Neuropathy and me

A quiet day here. I went to the gym and did most of the usual exercises. But while I was there I asked the sports physiologist there with the Senior Wellness program, if there were any good exercises that would help me with my recent? problem with a loss of balance now and then. I always recover quickly and have never fallen but it was worrying me. The day before, I had gone to our doc for a 6 month visit and I mentioned this problem to him. He told me it was probably due to the neuropathy I was enjoying in my right foot. Neuropathy caused by my back surgeries. He thought I should visit the local hospital for their outpatient service dealing in just this problem. (This story is getting convoluted but that is how my mind works these days.) Anyway, I thought I would try the gym first and maybe get lucky with just the right exercise. No such luck, but the swim exercise coach gave me some exercises to do in the pool. Oh man! I tried walking heel to toe as she instructed and I was lucky that I had the floats in each hand to keep me from falling over in the water. Apparently, I have very poor balance in a situation like that. I practiced for half an hour and she said she would have more exercises for me on Monday. Oh boy! I can hardly wait...not.

Another new thing in my life is a very red car. I bought a Scion Xb; a box on wheels. A lot of research went into that purchase as I had to be able to get into the car without hitting my head and without descending into the depths of the seat. Also, no climbing up into the vehicle; I had to be able to open the door and sit. Almost all car failed my tests. The Scion and the Cube were the only two choices I had and the Cube of 2014 is the last model year to be sold in the US of A. So, it was the Scion, And I like it. It's quick and it's maneuverable; getting into a tight parking spot is very easy. Best of all is the fact that it's red. Fire engine red.

We just finished voting today and our ballots will go out in the mail tomorrow. It's a tough year for the progressive voter in this county. The Democratic candidate for Congress is being ignored by the California Democratic Committee as she dares to be a candidate in a very Red part of the state. No support at all. That's another reason why I left the Democratic Party 10 years ago. That and the fact that they embarrass Progressives with their near Republican attitude.

There are 2 candidates for our city council that are Tea Party candidates and I'm afraid one will win. She's running with public safety as the main thrust of her campaign. She will try her best to give the police even more in the upcoming contract negotiations. We can't afford the police we have now. Our retired police chief gets $200,000 a year for retirement. Which is what he made before retiring. Their pay and benefits rank in the top 25 cities in the state and we're only a town with a population just under 100,000. Dozens of much larger cities rank below us. It's a crime!

Of course all the Tea Party types carry on about how dangerous  it is to be a policeman and they deserve more money because they put their lives on the line. Baloney. The police unions have the best pr in the nation. A carpenter, working in commercial construction has a better chance of not coming home at night. There are dozens of other occupations that are more dangerous than the policeman's. But who cares if a carpenter dies? No headlines there. I get a little worked up about this issue as I was a carpenter/lather and I saw two killed on the job and many injured. Hanging over the side of a high rise and guiding a crane as it drops a panel into a place next to you and where you will weld the connections; that's dangerous.

I never should have written anything about the election. I vote but it is so depressing and so is writing about it.