Power’s out in the neighborhood. My options to amuse myself are to read, write or meditate. I read about three pages and then decide to write instead. That’s how much I don’t like reading.  If it’s not excellently written, I can’t stay focused…more about that another time. 

 

So here’s what life has been like in the past few days…. I contacted the Kaiser orthopedic surgeon to request a referral for acupuncture and massage, and his reply was that he didn’t think those things would be helpful with circulation, and they sometimes offer acupuncture for pain. Unfortunately he’s the gatekeeper of all referrals for me now. I’m also realizing that if I do need surgery at some point, I don’t want him to do it. I switched to Kaiser because I’m generally healthy, and didn’t want to be paying a lot for health insurance every month that I rarely access.   

 

Yesterday I discovered a private acupuncturist who lives on my street and does house calls. The treatment was excellent. I believe it helped get the blood flowing in and around my knee. I had more ease of motion after the session. Happy to pay out of pocket for a form of care I know works for my body, and doesn’t cut me open and remove parts. I want to keep as many of my parts as possible for as long as possible.

 

I also signed up to volunteer for the Bernie Sanders campaign. I started phone banking from home yesterday. I wish I’d figured out sooner that I could do it from home without having to go anywhere for training. All of the training is available via video and webinar. The technology makes it super easy to log in, make one call into the Bernie Dialer, and calls start happening. 

 

UPDATE: Power back on. Still writing. 

 

Where was I? 

 

Oh, thoughts about the Bernie Sanders campaign:

1. It really feels grass roots! 
2. Reminds me of the energy around the Go Go Gonzalez campaign.
3. Almost everyone I speak with supports Bernie, except one undecided guy who said he is only voting for His Lord Jesus Christ. He was fun to chat with. 
4. I love being able to be involved from home. 
5. Look forward to being able to get more involved in rallies, barnstorming and local events.
6. People are pumped! I love hearing people start chanting Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! when we are on the phone. 
7. I’ll start texting for Bernie tomorrow in addition to phone banking.
8. Organizers need places to stay in California. If you have an extra bed, you can help that way. If I could I would.

 

Yes, I’m still staying in doors and to myself. I’m walking with a brace, but my knee is really stiff. It’s going to take a while to get my strength back, and learn to walk properly. I start official physical therapy on Thursday. I haven’t left the house because I don’t want to have to deal with stairs, slopes, or needing to use a restroom. I’m also afraid to drive because the motion isn’t completely fluid in my right leg. Afraid. Fear, doubt, frustration, annoyance. Yeah, all that. 

 

What else am I doing to amuse myself? I went on Kiva and made three small loans. One is for a woman in El Salvador that is selling natural medicines, that other two loans are for women in India that are trying to raise money to have toilets installed in their homes. Now they trek into the fields to relieve themselves, which puts them at risk for poor sanitation, illness and molestation. I feel so privileged/blessed/lucky. It will be interesting to see how this process works. I’ve never participated in one of these micro-finance organizations, and it felt good to reach out to people who are struggling, know what they want, and ask for it.