Your Tax Dollars At Work

Yesterday, I cooled my heels damn near all day, waiting while Logan had his leg taken apart and rebuilt. He's currently cooped up at the VA hospital, but at least he has a morphine pump, so every 6 minutes he can knock himself back out. From what I understand, knee surgery is exquisitely painful. 24 hours after the surgery, they made him get up and walk on it (with crutches, of course). He's not a happy camper.

The VA hospital is gargantuan, taking up approximately 4 - 5 city blocks square. The meandering of buildings is a rabbit warren inside. One employee I spoke to on an elevator said he lost 35 pounds his first 4 months working there. I was worn out when I got home.

I was dumbfounded by the size of the complex and the number of people awaiting (in various states of patience) services. Many of them seemed just a disability check away from being homeless, several seemed slightly schizophrenic, and most seemed forlorn and depressed. In spite of the soothing atmosphere, nice furnishings, and friendly volunteers, I went away with a vague feeling of hopelessness for the whole situation. We're currently creating a bumper crop of new veterans, and Logan tells me Congress still hasn't funded the VA in the budget. I can't think of anything witty to say about this. In my mind, it's outrageous. Even a Republican Senator, John McCain, thinks there is too much pork barrel spending in the budget:

http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Newscenter.ViewPressRelease&Content_id=1722

and lists several pro-veteran issues on his website:

http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Issues.ViewIssue&Issue_id=35

Odd, that I find myself agreeing with a Republican. But I guess as one grows older, one becomes more fiscally conservative. In any case, I don't hold out much hope for things getting better for Vets anytime soon.

The only amusing portion of the day was the ride home. I could not, for love nor money, get the driver's side door to shut. The latch is stuck in the closed position, and won't disengage in order to catch on the pall. So I drove home, 37 miles, with my arm out the window, holding the door shut. Today, I have an aching Flexor carpi radialis, and needless to say, I'm taking the car in to be repaired in the morning. Today, I rode to work with a Bungee cord holding the door shut. I am so saving up for a new car.