Afternoon, all. I frittered away the morning doing absolutely nothing, but I just can’t work up the energy today to care. Neither can Isaac, who’s happily snoring behind me. He’s doing much better – once he figured out the advantages of being an Only Dog, he’s settling in very contentedly. So at least that’s one thing I don’t have to worry about.
I’m glad you got the second opinion, Dotty. Why would the first doctor diagnose rickets, I wonder, if there’s nothing wrong with HRH? What led her to think there was something wrong? Dealing with doctors can be so frustrating.
And speaking of frustrating, I don’t blame you for feeling seriously grrr, Bobbio. Why are they trying to piss you off? Haven’t they figured out how valuable you are? People can be so annoying.
I’d better shut up and get some work done. Even though I really don’t care, it doesn’t go away, alas.
HRH has a lot of my bone structure - chunky wrists and ankles, thick and slightly knock knees, a bit of a pigeon chest. All of these can be signs of rickets. More importantly, if a child has rickets, the joints are normally painful, especially when squeezed or manipulated. None of HRH’s joints are over-sized, given her parentage, and she wasn’t in any pain when the paediatrician went through her physical exam today. By comparison, the last hack wouldn’t have known if HRH was in pain or not, because she had the bedside manner of a truck-driver and HRH was screaming in fear throughout!
You would think by now that the hospitals, doctors, HMOs, PPOs and insurance companies would have gotten together and sorted out pricing. You’d be wrong.
All I want to know is how financially devastating my back surgery will be. The insurance company says I have a 10% co-pay on the contracted rate for the procedure, and to call the hospital to find out what their rate is. The hospital says they can’t tell me the contracted rate because it’s confidential* between them and the insurance company. They also tell me that they can’t even give a cash price ballpark estimate without the CPT codes. Please call your doctor to get those.
The super nice people at the doctor’s office say “Oy, they make this tough now!” They don’t have the CPT codes because the doctor hasn’t formally written down what I need yet, and the doctor is busy doing doctor stuff. Brain surgery, to be specific. OK, he gets a pass on that.
So far, all I know is that I have an annual out-of-pocket maximum co-pay, so there is at least a known upper bound. Said upper bound is more than what’s in my checking account.
Confidential? Why? I just looked at the detailed billing for that nerve block I had last December. Take what I paid and multiply it by ten to find the super secret confidential rate. The nerve block didn’t help. I wish there was a way to get a refund on that and apply it to the surgery.
As for the surgery itself - it’s cool and freaky at the same time. It’s done with local anaesthetic - I don’t know if I’ll be completely alert or if some Versed will be involved. I don’t know if I’ll be able to watch it on the monitors. They make a small incision in the skin, then gently work their way around the muscles to reach the spine. It’s all very careful and delicate and designed to be non-traumatic so I’ll be able to walk out of the hospital a couple hours later with little more than a bandaid on my back.
Something to report, regarding cheering me up. Da Boss stopped by Cubeville at lunchtime. He’s been out on medical leave since March 20th, when he had prostate surgery.
He looks good, appears to have lost some weight (needed), and is walking slightly hunched. Hell, I did that after they ran my guts through the blender. 'Twas good to see him, since he’s one of the Good Guys as far as bosses are concerned. I’ve been working 25 years now, and I can count the Good Guy bosses I’ve had on one hand.
ETA: He expects to be back driving his desk next week.
I took Gordie to the DOGPARK!, and spent an hour playing Frisbee with someone else’s dog. I’ve got a load of laundry going, and am counting down till game time.
Hai everybody. It’s been busy again and LAN ports have been scarce, hence my absence (y’all just missed me terribly, right? Right???)
I’ve made a few recipes from the blog. Roasted Garlic Paste, Lesbian Chocolate Gingerbread, Crash Hot N.O.T. so far, I think… rigs’ cookies are definitely on the list as well, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Speaking of blogs, I’ve decided to go ahead with my plot to achieve world domination via my blog (or at least, quasi-fame and a handful of devoted followers). Domain name has been purchased, layout and logo have been designed and a general outline of publicity maneuvers has been defined. Go Live date has been scheduled for May 1st, assuming I get all my ducks in a row. Wish me luck.
Dotty, glad to hear the first doc was full of hooey. A belated happy birthday goes out to HRH, too. Can’t believe how quickly she’s growing up!
rosie, I’m giggling over the haggadah and it has been forwarded to several appreciative friends who are also giggling madly. Brilliant.
Bobbio, you know they’re just jealous of you, right? Because you’re one of he Cool Kids. Don’t let 'em get to you too much. We luvs ya, and that’s all that counts.
Got the van back - damages were a bit under $900, since **FCD **fixed the shroud himself. I figure that’s 3 car payments, so if it lasts at least 3 months, we’re good. Frankly, I think it’s good for another year, but I’m an incurable optimist.
Class tonight. Hoping I can finish my planter project - at least finished enough so it can be set aside to dry.
