Mysterious Benefactor

I had a bit of a shock today. Last week, I went to the opthamologist for an exam, and had to pay some on my account for some tests that I had run back in the winter. I was not given a follow-up exam that day, because I still owed on the last batch. It struck me odd, and I openly questioned, why Lasik surgery, a vanity procedure for the most part, could be had on time payments, when something necessary for me could not be paid for over time. I didn't have enough to pay for the $65 office visit that day, so I signed a promissory note that I would pay it within the next week. Today was the day to pay the piper.

The lady at the desk took my check, and entered the info into the computer. She made an odd frown, then looked up at me and said, "What is this payment for?" My visit last week. "What is your birthdate?" I told her. "Just a moment...I don't see a balance that you owe." But I owe that and a bunch more for previous tests. "I'll be right back", she said, and took my check with her to the back part of the office where the huge file cabinets are and conferred with another person back there out of my sight and earshot. She was gone about a minute.

When she returned, she handed my check back to me, and smiled. "Your bill is paid."

I was dumbfounded. No way. I have no medical insurance. How can this be? Who paid my bill? She smiled again, and said "We can't release that information." I asked one more time if she was sure she had the right account, and she assured me she did. I turned away, went into the restroom and cried for a good five minutes.

It's late at night now, and I still don't know who came to my rescue. It wasn't my ex-husband, although he continues to be very friendly with me, does not pay my bills. I asked my cousin, who would possibly do it, but he didn't know who my doctor was, and he denied it too. No one else knows the details that lives around here. If I find out, I'll put it here later. But, until then, thank you, whoever you might be. I will pay it forward when I can.

No Justice in TV Land

I'm really annoyed. The final decisions have been made by the networks about what shows stay and what go. Of course, the only show that I have been following, Blind Justice, is on the cancellation list.

It's not that some of us rabid fans haven't been campaigning in the show's behalf, because we have. The various internet forums dedicated to this show worked together to make Project 308, so named because the first episode of Blind Justice aired on March 8, 2005. People from Japan to the UK wrote ABC and Steven Bochco Productions to voice our support. I added a little extra "touch" to each of my letters and cards: I brailled something on each one. Surely someone noticed that? Not that it changed any minds.

Try as we did, though, it appears that it's more socially redeeming to watch Wife Swap or The Bachelor. Jiminy Christmas, what is with people?

Maybe they started out marketing this show to the wrong demographic. What started out as a pitch to the young male crowd soon was soon recognised as a show that appealed to women. The first shows had advertisements for macho trucks and erectile disfunction drugs, but the switch is almost complete as the season winds down, and we see ice cream and the Olive Garden pitched at us. They should have been running the promos during Oprah instead of the evening news.

Blind Justice replaced NYPD Blue in the Tuesday night time slot, against some stiff competition of Law & Order, SVU, and a lead in of The Amazing Race on competing networks. Factor in all the possibilities for watching something on one of the gazillion cable channels, and it's a wonder that Blind Justice had a snowball's chance in hell of even airing all 13 episodes.

The cast is great. The characters have begun to flesh out, make us care about them. The writing has been really good. Many issues have been raised that have sparked a lot of intelligent conversation. It's been interesting and fun. A lot of new friends have been made over the brief time we've all discussed how nasty Russo can be, and how sofa king cold Christie can be.

Man, I am going to miss this show.

Warped sense of humour

Some of the strangest things set me off. I was driving through Birmingham, Alabama, recently on the way home from a business trip. We had somehow gotten onto a truck route through a less than wonderful part of town, and it widened out into a bigger road through a row of non-descript buildings.

Emblazoned across the side of one of these was "Alabama Center for the Blind". Ok, not funny in itself, but in context. Plain brick building with absolutely no windows. I snickered. My friend who was riding shotgun looked at me like I was crazy. I elaborated on what I thought was funny. She was less than amused, I could tell. Oops. I just crossed the crass line.

Two blocks later, other side of the street. "Alabama Limb and Prosthetic Company". Hmm...do we have a pattern here?

A couple more blocks and a huge sign proclaims "Limp in....Leap out!" What the hell was this? A faith healing place?? It was an establishment that sold auto and truck springs. I lost it. I began to look for the street sign now, sure it would read "Gimp Alley" or some such. Ok, guess you had to be there. And be going on three hours sleep. Told you I'm warped. Forgive me.