Ittybittycrazy

Monday

Mar082010

Service Announcement

Monday, March 8, 2010 at 9:17PM

Normal service will recommence soon. Stay tuned.

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Sunday

Feb282010

Quote Unquote - Cows

Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 11:46AM

Some computer animated movie on the TV which we stumbled on called Jane and the Dragon.

Dragon: "All right. Here's the plan. I'm going to go pay a visit to some cows."

Jane: "Some cows?"

Dragon: "Mooooo is nature's finest sound. It starts with an Mmmmmm and it ends with an Ooooo. Ah, genius."

I had to rewind the DVR and check, because here's what I heard:

"Cows are nature's finest snack. You start with an mmmm and end with an oooo."

To see more from the Quote Unquote series, click here.

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Saturday

Feb272010

He Said She Said - Shopping

Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 4:51PM

They were trying out a new grocery store they'd never been to before. He was picking out vegetables and, when he looked up to see where she was, she'd disappeared.

He looked around, and found her in the candy section, standing look up at 5 foot long plastic cylinders filled with brightly colored jelly beans, M&M's and other mysterious things. Next to her were square plastic vats of various chocolate-nut combinations: double-dipped peanuts, chocolate covered almonds, peanut clusters.

"Do you want something from here?" he asked.

"No," she said. "Just breathe..."

"Breathe?"

"Yes, take a deep breath, and smell it," she said.

"Ah," he said, sucking air through his nose.

"You see?" she said, smiling. "This is like an olfactory Disneyland - it's the smell of the happiest place on earth!"

They kept walking and, as always, he turned around and found she'd wandered off. He found her standing in front of the magazine rack, looking at things like Style and Vogue. Tina Fey was on the cover of the latter. She was, as he'd phrase it "the thinking man's crumpet*."

"That's just wrong," he said.

"What is?"

"Tina Fey all glammed up on the cover of Vogue."

"What's wrong about it? She's a lovely woman. She looks beautiful."

"She's not supposed to look beautiful!" he said. "She's supposed to be our geeky girl, the female Clark Kent. Seeing her like this... it's like seeing your sister naked."

They were standing in front of the fish counter. He turned to her and pointed the index finger of his right hand diagonally at the ground, sticking his right leg out and shaking his booty every so slightly.

"What are you---" she said, and then she heard it: an instrumental version of Staying Alive was the current in-store muzak track. She laughed, stepped up to him, hugged him and kissed him softly.

"I love you, you crazy bear" she said.

"Well thank God for that!" he said, and hugged her back.

* British slang for a hot woman.

To read more in the He Said She Said series, click here.

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Saturday

Feb272010

He Said She Said - Yelling

Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 11:53AM

"NO!" she yelled.

"What are you yelling about?" he asked, coming into the kitchen

"What am I yelling about?" she snapped. "What am I yelling about? I'll TELL you what I'm yelling about.

I'm yelling at our puppy who insists on licking the dishwasher every time I open it, even if it is covered in soap.

I'm yelling about the fact that I just scooped two tons of dog shit from the garden and had to wash away half of it with the hose because it was so wet from the rain.

I'm yelling about the fact that I just had to scrape dog shit off my shoe.

I'm yelling about the fact that there were paw prints in the dog shit, which means that we are literally living in shit.

I'm yelling about the fact that it took me half an hour to clear and clean the kitchen and I go into the lounge to sit down, and there are 7 cups, glasses and bowls in there with snotty tissues.

I'm yelling about the fact that I was finally hitting a great fitness routine, proud of myself that I'd gone to two aerobics classes and one yoga class in a week, and I injure my knee, like my body is betraying me. Like I'm getting old.

I'm yelling about the fact that I took care of the dogs and the house and my job for ten days while you were overseas visiting your family and having exciting meetings for your start up and going to free parties and that, when you finally come home and I think you can help out, you're sick and lying asleep on the couch for a week.

I am yelling about the fact that, in all this, when I try to deal with my stress, you shit on me for having $76 massage, when the real reason we are up shit creek financially is that we are subsidizing your new business.

I'm yelling about the fact that I spent three days in a training course this week in the same room as the CIO, on my very best behavior, energy up and 'on' all the time, only to come back to the office to find a colleague in my team wants to leave because she used to be the star and now she thinks I'm showing her up. So even in the one place - THE ONE PLACE - that I can be myself, be happy, show my capabilities, I now have to hold back to consider her feeeeeeelings.

I am yelling about the fact that I honestly cannot remember the last time I had any real, unbridled, joyous, cathartic, let-go, free-spirit FUN!

