Good Afternoon;
So I left here yesterday and went to the Starbucks and ran into my pal John Erby of Umbrella Radio, (and other ventures in the music and recording industry). We had a long conversation interspersed with a few breaks for coffee and reading and computer work, covering everything from music to the Internet to entrepreneurism to the crash of the jet carrying most of Poland's government.
is his website, 78 continuous hours of local musicians and music...FREE!!
CHECK IT OUT!
Again with the damn chirping and scratching and scraping....AND this morning one of the stupid fine feathered f*cks tumbles into the shed and I spend 10 minutes chasing it's avian ass down before I can toss a piece of cloth over it and shove it back out the gaping hole where the insulation fell away! As I am stuffing a piece of cardboard in the hole, another one craps on my hand and arm!!!
Anybody got a spare cat for rent?........LOL!
So I slept like crap last night even before the birdie B & E, and when I went to Prologue to meet Liz at 8:30 am. like I though we were supposed to meet, turns out it was 10:00 am., and I had an hour to kill before she showed up. Washed up, shaved, brushed my teeth, brushed them again, and yet again..(Cold Tuna Melt for breakfast..Thanks, Ashley.....LOL!), changed my socks and put the creme on the creeping crud that is colonizing my ankles, snagged a cup of watery coffee, and then we hit the road to Franklin Square Hospital and the offices of Health Care for the Homeless..(HCH)..where I had an anxiety attack and a nasty panic attack. The room felt as if it was contracting, and my mind felt as if it was being compressed within my skull. I wanted to break away and just run, no destination...ANYWHERE.....but there....!
I'm glad Liz was there, for a couple reasons. One...to have a witness, someone to testify on my behalf, that at times I DO become totally debilitated and dysfunctional because of them; and also because she was a familiar anchor that helped me to hang on and ride it out. If I had been there alone....well there is a good chance I would be either locked up, (in an observation room or an isolation cell, it's a 50/50 tossup), or in the process of pushing the plunger on a needle in my arm right about now. Yeah, it was that bad inside my head. I kept saying I don't like the way it feels inside my mind...I don't know if anyone knew how close to edge I was or not. I finally pulled it together just before the doctor came in...(and the examining room was not only overly warm, but must have spent it's previous life as a broom closet, i could literally stretch out my arms and hold back the walls from closing in.
I was asking Liz WHY are we actually here when the doctor came in, she, (and I cannot remember or pronounce her name, but it was African), was very kind and compassionate and competent, if a bit rushed due to the workload. The only thing different from my visit to JAI is that she suggested I STOP putting the creme on my legs, because she noticed the blood and scabs on my left leg from scratching at it in my sleep, she thought it may be some form of eczema, and I wasn't able to get my thoughts in order enough to explain, so I let it drop. I'll maybe cut down and try to moisturize as she suggested, but I am pretty sure it is fungal...from past experience. Other than that we talked about my blood pressure, (which the tech must again have screwed up on, saying it was 120/78, when it was 145/98....3 times!!...earlier.The main reason we had scheduled this appointment was that we had thought I had only the P.A.C. plan, and it would give more options and available resources. Well, now that we know that I have M.A. ...AND!?!...Supposedly?!? ...I can change providers at any time because I am homeless, I SHOULD...that is SHOULD be able to find care on this side of town. I am not going to spend 3 hours each way on buses to go to HCH, especially when the building and offices it is in are part of what triggered the attacks today. Liz is looking into this, and we are due to go to D.S.S. on Friday for re-certification of benefits, so more info MAY be available there.
I had another encounter with a connection with the past there too. Liz told me the person in charge of the social services information could tell us how to switch out of JAI to another HMO or PPO, his name is Carmen, and when Liz is speaking with him about me, he says "I know that name", having read the Baltimore Mag. story, AND having been a patron and friend of Funks and Janet the owner, I don't remember him, but we must have met.
That's one of the reasons this town is called 'Smalltimore'!
Liz offered to buy me lunch when we left HCH, which is near Golden Ring Mall, the site of the only DQ..(that's Dairy Queen for you non-aficionados of fine dining....lol) that I know of in the Baltimore area..(within 5 miles), but the tuna was still swimming around so I chose a Heath bar Blizzard....it was great but I'll pay for it......ooops excuse me...be right back....later.....(LOL!).
She dropped me off here and that's been my day so far. I did manage to make a date for breakfast with my old friend Mike, which I am looking forward to, it's been about....20 years or so I guess.
I'm heading out to the Starbucks and the back patio now.....
............Later Dave
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