DON'T WANT TO BE AN AMERICAN IDIOT

DON'T WANT A NATION UNDER THE NEW MANIA

CAN YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF HYSTERIA?

THE SUBLIMINAL MIND F*** AMERICA

i got home from work at 10 pm, exhausted because i worked all day and i have some sort of cold. after having a conversation with my dad (my second of the day) in which i got him to promise to let my mom do the work she had to do before she came to his room to sit with him, played ZED for five minutes while i reminded John that he had to change the kittly litter today (his sense of smell is impaired from his TBI, and he doesn't smell the fact that the litter needs to be changed, so he's on an every other day schedule), and eating peanut butter, matxo, and fat pill sanwiches for dinner (one fat pill), it was after 11pm. since there is nothing interesting to me on on Thursdays from 11-midnight (i've seen all the 'Crossing Jordan' reruns), i was channel-surfing. past MTV2, i found a channel called 'FuseTV', which had a show on from 11:30-midnight called 'Rebel Yell', in whih viewers voted daily for the top 5 rebellious-about-the government videos daily. several of my favorite artistes (Eminem, Rage Agaisnt the Machine) were in the top 5, and Green Day had the Number 1 Video with 'American Idiot'. i have that CD. finally, a show that i could sit on the couch and vegetate to.

WELCOME TO A NEW KIND OF TENSION

ALL ACROSS THE ALIENATION

WHERE EVERYTHING ISN'T MEANT TO BE O.K.

TELEVISION DREAMS OF TOMORROW

WE'RE NOT THE ONES LEFT TO FOLLOW

FOR THAT'S ENOUGH TO ARGUE

the last two weeks have been very busy. John started on his second round of neuropsych testing, John had his IME for the accident, and John's attorney got a new paralegal who actually called GEICO concerning all of the issues that i have raised with them in faxes and Fedexes for over a year. on Wednesday, his claims examiner, who is a department supervisor, actually called me, spoke to me concerning John's case, told me to fax him all of the documentsagian because he hadn't received them, and told me that OF COURSE i could handle John's case because John has a brain injury. this is from a person who has not called me back in a year who works for a company where the medical examiners do not speak to people once they are represented by an attorney and never speak to anyone except the actual person and not a proxy.

this claims examiner also told me that John had 'passed' his IME and tat GEICO was goin to cntinue to pay for is TBI as part as injuries sustained in the accident. i went with John to his IME, spoke to the neuron performing it, and gave him copies of John's abnormal MRI and his abnormal brain diffusion studies. i think that John 'passed' the IME for the following reasons:

1) i gave his history (John forgot most of it);

2) i gave copies of his abnormal test results;

3) i remembered John's meds and who was evaluating John;

4) the neuron figured out that i was a M.D.. he asked me, 'what type of medicine do you practice?';

5) we shared the neuron's political views. he talked almost as much about Cheney being indicted and having to resign, etc., as he talked about John's history.

i got an additional 8 weeks of PT because i made friends with the ortho peforming my IMEs. making friends with these people often works to your advantage. i always play my M.D. card when i'm in these situations.

MAYBE I AM THE FAGGOT AMERICA

I'M NOT PART OF THE REDNECK AGENDA

NOW EVERYBODY DO THE PROPAGANDA!

AND SING ALONG TO THE AGE OF PARANOIA

i have also been incredibly busy at work. i have had two Court evaluations to do, had to testify in one, and have just taken on a third. i got asked to do the last two evaluations because, when i had to testify, the judge, who is a few french fries short of a Happy Meal, made me sit in Court until 5:30 pm, thus necessitating me cancelling most of my patients and having to come in to see them the next day, when i was not scheduled to be in my office. the Court clerks like me (i like them as well,) and have told me that i am their favorite expert. they assign the experts, so to compensate for my ruined day, they have been assigning me to other cases.

it's nice to have friends.

WELCOME TO A NEW KIND OF TENSION

ALL ACROSS THE ALIENATION

WHERE EVERYTHING ISN'T MEANT TO BE O.K.

TELEVISION DREAMS OF TOMORROW

WE'RE NOT THE ONES LEFT TO FOLLOW

FOR THAT'S ENOUGH TO ARGUE

John bleached some white tee shirts and threw them in to a colored wash, forgetting that they had bleach on them. now, i have tie-dyed tee shirts. he also threw a standing lamp out, didn't tell me, and forgot that he threw it out; however, it's obvious that he threw it out because it's no longer in the house and it was in the basement a week ago Sunday. the lamp was broken, and i was going to give it to my super to try to fix it and to keep it if it were fixed, so it probably went that route anyway, because it wasn't in the trash standing outside. John has never done things like this before the accident, though, so i find these actions, shall we say, disconcerting. he also rebels about my having any control over his poorly thought-out actions which he then forgets. too darn bad-i won't have my life descend into total chaos. what if he threw out one of the cats? i have been trying to not get angry at him, and i'm really not angry at him, because it's not his fault.so he yells and screams and curses, i ignore him, he calms down and apologizes, and we go on as before. it seems to be working for now.

DON'T WANT TO BE AN AMERICAN IDIOT

ONE NATION CONTROLLED BY THE MEDIA

INFORMATION AGE OF HYSTERIA

CALLING OUT TO IDIOT AMERICA

speaking of acting out, my dad has been in rare form for the past several weeks. this is the first High Holy Day season that he remembers that he can't go to temple (it's actually been three), and he's *beep*. he thinks that his Rabbi should intuit that he needs a ramp in order to get into temple and build one without him asking for one just for him (the temple is trying to find funds so that they can do it.) he is now calling me twice a day to complain, usually about how i'm not coming to see him often enough and how my mom doesn't do what he wants her to do. my mom and i have told him that if he doesn't start acting like a human being soon, we will go to his doctor and ask him to prescribe antidepressants for my dad again, which my dad does not want (he is not only not senile, he is not crazy; we are all being disobedient because we're not giving him what he wants, and wants immediately, if not sooner.)

26. i must admit that i really do like having such a hectic life for a period of time. hectic makes life interesting.

27. (the Wellbutrin and Lexapro don't hurt)

WELCOME TO A NEW KIND OF TENSION

ALL ACROSS THE ALIENATION

WHERE EVERYTHING ISN'T MEANT TO BE O.K.

TELEVISION DREAMS OF TOMORROW

WE'RE NOT THE ONES LEFT TO FOLLOW

FOR THAT'S ENOUGH TO ARGUE

(with apologies to Green Day)