Rants are Read, Vileness Abrew (February mini-rants)

The BBQ Pit
21

I’ve ranted before about YouTube comments, but it’s crazy now.
About 2/3rd of my comments get silently deleted. I never engage in personal attacks and avoid words which could be taken as alluding to any crime or hate, it doesn’t matter.

Meanwhile actual hate speech does get through, so their net is useless in both respects.

And I notice more and more that every thread has at least a couple of people complaining that their posts aren’t getting through, and often on both sides of an issue, so it’s not just me and it doesn’t seem to be YT picking sides. It’s just a hopeless platform.

22

I totally identify with that. I was also extremely poor for years. I used to have to choose between paying rent or getting food, and I spent a very brief time homeless. It messed me up a little to the point where even though today I make a pretty comfortable living, I can’t stand to waste food and I am loathe to put myself in debt or spend a lot of money on things for myself. Yeah, being frugal is a good thing but it can go too far and I still get anxiety over money when I don’t need to anymore. You don’t go through that without it affecting you for the rest of your life.

It’s not just a matter of whether or not you should quarantine, it’s also a matter of what you can expect with your illness. If it’s positive, you should know that you need a lot of rest and that if things escalate you should seek medical help. That’s not necessarily the case with every kind of illness; if it’s just a cold for example, it should be a lot easier to get over.

And sometimes knowing in itself can be a comfort, at least it is for me.

23

I thought I should venture out today and, in light of all this tariff and boycotting bullshit, see if my local liquor store still sold Bacardi Gold. I know, I know, I feel a little unpatriotic, but gosh-darn it, I’ve always made an effort to shop Canadian where possible, and even more so now – but Bacardi Gold is a unique product in my estimation – eminently drinkable and fairly reasonably priced. Authentic Cuban Havana Club is even smoother – at least the better-aged ones are – but considerably more expensive.

Before crawling out of bed, I checked the weather on my tablet and it said “light drizzle”. Not ideal, but OK.

Where were these weather guys who were reporting “light drizzle”? On the way downstairs I noticed far more snow than usual on the back deck, and opening the garage door revealed a howling blizzard. Apparently “light drizzle” and “howling blizzard” are more or less the same thing, among these weather people.

But my impeccable timing – the sort of timing that only I can achieve – continued as I ventured out into the blizzard, because I was now committed. The liquor store did, indeed, still have Bacardi Gold, although I think I almost cleaned them out of the large 1.75 L bottles. And as I staggered out with my load and placed the huge stash of Bacardi in the car – and take note of my impeccable timing here – when I turned on the car I heard on the radio that the trade war was off!

Oh, well, good Bacardi Gold will never go to waste. It’s my go-to cold-weather drink, warming the cockles of a Canadian puppy’s heart sometimes even more than a Caesar! :smiley:

It was snowing hard enough that even in my short trip out, the car was completely covered in snow when I drove back into the garage. It will now sit there melting and promoting rust. Naturally, as soon as it was in the garage it stopped snowing. Truly, I am the master of impeccable timing!

24

I was going to say, it gave you the motivation to get what you wanted anyway, so look at it as a good thing. :slight_smile:

25

It’s the quantity that’s unusual. However, large quantities of liquor are never a problem at chez Wolfpup, where liver disease is considered merely a conspiracy theory! :cocktail:

26

I rarely drink alcohol. I own quite a few products with the Bacardi logo.In case anybody is unfamiliar, the logo is the silhouette of a bat. I love bats. According to the Bacardi website, bats are considered good luck in Cuba. Baccardi also quietly spends a lot of money on bat conservation.

Now To My Rants

I need a new pharmacy. My pyschiatrist left a message earlier today. The pharmacy needed to fax him a form so that he could give authorization for my prescription. He left a few more messages explaining that the pharmacy was not answering the phone. This surprised me. They have never, not once, answered the phone when I called. I assumed that if you pressed the ‘If you are a doctor or calling from a doctor’s office’ button, this would be different.

Having no other way to communicate with my pharmacy, I got on the trolley and paid them a visit. I explained the situation. The pharmacist listened to me and handed me a form to give my doctor. I explained that this was unacceptable. I used tele health. I did not know what the address of his office was. The only way I could get the form to him would be to mail it. I asked again- could they fax him the necessary form? They insisted they had sent it. At this point, their credibility was low. I had added his fax number to his contact on my phone. I made them verify they had the correct number. I was aware this was somewhat rude. I don’t care. I needed my medication. Somebody had screwed up. It was definitely not me. I saw no reason to believe it was my psychiatrist or anybody at his office. That left the pharmacy- who had screwed up in minor ways before, and never answered the phone.

I will be trying to find another branch of the chain that I can get to in a reasonable amount of time, on a reliable route (see footnote), without a lot of walking, and only having to pay one fare for each way. It may take a while. But, I am certain I can find one.

Footnote- The bus route that took me from my second apartment (the rodent infested, drafty, small, crap hole in a bad neighborhood) to the pharmacy, or to the terminal on my way to New Jersey was NOT reliable. It would often run very behind schedule, run erratically, or not run at all. The transit authority’s website never bothered to tell you any of this. I quickly learned to chek on Google Maps to be sure the bus hadn’t stopped running for the day.