THAT'S WHAT I'M YELLING ABOUT."

He reached out to hold her, but she pushed him away.

There would be no simple resolution today.

To read more in the He Said She Said series, click here.

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Sunday

Feb212010

Note to Self - On Bio Breaks

Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 1:50PM

Note to self

I understand that it had been a long meeting.

I understand that you really needed to go.

But, when you sit down in a public restroom, let loose and think to yourself “Aaaaah, that’s so good!”, try not to say it out loud.

To read more in the Note to Self series, click here.

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Sunday

Feb212010

Couch Potato - Wild Child

Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 1:42PM

It's a sunny day out there, but the couch is holding me hostage.

I'm watching a lovely little piece of fluff called Wild Child, about a teenager from Miami who goes to a traditional British Girl's Boarding School.

But there are some great lines:

American girl: "Omigod! These girls think a mani-pedi is a Latin greeting."

British schoolgirl: "Someone call Al Gore! I think the Ice Queen is melting!"

British schoolgirl: "Actually, it was Kate's vomit, Mrs Kingsley, I was just lying in it."

British boy: "I thought you said you could drive!"

American girl: "I can!"

British boy: "Ever thought of changing gears?"

American girl: "That's the car's job!"

To see more in the Couch Potato series, click here.

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Saturday

Feb202010

9 to 5 - HR violation

Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 9:27AM

There is a coffee bar in our cafeteria. I go there every morning - and again in the afternoons if I am having a bad day - and I always chat with the baristas. We get on well.

They have a punch card system where you get your 11th drink free. Sometimes, there is a line and the two baristas are really busy, so I punch my own card.

Yesterday, I went for an afternoon coffee. There was no one else there, so Will and I chatted as he heated the milk. Just because I had nothing to do, I punched my card.

He gave me my latte, and moved to the cash register to ring it up.

As he pressed the buttons, he said:

"Do you need your card punched?"

"Oh no, it's OK," I said. "I already self served my hole."

As my tongue reached the "h" of "hole", my brain screamed "STOP!", but my mouth kept going.

To Will's credit, he said nothing, but he pursed his lips.

"I think I could've said that in a better way," I said, blushing.

And that's when he lost his composure.

We both giggled as he gave me my change, as I put some change in the tip jar and put my wallet back in my bag.

As I walked away, I wished him a good weekend.

"No problem!" he said. "Happy Self Serving!"

To see more in the 9 to 5 series, click here.

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Thursday

Feb182010

He Said She Said - Figure Skating

Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 9:32PM

They were watching the Olympic Men's Figure Skating:

"They did a documentary segment yesterday," she said, "which was pretty amazing. There's a Japanese female skater who, when she was sixteen, faxed a Russian coach to say she wanted to be coached by her. She moved from Japan to Russia, gave up her citizenship, just to be coached by this tiny little woman who looks like Mrs Pepperpot."

"Wow," he said.

"Yeah, and then they did a segment about the Chinese. When the Chinese first competed in pairs skating a few years ago, they were terrible, and the male skater was so embarrassed that he dedicated his life to working as a coach and bringing China to the top of figure skating. They did an interview with him and he lives away from his family at some kind of government sports center. He said that he saw his son as a baby and then saw him again when he was a toddler. He started crying in the interview."

"Hmmm," he said.

"But the Chinese took gold and silver in the pairs skating, so that coach guy achieved what he wanted," she said.

"Wow," he said.

"I know!" she said. "Isn't it incredible? These people give up their whole lives for this sport, and it's not like they are David Beckham or Pete Sampras or Anna Kournikova. There's no sponsorship, no advertising deals."

"Yeah," he said.

"The couple that won gold for the pairs are married, but they live in separate rooms in the sports center dorm and eat in the cafeteria. You work your whole life for Olympic Gold and you're poor."

"Yes," he said.

"I mean, what do they become, right? They gave up their school education and probably didn't go to University. All they can do is become a coach. After they get the medal, they're still poor."

"Yep," he said.

"And it's not like you can keep going on, like, beyond 35 or whatever. Your body gives in. What do they do afterwards?"

"Icescapades."

To see more in the He Said She Said series, click here.

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Thursday

Feb182010

Being a Doggy Mama - Bye Bye Sweet Lady

Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 9:22PM

My good friend had to put her dog down this week.

This wasn't just any dog. Her dogs are like my dogs' cousins. We're like extended family.

I didn't know what to say.

There's nothing TO say, is there?

