What’s It About Anyway!

The path ahead is rocky.  I stumble but immediately recover. A slight decline, downward along the ridge.  All around me the bucolic hills of Lake Sonoma rise above the water’s edge. Giant oaks and billowing cumulus clouds almost complete my picture perfect Sonoma County Canvas.  The only thing missing is the screeching of My Osprey.  I’ve been chasing her for months now every chance I get.  I know where her nest is and I’m ready for her.  I’ve been here before!! Patience! Then, camera ready, I hear her. She swoops perfectly onto my canvas, still wet from her fishing expedition. Her talons are firmly clutching her chic’s next meal as they wait, not so patiently, in their nest in the trees high above me.

Click, click, Click, click, – my Nikon does its work… and then, as suddenly as my subject has appeared, another screech, louder, unrelenting – not bucolic at all – louder and louder – ….. I awaken… The alarm clock.  2:00a.m. – My Osprey?

Wake up Tom; you’re a Limo driver – That’s how you feed your little “chicks” sleeping dreamily down the hall. Dreaming of Strawberry Shortcake, or… is it boys now?

Quick calculation – this next client, an SFO airport run – pickup at 3:15 a.m. – in Sebastopol – 45 minutes away.

Plenty of time!! I smell the coffee brewing downstairs – ah! – Modern technology!  Hot water on my face, quick scrapes of the raiser – above the beard, below on my neck – presentable. Clean white shirt.  2:12 a.m.

Keep moving – time to think later – downstairs – grab the black suit coat off the hanger that was put there only two hours ago!! Out the front door to the shiny new Lincoln Town Car – keys, always in the right front pocket – this is no time to lose my keys!  Ignition – back-up to the front door. Engine running – warming up – back inside for the coffee. Most of the pot goes into my all aluminum 6 cup Thermax – three big scoops of white stuff on top – grab my laptop bag – front door locked. On my way.  2:20 a.m.

This time of the day, the freeway will be faster – 101 North to Hwy 12 then West – plenty of time. 2:32 a.m. – O.K. – time to think – thus far it’s just been auto pilot. Let’s see – now it’s Friday – last night’s bachelorette party to the City and back ran late!! After returning the “stretch” to the barn – gassing and cleaning – a messy bunch they were … picking up a town car for this run. Two hours of sleep! Is all of this worth it?

O.K., it’s Friday – drop this client off at San Francisco International – pick up return fare at 7 a.m., if he’s not late. Deliver him to his corporate headquarters in Santa Rosa and IF all goes well, I’ll be at my little photography studio in Rohnert Park, casually greeting my 10 a.m. “Mommy and Me” portrait client.  That’s the only thing that keeps me sane these days I think!  My ART – My photography!

My two beautiful, little adopted daughters have turned into pre-teen hormone raging – um “goddesses”.  My wife loves me dearly but constantly worries about keeping this whole thing together.  With all of her combined illnesses, she can’t keep a full time job.

This isn’t the way it was supposed to be.  All she ever wanted was to be a nurse – and a mother – she desperately wanted to be a mother.  But then a disease called endrometriosis, which ultimately meant that she could not have biological children of her own.

What, in the beginning seemed to be a curse, had now turned into such a blessing with the adoption of these two beautiful human beings.

She works at Memorial Hospital, in what is called the “pool”.  She can say yes or no to work depending on how she is feeling from one day to the next.  But she isn’t able to work enough hours to qualify for health benefits.  Amazing – works in a Catholic hospital, but can’t get health benefits!

She knows she can’t keep doing this hospital work – it’s an incredibly physical job – she just can’t keep doing it.

She’s already gone back to school and gotten her Bachelor’s degree.  Sonoma State University is just down the street but there isn’t enough room in the MA program. She wanted to be a Family Counselor but now she is learning to be a Massage Therapist so that she can help elderly women who have suffered loss. It’s good money and its flexible hours, AND she’ll “be there” for her kids when they get home from school.

The main reason I’ve taken the limo job is the group health insurance that has been promised. And the flexible hours!  It sure isn’t the money!  I’m currently paying the outrageous prices levied on “in between” employees for what is called “COBRA” (actually a good name for it!). But that will end soon.

With all of her pre-conditions, we can’t get private health insurance. Nor could I afford it if the opportunity was there.

Stop thinking about that – back to the schedule.  10 a.m. Mommy and Me Portrait Session – Noon – 20 year old wants to be  a star – portfolio shots – two hours if I’m lucky – That means maybe two or three hours of sleep before leaving to photograph the wedding rehearsal dinner at the winery in Healdsburg.  Then the wedding tomorrow – all day – family reunion shoot on Sunday –Maybe some rest on Monday possibly even a run up to Lake Sonoma – my sanctuary – Is this all worth it – My ART?

That was a pretty typical week in those days – but then one particular Saturday in 1999 a little brown spot in the bottom corner of my eye, turned into a bigger brown spot by Sunday and by Monday when I went to the eye doctor – it was half of my vision gone in my left eye – like someone pulled a big brown blanket over my “shooting” eye! I was immediately rushed to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. A detached retina, they called it – no real explanation as to why it happens.

My eye surgeon told me it was a bad one – if I wanted sight in that eye, I’d have to follow his instructions to the letter, and by the way, his office manager needed to speak to me.

As it turned out, the insurance that I worked so diligently for had lapsed!  In switching from Cobra to the limousine company’s policy a check had not come in. Sorry – you don’t have any health insurance.  A glitch, a loophole – call it what you will.  A $15,000 operation, 5 months out of work – I was devastated – Going from such a fast paced active life to staring at a spot on the floor, not moving my head… for 4 months!!

I’m a recovering alcoholic! How I got through those days without drinking – I don’t have a clue!!  Is there a God? You bet!!!! But He, or She, or Father, or Source is MY God and nothing that you have to worry about… unless you’re interested!

It’s not easy starting over but we did, and some of my stories will be about how.  One thing I know for sure, life is a lot easier when you have affordable health care.  Our political views, it seems, are formed by our life experiences.

I look forward to your feedback!