The Daily Breath - Saturday, April 2, 2022

 

 

Saturday, April 2, 2022

 

Mark’s Birthday!!

He bought the cake and ice cream

And a bottle of champagne

and we decorated the cake

with our wedding figures:

the little green guy flexing his muscles

and the lovely white broken-limbed Venus

lying voluptuously on her back

 

Mark’s son Cliff drove from Marin

And Megan joined us from her room

Mark’s parents and sister

Appeared via zoom from the East Coast

We had a great time TALKING

And eating Spaghetti (ritual requirement)

Then the other rituals of

Lighting the Candles

Making a Wish

Blowing out the Candles

Singing Happy Birthday

Eating Breyer’s Ice Cream and White Cake

Drinking Champagne

TALKING

And then Cliff drove home

 

Much later

A Social Security person

Left a message for Mark

To call her

Even left a phone number

And mentioned her office is in

Richmond!

Third time the charm

No more Suisun

We will cross the Carquinez Bridge

To Richmond

Soon

 

The Daily Breath - Friday, April 1, 2022

 

                                      

Friday, April 1, 2022

 

April Fool’s Day!

Comedy of errors

Part 2

 

Fool me once

Fool me twice

 

Before Mark and I drove to Suisun

Again

To talk to the Social Security people

We went to the Medical Offices near our house

Where we walked up

Three flights of stairs

To the third floor

Yikes!

Cardiovascular workout

And then some

Arriving alive (barely)

We were allowed to enter the waiting room

Where Mark made an appointment

To talk to his MediCal person

Vicki

Hurray!

So easy........

 

Now

Mark and I drive to Suisun

Where we take the elevator

Up to the second floor

Where the Social Security Office

Lies in wait

For our appearance

Ha-ha

We are appearing in person

Because the SS office was advertised as

OPEN

And because

Mark was never able

to reach the SS office by phone

to make an appointment

(which was required)

In spite of many many MANY

attempts

 

Surprise!

Same experience as before

Guard at the door (probably armed)

Can’t come in without an appointment

Right!

The room looks empty

Can we make an appointment?

YES! Call this number (pointing)

Mark tried: busy signal

Can we come in and make an appointment?

NO!

 

Now what?

Mark turns 65 on April 2

Tomorrow

He filled out all the paperwork online

Weeks ago

He was supposed to have made

An appointment

For an in-person contact

before turning 65

 

NOT

 

Stay cool…….April Fool!

 

Next step:

Contact our Congressman!

 

Note:

We are not alone

There seems to be a problem

With the Social Security’s

Antiquated telephone system

Which means

There is a problem

For a lot of frustrated people

Like us