captain skippy's pirate hour #3

Ladies of my flist, may I beg a moment of your time? I have a small question.

How long do you have to wait to see a doctor for a yearly pelvic exam? I mean, when you pick up the phone and ask to schedule an appointment, how long will it be before the scheduled day rolls around?

See, a few days ago, I got a postcard in the mail from my ob-gyn office, reminding me that it was time for my yearly exam. So today I call to schedule an appointment. The receptionist asks me if I normally see Dr. C_____. I reply that I'm not picky, I'll see whoever's free (there are seven or eight doctors in the practice).

Today is September 30th. My appointment is for NOVEMBER 23RD.

My other option was sometime in mid-December. I don't recall the exact date; parts of my brain were already shutting down from the potent mixture of shock and rage.

So, is this some sort of common occurence, and I'm just clueless about ob-gyns? (Non-American flisters, I'd particularly like to hear from you lot, in the interest of comparison. Because right now, the next person to tell me socialised medicine is EVIL because of longer wait times is getting kicked in the nadgers.)

I've been trying to sketch/draw a bit more. I really miss doing art!

( assorted bookmarks )

( sketch vomit )

Now off to read the complete works of Dr. Seuss to the Pie...for the 19384181st time TODAY. *flop*

I usually keep the TV on while I work at night, for background noise after Pie's gone to bed. Tonight, Ovation was showing a special on the making of "The Phantom of the Opera" (the stage version) and I just had to witness that.

Man, I loved that show when I was about 14. Seriously, I lived and breathed it. Had I known what fandom was, POTO would have been my first fandom.

But looking at it 12 years later...damn, that's a lot of hilariously bad '80's cheese. And I'm very glad I didn't know what fandom was back then, because Phantom fans are crazypants.

( disjointed thoughts )

Well, after all that tl;dr, I will end by saying that I'd still lop off my left arm to be able to sing like that. :D

...Some dream of global peace; others dream of an end to poverty and hunger.

I simply dream of a world where I never have to listen to the crappy music of the car next to me at the stoplight.

In today's installment of American Tinhats, people are claiming that President Obama's televised address to schoolchildren next week won't be all about staying in school and studying hard - it'll be his method of indoctrinating the wee kiddos into his evil, godless, socialist ways*.

I'm actually having trouble dignifying that with a response that is anything more than LOLWUT.

And in today's installment of Reasons I'm Glad I Left the Catholic Church, the local archbishop has banned a nun from teaching because she supports women's ordination**. The below-the-belt part of me wants to know why women are verboten, but child abusers are a-ok. The more tactful part of me simply wishes to remind the Church that there is a gaping shortage of qualified priests in this country, and maybe allowing the clergy to be married, female, or both would prevent the Church from buckling under its own weight.

(See, back when priestly celibacy was first enforced, giving up sex was actually kinda worth it, as you got a sweet gig in return - an education, a job that didn't involve breaking your back in someone else's fields, a fair bit of money, and power and respect within the community. Now, you get low pay and parishoners who stifle yawns during your sermons, start getting twitchy around kickoff time, and happily ignore doctrine on on the other six days of the week. )

Also, my daughter was baptised by a woman, and has shown no signs of being more demonically inclined than your average toddler. Just sayin'.

Lastly, in today's installment of Badly Phrased Food Packaging:
( Wait, what? )

And now, off to bed. The weekend draws closer!


*Source #1.
**=Source #2.

So...am I the only person who found Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" to be...well, dull?

( more thoughts behind yon cut, includes spoilers for both Wicked and the first two Oz books )

Books I have liked recently: "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi (graphic novel of childhood during the Iranian Islamic Revolution); "Mistress of the Art of Death" by Ariana Franklin (think CSI meets "The Name of the Rose"), and "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins (not only a good YA read, but one of those stories I keep coming back to and thinking about, awaiting the sequel).

Why is it I can never write much about books I liked, but I can go on and on about ones I didn't? :/

( MY KID IS SO WEIRD )

There's lots of other stuff I want to get all wordy about, but I've just finished a giant trainwreck of a project at work and decent nights of sleep have been lacking, so I'ma be a Responsible Adult (TM) and get some rest.

