Like that post?
Well, you must, you made us read it all over again.
(Why did you do that? Did you have something to add to it?)
When I put in an insurance claim some years ago for hail damage to the roof, I was told that because I’d been dutifully paying my homeowner’s insurance for something like 500 years without a single claim, they would find it in the goodness of their hearts not to raise my rates this time. The implicit message was that if I was harboring any thoughts about conjuring up any more hail storms in the future, or anything else, I had better think twice about it. Gotta love insurance companies!
I had the same dynamic occur with windshield replacements; I’ve had like 4 or 5 of the things replaced over maybe a ten year period. They took care of me the first time, no fuss. The second time I was told the “implicit message” that this may cause me to be held in lower regard by them. This and the succeeding ones I paid out of pocket since the deductible was just 50 dollars less than the cost of the replacement(s)
As you said: “Gotta love insurance companies!”.
I took a look at our claims history and it turns out we had 3 windshield claims visible, every other year., from 2009 through 2013. I don’t think they complained about any of those. The one accident (son rear-ended someone) was in 2014, when he still fell under the “new driver” umbrella. I think we may have paid for a windshield repair ourselves on the ancient Civic at some point after that, as we’d dropped that coverage on the car.
I haven’t ranted in a while, but after today?
Drove down to see my daughter and her fiancé. They bought a couple of ceiling fans to be installed and had a couple of electric issues in their apartment, the general maintenance guy was ‘let go’ in favor for the caretakers drug addicted pregnant granddaughter to ‘work’ and show her PO she’s behaving, IOW they needed an electrician.
Hey, bil is an electrician, road trip!
Never a-fucking-gain.
Tradition is stopping by a fantastic Vietnamese French bakery on the way. I pick up a couple of bahn mis and a few other pastries. Bil, in the bakery: “What is all this? They’re charging HOW much? Where’s the donuts?” Just being an ass. Sister loudly noting he is being an ass. Lovely. He at least liked his cherry danish, despite it being ‘too messy’. Had to listen to him and sis squabble for about 30 minutes afterwards.
Down with the kids went fine, mostly. Bil wanted to go to the antique store. They all went in, I stayed back in the truck to have a little quiet. Daughter texted me - barely anyone masked. So, guess I’m staying in the car.
They made dinner. The original plan was yao hon, Khmer hot pot. When it was mentioned a few days ago, Bil went on a whine. Menu changed to marinated steak skewers and rice. Very good, in my opinion. Insufficient to him. Jaysus.
My sister decided to take the reins on the way home and complained about everything. Nothing anyone did was right. My driving sucked. Bil playing on his phone was rude. That driver sucked. The place I always stop to fill up was too dirty and busy.
I’ve been so socially cocooned for so long now, being around people, especially MY people, has been too much for me today.
Last month I had an MRI to check the status of my liver, and got a call to schedule me for an ultrasound because the MRI seemed to show a blockage in my left kidney. Had the ultrasound last Friday, and was told that there were no signs of stones in my kidney or bladder.
So this week I woke up at 4am with bad abdominal pains. Went to the ER and they determined that I did, in fact, have a kidney stone. Spent several days in the hospital while they put in a stent, found signs of infection and pus.
I am not happy.
Holy shit, I’ve been dealing with kidney stones for more than 15 years and I’ve had a few so painful they literally crippled me, but damn that sounds so much worse than anything I’ve experienced. I feel for you. 
I’m sorry that happened to you, LurkMeister! I hope you heal quickly.
My ultrasound found no sign of stones or tumors (and hopefully it was accurate), but it indicated that I was retaining urine. Google says this is somewhat uncommon with women. My urologist wants to see me to perform further tests on why this is happening. I’m trying not to scare myself with looking for the reasons for urinary retention in women. And to top it off, ever since that ultrasound, I have noticed that even if I feel like I need a good full-bore pee, I only pee a thin stream and it doesn’t feel like I pee everything out. Maybe it’s just an over-active imagination. Maybe I’m a freak and there’s a swollen prostate in there!
The upside is that since there are no stones I can go back to a cup of black tea in the morning.
No, when you have a swollen prostate, you have an URGENT need to pee, and NOTHING comes out. For hours on end, until you see a doctor and get treatment. Been there.
Back when my front door was nearly kicked in (effectively destroying the frame), I contacted my insurance company with photos and went through the process of getting a quote for replacement, carefully separating the cost of the damaged frame from all the extra upgrades for which I wasn’t seeking compensation. The insurance company never came out to look at the damage for themselves, and instead decided that the frame could be patched up by the local approved handyman service for just under my deductible. 