27

The best hard lemonade I ever had was made by Bacardi (in a can). They served it at The Showbox in Seattle (an intimate music venue and bar; the Neon Trees were performing there). That was over a decade ago and I have never seen it since.

It certainly exists, I’ve just never seen it available in the stores I shop at.

28

Loved your impeccable timing story. Sometimes we have to insulate ourselves from the unpredictability of life with the things that bring us comfort.

You and Bacardi against the world for now.

Bravo.

29

Was it this?

Looks like it might be a fine summer drink, but it doesn’t seem to be available on Ontario, and even a store I found in Albany, NY, that claims to carry it says it’s out of stock, so apparently not widely available.

Browsing the online LCBO listings, I can only find cans of Bacardi Pina Colada, something called “Mojito” (“flavours of mint and lime”), rum punch, and Breezer Tropical Orange Smoothie (“reminiscent of orange creamsicles”).

There is, however, a Bacardi Limòn Rum – a lemon-flavoured white rum, which would probably make a refreshing summer drink mixed with a good lemonade. There’s a pink lemonade I especially like, where the pink colour is due to a touch of infused raspberry juice. Mmmm – summer!

30

Pretty sure that’s it, and yeah that’s probably why I haven’t found it in stores ever, LOL. Great stuff though.

31

Pill Rant

One of my medications is for ADHD. I have also found it helps a great deal with anxiety. For years, while I was taking methylphenidate for ADHD, it would take at least an hour after I went to bed for my brain to shut down so that I could sleep. I would also wake up a few times every night (no apparent reason. I did not need to use the bathroom etc) and have great dificulty getting back to sleep.

During the year I lived in my second apartment, it was worse. It would take at least thirty minutes to get back to sleep each time I woke up. I usually woke up at least four times each night. The anxiety was made worse by the fear that I would not get enough sleep to function the next day, and would have to call in sick rather than work.

Then, my psychiatrist had me try Qelbree. It works great for my ADHD. For some reason, it reduces my anxiety by a truly massive amount. There are no side effects.

Of course, due to insurance changes I am having problems getting my Qelbree prescription filled.

When this first happened, the receptionist (you may remember his an incompetent jerk) said I could just change to one of three ADHD medicines that my insurance did cover. I said, poilitely but very firmly, “I do NOT want to change medications!”. This is a very reasonable and understandable position. We tried other medicatiosn before Qelbree. They either did not work, had terrible side effects, or both. Guanficine was no help at all. But, it did cause constant pain through the entire length of my urinary tract.

The receptionist ignored me. He read the names of the three medications I could switch to, One of them was, swear to Cecil, Guanficine. I repeated, firmly and less politely that I did not want to switch medications. I demanded that my psychiatrist send my insurance company a letter asking for an exception. The receptionist said that was impossible. I knew damn well it was not impossible. I repeated my demand. He said ‘It will take at least a week-’. I interrupted him. I did not point out that he had just said it was “impossible”. Now, he said it was possible but would take at least a week. Which one was it? I did repeat that I did not want to switch medications. If it takes a week, fine. Send in the letter now. He sighed an brought up my file in the computer.

My psychiatrist had already sent in the letter a week ago.

Fast forward to last week-
My pharmacy texted me that Qelbree needed prior authorization. It would be delayed. They would notify me when it was ready.

I was picking up another medication I had run out of and asked about Qelbree.
“Oh, that needs prior authorization. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“I know it needs prior authorization. You told me that in the text. What does that actually mean? How long do I have to wait? Do I need to do anything other than wait?”

She eventually said that I needed to contact my doctor. The text from the pharmacy said nothing about me needing to contact my doctor. I have tried many times to reach that particular pharmacy by phone. They have never answered the phone, not once.

I contacted my psychiatrist. He said he was waiting for the pharmacy to fax him a form. He left several messages in my voicemail yesterday. I had thought that if somebody selected the menu option ‘If you are a doctor or calling from a doctor’s office. . .’ they would actually answer the phone, I was wrong. He kept calling. they never answered.

I am not sure just how long I have been without Qelbree. I am definitely showing a variety of symptoms showing my brain is not working properly.

I cannot get my mind to shut down when I try to go to sleep.

I cannot manage time anymore. I usually log off the computer and go to bed at 10. Every week night last week, I kept ‘staying up for just five more minutes’ to finish something I was doing. I ended up getting to bed at 11.

I seem to be doing some ‘compulsive posting’. This is apparently one of the ways I respond to a prolonged high level of anxiety. I first noticed it after Trump won his second term.

I want my Qelbree. I will call my psychiatrist’s office again during my first break. I visited the pharmacy last night. They insisted they had faxed his office the form. He left messages on my phone saying he still hadn’t receieved it, and that the pharmacy was still not answering their phone. I insisted that the pharmacist tell me what fax number they had on file. This woudl normally be a jerk thing to do, but somebody had definitely screwed up- and all signs pointed to them. The have the correct number.