So, so sad.

And if you are one of those people who think that pet owners don't have the right to grieve, because it's "just an animal" then I only have two words....

FUCK and YOU!

Coming not long after me sobbing in front of the telly (TV) as I watched MacKenzie Phillips put her dog down on Celebrity Detox (VH1 Channel), this is another reminder of the sad fact every dog owner has to face - our furkids will not outlive us.

I try not to be a glass-half-empty person, but I see the reality I am going to have to face in the amazing speed with which Puppy Girl is growing (15 to 49 pounds in 6 months), in the fact that Puppy Dog doesn't jump up to dance with me as much as he used to.

None of us should go through life dreading the day we have to face the death of the ones we love but, with dogs, you know - you know - that you're going to have to deal with it.

And so I hung up the phone from my dear friend, Kathy, and went to hug my dogs. My beautiful, funny, cheeky, silly, furry, silky, always-hungry, always-loving, dogs.

At first I didn't want to tell them what had happened. But I felt I had to. We were going to visit Kathy's house at some point, and they'd know. So I said the words, and then it hit me.

Puppy Girl wasn't sure what was going on but, as he always does, Puppy Dog knew I was upset, and tolerated at least three long hugs, which he wouldn't normally (dog don't hug like apes do). Then he licked the tears off my cheek.

I should take a moment to pay tribute to Tara (she's the one on the left).

She was old, of course, and sick by the time I met her. But that didn't stop her personality coming through.

She was a regal dog, quietly in command of her pack.

When she barked to ask to be let out of the house, it was part request, part command. She was a stately old lady.

She was loving and enthusiastic. Even when she was really sick, she came gullumphing across to me to say hello - her equivalent of a puppyish bounce.

They had to lift her legs to get her up each step, one at a time, towards the end. She reminded me of Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment, when, playing the ageing actress Aurora Greenway in hospital after a car crash, she ties a scarf around her head, slaps on some lipstick, wraps herself in a fur coat and is wheeled out to see the press, head held high.

Tara retained her dignity, no matter how sick and sore she got.

Darling Tara, I hope she's running and jumping and barking and chasing and playing in heaven.

To see more in the Doggy Mama series, click here.

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Monday

Feb152010

He Said She Said - Mini Moments

Monday, February 15, 2010 at 8:33PM

Her: "I'm Fartacus..."

Him: "No, I'M Fartacus!"

Her: "It's a chocolate cupcake filled with caramel cream, topped w coconut buttercream, drizzled w caramel."

Him: "Does it come with insulin?"

Him: "You see the one where they diagnosed the patient wrong but they got it right at the end of the episode?"

Her: "ARGH! Why do you watch House?"

Her: "AARGH!:

Him: "What? What?"

Her: "My garbage disposal just ate the dish washing sponge."

Him: "Sounds like it's throwing up..."

At the hardware store:

Her: "I'm bored."

Him: "We've been here 10 seconds!"

Her: "Exactly."

Watching TV:

Her: "I gotta go pee."

Him: "Do you want me to pause?"

Her: "No, I don't really care about Stargate."

Five minutes later...

Her: "What's going on? Why did she just do that to him?"

Him: "AAAAARGH!"

Her: "What?"

Him: "You told me not to pause. You said you didn't care."

Her: "I don't!"

Five minutes later...

Her: "I really don't get this..."

To see more in the He Said She Said series, click here.

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Monday

Feb152010

Quote Unquote - Gems from my TV

Monday, February 15, 2010 at 8:15PM

Greek (Mondays on ABC) -- Rebecca, sick of Casey's perkiness:

"Do little cartoon birds hold up your robe for you in the morning?"

Vince Vaughan in the movie Couples Retreat:

"Relationships are a two way street, not a hiway and a bike path!"

Stephen Colbert to Jon Stewart (Comedy Channel):

"Is that your face? I thought you were wearing a ski mask made out of an elephant's scrotum!"

Acuvue contact lens ad. Takin' the hi ground:

Blonde Twin 1: "What's astigmatism?"

Twin 2: "It's just a big word for youdon'tseeassharplyasyoucould!"

Wilhelmina Slater, Ugly Betty (ABC):

"Well I could make an effort to be liked, but I'd rather be hated than be inconvenienced."

Heidi Fleisch on Celebrity Detox (VH1):

"I hate people but I'm nice to everyone because I look at them all as a Jury member. You never know who the Jury's gonna be."

Ellie to Jules Cougar Town (ABC):

"See? That's not a great say-out-loud thought."