I had never made a claim up to that point; I hate to think how they would have handled the claim when I was rear-ended at a stop sign by a car going ~50 mph.
For some reason, this same insurance company never balked at the numerous times my mom filed broken windshield claims on her Wrangler.
I hate going to the dentist. I get really stressed about it. Last night I had a dream two of my teeth fell out. Went to the dentist this morning and survived but I have two stupid cavities so I have to go back next week.
The hygienist was making small talk and I mentioned my kid won’t eat much. She asked if I was breastfeeding, which, okay, personal question, but when I told her I was not, she got really quiet.
I awkwardly said, “Well, we have to wean him off formula soon…”
And she was like, “Ohhhh, I totally forgot about formula! I thought he wasn’t eating at all!”
Sigh.
Wouldn’ t it be nice if women singers were lauded for their voices and not dressing and gyrating like porn actors?
Word for word what my parents said about women singers and dancers in the 60s (they thought Liza Minnelli was “loose”).
I remember them criticizing Olivia Newton-John in the 70s… then Paula Abdul in the 80s (well really, all of MTV), then Shakira and Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé, and come to think of it, they probably weren’t wild about Ginger Rogers, that hussy…
See this is why the town elders rightly forbid us to dance.
I had a doctor’s appointment today at 1:00. I’ve had the appointment for months, it was on Mychart, and I got a phone reminder about it on Saturday. March 15 at 1:00. Got it.
So I get there, and am told I don’t have an appointment today, but I do have one on March 30 at 2:00. I asked the lady who changed my appointment, and she said it was always March 30. I never had an appointment for today.
[Grrr.]
That must be the “divide in half” error. The 30th becomes the 15th, and 2:00 becomes 1:00.
(I’m just making shit up. I hate when places screw up and lie about it.)
RAWR! Yet another Pitting of people who don’t know shit about trauma presenting as experts. A while back I ranted about some dipshit on Facebook with no credentials charging $2,000 a pop for some webinar about Overcoming Trauma Once and For All. The Secrets Therapists Don’t Know! This woman looks all of 30 years old but I guess because so far her own thing is working for her, she thinks she’s qualified to make claims like Never Backslide Again!
God damn does this shit piss me off. But I hid her ads. Today some rando responded to me, “Forget about credentials! Therapists don’t know the secret to overcoming trauma! I’ve written three books and five novels and experts just don’t understaaaaand…”
Holy Shit did he get an earful. I’m so, so tired of this approach to trauma that paints it as some mysterious and complicated thing. Challenging to treat? Absolutely. But it’s not mysterious. It’s an overgeneralized conditioned stimulus response. Remember Pavlov? It’s that. Only instead of food it’s rape or war or an earthquake and instead of a bell it’s “every damn noise that sounds remotely like a bell and also your own thoughts.” OK I’m stretching the metaphor but you get my drift.
I drifted for so long without help because of self-styled experts who had no idea what the fuck they were talking about. I get that not every approach works for every person, but it is a fact that certain approaches work for most people most of the time, and odds of learning about those approaches from a goddamned Facebook webinar are vanishingly small. Fucking grifters.
Fortunately, since I’ve been home I haven’t had any pain. Well, a little discomfort but nothing disabling. I had a previously scheduled appointment with my PCP this morning and we talked about what had happened and what I should expect. He sad that it was possible that the “blockage” on the MRI was a small stone which I might have unknowingly passed or had moved to someplace where it didn’t show up on the ultrasound. I’m on antibiotics (as well as a bunch of other new medications) and will be tested later to be sure the infection is cleared up, then go back to the hospital to have the stent taken out.
A few months ago, I ordered a mystery project (needlework, colorway that I picked and knowledge of what sort of general design I will be doing) which was supposed to start next week.
I’ve been eagerly watching the mail and email for supplies and the first set of instructions, but alas. Yesterday I got an email that due to issues with supplies, class will start next month.
I has a big sad over this.
Reminds me of the roofing claim for hail damage I mentioned earlier. The insurance company’s first reaction was that the roof couild be “repaired” – i.e.- just the damaged portions re-shingled. If that was even possible, it would have looked like shit.
Fortunately, I had a roofer who was used to dealing with insurance companies. By the time he was done with them they paid for a whole new roof with upgraded architectural shingles. But he sounded really tired and frustrated when he was telling me about it.