My Summer Vacation: Headaches, Rashes, and Itching

"Hello Muddah.

Hello Fadduh.

Can I please not -

See one more doc-tuh?"

With all due respect to Allan Sherman and Lou Busch (writers of the famous song, "A Letter from Camp"), part of my summer has been rained upon by visits to doctors.  Even as a parent pushing forty, I still daydream about a summer that would be like a Jimmy Buffett song,  sun-bathing in the warm waters of the Caribbean sipping on a cocktail, the distant sounds of steel drums echoing across the sea.

But instead, my destinations have involved those in lab coats examining my head and skin.

Let me explain.

In my quest to stay in shape, I have subscribed to Tony Horton's "P90X" program.  However, the night before Memorial Day, I fell off my chin up bar and slammed the back of my head on the concrete basement floor. 

I was always taught if you are going to do something, do it right.  So just to make sure I was REALLY injured...

The metal chin-up bar then dislodged and struck me in the temple.  I forgot the names of my kids, asked my wife every minute if I lost consciousness, and then blamed her for the accident, telling my emergency room physician I must stay in shape because, quote, "My wife works with a bunch of hot, rich doctors."  (Seems like there was some head issues in there before the head issues...)

After a week of weariness and headaches, I was back to what I would consider normal.  The chin-up bar has been retired, and is now collecting dust in a distant, dark corner of the basement. 

Not to be outdone, the rest of my body wanted attention, and that help would come from an evil plant.

Trees in our front yard are often riddled with vines, which I decided needed to be pulled down.  A woman walking her dog happened to notice my gardening exercise, and notified me that I was "pulling down poison ivy."  My wife reassured this stranger - and then me - that it indeed was NOT poison ivy, but "Virginia Creeper."  Forty-eight hours later, dark, menacing rashes appeared on my arms and legs. 

If it was socially acceptable, I would drink Cortisone cream.

The itch became unbearable, so I rushed off to an "Urgent Care" clinic.  When the doctor opened the door, she said, "Oh wow.  Oh my. You need help." (I wish that was the first time I can say I ever heard that...)

I went through a prescription of anti-itch cream in two days, and when I went back to the pharmacy for a refill, the employee says the insurance company won't let me have another batch until the end of August.  Of course, the insurance company knows exactly when the itch will stop, so it made better sense just to listen to them.

Note to self:  Jump in poison ivy next month so I can use new tube.

My mother often tells me the older you get, the more visits to the doctor.  I turn forty in about two months, so isn't a little early to be filling out my "frequent doctor card?"

Summers are short in New England, but if this is what the doctor prescribes, then maybe I'm ready for fall.  Oh wait - I already did that - off a chin-up bar.

Maybe I'll just sit on the couch until the first day of winter...

Backyard Brawl: Should Connecticut Widow Be Allowed to Bury Husband in Her Yard?

It remains her paradise.

Elise Piquet’s backyard is an oasis of relaxation and tranquility.  Her rolling, lush green property contains a centuries old stone wall, healthy, vibrant gardens and a vast assortment of birds and indigenous wildlife.

I should also mention that her late husband is buried there as well.

When she bought the property in the late sixties, the last thing on her mind was how eleven acres in Chester, Connecticut would an ideal location to bury someone.

Decades later, she met Christopher Doll, a native of England.  Doll fell in love with Elise, with Chester, Connecticut, and, as it turns out, the property Elise owned.  After he passed in 2004, Elise did an exhaustive search of local cemeteries, only to learn they were full.  So she decided to bury her soul mate in their “Garden of Eden,” where a visit is never more than just a few steps away.

“I just used to sit on the bench and talk to him.”

But after the funeral director informed the town of the internment, zoning officials told her human burial is prohibited, and that Christopher would have to be moved.  Elise decided to fight, suing the municipality in 2007.

“It’s just a pointless thing, he’s just a bundle of bones now, why not just let him rest in peace?” Elise told me from her back patio.

