Dec. 21, 2002 - 22:55 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

HO HO HO HMO

The Grinch Shrub is in late bloom again. Seems that after a 5.4 percent cut in Medicare this year the administration decided that for the next year the cut will be another 4.4 percent. Already doctors and HMO's are backing off from treating Medicare patients. What the heck will 03 bring ?

Having known a person or two close enough who know the score, seems that the complications and bookwork, forms and reforms have been driving the medical profession bats already.

So what are the poor wandering sick elderly folk to do for medical treatment ? Can't find a doc or HMO who will handle the sick with ten foot tongs. Or will handle them outside of Medicare if they have the bucks to pay.

Oy vey, guess us old duffers will have to join some branch of the military or another in order to get our illnesses treated. That ought to be a bang up Gulf of Desperation War on illness.

Heather and I happily enjoyed the Denver Family Christmas Party held just before we leave for Oregon to celebrate Christmas there. I ate much more than usual, most of the things on the table were my favorites. Spiral cut baked ham, Heather made vegetable soup, tortilla rollups my grandson makes quite nicely, fresh vegetable dip type thingys, Frito "scoopers" chips and multiple dips. One of which is my special, guacamole. I ate a good portion of that, but the rest disappeared before folks were done eating. Next year, if avocados don't cost as much as their equal weight in gold I will double the recipe. Made me glow a bit that the women who are such good cooks went for my home brew guacamole.

I was able to do a one on one with each of my family at one time tonight or another. Each one of them are cognizant now of my heavy hearing loss and the confusion of noises cutting my ability to read one particular voice over another and seem to make a special effort to visit with me a bit. In between I hassle the grands and great grands, we speak the giggle, tickle and squirm language equally well and they are fluent in hugs too. So we had great fun.

My New Year's resolution (singular) is to not get sick in 2003 -- just can't afford the coocoo-pay. HO HO HO HMO . . . . . . . . .

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