Putting Pencil to Paper

In an attempt to spend at least a little time writing each day, I will be participating in various writing prompts/challenges/etc. Today I am linking up with The One-Minute Writer.

Today’s prompt: Together

Today's result:

The wrinkled couple silently sits on a bench, while staring in different directions. You can tell they have been together for a lifetime by the way their gnarled fingers mesh between them. 

Torn about Spirit Airlines' Decision

If you are unaware of what my title refers to, here is a link for you to read & watch a little bit about the issue. A quick summary would be that Spirit Airlines (an airline I've honestly never heard of) decided to enforce its NO REFUNDS policy when Mr. Jerry Meekins (a 76 year old Vietnam veteran) requested a refund of the $179 plane ticket he had purchased two weeks prior. Mr. Meekins requested the refund after his doctor told him not to fly because of his deteriorating health (Mr. Meekins has terminal esophageal cancer).

Before I explain why I am torn about this situation, let me say that I have the utmost respect for anyone who has served in the United States' armed forces. The sacrifices they and their families make to defend the values this country was founded on are enormous and can never be compensated for.

That being said, I wonder if there would be such a brew-ha-ha over this if Mr. Meekins wasn't a veteran. How would people feel if he was an ex-con, a dead beat dad, or a 20-something kid who has never had a job and lives in his parent's basement? Would the outrage people are feeling be as strong if Mr. Meekins weren't terminally ill? These are just some of the questions I have been asking myself since first hearing about this situation.

As a person who gets to enforce a "No Refunds" policy, I totally understand the airline's stance. Once you make an exception for one person it opens the door for having to make an exception for every person. In order to be fair you can't take it on a case by case basis (which is what Mr. Meekins has stated he wants to the airline to change their policy to), because everyone's situation is special and unique and deserving. Where would you draw the line, and how soon would that "line" become the basis for lawsuits of favoritism or special treatment?

Now here's where I'm torn. I actually have a heart. Anytime somebody calls me to ask for an exception to our No Refund policy because of their unique situation (which, sadly, are not actually so unique), my heart breaks a bit because I have to tell them no. Sometimes, the situations they describe are achingly familiar because I've been through them myself, which makes it even more difficult.

Anyway, I'm torn over this. While I certainly wish Spirit Airlines could have given Mr. Meekins a refund, I feel like the company has now been backed into a corner which leaves them little room to handle this situation more compassionately, without feeding into the popular belief that if a person makes a big enough stink they can get whatever they want (which is rant for another time).

And now you can all hate me. Just keep it civil in the comments, because if you get to "hateful" TheHusband will start to rule them with an iron fist (and by that I mean moderating the comments with the "ban-hammer").

My Crafting Conundrum

I love to craft. For me it's a great way to relax, unwind, and get rid of stress. Sadly, I haven't been doing much crafting lately. Really, it's been several years since I've spent any significant amount of crafting and several months since I've done ANY crafting at all. Which means I should really give up my title as being the "Craft Queen" (a title bestowed on me by a friend).

It's not that I haven't wanted to craft, or that I haven't had any ideas (because OH the IDEAS!). I think the biggest reason I haven't been crafting is because my current crafting area (and the majority of my crafting supplies) is located in the basement. When we first moved into our current abode, I thought this would be a great place for my crafting area. It was quiet, I could keep the cats away from my projects, and there was plenty of space.

However, even with those great things going for the area, it hasn't turned out to be a great place for me to actually craft in. The area isn't a "finished" area so it can get quite dusty, it's rather dark with bad lighting (a drawback on two levels: poor working light and not conducive to creativity), and bad air flow (which is how I almost killed myself & the cats one day). The biggest drawback though, is that it's all the way down in the basement. This wasn't an issue when we first set up the area, but since then I was diagnosed with spondylitis which can leave me quite worn out at times and can make it difficult for me to go up and down stairs (a problem if I need/want things from the first or second floor and I'm in the basement).

Life as a Dinosaur: B-9, It's better than bingo!

Monday's surgery went off almost without a hitch. I say almost because apparently Bert was larger than anticipated and had entrenched himself in my abdomen for the long haul. It took the surgeon an extra half hour to pry him out, but she was victorious in the end and both Bert and Ernie ended up taking a trip to the lab for biopsy.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the surgeon called with the biopsy results. Both cysts are benign. This was not unexpected, but having the answer for sure is a relief. The surgeon also stated that she had seen signs of endometriosis during the surgery. We'll talk with her more about that when I go back for my post-op exam in a week or so.

Life As a Dinosaur: Introducing Bert & Ernie

It's been awhile since I last updated, but that's because I've been dealing with some new health issues. These issues aren't directly related to the AS, but they do affect it and how it's treated (to a degree).