The case will be heard Tuesday morning before the Connecticut Supreme Court.  Chester’s town attorney John Bennet told the Associated Press the burial violated Connecticut’s health code and local zoning regulations.

“Connecticut laws and regulations require one to get permits for this sort of thing,” he told the AP.

For Elise, she still holds onto the oath of “for better or for worse.”  Her idea of paradise is worth fighting for, even when some no longer have a voice.

“I’m not really a fighter by nature, I have to be goaded like a bull.  But, like the bull, watch out,” she chuckles, smiling confidently.  “It’s been a long battle, and I’m not ready to give in.”

She says if she loses the case here, she’ll appeal to the United States Supreme Court.  I asked her if she has any regrets about this long and emotional ordeal.

“Oh I don’t regret it at all, not at all!” she says confidently, as we stood over her husband’s grave site.

You can watch the story here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LtH71zxfwQ&list=UUFgFRk_6jae5D6KUokxIPfg&index=8&feature=plcp

Death Penalty Meeting its End in Connecticut

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, since 1982, the state has executed 481 inmates. 

After the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, Florida, according to the DOC, has killed 72 capital felons.  (I witnessed one execution, but I’ll get to that in a minute.)

Connecticut has executed one prisoner since 1973, serial killer Michael Ross, and many believe that will be the state’s only execution for the foreseeable future.  The death penalty, it appears, is nearing its end here, which is fascinating on a number of levels considering a Quinnipiac poll taken last year shows that more than sixty percent favor keeping the law intact.

The death penalty is one of those issues that stirs emotion and often, heated debate.  A ghastly, horrific crime sparks a gut reaction that the accused deserves nothing more than a painful death.  Amazingly, some who are against the death penalty were vocal about how the two men who killed the Petit women should be streamlined to the death chamber.  But yet, here we are, witnessing a major policy change that will impact criminal justice for decades.

The arguments against the law are sound.  The death penalty is not a deterrent.  It costs states millions of dollars a year, and the appeals process is painful for families having to relive the crime. 

But in a 2005 editorial in the USA Today, Michael Rushford writes several major universities found that “for each murderer executed, five to 18 murders are prevented.”  Dr. William Petit and his sister, Johanna Petit Chapman recently wrote a letter to the editor in the Stamford Advocate that reads, “we firmly believe that the death penalty is the appropriate sanction in certain heinous…crimes.  (It) gives prosecutors a critical bargaining chip in the plea bargain process.”

Solid points on both sides…I’m glad I’m not the one voting.

I witnessed an execution when I was working in Florida.  Johnny Robinson raped and killed 31-year old Beverly St. George in 1985 after her car had broken down in St. John’s County.  Almost twenty years later, I found myself sitting in the observation room, feeling the pulse in my neck as I nervously waited for the state to carry out its sentence.

Finally, the dull, gray curtains slowly pulled to the side, and there was Robinson, covered in a blue sheet up to his waist.  He was asked if he had any last words to which he simply stated, “Later!”

The lethal dose was administered.  His breathing became labored, his eyes fluttered, and in minutes, he was gone. 

The curtains closed.

And so too does a chapter in Connecticut’s history, but I sincerely doubt the debate will fade.    One vote won’t erase that.

Heartache at the Pump: A Texas-sized Problem

From my kangaroo-skinned cowboy boots to my use of the word "ya'll," I'm an easy target of the Texas stereotype.

I grew up in Lone Star State, so that must mean I love barbecue, the Dallas Cowboys, and pickup trucks.  And I love  my pickup truck.  I love my beloved truck even when I'm forced to fill the tank.  Although when my bill topped out at about eighty dollars last week, I about coughed up my slow-smoked beef brisket.

According to Triple A, the average price of gasoline in the Nutmeg State (I'm a transplant now...) is $4.05.  That's harder to swallow than a rusty spur on a worn boot.  Four dollars?  Long gone are the days when a gallon of gas was cheaper than a strong cup of coffee.  (I remember filling up in Texarkana in 1997 for .87!!!)

