The picture above is about two months old now - it was taken by the photographer who works with the day care center. Maya's face is still fairly rash red from the NG tube and tape that had been removed a month or so earlier.
So here it is almost Christmas. Brianna is getting so mature - Hanna Montana has captured her attention and is the latest fad for her. Maya seems to gravitate to Arial from "The Little Mermaid" as her own personal idol.
Maya has been fairly healthy, but we have discovered that her blood work indicates she is hypothyroid which she will have further work to determine if it is consistent and perhaps what the cause is. She also just developed a triple case of conjunctivitis, sinus infection and ear infection which the doc gave her amoxicillan for. That's the weak stuff but maybe it will work this time, we hope.
We are also trying to remove the "binky" steadily from Maya, and boy is she going through some miserable withdrawals. She chews on cup lids, straws, even her fingers and can cry pathetically for long periods without her binky. We let her have it to sleep and now when she's so uncomfortable from being sick.
So our house is being affected like the rest of America - I have lost my contract job and will soon be on unemployment. Looking for work is an exercise in masochism - all of my skills are valued at 1/3 what I am accustomed to making at them. I need to rework myself into something useful that doesn't require expensive schooling. Any ideas? Perhaps welding so that I can build bridges when the "Infrastructure" funds come through under Obama? I applied for the Census Bureau (coming up in 2010 - some jobs available now), aced the test so that I am qualified for the Supervisory level, but learned that pay tops out at $20/hr. I just finished making $32 for way less responsibility. That sucks. Jobs for PC techs without many levels of certifications and programming skills are at $10-16 per hour. Bad, bad. I really hope my case goes well with the State and I get my job back. That would be a very bright spot in a very bleak near-mid future.
Also many friends and family members have lost jobs, and the list grows daily. A good friend now has worked 2-3 jobs at a time for months, 75+ hours per week, and is still going to file for bankruptcy and her family is going through hell. A co-worker (former now) is about to file for bankruptcy. A good friend's new girlfriend has filed and has left CT to move in with him across the country to try to start fresh. It is hard to feel optimistic in these circumstances, but we must try and remember to have gratitude for what we DO still have and compassion for those who have less. Charity is more important now than ever, and we need to get used to a reworking of capitalism and what the American dream means after the investment economy has failed us.
Enough with my political diatribe. Take care this holiday season, treasure your friends and family and learn to appreciate the little things. And drop guilt - if you can't afford gifts, flat out declare it to the world (we have) and take control of your finances - giving to real charity when feasible. Please pray, meditate upon, project positive vibes toward, focus your will upon (whatever works) peace and happiness and a renewed hope and vision for humanity.
With love and best wishes for those who still have secure jobs, and better wishes for those that don't that something better will appear for you,
-Chris
