Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Weather in Warsaw
Weather in Warsaw--Click "English" for non-metric:
http://www.accuweather.com/world-index-forecast.asp?partner=netweather&locCode=EUR%7CPL%7CPL007%7CWARSAW%7C&metric=1
http://www.accuweather.com/world-index-forecast.asp?partner=netweather&locCode=EUR%7CPL%7CPL007%7CWARSAW%7C&metric=1
Monday, October 6, 2008
October 6, 2008. Monday - Omar sosa
Went to Omar Sosa concert! http://www.omarsosa.com/
Google "youtube Omar Sosa"
Google "youtube Omar Sosa"
Daily Diary
Having cogitated on how to best make use of this blogspot, I've decided to post a daily diary. Just short posts on what I am doing each day. This one is a catch-up:
September 15, 2008--Monday. Arrived Warsaw @ 5:30 p.m. via train from Vienna. Met at Coffee Heaven, across from train station, by apartment agent/new friend P.K. Escorted to grocery store for essentials: tea & toilet paper. Escorted to apartment (which was cold). I felt unsettled. However, my nephew, Jim, was in town on business. He came over, met me and P.K., and we went to dinner downstairs at the London Grill. This family welcome made things all better.
September 16--Light-medium rain. Walked to school to begin to get my stuff to the apartment. When I visited here in June, I had left two large suitcases in the "cupboard" (closet) in my new department. I had also posted several boxes. Today with the help of John Fells, Academic Director, I loaded the two large and heavy suitcases into a taxi, ordered by dept. secretary, Joanna. I showed the driver my address, written on a card. Got to my apartment, schlepped the suitcases into the small elevator, got them up to the 6th floor, got them into the apartment and unpacked them.
September 17--Went back to school with the two now empty suitcases and loaded contents of all the previously posted boxes into the suitcases, then repeated taxi, etc. process from yesterday. Walked to mall near train station for a high quality, soft sheet and similar pillow cases. Made my bed. Put Sandy's quilt on it as a bedspread. Vowed to take a picture and send it to her. As of Monday, October 6, haven't yet....
September 18--Warsaw Fulbright orientation at U.S. Embassy all day.
September 19--Departure by chartered bus for Wroclaw (pronounced Vrots-wav) for 10-day orientation.
September 28--Sunday. Train from Wrocslaw to Warsaw. Shared 6-passenger compartment with fellow Warsaw Fulbrighters Fran and Cathy Conti, as well as with a young mother and child.
September 29--Went to school. Began to unpack school-related things. Received my school computer log-in and password. Cleaned computer keyboard. In the evening, got onto tram #4, thinking that it would take me to Akadia Mall. But wrong tram, which took me across the river instead. Spotted the neon of a different mall and jumped off. Followed others down the steps to walk under the street to the mall.
Bought a radio/CD player, house plants and containers, bath towels, bathroom rug, bed comforter, and lots of plastic-basket organizing containers since I have few drawers but, instead, two walls of open cubbyholes upon which to set things--for example, all of my clothes. Back to apartment on tram. Got off too early and walked too far in dark and drizzle with bulky bags. Made it though!
September 30--Met with John Fells at 10 a.m. at school re. grading principles, reading dissertations, course schedules and syllabi, and countless questions. More organizing at school. Back to the mall on tram #4 for coffee pot, house-plant dirt, more plastic baskets, and a reading lamp for the bedroom. Re. the latter, thought I bought a grey one but ended up with an orange one, which I decided to keep nonetheless. Tired, but happened by an "Orange" cell-phone store, much like Verizon stores, when leaving the mall. Located a clerk who spoke enough English to sell me a Polish sim card, install it, and teach me about using it.
October 1, 2008--Wednesday. Opened bank account in Warsaw. Took two hours. Walked to Fulbright office to give Dorata my bank account information, which she didn't need. Ran into Cathy at Fulbright office. Learned that I could buy a one-year pass card for the buses and trams. Fulbright person wrote my request in Polish on a piece of paper. Took the paper across street and plaza to get one in the post office. Correctly and with good luck, read the Polish instructions about which line to get into. Successfully purchased the card.