But don't be fooled that this is a simple case of supply and demand.  Gene Guilford is with the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association.  He knows energy markets as well as I know good sauce.   In an interview I conducted Monday afternoon, he told me two pieces of information relating to our oil/gas situation that were as surprising as snow in Austin.

"Over the last four years, Americans have used less gasoline.  Gasoline consumption, actually, declined two and a half percent last year alone," Guilford said from his Cromwell office.  "That four year period, Jamie, is the first time since World War II that there's been a contraction in the consumption of gasoline." 

But Gene wasn't done yet.  He moved on to the Harry Truman presidency.

"For the first time in 62 years, America has become a net exporter  of petroleum products." 

The answer to why this is happening is as clear as a Texas cowbell.  The problem, he says, lies where the bell tolls in New York - Wall Street.  Speculation.

"There's no human being that can tell you that domestically, it's because we don't have enough product, that it's in the wrong place, that a refinery isn't operating, that something is wrong with a pipeline," Guilford said.  "Even to the extent of last week, there was a news story that said while the United States Department of Energy had told Wall Street what I just told you, Wall Street said, 'I don't believe it, we don't believe gas consumption is going down.'" 

Let the stampede of prices continue.  It's out of control, and we could easily see prices inflate to more than $4.50 a gallon in the coming months...maybe even higher.

The 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was designed to control inflated prices.  It was passed so the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) would have better oversight into oil and commodity markets.  The idea was to table excessive speculation.  But Guilford says that lawsuits against the Dodd-Frank Act are slowing down any benefit the consumer will see. 

A few years ago, when gas hit about $4.70 in Connecticut, I got rid of my truck for a (gasp!) four-door sedan.  I kept it about two years, until my desire for another truck was as strong and constant as a Texas pump jack.  I'm not getting rid of my truck as prices continue to climb, but I do wish for some relief - the kind you get during a cool Texas fall, when the dog-days of summer are but a painful memory.  And when it comes to pain at the pump, we'll take any kind of memory, as long as it's in the past.   

"We've got to get the speculation out of these markets because it's hurting the American economy," Guilford said.  

Dream a little dream: I just want some sleep

A lack of sleep can make you say and do the strangest things.

A lack of sleep can make you say and do the strangest things.  (Wait a minute, didn’t I just say that???)

Looking back on the first years of our marriage, my wife and I laugh at how we would whimper out of bed at 9:30 in the morning.  “Good Lord!  It’s early, too early!   The rooster is still asleep, isn’t he?”

But then somewhere, the decision was made to have kids, and sleeping in late meant that there’s a chance you might actually arise after the sun showers us with a soft warm glow.  Now, with a nine-month old baby who still hasn’t figured out how to sleep through the night, a good night’s rest is at a premium.

As it turns out, we are not alone.  A recent Center for Disease Control report illustrates that more than eleven percent of respondents say they didn’t have a single day where they felt they got enough sleep.  (Sorry girls, but women get less sleep than men.)

Then the researchers brought up the really good news.  A lack of sleep leads to mental and physical health problems including obesity, depression, anxiety, and diabetes.  One way to avoid that risk, doctors say, is by getting at least seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

I’d have a better chance of having a picnic on the moon.  

Personally, there have been some valued lessons for me in this period of forced insomnia:

1. I’ve watched so many “infomercials,” I know how to be fit, cleanse my skin, and cut a shoe with a steak knife for just $19.95.
2. It is possible to catch a power nap at a red light.
3. A sea of coffee doesn’t make me jittery, it’s just that I feel I need to carry around my own personal urinal because my kidneys are working overtime.
4. My ability to hold my own in a debate continues to falter. “That’s stupid!  “No, YOU shut up!”  “I know you are, but what am I???”

My mother reminds me that there will be a time when I will look back on this period of my life longingly.  For now, I’m considering taking a job at a mattress store, because I hear the benefits are amazing. 

Good night.

