Voting for Mickey Mouse

I'm disappointed in Fairfax City, only 90% of them, not the people that got off their asses and actually voted last Tuesday. Only about 10% showed up to vote last week and that is a sobering statistic. We boast over 22,000 people live in the city and only about 2,300 people showed up to cast their ballots last Tuesday.

I am beginning to think that people just don't give a crap anymore. Plenty of opinions on politics, though. If political opinions were ever backed-up with actual votes, politicians might actually fear the populace and we might get a better pool of talent to pull from.

I consider that little "I Voted" sticker my license to bitch and renew it every few years regularly.

I decided to go to City Hall and take a look at the "Write-Ins" that those that DID take the time to go vote and voice their opinion. Its an interesting snapshot of the people that get out and vote and what is on their mind.

I found that even though he never declared he was running for office, or has EVER expressed any interest in politics, Mickey Mouse did well. He was written-in 3 times, that's equal to 30 votes had 100% of the population showed up to vote.

Donald Duck was also in the mix, he garnered two votes and another for School Board. Batman had a good showing, he got two votes. Sweeney Todd and Mark Twain got a vote, even though Twain is dead. I wonder if he was elected, how he might serve? Would one of those guys that dresses up like him and quotes him historically be able to serve? Sweeney Todd is a fictitious character. I wonder what that person think he would make a good councilman? Have you seen Sweeney Todd?

I am still trying to figure out who or what "C2BB1" is. That one has eluded me.

A new candidate made a splash this year, Ramsey the Cat garnered a couple of votes at one precinct but that could just be a glitch, so I don't take him seriously. He was unable to comment as he was in the cat box when asked for his opinion. I am sure he took a "Anti-Rodent" stance, so maybe those single-issue voters wanted to prop him up.

I would like to thank Kevin Linehan at City Hall for taking the time to how me the results from this past election cycle at Rasmussen House on the property of City Hall. His office is responsible for the voting process and how it is tabulated. He said any of these records are available for viewing by any citizen if they wish. I am glad to know he is at the helm of the process, I felt much better knowing that SOMEONE takes these things seriously and cares about the process. It certainly wasn't 90% of the citizens of the City of Fairfax. At least not this election cycle.

Corneal Abrasion

A week or so before the parents visited, I was playing with my kids and Emma grabbed my glasses off my face and then hit me in the eye, scratching my cornea. At first I thought it was just a poke in the eye, no big deal. But the pain persisted and by 8 o'clock it had become really intolerable.

I called my neighbor Eric and asked if he would dive me to one of those "Doc in a Box" places so they could look at it and see what was up. I went to the Fair Oaks walk-In clinic and they saw me in a few short minutes. The Doctor did identify that my was hurt so he gave me an eye drop that immediately numbed the eye - instant relief! Searing pain and within ten seconds, all good! It was unbelievable.

At that point I could open my eye and he could take a look. He couldn't get the violet light to work after he put the UV dye in so he just gave me some salve and said it would heal on its own.

Fast forward to three hours later and the numbing drop wore off. Really fast. Within ten minutes, I was once again in searing pain, awoken out of a dead sleep. I called my neighbor again and this time we went to the Emergency Room at Fair Oaks hospital. They were good because they got me an ice pack to put around my eye and got me a room (a bed with the curtains that is semi private) in a few minutes. The doctor came in and got me another numbing drop, which was sooo great. I can't explain to you how the pain felt, it was almost unbearable.

The doctors name was Dr. Doug Smith and he was really nice. He brought me back to the eye care room and put the dye in my eye and his UV light thing worked, unlike at the Doc-In-A-Box place, which was crucial because he was able to actually diagnose what was wrong. A corneal abrasion.

Really, really painful and it does have to heal on its own but you are going to need something to take the edge off the pain. This is key and is what the Doc-In-A-Box place missed.

A few days later I went to see an Opthalmologist and he said the pain is equivalent to child birth in terms of pain, to which my wife expressed some skepticism. The Opt Doc said he asked women who had been through both and they said the corneal abrasion was worse because the pain was unrelenting and childbirth was bad but you knew the end was coming so you knew that would pass.

I spent the next few days living the life of a drug addict; sleeping all day under the effects of Oxycodone. That stuff will screw you up. I was a mess. I couldn't form words in some cases and was a little edgy. That is no life I want to live so as soon as I could switch over to Advil and Tylenol I did it and left the rest of those pills in the bottle. I will never become a pill addict because I recognize wat it does to me that early during usage and want to avoid that.

 

I've never had my eye dilated for a few days but apparently there are drops for just that. The Opt Doc gave me some to speed the healing process and I looked funny (funnier than usual) for a few days.

Family Visit

I've been so busy lately that I realized I didn't write about the family visiting from all over. Mom, Dad and Kenny drove over from Oklahoma and Karen came up from Georgia for a few days to spend with us at the beginning of April.

We went out to eat every night, it was great! Mom and Dad don't get to enjoy a lot of restaurants because, let's face it, South East Oklahoma isn't known as the cultural center of fine dining. So we went to Marlin & Rays (Ruby Tuesdays seafood) restaurant and had a few drinks while we were there. I recommend the bacon-wrapped scallops and grilled shrimp on a stick. Mmm, mmm good.

Mom couldn't get enough of Emma, and she warmed up to her pretty quick. She also warmed up to Kenny but I think that was because he looks like me and she thought he was me. (Its so easy to fool babies!)

 

Jack thought Kenny was hilarious! I asked him if he thought I was funnier or if Uncle ken was and he said Kenny was funnier. I need to work on my material. Kenny just had fresher material.

 

We played "pass the Baby" at dinner the last night. Mom got her, then Karen, then Kate, Kenny and me as well.

 

Mom reading to Jack (Captain Underpants is his favorite)

 

Kenny and me goofing off. I made up some shirts that say "v1.0, v2.0 and v3.0 for Dad, me and jack to wear since we are all "John Goodyears". Kenny got a "v2.1".

 

Dad got the new iPad and brought it along for the trip. He was busy trying to figure it out and use it. Jack gave him a fw pointers since he is an expert and knows the iPad pretty good because of mine. I think Dad go me that iPad for me as a test to see if he might like it.

It was a great trip and we all had a good time. It is always great to see the 'rents and the siblings.