Walked to Warsaw Filharmonia box office http://www.filharmonia/pl & bought 3 of the 10 remaining tickets for Saturday night--for Fran, Cathy, and myself.
Walked more of my neighborhood and located more restaurants. Went to "Riff" and bought an electric piano! Figured I can sell it on Craig's List Poland before I leave. Ate at a (fair-to-bad) Vietnamese restaurant near Riff.
October 2--Departmental meeting at 1:30. Worked with librarian, Lidia, on reading materials for first session. Met with Jakub, computer whiz, re. installing newer version of adobe acrobat and allowing me to access Stan State library from my office computer.
Walking home, stopped at Blilke restaurant on Nowy Swiat and had a really nice dinner of Potato pancakes, a good white wine, and--splurge!--a truly wonderful chocolate mousse. www.blikle.pl
October 3--Stayed in apartment all day, working on syllabi and waiting for piano to be delivered between noon and 2 p.m. Piano delivered and set up at 5:30 p.m.
October 4--Worked more on syllabi. Met Fran and Cathy at 5:40 in filharmonia concert hall for 6 p.m. performance. It was wonderful! We had front row seats, three of the only ones left, and saw mainly the performers' feet--but still it was wonderful. And being that close, we could watch the cellists' fingering, as well as the solo pianist's hands in his lap while not playing (Brahams Concert for piano, 1, op. 15) and the expressions on the four soloists faces (Penderecki's Credo).
Went to dinner afterward at Blilke. Met Ruth, 79, a former "hidden child" who told us her story. http://www.adl.org/hidden/default.asp .
October 5--Beautiful day--sunny and warm(ish)! Walked toward Old Town and around Ograd Saski park. Visited Tomb of Unknown (Polish, WWII) Soldiers. Sat and read October issue of (free) Warsaw Insider in Sofitel Victoria hotel lobby, a quiet oasis with a very nice restroom.
Met Fulbrighters Ted, Fran, & Cathy at 3 p.m. for a visit to Zacheta National Gallery, www.zacheta.art.pl . Afterward, we all went for beers, Coke Light (with ICE!), onion soup, and a calimari snack in an Old Town cafe. I left the others at 5:35 to walk to the Embassy where a film was supposed to be showing as part of a film series on U.S. presidents. Got there and found the embassy closed on Sundays. No movie. Walked around--weather still lovely--went again to Blilke's, for a glass of wine, then home.
October 6--Planned to be at school earlier than now but am writing this blog....
September 15, 2008--Monday. Arrived Warsaw @ 5:30 p.m. via train from Vienna. Met at Coffee Heaven, across from train station, by apartment agent/new friend P.K. Escorted to grocery store for essentials: tea & toilet paper. Escorted to apartment (which was cold). I felt unsettled. However, my nephew, Jim, was in town on business. He came over, met me and P.K., and we went to dinner downstairs at the London Grill. This family welcome made things all better.
September 16--Light-medium rain. Walked to school to begin to get my stuff to the apartment. When I visited here in June, I had left two large suitcases in the "cupboard" (closet) in my new department. I had also posted several boxes. Today with the help of John Fells, Academic Director, I loaded the two large and heavy suitcases into a taxi, ordered by dept. secretary, Joanna. I showed the driver my address, written on a card. Got to my apartment, schlepped the suitcases into the small elevator, got them up to the 6th floor, got them into the apartment and unpacked them.
September 17--Went back to school with the two now empty suitcases and loaded contents of all the previously posted boxes into the suitcases, then repeated taxi, etc. process from yesterday. Walked to mall near train station for a high quality, soft sheet and similar pillow cases. Made my bed. Put Sandy's quilt on it as a bedspread. Vowed to take a picture and send it to her. As of Monday, October 6, haven't yet....
September 18--Warsaw Fulbright orientation at U.S. Embassy all day.
September 19--Departure by chartered bus for Wroclaw (pronounced Vrots-wav) for 10-day orientation.
September 28--Sunday. Train from Wrocslaw to Warsaw. Shared 6-passenger compartment with fellow Warsaw Fulbrighters Fran and Cathy Conti, as well as with a young mother and child.
