Insurance whoas

 

pain in the arseI’m guessing,  like most people with health insurance, there comes the ability to track all sorts of goodies via their insurance intertubes.  I was given a log in and password and viola’ I am treated to all things health related. In my opinion this particular site  has a little to  much stuff to weed through actually. The useful stuff like tracking visits and doctors, is somewhat hard to find, lurking behind flashy ads for all sorts of garbage which leads to a lot of time wasting and intertubes wandering.  So here I am poking around trying to find important information on my doctors and past visits.  Not being an insurance person, but simply a common serf, I know what I’m looking for but I don’t know what it’s called.  Seems to me ‘Dr visits’ would be appropriate, but no, they have to call it claims, as in ‘I claim all this money for myself’.  Did you know  the synoymn for claim is ‘demand’…figures.  But I digress.  Claims it is, I click to enter.

 I haven’t been to my GP for about a year now…knock on wood.  But don’t let that fool you into thinking that I don’t get yearly physicals, because I have one coming up.  Anyhoo, as I’m looking through my stuff I see a visit to a doctor that I don’t recognize on a date that I was out of town.  Wait a sec, did I just experience time travel and go to a doctor on a day I was somewhere else?  Interesting.  Or is it…?   As I scroll further into my investigation, I see  a note on said claim that is coded thusly  ND8: THE PROCEDURE CODE IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE PATIENT’S AGE. Yeah think?  Hey that should tell somebody, somewhere something…if they are paying attention.  I guess I’m that somebody somewhere, pointing it out to someone.

 I pick up my nearby phone and call the Dr’s office to point out that something is wacky on this claim and that it needs to be reversed.  No, problem, I am told, it will be done right away.  Excellent…or is it?   That phone call took place at least 2 months ago and  within that time frame  I’ve  followed up with additional phone calls requesting the correction. Earlier this week, I received in the mail, a bill for an office visit with this same doctor and date .  WTF?  Well of course I’m not going to pay it, but it has my name written all over it and most likely because it has my name all over it and I’m not going to pay it, it will go to collection.  If that happens I will be royally pissed, not just your middle of the road sorta pissed.  Stay tuned…

Disclaimer- this post is in NO way intended to annoy those who may or maynot be in the medical or insurance field, you know who you are. :)

This just in…

living in the past

Princess Diana, still dead.

The Pope (the one that died), still dead.

Winston Churchill, still dead.

Farrah Fawcett, overshadowed yet again, and still dead.

Michael Jackson still dead, and I still don’t care.

None of these people affect my life.  All the news coverage in the world won’t make me turn on the TV today to watch as Michael Jackson  is shown the way out.  Nor will I watch it on the intertubes.  The only thing remotely interesting about MJ was “Thriller”.    I thought it was innovative and scary enough to frighten my five year old nephew when I showed him the video way back in 1983.  I think that video tape is still floating around our family somewhere. Anyone, anyone?

Rest in peace Michael, can we now get back to reality?

Reunion AND Union

Independence Day  is upon us, and it’s not raining, yay!.  After having an EPIC family reunion last weekend, we are repeating that performance this weekend with the other side of the family.  We are headed off to my Sweet mother-in-law’s house for some grillin and chillin.  We won’t be gone all day, we’re just gone for a few hours, then we’re back home to watch the fireworks from the front yard…yea  that is a cool aspect of this house.  Be safe and don’t hold lit firecrackers.

When we were in Idaho last weekend we had a GREAT time at the family reunion.  We met my sister’s sweetheart, and we all gave him many thumbs up.  That isn’t as uncomfortable as it sounds…we really like him.  It was his Birthday so we all signed a card for him and gave him a losing lottery ticket. It’s a tradition.

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The next day was the reunion and it required some people showing up early at the city park to secure the desired meeting place.  The meeting place we had in mind was to be the covered area in the park with all the picnic tables, you know, the one with lots of shade.  Jason our designated spot snagger, showed up a wee bit before 8am and the chosen spot was already taken by some other family reunion, I guess their plan was a bit more ambitious than ours.  So we did what we all do best,  we regrouped and found a better, shadier spread, nearer to the bathrooms and all the necessary facilities.    We scored, we had more room, more shade and more Berglunds than any other family reunion in the park.

My brother Richard, his wife, Cathy along with my cousin Paulette spearheaded this shin-dig and they all did an awesome job.  We had about 100 people show up, which to me is a great amount.  A few spouses couldn’t show, but hey, there’s always next time.  Fun was had by all.

