The Merry Month of May

Lilac, May 2009.

May was a washout for writing.  I have a full life, even if it is currently fraught with facing fascism.  Here’s what was going on, which pulled me away from writing.

Health stuff

• Signed up for Medicare.  Thankfully this did not require any decision-making at this time.

• Outpatient “surgery” – diagnostic d&c, so not really any slicing and dicing – lab results were negative which is a big positive.  Recovery was smooth.  The most noticeable effect was a Toddler-in-Chief-sized bruise on my hand.

• Went to walk on the treadmill (before sciatica) and discovered it is broken.  I had been using the treadmill only about once or twice a month, for about 15 minutes at a time.  “Better than nothing!” I proclaim to the imaginary scolding doctor in my head.

But then toward the end of the month I ruined my health with…

Counterproductive physical activity

• Scrubbed every surface in the shower - mild sciatica.

• Two days, back to back, of massively intensive gardening, with the result of agonizing sciatica.  I planted eight types of perennials, and three kinds of annuals.

French horn pathways

Music

• Community Symphonic Band Concert - my son is in this band.  It’s always enjoyable.  And not very costly!

• River City Brass Band - phenomenal and very loud professional performing group.

• Church choir - we sang on Pentecost.

Activism and Civic Duty

• Church anti-racism team meeting

• Two School Board meetings (I try to attend every meeting, just to listen)

• Political meeting.  Whenever I say this, it reminds me of Gone With the Wind, when the men-folk have a “political meeting” to do violent racist stuff.  My political meeting is the opposite of that, and is not secret.

• Monthly informal gathering of politically like-minded people with no agenda.

• Staffing the political party tent at the County Election Satellite Office, nearby.

• Contacted my elected officials 17 times, mostly by phone.  Irate screed: 8 to Senator Bitcoin, 5 to Senator Failure.  Expressions of gratitude: 4 to my actually useful US Rep.

• Corresponded with voters in my precinct who had questions about the upcoming election.

• Town Council meeting (I just attended to listen.  Can’t usually make it to these meetings.)

• Election officer - a 15-hour work day of boredom on Election Day to ensure that everyone can vote.  Turnout was especially low this time, but the silver lining was that my party’s turnout exceeded the other’s turnout, even though there were no contested seats for my party and several contested seats for Party 2.

• Won my (uncontested) seat on the Party Committee.  Thank you, voters.

• Compiling and examining election data after our local primary election.

• Garden Party event at a local LGBTQ+ organization we wanted to find out more about.  We were impressed and will be supporting them as best we can.

• Township event recognizing veterans and first responders.  It should have included some kind of honoring for Memorial Day, but the event speakers only obliquely mentioned those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.  I don’t have the bandwidth to issue a criticism to the township for this. 

• Attended two local sidewalk rallies to object to all the crap dished out by the Orange Menace & his sycophants.

• A total of 76.5 hours of political/civic duty activity during May.  Oof.

Spiritual and Intellectual endeavors

• Church - weekly worship, a board meeting, a nominating committee meeting (I am practically useless on this committee)

• Synagogue - attended worship service recognizing our friends’ wedding anniversary

• Two book clubs

Family & household stuff

• Closed a bank account that was no longer needed.  It was this trip to the bank that showed me the sciatica was unmanageable.  I could barely drive home for the pain.

• Visited family in Ohio.

• 62 hours of paid work.

What were you up to in May, Dear Reader?