Lungs for Mandy

Hello those of you that are still there……

I can not believe it has been five months since I have written anything.I guess I have just been busy with living that I forgot how important this diary is to me. I’, getting real anxious about my two year annivesary in May. Mike and Ike continue to live in harmony inside my chest. I have had to make a few adjustments here and there with medicines but overall I have been GREAT!

I am still attending classes at Santa Monica College and I love it! This semester I needed a break from Math so I decided to do just that. I am taking Jazz Appreciation, Tap Dancing, Speech and Sociology. It has been a great semester-a lot of work, but worth it.

Spring Break begins Monday and I plan to take Sosa to San Diego to meet his new cousin–My friend’s Kris and Susan got a new puppy. We plan on crossing the border into Mexico for the day, but I promise not to drink any tap water.

In additon to school I have been trying to spread PEACE as much as possible since the 3rd year anniversary of the war in Iraq. In March I attended one of the largest Peace Protests in the country and it was quite intense. I somehow offered to help carry a casket for the long walk. The weekend following I attend something called a Peace Demonstration which is completley different from what I experienced the 1st time. It is actually demostrating peace–in a peaceful, mindful way. (You can visit their website if you are interested http://peaceiseverystep.net/) Next weekend April 15 is Earth Day and once again I will head out to help spread peace there not only for Iraq but even here in our own country.

So I have been considering moving back to Missouri this summer. It will be a bittersweet decision. I miss my family and friends like you can not believe and the price of living is so high here it is difficult to keep my head above water. I would be willing to work, but it gets so complicated with federally-funded medical coverage when you begin to have income and I can not work enough to provide myself with HMO coverage. Basically I am always in between a rock and a hard place when it comes to medical coverage. I sometimes just want to call Blue Cross and Blue Shield just to hear them laugh when I tell them about my pre-existing conditions or do you think that they would just hang up the phone. But at any rate leaving So. California is bittersweet-especially when days like today occur. The sun is bright as can be but the temp is near 60 degrees. More to come!