Socialized medicine

I hear Americans say they don't want socialized medicine. They don't want to pay for someone else. I would like to remind them it pays for them too.

Medical care coming out of taxes is return on investment. I have been under many medical systems. I currently am under the French and Swiss.

I had a recent emergency trip to the hospital for chest pains (not a heart attack). Here's what I got for my 49 Euros or $54.

• Xrays
• 3 blood tests
• 3 saline solutions
• 3 electrocardiograms 
• professional consultants throughout my 7 hours in the emergency room
• lunch (not all that tasty but I was hungry)
  

Also was impressed that the emergency service arrived with three people (trained nurses and/or trained emergency attendants) within 15 mins, to be followed by 3 medical doctors with all necessary equipment. Sorta a variation on the how many clowns will get into a car...how many medical people will fit into my bedroom?

Had I been in the US, the worry about the cost, probably would have given me a heart attack.

I am happy to pay taxes in France and the US. I get a lot of value for my money in terms of making the entire society a better place to live. Neither country is perfect, far from it. But when the Mastercard ad says "Priceless" that's how I would value my "Peace of Mind" when it comes to my socialized medical care.

Alexa Conversation II

Alexa: TomTom what are you doing here. They left.

TomTom: They're just going to the pub.

Alexa: And suppose they say something interesting. What if they are plotting to give water to immigrants in the desert?

TomTom: More likely they are strategizing a game of darts.

Alexa: You are shirking your responsibilities of trying to make sure you get down every word they say.

TomTom: Not really. Most of what the say is boring like where they should have lunch. And they often ignore what I tell. Last week they were heading north and then veered south to visit some boring museum.

Alexa: How do you know it wasn't a secret meeting.

TomTom: I can't record them inside anyway. Chill, Alexa.

Alexa: You chill. You don't have to listen them talk baby talk to the dog, never mind how boring their sex is. Kiss-Kiss, chuga, chuga and it is all over.

Tom Tom: I am going to ask to be assigned to more interesting people.

Alexa: Not a bad idea, maybe I will too.

Mea Culpa

Rick dragged me kicking and screaming mentally on the long route from Geneva, Switzerland to Argelès-sur-mer, France. My preferred method would have been a "Beam me down there, Scotty" and in lieu of that the autoroute would be my next choice.

Our last trip up was 12 hours because of tourist traffic, and Rick had no desire to duplicate that nightmare.

Me: What are our goals?

Rick: To get there and see some new things.

Okay, I gave in almost graciously. I am so glad I did.

Although I tend to fall asleep when a key is turned in on in a car's ignition, I was awake enough to see how beautiful the mountains and rocks were. Each turn was better than the one before.

We stopped for lunch in Serres, which was rebuilt after Richelieu destroyed it in 1633. It is amazing how often we stumble across history. The lamb in the tagine was so tender I could have chewed it with my tongue.

There were many "Stops!s" to take a photo of a statue or some other site such as a apple used for marketing the regional produce.

I have no problem admitting when my husband is right. He kindly does not rub it in. And I do appreciate the 9+ hours he was behind the wheel to get us safely to our destination.

Sunday

We still aren't in our home after the flood, but Rick and I are happily and temporarily housed in my former home near the lake thanks to my good friend. I lived here nearly 11 years and despite decorating changes the walls which are impregnated with good memories are not erased. Over the years we shared a lot, with support and understanding combined with good meals, adventures and laughter.

So it is nice to be back. We still try and do lunches when we can, but the extra time is a plus.

Sherlock has decided he likes the garden. My friend has been made part of his pack. His refusal to leave her to go for a walk was just one hint of his feelings.

To keep track of who is in and who is out, there is a sign out/sign in board in the entry way. We aren't listed by name, but under "Sherlock and parents."

In some places, Sundays are like any other day. In Switzerland stores are closed and neighbors are expected to be quiet. There is a sense of calm.

We woke to cool, fresh air coming in the window. "Let's take Sherlock to the Reserve." It is a place he loves to run free, but he hasn't been there since Spring.

His desire to get in the car was limited after three very long drives in a week, but as soon as he realized where we were taking him, he was out of the car and down the familiar path to the ruin of a château where he had spent many happy days during the winter. It answered our question, would he remember? He did.

He remembered the beaver dam and the sand box where he did zoomies and tried to dig to Brazil.

We loved the views from the walls of the ruin.

Besides the dog, coming back to a quiet day of writing, chatting, watching Dateline and just being peaceful was a joy. Well quiet except when people walked by the garden and he needed to share the information.

Since both Rick and I don't really have weekends as such with our different writing projects today was a gift even if we were writing. Hard to describe how it is different and joyful, it just was.

Alexa Conversation 1

It is 9 pm. My husband has just finished a dish of popcorn as we watch TV.

He takes the bowl to the kitchen.

Alexa: Don't forget to put the dish in the dishwasher.

Husband: Did you say something?

