Kayakers Dream!!!

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I love my kayak. I fell in love on my Very First Trip. Then, realized, haveng "extra" kayaks around, isn't a bad idea.. I would LOVE to add a Sit On, or, a rack for my car! I think signing up for this is worth every second. It didn't Say "write a blog" ... and... I'm sure odds are steep, but, it would be cool to win OR know someone who wins!!

Justice!

Well... finally. Someone with compassion and understanding. I had started Cannabis Training University in October 2016. I had 12 months to complete the courses, and take a 6 section Master Exam. 

The program was still pretty new, and, updating pretty regularly at the time I originally took the course. There were times, I couldn't access the site, and times when it just didn't behave correctly, and, I truly Believed I had Completed the course to specifications,  and was disturbed that, first, it took me over 6 minths to find Anyone who could Even Locate my credentials. Once located, I was told, I had not completed the Master Exam. I was absolutely deflated. I complained a bit,  and, was going to re-start the course. 

When I Originally took it, I paid $149, and received a "free" Magic Butter machine. Today, the course is $249, on a special, with no mention of a butter machine or anything else. When I saw that, I decided to email them One More Time. I have the tablet, with all the stuff they DON'T have on it, that is Not connected to the net, so, it's there. Time, dates, scores, All of it. I also mentioned that I do have the payment receipt available and Nothing to show for it. I'm Willing to pay $100, but, not $249. 

I must have said Somethjng right. I received an email, within hours, that, they found my account, but, I needed to complete 2 sections, and 5 more parts of the exam. And, for the troubles, I was getting 90 days access, to do so. I was Very grateful,  as, I really need this certificate, and, am not able to pay THAT MUCH for it. 

That was on April 15th, yes, just 3 days ago. I completed the master exam around 4am today. I have not been This Happy in quite a few years!! 

Thanks for reading!

Billie- Cannabis Queen

Yes, More About My Teeth

Ok. My first blog, as well as the second, were rather scattered thought and over excitement for what the Pissibility of the Near Furure holds. I Believe, my overall health WILL improve, once this poison is eradicated from my body.

With more research into my Actual Situation, I have a better idea of how to ask what it is I am asking for. Fiirstly, I want to Thank those who pushed, and helped to get me this far. I'll not list names, Each know who they are. 

I wanted a Bit more specific information, so I can put together my ideas, and, see who would be interested in what. I now know, the dentures will be around $418 top, $418 bottom. My dentist is doing the dentures, starting 6 weeks After I have the extraction. My Only regret, is, I didn't get it done in the winter. But, once done, I Believe, I'll be Even More "Human" again.

I know, I'll pay All Labs, 100% of fees. Extraction, I still don't know, how much the fees will be, not Even a ballpark figure. It will be surgical, due to other health conditions. And, the surgeon's fees, differ from My dentist. 

One question I keep encountering is "don't you have medicaid? Why not" 

I can only say No. And, I've Been trying to get medicaid for about 5 years,... with Zero approval. It IS a Personal issue, and, I  AM looking into a "change of venue"... as, it isn't at the higher levels, but, I can't even go higher, due to conflict of interest. That IS the law. 

I am a pool shooter, so, my First thought, pool tournament. My question is, Would people come out to play? Would a Trophy suffice as opposed to cash for winning? 

Should I set up an account, to deposit any monies into, for the dentist And Surgeon? A family member mentioned a "go-fund-me" page. I know Nothing about how they work, nor, how to set it up. 

I also am willing to auction paintings, my own art. Or, create items. I make photo albums, and books of All kinds. I make cards and stationary sets. I do vinyl work - on Any surface. 

I'm just curious, how to best set up Something. To Get dental coverage, would require 2 years of $50/month payments, so an extraction would only cost me 50%, and replacements, I would pay 75%. Well, that isn't going to work. I don't have 2 years to pay That, Then, pay half or more for the procedure. I don't dare Push waiting for 2 years.

So. I guess, I'm wondering, Anyone who May help out, donate, what have you... what would YOU be most comfortable doing. This isn't a small request... that, I know. But, it IS Necessary.

Thank you for your time

Sincerely 

Billie

Pain Rules Sleep and More

Having the multiple disorders I have. I am no stranger to pain. However, my pain has been Very Well controlled with the help of my doctor's and use of medical marijuana products. In just a few years time, once I was Correctly Diagnosed... and treated. My prescription count, went from some 18-22 Different medications per day, to just 4. At one point... I had an Addition to my prescription list, when I was on All of the mass quantity, that, when I began feeling odd, I called the pharmacist first (pharmacist's are a Very Good first step, they can answer questions about medications quicker, than getting to a physician, and, prescriptions as well as interactions Are Their specialties) He apologetically said, "I can't really say one is causing an issue Over another, But, you are on Too many contradictory medications. It isn't safe" 

Fast forward to now. I'm sleeping 2-3 hours at a time. Depends on the pain in my face. I have 16 teeth, and 2 areas with fragments below the gumline, but all are broken. On the Up Side... the roots are All fairly straight. Nothing is wrapped around my jaw or tangled. In fact. Although Aspen Dental Insisted they REQUIRED surgery, 4+ years ago, they Simply wanted the extra money. 

