Granny is on a bus somewhere in the vicinity of Washington, DC right now, on her way to lobby for Single Payer Health Care, before a rally in Upper Senate Park at 1pm, in an effort to counter millions of insurance industry lobbyist dollars with the voice of “the people,” and to celebrate Medicare’s 44th birthday. “The people” come to DC in buses, while the lobbyists arrive in stretch limos, trailed by busloads of money. I’m sure you’ve all heard about today’s activities, because they’re being so well covered by the media. Right? Or at least all the usual “progressive” outlets. Right? No?

So, here’s what Granny’s schedule is like. She worked yesterday, leaving the house at about 7:15am, and getting back home at around 8:00pm. The bus for DC left at midnight, and is scheduled to arrive at 8am, give or take. Then a day full of trying to talk to our congressional “representatives” (or at least their staff), a rally at the park, and then back on the bus at 6pm or so. If traffic isn’t too bad, they should get back here by, oh, 1am or so. Then it’s up and at ’em for work again Friday. She should be in a great mood by the end of the day. I think the dogs and I will just lay low, and try to stay out of the way.

I’m always kind of torn about these things. On the one hand, resistance seems futile. They ignored millions in the streets around the world when it came to invading Iraq, and I don’t get the feeling that the will of the people matters one whit to most of our public servants in Albany and DC when it’s up against millions of dollars in bribes from lobbyists. But, on the other hand, I think they want us to think it’s useless to try and do anything, so we’ll just shut up and take it.

“Here, here’s an iPhone. Go be happy playing with that, and leave the grownups alone.”

I admire people who really get into trying to do the big work, even if it seems like a Sisyphean struggle.

Speaking of Sisyphean struggles, our cool summer has finally turned hot and humid (no, not 116 degrees hot, thankfully, but too hot more my liking). Tuesday was one of the hotter days, and as I left work and began to trudge across that hot asphalt to my car, I noticed the front passenger tire was flatter than a pancake. Oh great.

Changing a tire in my work clothes in 90 degree heat and 90% humidity, after a long day of work didn’t seem very appealing to me. Fortunately, having been there, done that before, I keep a little air compressor in my trunk. So, I was able to pump up the tire and get it back home (good thing I live close, as I could hear the air rushing out, and it was damn near flat by the time I drove the 1.1 miles home).

Not feeling like dealing with it that night (and not wanting to put the crappy spare “donut” tire on), I decided to take my van to work yesterday instead (the one that just cost me $300 to fix). As I left at the end of the day, it was drizzling lightly, so the parking lot was wet, but not underneath the van. Except for a spot towards the back, and in the middle, where something was dripping. Groveling under, I could see (and smell) that the gas tank (which Granny had just filled the day before) was leaking. Oh goodie.

So, back home I went. I put some air in the car tire so I could get it into the garage, looked all over hell for my expensive floor jack (which has apparently disappeared), before using the crappy scissors jack that came with the car (sweating – and swearing – the whole time), yanked the tire off and ran it down to the tire store, and spent about $100 for a new tire, then went back home and put it on. And parked the van on my lawn, so as to kill the grass rather than the driveway.

So, now I have to deal with that. A quick look online tells me that a new gas tank will cost me $200 or so (assuming I put it in myself, which would be a royal pain in the ass). God only know what it’ll cost to have somebody else do it. I’m hoping it’s leaking at the seam, and I can get away with keeping it half full (or half empty, depending on your outlook on life).

This is at a time when I really need the damn van, too. Last weekend, I ripped the kitchen sink, base cabinets, and counter top out of the kitchen. I put a utility sink in temporarily, but life w/o a kitchen counter is a royal pain in the ass, and everything that was once in the cabinets is now scattered throughout the house. It sucks, and I need to go buy cabinets, plywood…well, lots of shit that won’t fit in my Hyundai.

Now, I’m not exactly a “Type A” personality. If I go to the grocery store and the post office on the same day, I consider it a major accomplishment. So I find having to deal with all this stuff while also going to work and being a good little citizen-taxpayer a bit overwhelming (I also have a bit of a “cheap” streak in me, and that doesn’t help either). All I really want to do right now is go back to bed.

But I guess I better go to work instead.