Thursday, July 10, 2008

After Today, I Need Charles Pierce as Mae West! STAT!

Today has been a difficult and slightly depressing day, and I need a laugh.

I started the morning with a performance of ALADDIN...

...which wasn't bad, but I don't think that painting your face blue, pulling around a carpet stapled to a wheeled platform and pretending that it's "flying," and singing any note above Bea Arthur's range any time before noon is quite what Thespis had in mind when he stepped from the chorus and created "theatre"...

.
..If he'd known that this was where it was going, he'd have stayed in the chorus. Trust me...

...and after the play, I went to my office and discovered that my computer wouldn't - - not couldn't, but wouldn't - - access the internet. I tried all the standard techniques / tricks to fix the problem but nothing would work, so instead of making a dent in my To Do List, I played "Uneducated, Redneck I.T. Guy." With myself. It wasn't fun. At all.

And right before I left work, my mother called to tell me that her employer has changed health insurance policies and under the new policy, she will no longer have a co-pay, but she will have a $2,000 deductible. My mother's salary is very small, so this was too much for her. My brother and I will do everything we can to help her with expenses, but my mother's initial response was that she would no longer see her doctor. At all.

My mother is diabetic. Not seeing a doctor regular checkups is simply not an option. This new insurance policy is basically destroying her spirit, her health and the last of what was left of her "job satisfaction."

And hearing my mother so upset preys on my guilt. My guilt for not living near my family, for not being nearby to see her on a more regular basis, for leaving town and pursuing my goals, my life. Needless to say, after I spoke with my mother, I was depressed.

Thankfully, I had a meeting with Karen Bronson and Doug, Mark and Debbie to rehearse their upcoming Season of Concern cabaret benefit.

Seeing them, laughing with them and singing with them make me feel so much better.

And after discussing this clip with Karen on the ride back home, I felt it the perfect way for me to laugh my way out of a difficult day.

I've talked about Charles Pierce before when I posted the videos of his brilliant Bette Davis impersonation, and these clips are from the same concert. Only this time he tackles Mae West. And his Mae is just like his Bette - - pure comic genius.





"I woke up in a cow pasture outside of town. There was a bull chasing me. I was tired, so I ran."

It's funny because it's true. Well, for me anyway...

10 comments:

Bunny said...

My husband's employer switched to an insurance like that, but when everyone pitched a fit they handed out "medical debit cards" - MasterCard Debit cards preprogrammed with the $2000 to pay the deductible with - so every time we go to the doc or fill a prescription we pay for it with the debit card until that's depleted, then the insurance kicks in. Weirdest damn thing I've ever heard of. I'm so sorry your mom is going through that. As a fellow diabetic, I know how vital it is to keep up with all the tests (blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc). Hugs to your mom and to you and your brother for being such good sons. She must be so proud of you both.

Mark in DE said...

Sorry to hear your day was such a suckfest (and not in the good way). Don't feel guilty about leaving home to follow your dreams. That's what parents WANT their children to do.

LOVED the Charles Pierce vids. What a talent!

Mark :-)

Anonymous said...

"A man who can make love to you at four o'clock in the morning and then turn into a pizza".... Charles Pierce (as Mae) was brilliant in that definition of a perfect lover! LOL

I'm glad we cheered you up last night. Hope today is better.

cb said...

I hope things work out for you (and your mother!)

Anonymous said...

Alright. This isn't good. I think I'd better call Miss Wanda. Because, as near as I can tell, I practically LIVE in Tennessee for several months of the year...and I ain't THAT busy while I'm there...

Aaron said...

I'm going to tell you what everyone told me when I felt guilt over not being nearer to MY mom: you are a good son, and you are doing the best you can, and your mom knows that and would not want you to feel guilty. You have (and I had) a much better releationship with our moms than 90% of the people we probably both know, and our moms know (knew) that we love them.

You will do the best you can by her, and she knows that, too. What you heard was probably her initial reaction after learning about the changes. In my mother's instance, her doctor was able to "tinker" with the billing slightly to make things more affordable for whatever her insurance didn't cover. Maybe her doctor could do something like that? Plus, isn't there (I think) some sort of program for insulin and diabetic supplies? I thought I heard about it once. (Wilford Brimley did a commercial about it--it wasn't dog food for once!) :-)

mrpeenee said...

If your mother has access to a Flexible Spending Account, she should definitely sign up for it. An FSA allows an employee to set aside a portion of her earnings to pay for medical expenses. Money deducted from an employee's pay into an FSA is not subject to payroll taxes, resulting in a substantial payroll tax savings. Also they pay the claims up front even if you haven't contributed enough to cover them yet cause they know you're on the hook to cover it through the year. That means her deductible will be covered and she can spread the cost of it out through the year.

Anonymous said...

I totally get the whole guilt over living your own life thing.

And the insurance thing? I get that, too. A few years back I had a health scare that resulted in a LOT of expensive testing over a 6 month period and my provider was dragging their feet because they felt maybe I had ELECTED to have numerous CAT scans and PET scans. Dumbasses.

Big hugs and hang in there.

Scooter said...

OMG!!!! I so love Charles Pierce. Saw him many times in LA. Once even sat next to Vincent Price and Coral Browne. Coral's laugh was almost as funny as Charles' routine!!!

As for your mom, I'm sorry. It's so tough to see someone you love go through that and feel so helpless, both for their medical conditions and the evil insurance companies. Sending warm thoughts your way.

Java said...

Like being smacked in the face with a day-old mullet, over and over again. First one fish, then the other. I hate days like that.

On a related note,
"What doesn't kill you only delays the inevitable."