Crickets and Frogs and Thunderstorms, Oh My!

I'm sitting up against my pillow in bed, listening to the quiet hum of the ceiling fan, accompanied by crickets in the background, frogs in the foreground, and the echoes of a recent thunderstorm in my memory.


It's one of those hot, humid, August evenings in the south. I have an air conditioner, but I choose not to run it so I can enjoy the late night sounds with which nature serenades me tonight.


I have so much to blog about, and yet I'm so sleepy. I really want to share the details of my recent trip to MA where I reconnected with my uncle and his husband and attended my 87-year-old grandfather's wedding. Wow. What an amazing trip, for an even more amazing event! Most people attend their grandfather's funeral at 87, yet I am fortunate enough to have a grandfather who is not only alive at 87, but vibrant and starting a whole new life!


I have many projects going right now which I must keep up with in order to pay the bills, so I'm finding it difficult to find the time to blog as much as I'd like, but hopefully I'll be caught up soon with work and can begin to then get caught up on the blogging.


There are so many interesting things happening in my life right now. A lot of my friends and family are going through changes as well.


In addition to the recent wedding in the family, I have a friend (Julie, whom I blogged about in an earlier post) who has recently lost her mother after years of caring for her every need as she lay helpless in a hospital bed in the living room. Her son, his pregnant girlfriend, and her two kids also recently moved out into their new apartment. Julie's diabetes ("diabetus" for @WhyIsDaddyCrying - a Twitter buddy) is starting to worsen.


Julie tells me she's sleeping a lot. She says that's all she wants to do, and that isn't like her. I see two things at work here. First, she's not had the opportunity to sleep like a normal person ought to be able to for more than three years. Now that some of her responsibilities are lessened, she can finally get some much-needed rest. Second, I worry that she may also be suffering from situational depression. Her mother's death is still very recent, so that would be expected. However, I worry that she could sink into a deep depression. She has also been taking insulin UNPRESCRIBED left over from her mother (who was also a diabetic) because she says her sugar has been very high. Stress can do that. A variety of things can do that. But I will NOT let her continue this extremely dangerous practice of self-medicating with insulin!


Monday I'll be making an appointment for her to see a doctor, both a general practitioner and a psychiatrist. She doesn't have insurance and didn't think she could afford it, but I'm happy to say that I am in the same boat, yet have been able to get access to basic medical care through a sliding scale facility and have also led others to the same facility that provides basic care at rates anyone can afford, and I will now be doing the same for Julie.


So many people don't realize how many options are out there for the uninsured, and I hope to change that. Learning what has been going on with my dear friend has made me realize that steps must be taken to let people know there are better options besides self-medicating, whether it be with alcohol, crack, or insulin!


My dog ("Booger") continues to grow and learn and get into all kinds of trouble. He's so cute I can hardly stand it! I continue to edge ever closer to some very important goals, and I am at this moment so sleepy that I will be lucky if I get this uploaded before I fall asleep.


Lots on my mind, and hope to share more of my oh-so-interestingly crazy life with ya'll shortly!


A.