It's like working two jobs

I'm using the hour before I go into work in the morning to try and get publicity for our Health Care for All Rally in Raleigh next Sunday (2-4 p.m. on the grounds of the NC Capitol Building). Much of my evenings are spent sending out e-mails with press releases and photos of Mike.

In my fantasy world, 10,000 people show up. In reality, I'm told the 125 we had in Asheville was a good turnout. I want more than that. I want people to take to the streets and demand that our broken health care system stop being held hostage to politics.

Fix it, already!

So, I'm working hard to make it happen.

Life o' Mike is officially incorporated now, and our next task is to start looking for funding and go for our nonprofit status so contributions can be tax deductible.

It's whatcha call the birth of a nonprofit. I think Mike would have liked it. He loved being the center of attention.

I don't know where he got that.

Meanwhile, my poor youngest sister is dealing with boatloads of crap. She went away for two days for work and while she was away, my stepfather fell and broke his nose. My mother's reaction was to briefly lose touch with reality.

At the same time, we suspect my mother has developed diabetes and she's not happy about the low-carb diet she has to be on at least until she sees the doctor early next week.

It's amazing how our parents become more like our children as we age. My mother doesn't want an outsider to come in and help, but everyone in the house works during the day and she shouldn't be alone that whole time.

So, it's probably time for my sister to put her foot down and say someone will come in to help for a couple hours a day.

It reminds me of dealing with my kids when they were too young to be left home alone but they thought they were too big to have a babysitter.

You can't treat your parents as though they were your children, can you?

The answer is, sometimes you have to.