Things I Did Today

1. Participated in and filmed a protest of Trump's proposed wall between the US and Mexico, his ban on Muslims, his proposed cabinet members, etc. with Move On at Ted Cruz's Dallas office;

2. Completed and filed my 2016 federal income tax return;

3. Paid my COBRA insurance premium, bill received just today but due tomorrow (thank goodness there's an online option, sheesh);

4. Set up automatic payments for future COBRA insurance premiums.

Thoughts on a dark Sunday

Earlier this week I chatted online, briefly, with a family member who is an avid Trump supporter. As I raised my objections to various Trump policies he blithely dismissed all of my objections, and I realized, with a shock, that like so many Trump supporters, he doesn't object to anything that doesn't affect him directly. This family member, who is in his 50's, is not a narcissist but he's completely egocentric. This is a developmental stage he should have grown out of at about age 7, but for some reason he didn't. He hasn't had a traumatic brain injury (which might explain it) but for whatever reason, his cognitive development is stuck at a preoperational stage. I wonder if this isn't the case for a lot of Trump's avid supporters?

Dark Days Ahead

Today Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. To say I'm depressed is an understatement. I don't know what's wrong with him, but it's obvious that something is very wrong with him, and I don't believe he will make it through 4 years without being impeached. But he can do a lot of damage in the meantime, and if he's impeached, that will leave us with Pence, who if anything is even worse. Trump's incoming staff has already begun to take steps to abolish the National Endowment of the Arts and to privatize PBS and NPR. I didn't watch the inauguration. I couldn't stand it. Instead, I spent the day applying for jobs. I doubt anyone will hire me, but I have to apply for at least 4 each week to collect unemployment benefits. Yesterday I did my taxes online, but I have to wait to complete them because I haven't received the form from Capital One with the specifics on refinancing the house. But everything else is done. I'm tired and achy and depressed. The future is completely uncertain.