Giving Thanks

We are supposed to thank truckers, nurses, CNAs, and soldiers.
We are supposed to thank wait staff in the form of a 20-25% tip.

But, today I want to thank the unsung heroes.
The writers of satire sites that people take as fact.
the writers of quotes people were supposed to have said and didn't really.
the makers of memes that lie completely.

Why do I thank them?

They have made me a smarter, more informed person.

I learned Obamaphones are part of the Lifeline phone program signed into law by Ronald Reagan and was expanded into cellphones under George W. Bush.
That universal fee charge on your phone bill.
That is what that is.
Because when companies are made to pay for things, they make the consumer pay for it.

I learned that Will Rogers first used the term trickle down economics as derogatory.
Ronald Reagan spun it into a good thing for the people.

People are not sticking food up their vaginas or buttholes in Walmart.
No, I really did not have to research this.
But, I did check out News 8 Now and they are just one of many sites popping up with fake news.
I know some people know this is fake.
But, I also know too many people that share this stuff and seem to believe it is real.
Which is really sad that people will believe all that stuff.

Yes, I do look up quotes.
In more than one place.

I am tellin' you.
My noggin is so full of this stuff, one day it will explode.

I know guideline for EBT and TANF, which is known as foodstamps and a welfare check.
I know what Bt corn is. Bt is a toxin put into field corn annd it makes the stomachs of insects explode. Enjoy those corn chips.
I know what the fines are for the ACA and that you can be exempted.
I know that Jackie Kennedy hung that "Muslim" curtain in the white house.
I know that Hillary Clinton had flags during the DNC convention just like Donald Trump did at the RNC convention. Digital screens.

What does this mean?
Three things:

I spend too much of my time researching things.
People believe what they want to believe.
Some people like to start things.

And Life Goes On

But, if it has taught me anything, it is that I am a survivor.

A few weeks ago I went to the rheumatologist and got tried on another NSAID, which I reacted to badly.
I really don't do well on many meds.

My kidney function was also tested, and while the doctor deemed it satisfactory, it is lower than it should be for my age.

Since my husband has chronic kidney disease, I know a bit about lower kidney function.

So, I made the decision to try doing things the natural way.
Anti-inflammatory foods, supplements, the whole nine yards.
Doing stretches and moving a lot too.

Going cold turkey on the Meloxicam isn't working too well.
But, I have quit taking it every day.

The supplements are a work in progress because I am broke.
That's going to take longer to get everything I need.

I am sort of in a catch 22.
Inflammation can destroy tissue in the body, but the meds can do other damage.

I am looking into the low starch/no starch diet for ankylosing spondylitis and most everything I planted in the garden is a no-no for the no starch.
Of course.
And I don't know about testing everything for presence of starch.
Even sweet potatoes have too much starch and those are supposed to be anti-inflammatory.

In other news, my limp toward the loan finish line has slowed to a crawl.
But, dammit, I am going to make it.
4 payments, People!

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary August 29th and noticed it's a death magnet date.
The year we got married, Princess Diana died. Technically, her death date is the 30th, but our time it was still the 29th.
Last year my uncle died on our anniversary and this year it was Gene Wilder.
Makes me want to go back and see who else died on that date.

Honeyman, as I mentioned above, has chronic kidney disease.
Since Lisinopril is hard on kidneys, he got a different blood pressure med.
Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor, which is recommended to help kidney function.
But, Lisinopril can also be damaging to them.
I would never recommend anyone take that medicine. 

The worst part, is between the Lisinopril and his water pill, his blood pressure was good.
But, he can't take them and other bp meds either make him swell up or don't work so well.

Yeah, I got a fair amount of stress goin' on.

Here is me holding Coo Baby. I call her that because she coos when she is talked to.