November 9, 2024
I need to write now more than ever, but I’m afraid of what I’m going to say. When Patti and I took our trip along Route 66, there were Trump signs almost every mile as we drove. We knew there was a huge section of America that ignored every horrible thing Trump did during his presidency. Now, the worst President in history has another chance to spread more misinformation and hate. My biggest problem during this time is seeing people rewarded for their horrible behavior. Republicans have always been the party of horrible people, but it seems to be the worst of the worst who have taken over.
November 20, 2024
It’s been over a week since I went to the throat doctor. The good news is I don’t have to have my first surgery of my life. My vocal cord polyp was even larger than the last time I saw it. The doctor asked me about the medications I was taking and figured out I wasn’t taking the right acid reducer. I was taking over-the-counter medication and following the directions, which said to take it for two weeks and stop. After a few days, I took another two weeks’ worth. The doctor wanted me to take it every day. He gave me a prescription to take for three months. After that time, I will go back to him and see how it is. Part of me just wanted to get it lasered off, but that would mean taking at least two weeks off from work to recover. I don’t feel any difference yet, but I’ll wait another week before I declare the prescription a failure.
I listened to a Brian Wilson autobiography recently. He was the composer of most of The Beach Boys’ music. His story is complex. He had mental health issues, addictions, and people in his life who abused him. The biggest negative influence in his life was his father. Hearing about him makes me appreciate my dad more. I enjoyed hearing about his musical process. It made me nostalgic for my music-making days. The number of songs I created could fill several albums if I had time to finish them. The polyp on my vocal cord only makes it worse that I can’t sing at all. I miss singing in the car the most, but that was partly why I have a polyp on my vocal cord to begin with.
November 23, 2024
I’m listening to an autobiography by Marina Abramović. If you know who she is, you know it is not an average autobiography. She is a Serbian conceptual and performance artist. I first saw her in a documentary called The Artist Is Present on HBO. Much of her art involves sitting or standing still for hours. She is not afraid to torture herself for art. Her story is not a laugh riot. I must take breaks from it to avoid slipping into depression. The happiest story she tells is about buying a house from a heroin addict and allowing him to live in the house. He eventually straightened himself out and got his family back. The book reminds me why I’ve mainly listened to comedians’ autobiographies.
Patti and I were going to go to Laughlin for Thanksgiving because we didn’t get invited anywhere, but we’re not doing that anymore. I think she couldn’t get a room. With my dietary restrictions, it wouldn’t be worth trying to eat Thanksgiving dinner together. I’ll probably just make my regular meal, and she bought a frozen turkey dinner to eat. Frankly, there are certain family members we wouldn’t want to see right now. Giving thanks is not something we feel like doing right now. America is going through a hateful renaissance we thought was in our past. Before I start talking hatefully myself, I will move on to something else.
People keep asking me whether my throat is getting better with the new medication. When I answer, I usually pause and say something about how I can’t really tell yet. My negative answer would be it feels the same. A more positive answer would be to point out that my voice doesn’t sound as gravelly as it did. Progress is happening, but it’s slow. The pills I take in the morning and at night hurt my stomach somewhat. It’s not a sharp pain, but I notice it after I’ve taken them, especially at night. Maybe the prescription strength is too much for me. My system will probably get used to it over time.
Thoughts from Life 
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