At one point I’m standing next to my youngest brother, Jim.  He looks at me and says. “I’m going to step out of my element and take the microphone and talk in front of all these people.”  He then opens his hand and shows me a ring.  OH MY GOD, he’s going to propose to his girlfriend…how exciting!  I gulp and give him and big smile…how exciting!!  I turn and start looking for Sweet Husband.  Since he is a photographer I think now would be a good time to capture some impromptu shots.  I hear Jim talking about how the last few times we’d all been together had been sad and somber times burying various loved ones, and he wanted to change that trend to a more happier time.   At this same time I am asking Sweet Husband to get his camera as Jim is going to propose….a WEDDING?  I had started to say Jim was going to propose to Donna, but instead Jim was proposing a wedding.  We’re gonna have a wedding, right here, right now…how cool!  We were all invited to join them under the neighboring tree to witness as they exchanged vows and helped to increase the  family.  By now we were wiping the tears from our eyes as we watched them become husband and wife.  It was very sweet.  Thanks for sharing with us.

Jim and Donna

On Sunday, Mother Nature gave us a hot flash, somewhere upwards of 95 degrees.  We got up late, went out to breakfast and drove around the valley for a short time, stopping at various sights and some friends new  house.  When we got back to Gales house we all collapsed and just sat around staring at each other…we were hot sweaty lumps of nothingness.  I kept thinking I wanted to go out to Richards and visit and I wanted to see Mel and Jason and the kids again, but we simply couldn’t move.  We lumped on into the evening and fell into our hot beds, exhausted from visiting all day.  We had a great time and if I had my way, I’d see you all more often.  I love you all and until next time, be well and make good choices.

Gone but not forgotten

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Wow, I don’t even have a family reunion photo to post, because I haven’t downloaded them yet, because when we got home from the family reunion my computer was broken and when it finally worked again after going to the shop, I was too tired and it was too late and now it’s the next day and I’m just now getting home from work and I had to make one last post before July, which is tomorrow.

 

Isn’t that a cool key board?

email post

See this? She’s worth almost $500 more than she was 3 weeks ago. That’s what happens when you have 2 emergency room visits within 3 weeks time.

If you can read this it’s because I’m posting via email from my blackberry. I love wordpress.

Amendment:  That’s more than $100 per pound.  Like caviar, that’s what she is.

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Penguin sighting.

Actual conversation:

Me to Sweet Husband, “Remember when we were talking about the gay penguins the other day?  Well I saw a video about them hatching an egg.”

Sweet Husband, “They must not have been too gay then, eh?”

Me: “No they are still gay, they had been trying hatch a rock after going through mating rituals.  So they were given an abandonded egg and viola!  They hatched it.”

Sweet Husband, “Awwww, that’s so sweet”.

Me, while reading the news on the internet, “Hey the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.”

Sweet Husband, “Are they gay too?”

Me, laughing, “I’m sure there might be a few gay hockey players.”

Me, “Did you still want to go to the zoo and see the new Penguin exhibit?

Georgia on my mind….of course.

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Yesterday I toured the lovely city of Atlanta Georgia with some friends.  I’ve come here for a food show and to see some sights.  Friday night these same friends went on a City Ghost tour of all the haunted sights in Atlanta.  Scuse me, no one told me it was going to be on a Segway.  If I had known that I would have gone on the tour too and just ignored all the blather about Ghosts…dang it!  They said it was a lot of fun, but I don’t regret my decision, I sat in a bar that revolves and I got to see the city from up above and in every direction.  Wow, that sentence makes me sound like a women with questionable motives…nope just a hungry girl after working out and it was the closest thing open.

Mid morning yesterday we boarded the Trolley Tour of Atlanta.  Our guide Harold drove us for 2 hours to the various sights of Atlanta.  A few of the sights we saw included Turner field, the home of those obnoxious Atlanta Braves and their tomahawk chop.  Turner Field was also the home of the opening ceremonies for the 1996 Summer Olympics.   It was originally named Cenntenial Olympic Stadium for the Olympics and then converted to a baseball only stadium.

We saw Grant Park, home of the Atlanta Zoo and nearby Oakland Cemetery.  We saw all locations of everything Martin Luther King Jr.  Atlanta was his home and this city is proud of this great, powerful and progressive man.  He is honored with an eternal flame near he and Coretta’s  grave sight and he is never lonely in his resting place.  A constant stream of visitors are present 24/7.

As the drive continued we drove past the home of Margaret Mitchell, the author of  “Gone With the Wind”.  I do believe that I am the only known American adult to never have read the book or seen the movie, Gone with the Wind.  I think that will have to change this summer.  Miss Mitchell wanted to live with an address on Peachtree Street so she took an apartment she called, ‘the dump’ where she wrote most of the manuscript while recovering from a broken ankle.  The movie premiered  in Atlanta to immediate success in 1939.  And did you know that “Gone with the Wind” is the second most popular book in print?  Tragically Margaret Mitchell was struck by a car on her beloved Peachtree street and after 5 days of being in a coma died from the injuries.  She was only 49 years old.