Caprica (SyFy):

"Someone makes you feel guilty, you figure out what they feel guilty about and talk about that."

Mark to Amanda about Betty, Ugly Betty (ABC)

"If only she'd apply some of her pluck to her chin hairs."

Paul McCartney @ Golden Globes

"Animation is not just for children, it's also for adults... who take drugs."

Cougar Town:

"You better watch out or you'll be driving in a car with no brakes and heading down Trouble Highway!"

50 Cent on the Graham Norton show (BBC America):

"If you pray and you don't get an answer, that's God telling yo' ass NO!"

To see more in the Quote Unquote series, click here.

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Saturday

Feb132010

He Said She Said - Valentine's Day 2

Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 3:48PM

He was in Europe. He had left Baby Ruth bars hidden round the house for her Valentine's gift, and was texting clues to her every day.

His text: Tonight's clue: what off earth would these 21st century authors have to say out Ruth?

Her text: How many did you hide? I have found 3 already before you sent me clues. But you didn't send me a clue last night and I couldn't find one and I was mighty pissed. Dogs confused as I ransacked house

His text: Which ones did you already find?

Her text: Coffee table, under my red hat, can't remember

His text: When did you eat those?

Her text: While you are on the plane.

His text: Piggy!

Her text: Shut up. You didn't send me a clue yesterday!

His text: I was jetlagged! Sorry!

Her text: I can't find it! I looked behind the Charles Dickens book!

His text: TWENTY FIRST century writers!

Her text: OK I got it! Yum!

His text: Where did you look last night?

Her text: Under all hats, basement, kitchen cupboards, bathroom, your office

His text: LOL!

Her text: Revenge WILL be mine....

The next day...

Her text: Where's my clue for today?

His text: Down in the depths above the sweet apples you'll find honey oaks and Ruths

Her text: What? You didn't bury one in the garden did you?

His text: DOWN!! Not out

Her text: Been to basement. We have no apples

His text: There are no sweet apples of any kind? REALLY???

Her text: No

His text: No honey oats and stuff on the fucking box of canned pineapples?

Her text: I'll look again. You said apples not pineapples

His text: It was cryptic!!!

Her text: I saw Nature's Valley Oats Honey bars, that's all

The phone rang.

"All the women with us in the pub agree that you are being very silly and that I am VERY romantic!" he yelled.

"I found it five minutes ago," she said, chewing. "That was revenge for the night you didn't send me a clue."

"I can't BELIEVE you!" he laughed. He spoke away from the phone: "She was fucking with me. That was revenge for the other night." Laughter echoed in the background.

"I think I like your wife," a female voice said.

"So you told them about that?" she asked.

"Yes. They said jetlag was no excuse."

"I think I like Drew and Deb's friends," she said. Then: "I love you, Baby."

"I love you too, you crazy woman," he said.

"Call me before you go to bed."

"I will! Bye, Honey."

"Bye..."

She made kissing noises, and then settled back to enjoy the rest of the candy bar.

To see more He Said She Said, click here.

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Saturday

Feb132010

Dear Diary - My Slobby Valentine

Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 9:22AM

Dear Diary,

Fluffy Bear is off at his yearly conference again, and I get to indulge in my Slobby Valentine.

Yes, dear Diary, it's pretty bad.

I have cute pajama pants on - red and white pattern with a little bow at the waist - bought about two years ago.

But the shirt that went with them stretched in the wash and frayed and was basically a reminder not to buy cheap sweat shop shit.

So I'm wearing some freebie T-shirt Fluffy Bear got from a local brewery with it. It's too big and too baggy and it has a picture of a fat guy drinking beer on it.

It also has a nice orange stain on the chest area, from some curry some evening where I decided to share dinner with my clothes.

My dressing gown (robe) has seen better days. Even hot washes don't get it to look white anymore. It's a slight grey/pinky color from dirt and an unfortunate wash with something red.

The belt thing has a big hole on one side due to a misunderstanding with Puppy Girl. I was walking along, robe open, with the belt hanging down, flapping at my side, and she mistook that for an invitation to play tug. The puppy piranha teeth did the rest.

Last but not least, the hair.

Styled by 8 hours of turning this way and that on the pillow, it defies gravity in ways mohawked punks would envy. If I could bottle whatever it is that makes my hair go all Medusa, I could put all hair gel manufacturers out of business.

Never one to not complete a look, it's acessorized with hairy armpits, hairy legs and toenails that haven't seen a pedicure in over a month.

How can I stand it?