September 29--Went to school. Began to unpack school-related things. Received my school computer log-in and password. Cleaned computer keyboard. In the evening, got onto tram #4, thinking that it would take me to Akadia Mall. But wrong tram, which took me across the river instead. Spotted the neon of a different mall and jumped off. Followed others down the steps to walk under the street to the mall.
Bought a radio/CD player, house plants and containers, bath towels, bathroom rug, bed comforter, and lots of plastic-basket organizing containers since I have few drawers but, instead, two walls of open cubbyholes upon which to set things--for example, all of my clothes. Back to apartment on tram. Got off too early and walked too far in dark and drizzle with bulky bags. Made it though!
September 30--Met with John Fells at 10 a.m. at school re. grading principles, reading dissertations, course schedules and syllabi, and countless questions. More organizing at school. Back to the mall on tram #4 for coffee pot, house-plant dirt, more plastic baskets, and a reading lamp for the bedroom. Re. the latter, thought I bought a grey one but ended up with an orange one, which I decided to keep nonetheless. Tired, but happened by an "Orange" cell-phone store, much like Verizon stores, when leaving the mall. Located a clerk who spoke enough English to sell me a Polish sim card, install it, and teach me about using it.
October 1, 2008--Wednesday. Opened bank account in Warsaw. Took two hours. Walked to Fulbright office to give Dorata my bank account information, which she didn't need. Ran into Cathy at Fulbright office. Learned that I could buy a one-year pass card for the buses and trams. Fulbright person wrote my request in Polish on a piece of paper. Took the paper across street and plaza to get one in the post office. Correctly and with good luck, read the Polish instructions about which line to get into. Successfully purchased the card.
Walked to Warsaw Filharmonia box office http://www.filharmonia/pl & bought 3 of the 10 remaining tickets for Saturday night--for Fran, Cathy, and myself.
Walked more of my neighborhood and located more restaurants. Went to "Riff" and bought an electric piano! Figured I can sell it on Craig's List Poland before I leave. Ate at a (fair-to-bad) Vietnamese restaurant near Riff.
October 2--Departmental meeting at 1:30. Worked with librarian, Lidia, on reading materials for first session. Met with Jakub, computer whiz, re. installing newer version of adobe acrobat and allowing me to access Stan State library from my office computer.
Walking home, stopped at Blilke restaurant on Nowy Swiat and had a really nice dinner of Potato pancakes, a good white wine, and--splurge!--a truly wonderful chocolate mousse. www.blikle.pl
October 3--Stayed in apartment all day, working on syllabi and waiting for piano to be delivered between noon and 2 p.m. Piano delivered and set up at 5:30 p.m.
October 4--Worked more on syllabi. Met Fran and Cathy at 5:40 in filharmonia concert hall for 6 p.m. performance. It was wonderful! We had front row seats, three of the only ones left, and saw mainly the performers' feet--but still it was wonderful. And being that close, we could watch the cellists' fingering, as well as the solo pianist's hands in his lap while not playing (Brahams Concert for piano, 1, op. 15) and the expressions on the four soloists faces (Penderecki's Credo).
Went to dinner afterward at Blilke. Met Ruth, 79, a former "hidden child" who told us her story. http://www.adl.org/hidden/default.asp .
October 5--Beautiful day--sunny and warm(ish)! Walked toward Old Town and around Ograd Saski park. Visited Tomb of Unknown (Polish, WWII) Soldiers. Sat and read October issue of (free) Warsaw Insider in Sofitel Victoria hotel lobby, a quiet oasis with a very nice restroom.
Met Fulbrighters Ted, Fran, & Cathy at 3 p.m. for a visit to Zacheta National Gallery, www.zacheta.art.pl . Afterward, we all went for beers, Coke Light (with ICE!), onion soup, and a calimari snack in an Old Town cafe. I left the others at 5:35 to walk to the Embassy where a film was supposed to be showing as part of a film series on U.S. presidents. Got there and found the embassy closed on Sundays. No movie. Walked around--weather still lovely--went again to Blilke's, for a glass of wine, then home.
October 6--Planned to be at school earlier than now but am writing this blog....
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Getting to Warsaw: Itinerary, August 6 - September 19, 2008
W, 8/6
Fly to NYC: United 786, depart Minneapolis 10:30 a.m.; arrive ORD 11:46; Depart ORD United 684, 2 p.m.; arrive LGA 5:10 p.m.