Our next stop was  at one of the most famous restaurants in the south.  “The Varsity” a place where upon walking in the wait staff behind the counter yells to each and every of the 30000 customers each day,  “Wadda ya have, wadda ya have, wadda ya have”.  This  mantra is yelled so loud that when I actually do try to order they can’t hear me, but I eventually get a ‘glofrified hamburger’ and all is well. You have to check out their website, it’s cool.   Better yet, check it out in person, we ran into 12 people that we knew and it must be famous as none of us had ever been there before.

Because I am all about, telling you about the food, our next meal approximately 2 hours later, ok, maybe 3 hours, is a restaurant called:  Pittypat’s Porch, which is another reference to Gone with the Wind, but because I haven’t read the book the reference is lost on me.  I’ll catch up…honest.  This restaurants serves up true southern dining.  One of the specials  was BBQ ribs and fried chicken with mashed potatoes.  We had a large group and 7 out of 10 got the special, the other three got cat fish prepared in a variety of ways.  We had a great meal with lots of laughter and mint julips, afterall we are in the south.  To be continued…

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Get away day

IMG_0512 I’m like a dog with a bone, or in my case a cat with a bone.  And like a small animal with a marrow fetish who can’t get enough of said bone,  I  can’t get enough of this gorgeous weather.  See these lovely chairs sitting in our backyard?  Did you notice anything odd about them?  Yes, that’s right, neither Sweet Husband nor myself are in any one of them.  Believe me, it’s not for lack of trying.   These chairs practically call out our names to come and lounge.  However,  we were both pulling out of the driveway at 5:29am this morning going our seperate ways. Frankly,  that’s not how I’d like to spend these 65 degree mornings.  Yes I do believe it’s going to be a warm one in ol Sea-town today, but I won’t be here to participate.   I’m at the airport waiting to wing my way south, where it might possibly be even warmer.  I’m on my way to, yes you guessed it, a food show.  You’d think one food show would be enough, but you have to take into account not all customers purchase our fine cheese from the same distributor, so here we are.  A friend asked me yesterday if the two food shows that I’m attending this week are the kind where I ’show the food’, or ’see the food’.  Yes, I answered, one of each.  I’ll give a minor update when I get back.  So until then stay cool and adjust.  Here’s a teensy challenge for you, is there anything that you’d like me to look for at these food shows?  Come on, give it your best shot, but I would like to narrow the challenge down to actual food.  It won’t do either one of us any good if you want me to check out the new tricycle lawn mower.

Seasonal sounds

For the most part it’s  fairly quiet where we live.  That is unless you ask someone who lives in the country who then comes to stay at our house, and they are awakened by the passing cars at night.  I would have to then say, it’s all relative.   The other day however, there was a crow outside my office that was loudly carrying on and on and on about his little crow business.  I don’t know if you have crows where you live, but they are loud and demanding.  At one point they were dive bombing Kushka, as if she hasn’t had enough trauma in her furry little life.  Come to find out there was a toddler crow that had most likely left the nest a little bit too soon. Mama and papa crow were loudly trying to teach baby to fly while at the same time protecting the area from 4 pound geriatric cats.  The parental units would cawww flying off toward a nearby tree, all the while encouraging  Junior to test his wings and to please follow.  He would whimper back in some crow baby talk, flap his wings and stay put.  For. The. Next. Three. Days.  Junior liked our back yard, we must have been interesting to him, he watched our every move.  He was like a foreman leaning on a shovel that’s how much he watched us.  I just thought of something,  first it was a Robin spying on us, now we have  a crow.  We have lots of bird friendly areas in our yard, and for the most part the cats leave them alone.  We are indeed a secure bird sanctuary.

As the situation was not diminishing in sound or drama, the cats were getting fed up with the noise and they asked if they could go back in the house.  I said, “No it’s too nice. Now go outside and play, and don’t fight with your sister”.  Oh my gawd, that sounds just like my mom.  That’s the only thing you won’t hear on the video, some mom screaming at her kids to stay in the yard.

Anyway, can you identify all the sounds in our ‘quiet’ neighborhood? Sorry for the blurriness,  if you squint just right, you can see the cat sort of hunker down as if to get away from the noise.

kick ass logo

pile driving

As I’ve discussed I drive quite alot.  In my drive time I see alot of different things.  There is a building south of Seattle that I’ve driven by a few times and I had to stop and take a photo.  Their logo is painted on the east side of their outside wall, it must be about 20-25 feet tall and it makes a very obvious statement.   I have posted a very large photo of that wall for you to look at and ponder.  I am not usually swayed by logos or advertising for that matter.  But I would say based on the size and breadth of this logo, they are in the business in a serious way.  I am not endorsing American Pile Drivers or gorillas for that matter, but it is one serious statement.  I do wonder what their receptionist looks like?

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