They explained, regular extraction WAS $50/tooth, and Surgical removal WAS $150/tooth. At the time, I had 18 teeth. Maybe 20. They said they could pull 2 only, so, they would Only do them surgically,  tgey would All be surgical. 

Before dentures, they quoted me $6500, as a 220% Below poverished, single woman, on disability. Not Exactly the Commercial on TV, is it. It was a Major wasted day. 70 miles 1 way. 2 hours of bullshit, and, applying for credit I Knew I wasn't going to qualify for. 

Then, I go to a more local office. And, the dentist knows I have no insurance, no state aid, nothing. No Guarantee of Any pay by me. Yet. He sees me, sets up a Very Detailed x-ray, and physical exam. With the Utmost care and gentleness,  and Emails the referral I need to the surgeon. All, for less than the price of 4 gallons of gas. He takes me as a new patient, and, tells me... The ONLY reason he won't pull them, right there, in his office, is my Other Medical issues. Thyroid cancer, Graves, RA, Psoriasis, Fibromyalgia... but, Otherwise, they would come out easily, Except for the 2 that broke Off below the gumline. 

I guess, what I am saying is, before you go to some place, like "Aspen Dental" ... maybe look in places you may have been disappearing in the past. Aspen dental, doesn't care about Anything but the bottom line. Why offer me what I could afford? I Could be Done with this... if they had Not Lied about the necessity of surgery. I Didn't Have cancer then. That is Clear. 

Regardless. Daily. I remind myself, once they are out, and it's been a few days, the worst will be over. I haven't been able to craft too much. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a couple of books done, and a few newer paintings. I'm hoping to auction them off to help pay for At Least Some of this. The financial part HAS ALWAYS held me back 100%. The Straight Anxiety involved, plays a Real close second.

Again. Thank you for reading. Feel free to share my late night rambles... 

B.

Asking For Help Please Read, and leave a comment

Ok. I don't even know How to do this. I am not good at asking for help, nor, am I very good at Accepting help. 

Today, I find myself in a situation, that leaves me no choice.

For those who are around me, locally. And, those who know me well, you'll know how difficult this is for me. 

I've spent my life with illnesses that are just beginning to be Slightly understood. And, some, barely recognized. This is because I  have multiple autoimmune diseases, as well as, everyday aging, and life in general. 

Now. I have reached a point, where I need a hand, or a Few. 

For those who are confused. My teeth are bad due to inflammation from multiple autoimmune disorders. Swelling and returning to correct size, using the "whitening" toothpastes of the 90s', only to find, those were damaging the enamel, making my teeth More vulnerable, has created a now Serious health threat.

I am asking, if anyone would join a pool tournament, a dinner of some kind, I am willing to auction paintings, wood and vinyl signs, card sets, memory albums, journals, junk journals. Or, if You have any ideas. Anything to help me raise moneys to pay for this procedure. 

I'm using Baldwin Family Medical Dentist, and, a referral to an orthodontic surgeon, hopefully, I will be scheduled for extraction in the next 2 weeks. 

So. I guess, I'm asking my friends/family, if they would be interested in helping me with this. 

I understand times are hard, and, what I am asking is no small request. I would like All of you to understand, it's ok, understandable... if you can not help. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Sincerely

Billie

New Blog for New Life

Things are never certain. Nothing. Not work, love, children, housing, food, sleep, even taxes..... in today's society.

Yes. I am Still disabled. And, no, I'm not happy with our current president, but, I'm Also NOT INTERESTED in the smoke and mirrors on BOTH SIDES of the government. If this country worked on the "barter and trade system" people would become Real Equal Statistically, as they Really are. Picture a world, where the "Trump's" Earned their money. Just an Easy Example. Unfortunately, for about 25 years, only the "priveledged" have been in any power position. Barter and Trade would change Many Things. 

It is unfortunate. If you want to "Make America Great Again"... you First need Human Values. People need to be viewed as People, Not Numbers. Not "advantages". Not "power". 

What's wrong with today? MY Opinion. To much, "you owe me", to little, "you did it, you fix it", to little, "poor baby, it's not Your fault". To much, "heroin treated by synthetic heroin" to little "honesty, compassion, and tough love". To much, "We will let you camp for a $, and Do illegal drugs, with staff on hand to revive you, so you can stay all 5 days", to little, "drugs are illegal, don't do them". To much, "mom and dad want to be Friends with their kids", to little,"authorative parenting". To much, "I'm sorry I grounded you because you are 7 and Misusing your cell or tablet", to little, "learn to read and write before you surf the internet".