Meet Margaret at hotel. She arrives NY LGA 5:40 p.m.
Airways Inn, 8220 Astoria Blvd., E. Elmhurst NY 11370
T, 8/7
Board Queen Mary2
W, 8/13
Arrive Southampton; shuttle to London
8/13-8/18
With Margaret's friend, Pauline, in London
M, 8/18
Margaret leaves for US
Meet "British Sampler" tour at London hotel – Metropole, 225 Edgware Rd., 44 2074 024141; 800-680-2858
T, 8/26
End tour
Post-hotel Novotel London
W, 8/27
London St-Pancras -Paris Nord Chunnel train # 9024
Depart London 12:30 p.m. Arrive Paris 3:50 p.m.;
Hotel Corail
23 rue de Lyon, Paris, 75012
8/28 - 8/29
In Paris
Sat, 8/30
Fly Paris to Bilbao
Iberia 5962, Depart 5:15 pm; arrive 6:40 p.m.
Hostal Ria de Bilbao. Ribera de Deusto 32, Bilbao.
Sun, 8/31 - 9/3
In Bilbao
R, 9/4
Train: Depart Bilbao 10:05 am. Arrive Barcelona 7:12 pm; Residencia de Estudiantes Agora, PSG. Castanyers, 21 08035; ph. 34-93-5040420
Student residence
F, 9/5
International Soc. Mtg.
Registration: Palau de Congressos de Fira Barcelona, 8 a.m. +
Opening ceremony, same venue, 10:30 a.m.
La Ramblas & Gothic quarter walking tour;
Welcome Reception 8:30 p.m.
Sat, 9/6
Mary Ann Lamanna’s presentation, 11:30 – 1:30; Fac. Of Philosophy, Geography, & History Bldg., Univ. of Barcelona.
M, 9/8
End International Soc. Conf.
9/9 - 9/10
In Barcelona
R, 9/11
Fly Barcelona to Vienna/Wien
Spanair 9201 Depart 1:55 pm; Arrive 4:55 pm.
Lerner Pension
Wipplinger Strasse 23
Vienna, 1010
+43 1 533 52 19
F, 9/12
In Vienna/Wien
Sat., 9/13
In Vienna/Wien
Onegin, Vienna State Opera House, 8 pm
Sun, 9/14
The Magic Flute, Volksoper Vienna, 5 pm
M, 9/15
Train 104, Coach 350, seat 56. Paper tkt. Depart Vienna @ 9:08 am. Arrive Warsaw 4:40 pm. Meet P.K. CoffeeHeaven; keys to apartment. Stay at my apartment, Warsaw.
W, 9/16-17
Taxi my stuff from school to apartment. Unpack & set up.
T, 9/18
Welcome, embassy
F, 9/19
Begin Orientation, Wroclaw
********************************************************************
Fly to NYC: United 786, depart Minneapolis 10:30 a.m.; arrive ORD 11:46; Depart ORD United 684, 2 p.m.; arrive LGA 5:10 p.m.
Meet Margaret at hotel. She arrives NY LGA 5:40 p.m.
Airways Inn, 8220 Astoria Blvd., E. Elmhurst NY 11370
T, 8/7
Board Queen Mary2
W, 8/13
Arrive Southampton; shuttle to London
8/13-8/18
With Margaret's friend, Pauline, in London
M, 8/18
Margaret leaves for US
Meet "British Sampler" tour at London hotel – Metropole, 225 Edgware Rd., 44 2074 024141; 800-680-2858
T, 8/26
End tour
Post-hotel Novotel London
W, 8/27
London St-Pancras -Paris Nord Chunnel train # 9024
Depart London 12:30 p.m. Arrive Paris 3:50 p.m.;
Hotel Corail
23 rue de Lyon, Paris, 75012
8/28 - 8/29
In Paris
Sat, 8/30
Fly Paris to Bilbao
Iberia 5962, Depart 5:15 pm; arrive 6:40 p.m.
Hostal Ria de Bilbao. Ribera de Deusto 32, Bilbao.