Climate Change: My Four Year Old Son is For It

It was February 19th, and I was outside with a light sweatshirt, watching my son run around with a school friend.  In between giggles and fighting evil, he would stop and beg me to let him wear a t-shirt.  February 19th in Connecticut, and it was fifty degrees.  What's going on?

More than one weatherman has told me this is how averages are made.  One year we have a severe winter, the next, a mild one, mix them together and you get what many consider the norm in the "Nutmeg State."  What this winter has done, at least in some circles, is continue the debate on whether this southern-esque season is a prime example of climate change.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, temperatures have risen across the lower 48 states since the beginning of the twentieth century.  In fact, of the ten warmest years on record, seven of those have occurred since 1990.  In addition, the frequency of heat waves has risen since the 1970's.  Is this just the natural evolution of Mother Earth, or is it something the human species has caused?

Obviously, the debate over climate change is as volatile as the winds surrounding a hurricane eye wall.  Yet what can not be disputed are preparations that are currently taking place to protect Connecticut from a radical shift in the accepted weather pattern.  Not long ago, I sat down with Daniel Esty, who is the Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

"We are not going to suddenly get awake one day and there is climate change upon us.  The problem is people might be a little slow on the uptake.  So it's really important that we begin to focus now, and move towards what is known as adaptation."

But pinpointing one area to focus on is like counting the raindrops.  Think about it - weather impacts just about everything we do.  Where does the conversation start when coming up with a defense plan?

"We do know that the coastal areas are one priority," says Esty.  "People building along the coast will have to prepare for not just sea level rise, but greater storm surges and quite possibly more intense hurricanes."

It also means that coastal communities have to rethink how they develop valuable properties, from zoning changes to exactly what and where things can be built.  Factor in a storm, the storm surge, and you can have calamity...houses destroyed...and an eco-system ravaged.  Plus, what happens to the local or state economy if businesses are destroyed?  What would the impact be if highways and state roads are damaged that hinder interstate commerce?

""There has to be a critical amount of activity on the town levels.  So we have to work with mayors, first selectmen, and local officials to make sure we have the right plans in place and frankly, doing some of the kinds of building our infrastructure, hardening of our systems that will eave us less vulnerable as we go forward," Esty said.

Back in the backyard, my son doesn't seem to be minding climate change one bit.  There has been no talk of building snowmen, no pining for the lack of snow to build a fort.  In fact, he looked up at me as I was outside grilling, and said, "Daddy, when can we go swimming?"

Well the polar bears may not be happy, but if this continues, we may be able to take a dip in the pool...in March.

I’m a little slow to follow the next great technological breakthrough.

I never wanted a cell phone.  But a long distance relationship put a stop to that.

I didn’t need an ipod, because I had compact discs!  But then I learned that having one little music-playing tool in my car was much easier than carrying dozens of discs in my car.  (Plus, do you remember how the “Walkman” ate batteries?)

“Social media” to me meant having a conversation at a cocktail party.  I never wanted to participate on Facebook or Twitter, but then I finally had the great realization of how powerful the medium could be.  (Researchers say it’s more addictive than smoking or sex.  Whoa.)

I never wanted a smart phone.  “I have a computer at home,” I would say to myself.  “Why the hell do I need one in my hand?”  But then an iphone was placed into my sweaty palm, and I become engrossed in the power of having information at my fingertips. 

And I never wanted a blog.  Who would want to read what I have to say?  I’m no editorialist, I’m a journalist!  I’m objective!  I’m in the middle!  I report and you decide! 

But after being persuaded by some colleagues of the value of putting thoughts on world-wide-web paper, I decided to take the plunge.

So here I am.

I’m going to write as often as I can.  I’ll talk about sports, family, religion, and of course, news.  The opinions are my own, and do not reflect the feelings of my employer.  If you like what I have to say, don’t like what I have to say – let me know.  I love a good public discourse!

So welcome to Muro’s Musings.  Heaven only knows how long it will be until the NEXT big thing comes along that will take me years to accept, but for now, I’m taking a leap of faith…and writing – my way.