I am sticking with my psychiatrist. He has proven to me that he is knowlegdable, compassionate and wise.

Regardless of the outcome with Qelbree, I will be using a different location of this pharmacy chain. I have had enough.

32

Valentine’s Day Rant

For the overwhelming majority of my life, I shopped at garage sales and second hand stores very frequently. I became very good at finding things my loved ones wanted, at prices I could afford. I have never been good at remembering birthdays, including my own. So, if I want to give somebody presents I just add the objects they want to my list of things to look for and buy through out the year.

This has generally worked out very well. My beloved is a germophobe. There are many things she will only accept if they are still factory sealed. There is a long list of things she’d like that must be bought new.

I know she is very fond of See’s milk chocolate bourdeaux candy. She has dropped hints about it before her last birthday, and before this past Christmas. Naturally, I missed the hints. I honestly meant to order a box for Christmas, I am very used to the routine of just pulling a gift out of the appopriate drawer and it being ready. Of course, this does not work if you are ordering perishable goods over the internet.

By the time I remembered to place an order, it was too late for them to arrive by Christmas. It may be too late to order a box that can arrive by Valentine’s Day.

I do have presents for her. While in Florida, I needed to stop in a Staples. They had a Nightmare Before Christmas ornament, unopened and unblemished, reduced from $20 to $5. We love that movie. She already owns Jack and Sallie plushes. We saw it together when it returned to theaters last year. She loves Christmas in general, and keeps a small artificial tree out all year.

She is very musical. She can play the guitar. She can play piano. She recently bought a traditional Indian bamboo flute and is learning to play that. Once, at the PA Renn Faire, she nearly bought a very metal drum thing. It was over $100. She eventually decided it would take up too much room. On a visit to an antique store together, she saw a metal drum head. You just strike the different depressions around the rim to produce tones. It was $10. I offered to get it for her. She thought about it and said no. Later, she decided she did want it. We drove back to the store. They were closed.

While at one of the many thrift stores we visited in Florida, I found a Jytmus. Behold!

It is missing all the accessories. I can either order replacements from the company, or buy alternate mallets and finger picks for her from a music store. It was either $3.99 or $6.99. I honestly don’t remember. It is undamaged. She can disinfect with all kinds of serious chemicals without damaging it. I think she will like it. I really hope she does.

But with the many crises that have occurred since I got home from Florida, I have failed to order See’s candies.

33

@DocCathode I look forward to reading your posts. You certainly can persevere.

Sometimes I feel like just giving up but there’s really no choice but to keep on punching through the obstacles - of which there are many.

When I lived in California we always bought See’s candy. Where I live now there are some comparable brands but I just stopped eating chocolate awhile back.

Small rant - The borough is in the process of replacing all the water lines. Yesterday I came home to a no parking sign in front of my house. Today they have starting drawing multi colored fluorescent lines all over the street. I can’t wait until this is done. Of course I will be left with a ragged, torn up street but at least I can park in relative comfort.

For now I am parking in the alley behind my house which necessitates a short walk. The walk is not so bad but there is a slight hill that aggravates my back.

I’ll survive.

34

Thanks. That genuinely does both mean a lot and help lift my spirits.

I am not getting anything done tonight. My anxiety is quite high. My attention span and ability to focus are quite low.

The woman from the insurance company said that my prescription should be ready tomorrow night.

It had better be.

35

@DocCathode

I hope you get your medications and everything settles down for you. I have anxiety and it’s such a difficult condition to manage. I’m glad you found something that works.

36

Fantastic News!

I was supposed to get my prescription filled by tonight.

I just got a voice mail from my psychiatrist. My insurance company is refusing to pay for my medication. They suggested three alternatives. One of them, Guanfecine, I have already tried, It provided no benefit at all. It did cause a constant pain through the entire length or my uirethra.

I am not, at this time, suicidal.

I am enraged and ready to kill though.

37

I’m just brainstorming… Have you already tried the other two? Perhaps (yeah, I doubt it, but who knows) if your doc can attest to them that none of the alternatives worked, they’ll allow it. This worked for my brother-in-law some years ago. Your doc might have more ideas.

38

Thanks, my doctor waa busy calling my insurance company, faxing forms, and being angry all day.

To be clear- Qelbree works remarkably well for all my ADD problems. It also reduces my anxiety from a constant state of panic to a normal level of undertandable worries. There are no side effects of any kind.

It is very likely that even if one of the other two ADD drugs worked for me, there would be side effects. I would also need to start an additional dailly medication for my anxiety.

All of that that takes time and is generally an unpleasant process.

I am taking tomorrow off. I honestly don’t know if I have enough Qelbree left in my system to perform the duties of my job. I also will need time to call my doctor, my insurance company, and my medicare D company.

I am hoping I can get my Qelbree from the pharmacy tomorrow. If I cannot, I do not know what I will do.

NOTE-I am not currently suicidal or a threat to myself. I am not a threat to most people. I woiuld like to find out exactly who at the insurance company is responsible for all this and slowly tortue them to death- but I think that is understandable given the circumstances.

39

Yeah, I get it.

40

Aw, man, I was all set to be happy for you. :frowning: