Monday morning when my husband was at work. At that time the mayor was kinda in a good mood, he seemed a bit excited. He hung up and he called the chef of police, then the shit hit the fan. He called back yelling at Mike, telling him that they didn't need the
Guardian Angels and that he, the mayor, would make my husband's life miserable if Guardian Angels and founder Curtis Sliwa came into HIS city.

The mayor and chief of police did make Mike's and the Guardian Angels' life bad, but they are used to that, so they just kept patrolling and trying to recruit people who wanted to be Guardian Angels. Because Mike did not want to bring politics into the picture, he stepped out, so that they (the bad guys) couldn't say it was for one political party or another.
(Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa is VERY different, listen to him sometime, he has a radio program in NYC).

After some time I learned that they were back in Norwalk today, and I hope that they can stay. The police know what they will and won't do, and even though the chief of police is against them, 95% of cops are glad they're here too. Police can only patrol so many streets, so many business, so many areas in a given day without writing reports, heaven knows how they do all that they do with there only being 8 hrs a day. If they can get another set of eyes and ears out there, what can it hurt? Nothing! Sure wish the chief could see it that way. Make life much easier, that's for sure!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Temple Grandin

I watched a fantastic movie on HBO today, it was 'Temple Grandin' the story of an autistic teenager who visits her aunt's cattle ranch and discovers her calling with animal husbandry and animal science. How to overcome her challenges with autism, which back in the 1950's was unheard of. Back then they would be institutionalized because no one knew what was wrong with them. As I have never had a child that was diagnosed with autism, this was one of the first movies that I really understood. I feel so moved by the movie I hope that each and everyone of you (if there is any one who read this) get a chance to watch this. Again, I have never even studied autism before but I know that there are so many different forms of it, but in some ways it is indeed a gift that some people get to enjoy.

I wish everyone who has a child with special needs, watched 'Temple Grandin' and someday can say .' my child turned out to be as good or even better that what Temple Garndin did!'

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Health Care

My husband has been sick since before Christmas, in fact ever since he got the regular flu shot! Because he works two states away, he didn't want to carry anything home to us, so he got the flu shot. He was even concerned about one of our grandchildren who comes and spends the weekend with us. Since I don't get exposed to as many people as he does, he thought he was doing the right thing. But now, it has been over 2 months and he is STILL sick. How do you tell the doctor that he has been sick for so long? As it is he won't go o a doctor, he's too miserable! Remember when the federal government told us that they were working to get health care for everyone, what happen to that? Or are they like my husband, too sick to do anything about it. Let hope he gets some help soon, hope they get straightened out soon too.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Just got..

Just got my 1st Second Taxing District Regular Meeting agenda & notes on what we will be discussing & guess what..I got the South Norwalk Electric and Water's proposed budget too! All 300 pages of the budget! That I have to read and understand by Tuesday! So..I don't think I will be on the computer much except when I take a break reading! Wish me well, will let you know how it turns out later!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

South Norwalk Parking

I got this letter yesterday and after thinking alot about what to say, I responded. Tell me what you think of this:

'I am writing today to express my displeasure with the parking situation in South Norwalk. Specifically I am writing about my parking experience in the North Water Street lot this weekend (the Imax Theatre lot). I went down to Donovan's on Friday night with a group of friends for dinner and drinks, and paid my $5 for the maximum parking in the lot. As a group, we spent over $700 at Donovan's. Because I had too much to drink, I did what I though was the responsible thing, and did not drive home. First thing in the morning when I returned I had a $50 parking ticket on my car for overnight parking. I find that to be completely outrageous. The pay to park situation in South Norwalk is terrible to begin with in my opinion. I understand it is a large revenue source for the City of Norwalk, but it is also a deterrant to going down to SoNo to spend money at the restaurants and retailers. But my larger problem is to punish someone for being responsible. With the effort the police department makes to crack down on drinking and driving in an area of large alcohol consumption, to fine people $50 for not drinking and driving seems absurd. I learned two lessons on Saturday morning...if I had driven home drunk I would not have gotten a ticket, or if I went to Westport where you can park for free and leave your car overnight, I could have spent $700 there. I'm sure the latter is not something the business people of South Norwalk would like to hear. Lastly, a $50 fine for this offense seems awfully excessive as well. Where many of the fines in South Norwalk are $25, for this to be $50 seems out of proportion. I understand the idea is to make plowing easier, however, with the exception of maybe 7-10 nights a year, that is completely irrelevant. I think this is a very poorly thought out rule, that completely disregards the reality that a large part of SoNo's income is based on drinking. I can promise I will not be returning down there, and I will encourage others to not bring their business there as well, as long as this stays in place. '

This was my responce:


'As a commissioner of the Second Taxing District I am responsible for the municipal electric and water department of the Second Taxing District only, so as a commissioner I have no control over what the city does, but I am appalled at what has happen to you. Therefore, I have forwarded this e-mail to the following common council persons for some kind of action to be done on their part. I have also forwarded it to the mayor and suggest that you contact the press to get involved. I applaud you on your choice to not drive that night, and wish that I had an answer for you right now. Just know that YOU did the right thing, but the city let you down. Any question or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me again.'

Well, what do you think?

It's snowing! It's snowing!

After not getting even a drop of snow starting Saturday, when DC ended up getting 2 1/2 feet, I figured we would NEVER get snow. Even when NJ got so much, my husband's job didn't get a drop either, and he works in NJ, just up by NYC, I was sure that someone just didn't like us. But then Mike, who actually watches the weather channel for stuff that only experts would understand, when he got excited about the weather coming, I got nervous. What if we lost our power, would there be enough wood for the fireplace close enough for Mike to get? What about the cell phones, were they charges? What about.. I kept thinking and checking to make sure if the worst happen we would be prepared. It didn't start snowing much till 3:00 am, Mike got up at 4:30 am and it was snowing good. He worked from home and he would tell the boys what to except in the next couple of hours, and it would happen. All day long! As of now, it's still snowing, we should get about 16 inches, as we had 8 inches at 5 pm & they are calling for JUST Fairfield county to get 16 inches, ever other county might only get 4 to 6 inches. The first time this year that we got more snow than any other county in CT. Wonder how everyone else is doing today?

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Middletown Powerplant Explosion

When I saw the news this morning I got scared. See, we lived near TMI (Three Mile Island) and I was afraid that it might be a nuclear melt down all over again. Until I found out it was the gas line going into an electrical plant I kept changing the channel to get more info. Believe it or not, the internet was more of a source of info than any of the news media. Isn't it strange that my computer had more info than tv. What is this world coming to, what must the world be coming to? I pity the lower man who does not have access to our new (?) way of communications. I'm afraid that they will be lost in the shuffle, what do you think?

Friday, February 5, 2010

Psychic or ???

Last night I had a phone reading by a world renowned psychic and it was almost a mean reading. He said that I was very angry, had been like that for almost 10 years. That I had a feeling of hopelessness around me. Said that my sister or my daughter or a someone coming back into my life who was like a sister to me. That the last 3 yrs or 36 months have made me worst. It was funny as ahead of time I was supposed to give him my birthday and special 3 numbers, and then he never even wanted them. He did say that he didn't see me dying any time soon (Good) but other than that I went away thinking that if he were so good, why did he get me so wrong? He did think that I must be old, after I told him that I had a stroke in '91, he started talking about my listening to the diet that the doctor had put me on (wrong) and about diabetics and taking the medicine and eating only what the doctor told me to eat (wrong again). Since my doctors won't put me on a diet, that can't be right. And, diabetics is not in our family (well my brother has it, but he is the only one in my family history) I am now wondering what the psychic business is all about. Any ideas?


Update: My brother called and told me that he did not have diabetes, so even that was wrong!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

I have a question..

I have a question, do you want to get your electric at a cheaper rate? Seems that some guy from Ontario, CA thought he would be able to help me, here in Norwalk, CT. It didn't matter that we don't need electricity at a cheaper rate, as we, the 2nd Taxing District, have a municipal electric company which sells it's electricity at the cheapest rate in the state, no he just kept talking. It's like the people trying to sell to us never listen, they just keep reading!

Then this evening the phone rang and I went to answer it and the caller ID said 'It is a fraud'! I was so surprised, realized that even the phone company knows that it will be a person trying to sell me something that is a fraud. If they know this, why can't they block the calls or something like that?

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Honorable Susan Bysiewicz, Secretary of State

In case you were not aware, our Secretary of State, Susan Bysiewicz wants to run for Attorney General. But, there in lies the problem. As someone wanting to run for any office, they first have to meet the qualification, right? And it seems that Susan has not be an working attorney for 10 years, as required by the law set up in CT. She says that she has been working as the Secretary of State on attorney matters, but she has not done what the letter of the law wants. So is she in or out? She says she is in, but anyone running against her can use this to their advantage, so what does this say about our secretary of state? Someone who will run for anything, but then always settle for the position that she already has?