It's simple... As long as I avoid the bathroom mirror, I can't see myself. Ten minutes after brushing my teeth, if I'm alone and I don't have to get ready to go out, I forget what I look like.

You're probably wondering why I'm telling you all this, dear Diary. You didn't ask to know, you don't need to know and you probably really, really, really don't want to know.

Well, I had to.

It's all about setting the scene.

The background.

The context.

The milieu, if you will.

For what?

For the look of pure, unadulterated horror on the face of the Chugger (charity mugger) who came to the front door. It was probably the worst spiel he's ever given.

But, on the plus side, I didn't have to do much explaining about why I can't afford to contribute right now...

To read more Dear Diary posts, click here.

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Wednesday

Feb102010

He Said She Said - Valentine's Day

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 7:58PM

"I'm going to miss you," she said. "These yearly business trips at Valentine's suck."

"I'm sorry, Baby," he said. "But it's a big conference. I have to go."

"I know you do," she sighed.

"I'm going to miss you," he said, stroking her arm.

"I'm going to miss you, too," she said.

They lay still for a while... Then: "Did you pick up your knee brace from the pharmacy?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "And I definitely don't have a Baby Ruth bar in my bag. And I didn't have to ask three different staff until I found them, including making the cashier come out from behind the counter and hold up the whole line."

He laughed.

"Well, there may be a few more of them around the house," he said, "and you'll only find them when I text you clues from London."

She burst out laughing.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he said.

To read more He Said She Said, click here.

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Tuesday

Feb092010

Quote Unquote - Football Girl

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 10:00PM

Overheard at a party:

So I'm at the bar with Jane and, like always, she makes friends with the bartender in, like, ten minutes. So I ask him. I'm like:

"My friend gets on so well with the bartenders wherever we go. What is it?"

He said it was easy, he could tell me.

So he goes:

"When a woman sits down at the bar, we say 'Is she a Sex and the City Woman' or a 'Football Woman' Your friend is a Football Woman.

She's sympathetic to the male condition."

To read more Quote Unquote, click here.

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Tuesday

Feb092010

I'm Jus' Sayin' - CBS = Conservative Bullshit Society

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 9:18PM

The Super Bowl was last Sunday.

30 second ad spots sold for around $3 million and, in theory, helped the advertisers reach the most people a TV show has ever reached: 106 million people.

CBS, who screened the Super Bowl this year, rejected an ad from the United Church of Christ five years ago which featured a gay couple, citing that they do not allow advocacy ads.

But, in a strange volte-face, they allowed a group called Focus on the Family to air an ad showing the mother of a famous football player talking about her lovely son. It's not overt, but it's generally being seen as a pro-life commercial.

Focus on the Family's website makes it pretty clear that they have a pro-life bias:

"Our mission is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible by nurturing and defending the God-ordained institution of the family and promoting biblical truths worldwide."

They offer free counselling:

"Focus on the Family has Care Specialists, Referral Assistants and Counselors who are available weekdays to talk with you, provide information and encouragement, suggest resources, give referrals and pray with you."

CBS giveth with one hand, but with the other they taketh away.

They refused to air an ad by a Gay Dating site, Mancruch, which shows two men watching the game, whose hands touch as they both reach into the chip bowl. Suddenly, they both pause, then start to kiss. Well - they aren't really kissing if you look closely, but that's not the point.

So, according to CBS, it's OK to take a religious stance, but it's OK to be homophobic.

Fucking ridiculous.

Seriously people! If you want to live in a country run by the Church, go live in the Vatican. But, out here in the real world, the Constitution offers protection under the law to ALL, and that includes homosexuals and women who want to have a choice when it comes to childbirth.

I'm jus' sayin'.

To read more I'm Jus' Sayin', click here.

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Monday

Feb082010

Divided by a Common Language - The Elephant in the Room

Monday, February 8, 2010 at 10:00PM

"Ello ma Breeteesh chooms"

For those of you who might not know what the big Healthcare row is all about, I thought I might give you some insight into how things work here.

Hospitals

I was confused, when I got here, to see that Hospitals do fundraising. Why would a company, often part of a network, need to ask for donations? I never understood until this evening.

I was watching an episode of House, and it concentrated on a day in the life of Lisa Cutty, Head of the Hospital. She was in a difficult negotiation with a Health Insurance company, who she was trying to get to pay an increased rate.

Here's the thing.

Insurance Companies rate hospitals and put them on payscales. Every procedure has a price which the insurance company pays and it is also dependent on the way the insurance company rates the hospital, and the contract they have with them.

