An exciting week!

Friday, the last weekday of an exciting week. We’ve elected a new President, although he won’t take office until January. We’ve defeated two different gambling proposals. We’ve sent a message about taxes to the Maine Legislature by using a citizens’ initiative to repeal a huge tax increase passed by the Legislature last spring.

We’ve elected a new Legislature, although most of those elected served in the previous one. The Governor has announced big cuts are coming to the budget, both the current one and the next one, because the state’s economy isn’t bringing in enough money. Voters in many cities and towns have elected some new and some returning local representatives.

Many school districts have voted to consolidate in an attempt to save money even though many people haven’t seen how those savings will occur. Some school units voted not to consolidate because they say there will be no savings. Meanwhile, the Secretary of State has received petitions with enough signatures, if they all are verified, to force a vote to repeal the consolidation law.

The call to repeal that law is just one of several citizen initiatives that the new Legislature will have to face. Other petitions have been submitted calling for reform in health care insurance, cutting the excise tax on all vehicles and creating a moratorium on those taxes for so-called green cars, and attempting once again to create a Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, TABOR, now called TABOR II.

One round of events simply serves to begin another round, and the lives of all Mainers will once again be touched in one way or another.

My life is being touched today. I’ve mentioned in the past this is the season of prodding, poking, listening and examining for me as the several infirm parts of my innards get their annual inspections. Today I go through Part II of the cardiogram business. Part I, a regular electrocardiogram (EKG), was accomplished. As I predicted then, I would have to return for a more concentrated one called an echo EKG (EEKG). That’s been the way it is for the last seven years.

I have a heart disease and the pump function is rather low. Today’s test, and possibly even another next week, will determine if I will have an implant to help regulate the heart. If today’s test indicates such an implant is recommended, that conversation will begin next week.

The most important thing is Life Goes On!

The weekend returns tomorrow. The forecast says it could be a damp one but possibly with some sunshine so that will prevent our plans to do a leaf cleaning ride around the yard. This has been a big week for leaves dropping as our yard around the maples has as many leaves covering the ground today as we had before last weekend’s cleanup after a month of dropping.

If those showers are a reality, then there’s a good probability we’ll move our Village construction start up to this weekend and save Tuesday for the leaf cleanup. That is Gator Wife’s preference so that probably means that’s the plan.

GiM