Sun, 8/31 - 9/3
In Bilbao
R, 9/4
Train: Depart Bilbao 10:05 am. Arrive Barcelona 7:12 pm; Residencia de Estudiantes Agora, PSG. Castanyers, 21 08035; ph. 34-93-5040420
Student residence
F, 9/5
International Soc. Mtg.
Registration: Palau de Congressos de Fira Barcelona, 8 a.m. +
Opening ceremony, same venue, 10:30 a.m.
La Ramblas & Gothic quarter walking tour;
Welcome Reception 8:30 p.m.
Sat, 9/6
Mary Ann Lamanna’s presentation, 11:30 – 1:30; Fac. Of Philosophy, Geography, & History Bldg., Univ. of Barcelona.
M, 9/8
End International Soc. Conf.
9/9 - 9/10
In Barcelona
R, 9/11
Fly Barcelona to Vienna/Wien
Spanair 9201 Depart 1:55 pm; Arrive 4:55 pm.
Lerner Pension
Wipplinger Strasse 23
Vienna, 1010
+43 1 533 52 19
F, 9/12
In Vienna/Wien
Sat., 9/13
In Vienna/Wien
Onegin, Vienna State Opera House, 8 pm
Sun, 9/14
The Magic Flute, Volksoper Vienna, 5 pm
M, 9/15
Train 104, Coach 350, seat 56. Paper tkt. Depart Vienna @ 9:08 am. Arrive Warsaw 4:40 pm. Meet P.K. CoffeeHeaven; keys to apartment. Stay at my apartment, Warsaw.
W, 9/16-17
Taxi my stuff from school to apartment. Unpack & set up.
T, 9/18
Welcome, embassy
F, 9/19
Begin Orientation, Wroclaw
********************************************************************
Friday, June 27, 2008
My snail mail addresses in Warsaw
My school address in Warsaw:
Agnes Riedmann, GSSR
Szkola Nauk Spolecznych
Nowy Swiat 72
00-330 Warszawa
POLAND
After September 15, 2008, my apartment address in Warsaw:
Agnes Riedmann, # 31
ul. Krucza 51
00-025 Warszawa
POLAND
Agnes Riedmann, GSSR
Szkola Nauk Spolecznych
Nowy Swiat 72
00-330 Warszawa
POLAND
After September 15, 2008, my apartment address in Warsaw:
Agnes Riedmann, # 31
ul. Krucza 51
00-025 Warszawa
POLAND
Monday, June 9, 2008
Krakow I just saw Opera Krakowska's production of Rigoletto wherein, in Act III just after the Duke sings "La donna e mobile" for the first time, he fully feels up Maddalena, calf via inner thigh to nipple. It's during the Duke-Maddelena duet. I've heard those opera jokes about arias while dying. But belting out a duet while ascending to Masters and Johnson's plateau phase is a new one to me.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Agnes Ann goes to Poland
I am going to be teaching in Warsaw next year, in this building, behind the Copernicus statue.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Thoroughly Postmodern Polly
N.B. This piece is entirely fictitious, and any similarity to anyone is purely accidental.
Being conservative by nature, Polly has never considered cloning her cat. Nor has she pondered having her body frozen upon her death in the hope of coming back later. Polly is thirty-one, never-married—single according to the U.S. Census Bureau. She is tall, lean, and pretty. She has hazel eyes that go blue when she wears her favorite gym top, aqua-marine and effectively wicking. She has a good haircut.
Polly works in the mortgage department of a large bank. She has a degree in economics with a concentration in managing nonprofits. She eats organic. She loves her blackberry. She has lots of earphones. In airplanes she watches movies on an extremely thin laptop.
Polly lives in Springfield, Illinois. She has been to Lincoln’s tomb. It was on a fifth-grade field trip. Springfield is a good place, Polly believes. You can get anything you want there. But then again, if you can’t, you can go north to Chicago or south to Saint Louis where you can get anything you want.
Today Polly is reclining on the futon in her studio apartment, trying to get interested in the latest suggestion from Oprah’s online book club. But she is distracted by her bare feet. She admires the little bone that sticks out on the inside of her ankle, how it seductively appears to move when she rotates her foot. Polly is distracted by other things too. In fact, she is worried. She has a decision to make, and she doesn’t know what to do.