Tomorrow is my presentation, and I found out about 10 minutes before leaving that I need to have a powerpoint. Lucky for me, I’m a veritable PowerPoint Ranger! In those 10 minutes, I grabbed someone else’s presentation, renamed it and saved it to my file, and changed the first 4 slides, including importing a map and some imagery. I’ve got 5 hours tomorrow to get ready for the board. Piece o’cake! Oh yeah, I’m good. And modest, of course.
Well, gotta feed my face. I told everyone they’re on their own for supper. Mom’s not cooking. I’m gonna have a sammich, then I’ll change for class and be on my way. Still waiting for Firday.
I forgot to share this little episode. When I came out this morning, the pantry door was open, the rubbermaid container full of kitteh kibble was on the floor, open, and spilled out. Their feeder had run out. Taz took it upon himself to forage.
I know it was him because Ziva has never opened the pantry, plus she’s not strong enough to dump the container.
Honest to goodness, if Taz had thumbs, we’d have to hide the car keys to keep him from joyriding while we sleep…
My mother is an iron church lady cook! I just got off the phone with her. Yesterday, she and another church lady went over to her (their) church and made enough banana puddin’ (the real stuff with the cooked puddin’ and the meringue toppin’) and peach cobbler to feed one-hundred people after a funeral. I am sure they made enough for all one-hunnert of 'em to have seconds of both if I know them at all!
Oh for the love of God and Sonny Jesus. I have to deal with a damn drama llama fight in my community on LJ. Someone’s scared about their diagnosis and someone else is being a jerk so I banned the jerk for violating the “don’t be a jerk” rule and then the jerk emailed me to whine and I don’t have time to deal with it because I have an actual job that wears me out by the end of the day so I don’t want to deal with their @#@#%@#@#$@ drama. pant, pant I believe I shall have to lay down a Decree delineating exactly what constitutes Jerkish Behavio(u)r. Later this week, because, as I said, I have a job. Two of them. And a thesis.
On the other hand, I notice I write good Agony Aunts when I’m ticked off. And Archiving Work today wasn’t too bad because I commandeered the cubicle next to mine (mine is filled to the brim with boxes and it’s claustrophobic in there). That cubicle has a computer and a pair of headphones so I listened to The Bugle all morning. And then after work I went to the shoe store and got two pairs of really cute ballet flats. And I’m reading The Diary of Anne Frank for the first time* and it’s really good.
*Yes, I know. How do you get within touching distance of 30 and have never read this book? Be in honors English classes where they expose you to the classics two levels above your head instead of the age-level classics. I did read excerpts and see the movie in seventh or eighth grade, though. Not the same.
gt, I’m basically planning on doing the same thing I’ve been doing for the past few months but tweaking the formula a bit… so still mostly recipes that rely on fresh, seasonal ingredients but with more photos and a friendlier layout. It’s worked for a few others in the blogosphere - the only difference is that they post more consistently, and put a lot more effort into publicity and branding.
Sending lots of non-scratchy-throat vibes in your direction. Hope the bad germs get scared off.
Mooooom, it’s a good thing that Ariel and Taz are many many miles apart. I dread to think of what mischief those two could cook up if they ever met (seriously, that damn cat once managed to extract a brand-new vacuum-sealed packet of treats from a closed backpack… the fact that she sussed out it was there, opened the backpack somehow, and then chewed the packet open is both scary and awe-inspiring)
Pavlova made and cooling in the oven. Transportation will be a bitch, but I’ll sort it out somehow. Hey, if Moses managed to herd a bunch of Israelites through the desert for fourty days without much trouble, I figure I can find a way to cart a couple of 10" meringue disks through rush hour transit with minimal breakage. Right?
Somehow, I bet this would be no challenge at all for Mother Swampus compared to dessert for a hundred… I bow down before her bad-ass southern cookery skillz.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffienatin’ here. It’s my Thursday! Well, until next week when Thursday will be my Thursday again. Still, today and tomorrow then long weekend. YAAAAAAAAAY!!!
It’s cold! It’s 35 Amurrikin outside! BRRRRRR!!! This needs to stop.
Ok, off in search of more caffiene and some brekkies then purtification for work.
Another action from The Vast Conspiracy To Piss Me Off has backfired on them. They planted a traffic accident in the path of my commute this morning, not counting on the possibility of me being first on scene.
The lady broke out the driver’s side window with her head, so she had a big ol’ goose egg on her noggin, but was otherwise unhurt. I had time to do a quick trauma assessment and most of her vitals before Suffolk Fire and Rescue showed up.
So, TVCTPMO made a play on me designed to fill me with grrrrrrr, and I came out of it instead with potential Karma points. Og knows I need 'em…
ETA: Dotty, was HRH ever tested for Vitamin D and calcium levels in her blood? I find it hard to believe a doctor would diagnose rickets on the basis of a visual exam. The Egyptian doc needs to be slapped with something far more disgusting than a wet trout.
I’ve got a load of laundry going, and am counting down till game time.
