Lopaka Lounge

It’s Halloween and I’m scared. I’m scared about the upcoming election. I’m scared about budget cuts here at work and I’m a little freaked out about something else.

A few months ago during a routine skin cancer screening provided by my work, the doctor asked about the little blemish on the side of my nose. It had been there for about a year and I just assumed it was a little wart because it was a small flaky white bump. He thought it may be Actinic Keratoses, the earliest stage in the development of skin cancer. He suggested that I see a dermatologist and have it frozen off. *There are only two dermatologist in town and neither of them ware taking new patients. Fortunately, I remembered seeing one of them about three years ago so I was indeed an existing patient. They were able to examine me but I would have to wait two months. I finally got in last week. The doctor decided not to freeze it. Instead, he sliced the side of my nose off and sent it in for testing. Yesterday, the tests came back positive for Basal Cell Carcinoma. Even though they sliced a tiny sliver off my nose, I have to go in and have MOHS surgery. They basically use a microscope to detect the cancer cells and remove them.

Last night, I was laying in bed thinking. . .

How much cancer must one person have to have cancer? Does a few mutated cells count? What about the few times I picked at what I thought was a wart and it bled? Could I have dislodged a cancer cell? Is it floating around looking to latch on to a vital organ? What if the cancer bore deep into the side of my nose? Will they remove the side of my nose and disfigure my face? Why does this have to be on my face? Wasn’t years of teenage acne enough torture?

Chances are slim that anything is really wrong in a life threatening sort of way but after all the cancer I have dealt with over the past few years, I’m a little bit tense.

Outpatient surgery is scheduled for mid December up in Tucson. Let’s hear it for early detection.

*This is an open call to dermatologists. The Sierra Vista, AZ area needs another dermatology practice. It’s scarier than shit being told that you may have a precancerous thing on your face and have to wait four months to have it removed.

Headline on CNN today:

Exxon Mobil: Biggest profit in U.S. history
Largest U.S. oil company surges past analyst estimates to post net income of $14.83 billion.

Well…isn’t that special?  Glad to see someone is still making money even though our entire economy is cratering.

OK, I know I’m harping on and on about Sarah Palin but she somehow keeps managing to get hold of live microphones and video cameras.  I just don’t understand how any upright ambulatory free-thinking person be held captive by her psychotic rhetoric.  Sure, the Obama/Biden ticket isn’t for everyone and honestly, I can almost live with McCain (I am in Arizona ya know) but…Palin is a first class joke.  She keeps going after Obama and how anti American she thinks is yet her husband was a known member of the Alaskan Independence party which has pushed for years to secede Alaska from the US!  WTF Sarah? 

When asked if abortion clinic bombers are terrorists or not, Ms Palin,  A: launches into yet another tired rant about Ayers (That wasn’t the question Sarah!) and B: says “I don’t know if you’re gonna use the word “terrorist” there.”

Watch for yourself:

Um, yeah, Sarah…people who blow up abortion clinics are terrorists.  There’s no room to negotiate this fact.  Another fact: You’re a fucking idiot.

My brother got married this past weekend. Ray and I flew out for the festivities.  This photo cracked me up.  It is so us.  Ray is calm and reserve while I’m spazzing out in the background. 

I loves my Ray.  Maybe someday we can get married. 

Since last October, I have attended three weddings.  All requiring airfare.  While, I’m thrilled my straight friends and family are experiencing the joys (and legal benefits) of marriage, I’m starting to get a little pissed off that I am denied that same joy.

My brother knew his wife for about seven months before they tied the knot.  A quick walk down the aisle and they instantly receive social and legal benefits.  Ray and I have lived together for almost fifteen years in the exact same manner as my brother and his wife (with the exception of our genitalia and what we do with it) and we get nothing.  We jointly pay property tax, get involved with community events and live on our combined incomes.  It’s our turn to get married.  We’re already married!

I’ve heard some people argue that gay people are asking for special rights.  Well that’s just wrong.  I don’t want special rights, I just want the same rights straight people have.  I’d venture to say the straight people have the special rights in this case.

And don’t even get me started on “protecting” marriage.  Almost half the married people out there get divorced.  Our friends got married in Chicago a few years ago.  They’ve since split up.  I want some protection over paying to fly out there.  I want protection over the nice serving platter we gave them.  We spent a lot of money on their wedding!  Where’s our reimbursement check?  What really frosts me is that if my newly divorced friends meet someone new, they can just run out and get married all over again!  I have two different friends who have been married three times.  That’s a lot of plane tickets and serving platters.  Why aren’t we protecting marriage from that? 

California is dealing with Prop 8 and here in Arizona, we have Prop 102.  Please vote against this supposed protection of marriage.  It’s a crock of shit.