A Restless Night

I certainly hope you folks slept a whole lot better than I did last night. Gator Golden was as restless as she’s ever been. A couple of wanders around the house by Gator Wife and me and looking out windows on all sides seeking a source for the restlessness resulted in nothing. Yet GG was up and down all night, wandering throughout the house.

She apparently climbed into GW’s chair sometime to look out the den window. Somehow she knocked the phone off the table. GW found it upside down with the receiver off the hook when she finally gave up the ghost and got up. I was the last one out of the room last night and that phone was in its proper place.

The dog jumped up on the bed a couple of time and literally threw herself against us. Again, looking around found no reason she should be so concerned. As a result, though, it was a very rough night in the Gator household. Both GW and I gave up trying to get any more rest earlier than usual this morning. As I jot this down, she’s napping in her chair, but she has to get ready to go to her part time job pretty soon.

I have an early morning doctor’s appointment, but that didn’t cause any nervousness to prevent my sleeping last night. This is the final of the annual doctor’s visits I’ve had ever since my double event back in 2001. This one is with the vascular surgeon who was arriving at the hospital the same time as I when my abdominal artery burst.

As a result of his operations, he found several aneurysms that needed correcting so they, too, wouldn’t burst. That’s the reason for my annual CT scan to make sure the stents (bypasses) are all working OK and not leaking. It also gives him a chance to see if I’ve developed any more of the little bubbles.

I’m not at all worried about this visit. I’ve felt nothing inside to indicate a problem and I’m sure if that scan had indicated any, the doctor would have called me in earlier. As I said, I’m reasonably sure that today’s visit had nothing to do with the overnight restlessness in our household.

By now, you’re probably thinking, “The old goat didn’t have anything to write about this morning.” You’d be right. There are continuing stories that intrigue me, but I’ve touched upon most of them over the past few weeks. The Maine Legislature is in deliberative and hearing mode right now listening to all the reasons why and why not various legislative pieces should be passed.

Residents of the state have tried two or three times in recent years to get some form of a Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights (TABOR) passed. A citizen initiated referendum a couple of years ago failed, primarily because opponents were able to convince voters of all the doom and gloom that would result. But another petition drive has once again sent a proposal to the Legislature and the taxation committee held a public hearing on it yesterday. I’d be surprised if it didn’t also go to the voters.

One of the leading proponents of TABOR last time around spoke yesterday. Mary Adams wasn’t involved in the current attempt, but her passion to reform spending in Maine hasn’t changed. She spoke at the hearing yesterday and urged lawmakers to pass the current bill themselves and not send it out to voters. She pointed out how the failed promises of the opponents last time around have not help Mainers at all in getting any tax relief.

Her full statement can be read in various places. I found the one I read on a popular Maine forum As Maine Goes. It’s a good read.

GiM