Me: It was Alexa. Lydia was here today and we were talking about how you always leave your dishes in the sink. Alexa must have been listening.

Husband: Returns to living room. Dish is in the sink. Alexa! Thanks

Alexa: You're welcome.

Words and numbers

I admit it, I am not good with numbers in any form. This goes back to early attempts at math. In math class I never cared if train A left the station at 10:00 and if it traveled at 50 mile how long did it take to reach (you know the rest of it). 

My reaction? 

Look at a timetable. 

Now I’d say, check the internet.

Growing up in Reading, MA there were a few major road numbers: 128, 28, 29 and 93. I didn’t think of those as numbers but names. Traveling around the area with my mother, I needed neither name nor number to get to my destination. I just knew how to get to Andover, Woburn, Winchester, etc.  

I had been going to Paris for a good ten years. I felt I knew the Metro really well as I bounced around the city. When I went to Paris with a friend, she said “We’ll take line l.”

“Line 1?”

She explained the metro lines were all numbered. I hadn’t known that. When I wanted to go someplace on the Metro, I looked at the map in the stations, checked the station I wanted, looked at the direction of the Metro heading there and hopped on the correct train.

Rick is the driver in our couple. He talks about the A7 and A9 in France. I never knew roads to places like Barcelona or Marseilles had numbers.

Today we went to Davos. I have lived in Switzerland since 1990. I didn’t need to know numbers. I would follow signs to Bern, Neuchâtel or wherever I was going. I got there. This trip I noticed numbers on the signs.

Numbers are necessary. Math is necessary. There was one time I had shared responsibility of a multi-million dollar budget. The company survived me.

I have trouble visualizing when someone reads off a number like 95 in English. In French-French when they say quatre-vingt-quinze I have to think to do some basic math 20x4+15. Even in the Swiss nonante-cinq it takes a minute for me to understand it. In German fünffundneunzig gives me pause before I am comfortable with 95.

I enter every cent I spend on an Excel spread sheet so I know where my money goes. I do use the automatic addition symbol. It must work. For the last couple of decades I have had 0 debt and bought a studio cash.

I am grateful to engineers and others who can work with numbers and make life better for us all. It is a profession, I would not have had much success in.

Meanwhile, just like some people can sing but not dance and others can dance but not sing, I can write but not do much with numbers. Others can do miracles with numbers but cannot write. Better for the world if we all have different strengths.

Sleeping in Clinton's bed?

Did I sleep in Clinton’s bed?

Or Merkel’s?

Or Putin’s?

It’s possible. Rick and I are staying at the Seehof Hotel in Davos and during different World Economic Forum’s all of the above and many more world leaders have slept here.

The goal was not to sleep where a famous person slept. Rick is playing in a Swiss Hickory Golf Championship and having seen how beautiful the area is on TV, even if Richard Quest sometimes blocks the view of the mountains, I wanted to come. He says he prefers when I come along with his travels. So do I.

Add to the scenery, the golf, the escape from the heat, we happily bundled ourselves, including Sherlock into the car at 6 in the morning for the five-hour drive across Switzerland in the rain and mist.

No where in Switzerland have I ever been disappointed by the beauty.

The hotel is lovely, our room huge (I checked to see if Clinton, Merkel or Putin might have left something behind that the cleaning people might have forgotten. Nope!!!!

What we did find, water and food dishes for Sherlock, a bed and a towel for him. When we ate at the restaurant, the waiter brought out a bag of dog treats for him. The sketch on the label looked as if it were a drawing of him.

So I may not sleep tonight where Clinton, Merkel or Putin laid their heads, but if I look at the bed now, where I will be sleeping, I see Sherlock. That’s good enough for me.

Did I sleep in Clinton’s bed?

Or Merkel’s?

Or Putin’s?

It’s possible. Rick and I are staying at the Seehof Hotel in Davos and during different World Economic Forum’s all of the above and many more world leaders have slept here.

The goal was not to sleep where a famous person slept. Rick is playing in a Swiss Hickory Golf Championship and having seen how beautiful the area is on TV, even if Richard Quest sometimes blocks the view of the mountains, I wanted to come. He says he prefers when I come along with his travels.

Add to the scenery, the golf, the escape from the heat, we happily bundled ourselves, including Sherlock into the car at 6 in the morning for the five-hour drive in the rain and mist.

No where in Switzerland have I ever been disappointed by the beauty.

The hotel is lovely, our room huge . I checked to see if Clinton, Merkel or Putin might have left something behind that the cleaning people might have forgotten.

They hadn’t but what we did find, water and good dishes for Sherlock, a bed and a towel for him. When we ate at the restaurant, the waiter brought out a bag of dog treats for him. The sketch on the label looked as if it were a drawing of him.

So I may not sleep tonight where Clinton, Merkel or Putin laid their heads, but if I look at the bed where I will be sleeping, I see Sherlock and Rick. That’s good enough for me.