The decision that she has to make is about a medical procedure. What she needs to have done is not covered by her insurance. She hates that. Health insurance ought to cover everything. This is not the first time that Polly has encountered this problem.
Polly heard about 911 after the fact, late that September afternoon when, channel surfing, she hit upon images of the towers coming down. She had not heard until then because she’d been in surgery. She’d been undergoing a breast reduction in order to counter an earlier breast enhancement that very much pleased her boyfriend at the time, but not her current one.
Polly’s enhancement boyfriend was named Brad. A buyer for a religious bookstore chain, Brad made enough money to pay for Polly’s surgery. But afterward Polly wondered whether she hadn’t gone too far, enhanced too enthusiastically. Downhill skiing, she toppled. In restaurants she no longer ordered spaghetti with marinara sauce. A few months after her surgery, Brad read a religious book on the sanctity of remarriage, decided that cohabiting was sinful, broke up with Polly, and moved out.
A few weeks later, deciding to broaden her interests, Polly went to a political rally. It was at a lesbi-gay bar. When she made evocative eye contact with Britney, Polly realized that she was bi. Britney had come out as lesbian during her first marriage. She was a graphic artist. Britney moved in with Polly, and they got along great. They had a meaningful relationship. The only fight they ever had was over whether it’s better to have your teeth whitened at the dentist’s office or with a product from Walgreen’s.
Sadly, though, Britney got a job offer that she couldn’t refuse. She moved to Colorado Springs where she designs covers for books and pamphlets published by Dr. James Dobson’s organization, Focus on the Family. She likes finding new ways to depict heterosexual parents. When she feels uneasy about this, which sometimes she does, Britney donates to DQ, Digital Queers. Not to worry, she never does so via the company computer. Britney had invited Polly to move with her to Colorado Springs, but Polly was afraid that some new acquaintance might invite them to go skiing.
Polly grieved the loss of Britney for quite a while. Then, while she was shopping for soy milk in an all-night supermarket, Polly ran into Conner near the eggs. He was lowering a carton of “cage-free” into his cart, so she knew they would have a lot in common. “How many tunes does your I-pod hold?” she asked him, to break the ice. It was smooth sailing after that.
Conner was a tennis pro. He taught lessons. Polly began to take tennis lessons from Conner. Conner eventually suggested that Polly’s backhand would be improved if she had a breast reduction. That’s why Polly did not know that the towers had fallen until late in the afternoon. Polly and Conner stayed together for three years. Then Polly’s best friend from 7th grade had a baby, and Polly knew she wanted one too. Conner did not want a baby. Conner moved out.
Polly still wants a baby. Polly is now living with Chip. Chip is an adjunct professor. He teaches physics. Chip is willing to have a baby with Polly, provided she will first address a medical condition that she has. Polly is afflicted with toebesity. Unlike the rest of her body, Polly’s toes are fat. Chip would prefer a partner with bony toes. Chip discovered this term, toebesity, while perusing the Internet. It was in a pop-up ad. As soon as he saw the word, Chip felt validated, affirmed. Moreover, liposuction could fix this!
Springfield being a rural Midwest town, set among corn fields, people there are mostly ignorant with regard to toebesity. However, the couple has learned that they can have Polly’s condition fixed in Chicago.
Polly is unsettled today because neither she nor Chip can afford this medical procedure. Their credit cards are already maxed. Polly’s medical insurance does not cover everything. Now, lying on her futon, trying but unable to read, Polly makes what for her is an unprecedented decision. She decides that in the next election, she will vote. She will vote for a candidate who espouses universal health care.
Being conservative by nature, Polly has never considered cloning her cat. Nor has she pondered having her body frozen upon her death in the hope of coming back later. Polly is thirty-one, never-married—single according to the U.S. Census Bureau. She is tall, lean, and pretty. She has hazel eyes that go blue when she wears her favorite gym top, aqua-marine and effectively wicking. She has a good haircut.
Polly works in the mortgage department of a large bank. She has a degree in economics with a concentration in managing nonprofits. She eats organic. She loves her blackberry. She has lots of earphones. In airplanes she watches movies on an extremely thin laptop.