So if you have an appendix removed, that's priced (by the insurance company) at, say $1000.00. If the hospital's costs are $900, they make $100 profit. If the hospital's costs are $1200.00, then they lose money. The hospital may choose to charge the patient with the difference.

So hospitals have to negotiate their contracts with health insurance firms to get paid for the services they offer at a reasonable rate.

Administrative costs

With all sorts of codes for every procedure, dependent on the contract between the institution and the healthcare insurer, as well as the patient's level of cover, the administration of the whole system is garguantuan.

Administrative costs for private healthcare insurance firms are estimated at between 5 and 6% (Washington Post).

Understanding your own insurance

At my previous employer, insurance cover was extensive. There were no deductibles and no copays.

First, some definitions

Deductible:

"This is the initial dollar amount you must pay before your insurance company begins paying for health services. Usually, the higher the deductible, the lower your premium. However, do not choose a deductible so high that you cannot afford to pay it. The contract will dictate the specific amount you pay per year for your family. You must pay a deductible each year, which will vary depending on the number of people covered by the policy."

Copay:

"A copayment is a specified dollar amount you pay, as a subscriber to a managed care plan, for covered health care services. It is paid to the medical provider at the time the services are rendered."

In and out of network:

An in-network provider is one contracted with the health insurance company to provide services to plan members for specific pre-negotiated rates. An out-of-network provider is one not contracted with the health insurance plan. Typically, if you visit a physician or other provider within the network, the amount you will be responsible for paying will be less than if you go to an out-of-network provider. Though there are some exceptions, in many cases, the insurance company will either pay less or not pay anything for services you receive from out-of-network providers.

So, basically, each year, you have to pay:

The first amount of any type of service, dependent on whether the service provider is in or out of network
A percentage of the cost of the service, depending on whether the service provider is in or out of network.

For example, if I want to go to a Chiropractor:

In the network - $300 deductible, after which I pay 20% of every visit and I am restricted to 24 visits a year
Out of the netwok - $600 deductible, after which I pay 40% of every visit and I am restricted to 24 visits a year.

Medication

Medication costs depend on whether or not the medicine is "Brand" or "Generic." Essentially this refers to the time period that the drug company has a patent on the medication. While they do, they charge high prices.

Once the patent has expired, a bunch of companies produce knock offs of the drug and, even though they may not be exactly what the brand medicine was, and may not work for you in the same way, your insurance company will want you to take the cheaper drug.

For my insurance, which I am told is pretty good, I have to pay 40% of Brand and 24% of Generic medicine costs.

Not only that, but the insurance companies do not let you get your drugs from the pharmacy. You can get your first 30 days of pills, but after that you have to go through their mail order service and you get 90 days of pills sent to your home.

So, when you get a prescription, they tell you to get two copies, one for your immediate needs, and another to send to the mail order service. See "Administrative Costs", above.

So here are what my drugs are going to cost me:

Asthma pill - $360 per year

Asthma pump 1 - $20 per year

Asthma pump 2- $75 per year

Antidepressant 1 - $250 per year

Antidepressant 2 - $450 per year

Hayfever medicine - $1300 per year

TOTAL - $2,455 per year

Needless to say, I'm going to shelve the hayfever stuff and go back to the over the counter medicine, which doesn't work, and cough and sneeze my way through summer, sleeping on the couch whenever lying down is so uncomfortable that I have to angle my head to control the post-nasal drip.

There must be so many people that have to think through these kinds of choices with healthcare very day here.

My colleague was telling me today that she and her husband had to consider the costs before they decided to get pregnant.

I could go on and on, but I hope this has helped give some insight into why healthcare is so broken here. And I HAVE insurance, unlike 46 million people (1 in 6) here.

To read more Divided by a Common Language, click here.

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Divided by a Common Language |

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Monday

Feb082010

9 to 5 - You gotta read this

Monday, February 8, 2010 at 6:36AM

I read a post today by my friend Debineezer.

She has been using some kinda voodoo to go into my mind and suck out the kinda things I would say.

I'll let you have the first paragraph here, but you gotta go see the rest yourself. Just click the post title.

Never pass up an opportunity to ride a good greased goat

"There's a term in the project world called "Goat Rodeo". It speaks to, well, the majority of corporate life in a lot of places. Everyone's running around wanting things yesterday, and they can't have them because they didn't do what they needed to do to make it happen."

To read more of my 9 to 5 posts, click here.

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9 to 5 |

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