I was discharged early yesterday from the V.A. Hospital. My first memory of this place was visiting my grandfather, opening the door for a Spanish American War Vet and being deathly afraid of falling into the huge men's urinal. Eisenhower's portrait hung on the entry lobby and an LAPD mortorcycle officer hotwired his Packard and properly parked it out of the red zone, Telling the head nurse ( a beautifull black woman recently appointed over howls of protest) he was a screaming eagle in WW2. Well, now kids open the door for me. Instead of a discrete service pin guys are running around with Vietnam and Desert Storm baseball caps, complaining about the slow service and questioning my patriotism when I suggest they discuss the 40% cuts with the guy currently hanging ( his portrait) in the lobby. The head nurse is now a beautifull Vietnamese. The only thing unchanged is that urinal. I walked in and felt like it was a scene from THE SHINING. I swear it said hello Chris. I washed my hands and left quickly.