Dear LJ, my hair is looking exceptionally cute today. Unfortunately, my good camera is at the shop for repairs, and my old camera tends to make every image look like 1950's television reception in the middle of a mountain range, so there is no way to capture lasting proof of the Cute Hair.

This is why I love having short hair. When it was long, I never had the time, talent, or inclination* to do more than basic upkeep. The idea of styling was laughable. And that was before I added a child to the equation. Now I can towel it dry, flip it upside down, apply some flexible-hold hairspray, and tousle it to my liking. NGL, it's totally a Lame Mom Haircut when unstyled, but the Cute Hair took three minutes to fix up.

I still long for wigs to be affordable and in fashion. Going from Tonksian spikes to Disney Princess waist-length tresses on a whim would be awesome.

At some point, I am going to attempt to be Thinky for responses to my health care rant last night. I'm not expecting success - I was talking with svalar_unnir until 2:30 tis morning. Then I totally meant to go to sleep, but made the fatal mistake of picking up The King of Attolia** in an attempt to read myself off to dreamland.

I clearly remember seeing a "4" on the clock before finally falling asleep.

And, of course, Pie wakes up every morning just after 8, and makes no exceptions for weekends.

*headdesk*

*Okay, I totally had - and still have - the time. I'd just rather use said time doing something other than styling my hair.
**Yeah, it's that good. If you read the series and don't end up loving the hell out of Eugenides, you have no soul. :D

Once again, who_anon and Twitter provide the answers, this time to the US healthcare debate:

RT @The_Arn The NHS helped the Doctor recover in Spearhead from Space, US healthcare killed one of him in the McGann movie #welovetheNHS.

Joking aside...well, I don't get into religious matters much, as I am the world's most lacksadaisical Episcopalian, but there's one thing that never fails to induce mindboggling rage in me. I loathe people who are ever so quick to parade their ~*Christian Values*~ when it comes to matters like gay marriage, but the moment anyone suggests offering a helping hand to the less fortunate, their noses go up and they start throwing out phrases like "personal responsibility!!!"

Read the book, people.

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed...For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?'

He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'

(That's Matthew 25:41-45, with a slight cut for my typing convenience.)

Access to basic health care is not a privilege. It should never, ever be dependent on one's income or station in life, and I see anyone who says otherwise as having a deplorable lack of compassion for their fellow people. And that's just my gut reason for supporting a national health plan. There are many more, completely logical, reasons for doing so, which I won't get into at this time, as it's already past midnight and I'm still recovering from a day off sick.

So, yeah. Just throwing that out there.

Say what you wil - having "Sesame Street" free on demand is proof of a loving God.

And, as promised, it's time for...
Jen's Summer Vacation Reading!


Which is actually more like "Books I Have Read at Some Point Since, Oh, May".


( Various Novels by Guy Gavriel Kay )

( Pride and Prejudice and Zombies )

( The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner )</lj-cut Holy crap, the Pie's been asleep for almost 3 hours. Long naps ftw!

So, back from vacation. Well, I've been back since Saturday, but just haven't done much on the internets besides marathon lurking.

( In Which Jen does a Typical Boring Vacation Picspam Tale )

Tune in next time for Jen's Summer Reading and Thoughts Thereon!

Ways You Know You've Been in Fandom Too Long, #81746:

When listening to the great big emotional climax scene of "The Phantom of the Opera", where the Phantom, Christine, and Raoul are singing their hearts out, your first thought is:

You know what would solve this whole mess? OT3, baby.


And yes, I'm alive. Most of my brain has been taken over by fretting about the upcoming family vacation, so I can't think of much more to say than a) I am still lurking and reading, even if I haven't commented in ages, and b) I live forever in envy of all of you who are at Azkatraz and/or have seen HBP!

Oh, yes, and my daughter remains the cutest being to walk the earth. :D

Things I have learned from "Top Gear" thus far:

1. Had David Tennant only worn a see-through top and batted his eyelashes, he'd have beaten Billie Piper's track time.

2. A Ford Fiesta is the preferred vehicle when being chased through a shopping mall by baddies in a Corvette.

3. NEVER EVER EVER goddamn EVER set foot in Alabama. Just DON'T.

I find it strange, a show about cars that can keep my interest. But then again, it seems to be a show about cars in the same way that "Mythbusters" is a show about science, and I find it hilarious when British men are good-natured assholes toward each other.