Polly lives in Springfield, Illinois. She has been to Lincoln’s tomb. It was on a fifth-grade field trip. Springfield is a good place, Polly believes. You can get anything you want there. But then again, if you can’t, you can go north to Chicago or south to Saint Louis where you can get anything you want.
Today Polly is reclining on the futon in her studio apartment, trying to get interested in the latest suggestion from Oprah’s online book club. But she is distracted by her bare feet. She admires the little bone that sticks out on the inside of her ankle, how it seductively appears to move when she rotates her foot. Polly is distracted by other things too. In fact, she is worried. She has a decision to make, and she doesn’t know what to do.
The decision that she has to make is about a medical procedure. What she needs to have done is not covered by her insurance. She hates that. Health insurance ought to cover everything. This is not the first time that Polly has encountered this problem.
Polly heard about 911 after the fact, late that September afternoon when, channel surfing, she hit upon images of the towers coming down. She had not heard until then because she’d been in surgery. She’d been undergoing a breast reduction in order to counter an earlier breast enhancement that very much pleased her boyfriend at the time, but not her current one.
Polly’s enhancement boyfriend was named Brad. A buyer for a religious bookstore chain, Brad made enough money to pay for Polly’s surgery. But afterward Polly wondered whether she hadn’t gone too far, enhanced too enthusiastically. Downhill skiing, she toppled. In restaurants she no longer ordered spaghetti with marinara sauce. A few months after her surgery, Brad read a religious book on the sanctity of remarriage, decided that cohabiting was sinful, broke up with Polly, and moved out.
A few weeks later, deciding to broaden her interests, Polly went to a political rally. It was at a lesbi-gay bar. When she made evocative eye contact with Britney, Polly realized that she was bi. Britney had come out as lesbian during her first marriage. She was a graphic artist. Britney moved in with Polly, and they got along great. They had a meaningful relationship. The only fight they ever had was over whether it’s better to have your teeth whitened at the dentist’s office or with a product from Walgreen’s.
Sadly, though, Britney got a job offer that she couldn’t refuse. She moved to Colorado Springs where she designs covers for books and pamphlets published by Dr. James Dobson’s organization, Focus on the Family. She likes finding new ways to depict heterosexual parents. When she feels uneasy about this, which sometimes she does, Britney donates to DQ, Digital Queers. Not to worry, she never does so via the company computer. Britney had invited Polly to move with her to Colorado Springs, but Polly was afraid that some new acquaintance might invite them to go skiing.
Polly grieved the loss of Britney for quite a while. Then, while she was shopping for soy milk in an all-night supermarket, Polly ran into Conner near the eggs. He was lowering a carton of “cage-free” into his cart, so she knew they would have a lot in common. “How many tunes does your I-pod hold?” she asked him, to break the ice. It was smooth sailing after that.
Conner was a tennis pro. He taught lessons. Polly began to take tennis lessons from Conner. Conner eventually suggested that Polly’s backhand would be improved if she had a breast reduction. That’s why Polly did not know that the towers had fallen until late in the afternoon. Polly and Conner stayed together for three years. Then Polly’s best friend from 7th grade had a baby, and Polly knew she wanted one too. Conner did not want a baby. Conner moved out.
Polly still wants a baby. Polly is now living with Chip. Chip is an adjunct professor. He teaches physics. Chip is willing to have a baby with Polly, provided she will first address a medical condition that she has. Polly is afflicted with toebesity. Unlike the rest of her body, Polly’s toes are fat. Chip would prefer a partner with bony toes. Chip discovered this term, toebesity, while perusing the Internet. It was in a pop-up ad. As soon as he saw the word, Chip felt validated, affirmed. Moreover, liposuction could fix this!
Springfield being a rural Midwest town, set among corn fields, people there are mostly ignorant with regard to toebesity. However, the couple has learned that they can have Polly’s condition fixed in Chicago.
Polly is unsettled today because neither she nor Chip can afford this medical procedure. Their credit cards are already maxed. Polly’s medical insurance does not cover everything. Now, lying on her futon, trying but unable to read, Polly makes what for her is an unprecedented decision. She decides that in the next election, she will vote. She will vote for a candidate who espouses universal health care.
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