Movin’ On Out

Well, the neighborhood just took an unexpected, but much hoped for, turn for the better.

Our troubled neighbors are moved out. It didn’t take long.

There were signs of movement yesterday, then today a moving truck pulled up and finished the deed.

I believe the owners were at the property as well.

They’ll be doing quite a bit of cleaning up in there, I’m sure.

Let’s hope the next neighbor doesn’t decide to open another meth lab.

Why You Shouldn’t Park on the Street

A couple weeks ago my cousin, Lisa, had her Grand Am parked outside her Henderson home next to the curb. Her car was parked legally, just like her highway patrol neighbor’s squad car. And her husband was out of town, visiting family up in Richfield.

In one moment her car went from minding its own business to being shoved, at around 40 miles an hour, up the side of the street and into the parked patrol car by some crazy man driver who wasn’t paying any attention while he drove on a residential street.

Lisa’s car was totaled; totally smashed-up in front and back. They’re waiting now on the insurance company to decide how much they’ll give them for it. And they’re working on finding a decent used Grand Am to replace hers.

So, I guess our street isn’t the only crazy street in Henderson. In fact, from what I hear people say, it’s happening everywhere.

Several of our troubled neighbor’s teenage residents have been seen packing up their cars with their things. Whether or not that means some of them are moving out, who knows. At least things have been pretty quite this week. Then again, it’s only Monday.

Large, Jumbo and Italian

Poor Dominic has been struggling with thrush (candidiasis of the mouth and throat; a fungal infection that occurs when there is overgrowth of candida fungu) this week. He has lots of white sores around his mouth.

Yesterday Vickey took him to the doctor to get a prescription. Our usual pediatrician wasn’t there, so one of his partners tended to Dominic.

He was examining Dominic and when he pulled his diaper down exclaimed, “Holy moley! Won’t he be the pride of the locker room?” (or something to that effect).

According to Vickey the doctor went on to say that Dominic is better endowed than most four and five year-old boys. Aren’t we proud parents.

And the doctor went on to say, “You know what they say, there’s large, jumbo and Italian.”

Now that’s funny!

The Morning Paper and the Metro SWAT Team

Ever wonder what it would feel like to be in a war zone? This morning I stepped outside to pick-up our morning paper only to be surrounded by a half-dozen armored vehicles with about eight SWAT team members on each vehicle. There were also a half-dozen or so unmarked police vehicles and armed officers parked alongside the street.

It was surreal being out there and watching the SWAT team, wearing bullet proof vests and helmets and toting machine guns, bust open the neighbor’s door (two doors down to the east) and enter their home.

If this was the first experience our neighborhood has had with the police and this particular neighbor, that would be one thing. But this is at least the third time an entire entourage of policemen have descended upon their home.

A single woman and several teenagers live there. Needless to say, they really don’t have their act together. Rumor has it that the last time the cops were there, and a do not cross police line was draped across their front yard for a couple days, a teenager was hauled out on a stretcher, headed for an autopsy, after overdosing on drugs. Before that there was a fire and part of the house burned.

So, even though we live in a nice neighborhood in Henderson, we’re feeling a bit like we’re living in a war zone. I’m sure those people could use some help. I’m just not sure how I feel about extending myself in this situation.

I am certain however, that I’m not fond of the environment they’re creating in our neighborhood...a place so many good families call home and in which so many young children are being raised.

Getting Old

You know you’re getting old when you start collecting health conditions.

Recently we dropped our Cobra insurance (hello expensive!) for a plan of our own.

After completing our health questionnaires, really just red flag tools for the insurance companies, we went through underwriting and received our new health insurance.

For several reasons, we decided to split-up the family’s coverage. Vickey and the kiddies are on one plan, and I’m on another.

For my coverage, no company would take me unless they charged way more than was reasonable or put a rider on my policy exempting them from covering either of my recurring prescriptions (did I mention how the health questionnaire was just a red flag generator?).

So, although we’ve got health insurance, I’m left to fend for myself for my acid reflux and cold sore symptoms. How cruel is that?

Still, we figured it out and we’ll be paying less by going 100% out-of-pocket on those meds than we would to secure complete coverage. Go figure!

Anyone interested in a career in the insurance industry? You can set your own hours and your own rules.

Weight Watchers Anonymous

I suppose by posting this blog, the title is really an oxymoron.

Regardless, I like the allusion to a group of overweight losers sitting around reciting, “My name is ________ (fill-in the blank), and I’m overweight.”

This is my first personal experience with the publicly traded Weight Watchers International, Inc. (I watched from the sidelines a couple years ago as Vickey succeeded in dropping her pregnancy weight after Eliana was born.) I’m the supportive husband and willing participant after gaining a few too many pounds with my poor eating and exercise habits over the past few years.

If I can get back to my college glory days (that would mean losing about 35 pounds) that’s fine by me. In fact, if I can drop 25 pounds I’ll consider this endeavor a success.

At any rate, today was our first weigh-in after the initial shock of paying up for the first 12 weeks (not too much of a shock to the pocketbook, about $115). Vickey got in free because she already met her lifetime goal and she’s excused because of the baby. I think she has a few more weeks to shed some pounds before she’s back on the pay-up treadmill.

I’m happy to report, for both of us, that we each lost about 3 pounds. I’d say that’s a pretty good start to this little program. Now we’ll see how we do next week with this new point driven diet.