Also, my WTF moment of yesterday occurred when I was in the middle of work, and suddenly realised there was a song stuck in the back of my mind. And that song was "Take My Breath Away". Yes, the '80's pop ballad from "Top Gun". I haven't heard that song in YEARS. WTF, brain?

In book news, the book version of "Let the Right One In" = better, but more disturbing than the movie. Not recommended for those who squick easily.


...aaaaaaand I've just remembered why I hate living near the community pool. My daughter is napping and dumbass kids are screaming like someone's trying to murder them in cold blood. It is possible to have fun without shrieking, I promise!

So I FINALLY got around to seeing Prince Caspian. Yeah, yeah, behind the times, shut up. I just finished a bitch of a project at work, so I've taken the last two nights off. It's nice to be able to pay attention to a movie.

( bits of rambling...and perving )

And now, off to fight the good fight against sleep deprivation. *salutes*

Pie had a fantastic birthday!

( details for those tolerant of Proud Mommy rambles )

Now I am eating warmed-over spaghetti for dinner - at 10 pm - because up until now, I've been stuffed full of sugary cake and nervous energy.

...And I am wondering if, perhaps, I might get more enjoyment out of Pie's new building blocks than she will. 26 years old, and a set of wooden blocks reduces me to a dedicated amateur architect.

In other news, ( My kid, the next Doctor )

(Oh, and I TOTALLY pet me a shark. It was WICKED AWESOME. :DDDD)

( I can't believe it's been a whole year )

Yeah, it's her first birthday. I'm sitting here looking at old pictures and feeling nostalgic. WTF, self? Who gets misty-eyed over memories of labor?

We're taking her down to the aquarium to take in some fish and penguins and stingrays and stuff. I should pet a shark,Y/MFY?

Testing out the addition of DW to my Semagic crossposting mojo of doom.

Also, I have discovered THE SECRET OF MY LIFE:

You see, I am an insanely lucky person.

But all that luck is funneled into making unbelievably awesome shots in a game of Peggle.

*facepalm*

(Am tired. Coffee needs to start working now, plzkthx.)

ETA: YAY IT WORKED I am winner!

*sits down, has coffee*

Okay, I hopped on the InsaneJournal thing back when it was the Hot New Journaling Service, and now it's pretty much a mirror of the LJ, and I hardly go to IJ proper because almost everyone is still over here.

So...is Dreamwidth worth the fuss? I mean, I don't want to bother people with invite code requests if my account would just collect figurative dust.

Worth it? Yes? No? Cake? Death?



(I should really be asleep, as I have Way Too Many errands to run tomorrow, blargh.)

A few things that follow on my last entry...

First,
( The Pie Walks )

( New haircut )

( some more Pie cuteness )

And now, off to bed.

I have a fantastic husband. For an early Mother's Day gift, he gave me a new camera, as he knew mine was starting to die. :DDDDDD

In other news, it's been way too long since I've posted, so as a summary:

- The Pie can walk. And does walk. Everywhere, all the time.

- I got all my hair cut off, and find it hilarious when people notice there are 6+ inches missing from my hair and ask "did you get your hair cut?". The next time someone asks that, I am so tempted to answer "no, it just went north for the summer."

- Of all that President Obama has done in his term thus far, I love him most for pushing high-speed rail. I'm heading to Cleveland - and back - tomorrow for a baby shower and would dearly love a non-driving alternative. (I would totes use Amtrak, but there's no Cincy-Cleveland direct line, and the train comes through Cincy at 1 am. Much as I love train travel, I'm not going downtown in the middle of the night to catch a freakin' train.)

- I still haven't seen the Doctor Who Easter special. :(

- I did see "Let The Right One In", and thought it interesting

- I am working my way toward being a Peggle master

Lastly, there are few things funnier than seeing a pimped-out VW Beetle. Seriously, who puts a huge-ass spoiler on a Slug Bug?