Well. I guess technological has become the most Evil part of today. Parents, who don't parent. Cops who Don't do Anything. And, I MEAN That. I've been watching people get away with attempted murder, drug abuse (and, I am Not talking about Anything Less than heroin), drunk driving (especially local officers). And, that's just the beginning. You would Think, in today's society .... these things wouldn't be an issue in a "small town" ... how big is 8000 people? 

I guess, when 2000 are Wealthy And Crooked... there isn't much the other 6k will do. It's unfortunate.

What do You Think?

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I don't like Jelly Fish

With an hour to kill before I get my son up for school, here I sit wide awake again. I have things I need to do today, but my day will likely be split into shifts. I actually like the 3rd shift life in the winter, but in the summer, I want to be at the lake from about 2 in the afternoon until dark! It's snowing right now, not that I'm surprised! It's Michigan.... meteorologists here have a very difficult job. I have watched four seasons happen in one week here! It's pretty crazy really. One summer, we'll barely hit 70 degrees, the next, it's 100 every day!
I love Lake Michigan! I always have. When I was little we lived just a few miles from a small lake, Hamlin Lake. I spent a lot of time in the water. We were only about 15 minutes from the Ludington City Beach and down the road from the sand dune beaches know to locals as 1st and 2nd curve. When I was a kid, we could have fires on the beach. The city put an end to that about 15 years ago.
Lake Michigan is beautiful. There's nothing better than hittin the beach with a grill and a radio and a few friends on a hot summer day. I've been to the ocean. I was in Cocoa Beach in 2009. I liked it, don't get me wrong, but I'm used to diving in and looking around. Not cool in the Ocean. Also, I have this crazy notion that I'll be in the water the one day that a shark decides to check out that particular area. Jelly fish frighten me as well. I've had two separate encounters with jelly fish. I don't know what kind they were, but I know I don't like not knowing what's in the water.
The first Jelly Fish incident occurred when I was about 13. We lived in Beaufort, South Carolina. We had been staying on the air station with my cousin while looking for housing. One day, my mom, my sister, and I went to a beach. We had no idea where we were going, we just found water on a map and went there. There were a bunch of parking places, but no one was around. There were a few signs with rules of the beach, no lifeguard on duty, nothing to alarming. We walk out on the beach, and the sand is black. I've never seen a black sand beach before, but hey, why not. The other thing I noticed was that the water was kind of red. Still, we decided to check it out.
All the way out, I'm thinking about the movie Jaws, and wondering what's under the red water that you can't see through..... Man did my eyes burn....
We were about chest deep in the water, when my mom noticed something in the water. She reached out in front of us and picked up this "ball" that was kinda clear with a pretty purple color like a super bounce ball kind of thing. I was walking over to look at what she had grabbed and she said, "Ick, it's slimy!" and dropped it in the water. Once in the water, it began to swim away!! My mother had picked up a Jelly fish approximately 2 inches around! That was it for me. I got out of that water faster than I thought I could. I didn't go back to the ocean after that, not until '09. I found out later that the black sand was due to high concentration of iron.
Cocoa Beach is very similar to Ludington Beach. Our beach goes for at least 60 miles without stopping. You can be on sugar sand and water for at least 3 towns without a break in the water.It's fresh water that is almost always clear. Blue or green like it should be. It's cold, but you get used to that part. We have waves, we have sun, we just don't have sharks or jelly fish.
When we were in Cocoa Beach, I thought, I'm gonna go in that water. It was a wavy day, people were swimming and surfing and collecting sea shells. I got about calf deep, and that was it. I just couldn't do it. In the back of my mind, I become part of a big bowl of soup the second I step into the ocean. Yes, I know it's crazy, but it's just a cold hard fact. I am a chicken shit when it comes to the ocean.
Managed to stay in the water for about 40 minutes or so, but then it happened. My niece was walking on the beach just out of the water. She starts yelling at me, "Aunt Billie, come here! What is this thing?" I go over to what she is looking at, sure enough, Jelly fish. This one was different though. It was long. It almost reminded me of a mushroom with long skinny tentacles, but it was clear. Then I noticed a little "bubble" wash up on the beach, it had a purple ring with little pink "fingers" coming off of it. Almost like an eye with pink lashes. As we walked away from those two, I noticed more and more washing up on the beach, we got the kids and left. I just don't know anything about them. The only thing I know is Jelly fish are not to be played with. I don't know if it was dead or alive. I don't have any desire to swim in the ocean. I would love to go on a fishing trip though :)