2 * 30 = Frustration

Why is it that people can't think for themselves? Or take action proactively? Maybe I just don't suffer fools gladly.

I needed to refill a prescription. I was burned the last time when I refilled this prescription in that they only gave me 30 pills. The prescription was for me to take it 2 times per day which when I studied math would come out to 60 pills for a one month prescription. They blamed it that time on the insurance company, e.g. "the insurance company will only pay for 30 pills at a time" said the idiot behind the counter. Much arguing ensued about 'a one month supply' etc., hassle in coming back twice a month, HEY IT'S NOT SPEED OR BARBITUATES...IT'S BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICINE!!!.

Two weeks later (yesterday) I needed to refill the prescription again. I had called our insurance company and they said that they will gladly pay for 62 pills per refill. Armed with this information, we stopped at W*lgr@@n's again; the drive-thru, of course, because I was too lazy to get my fat ass out of the car and walk the 200 steps to and from the pharmacy.

The discussion went thusly:

Me: I need to pick up a prescription for me.
Idiot Behind the Glass (IBG): Okay.

(a few minutes later)

IBG: Okay that will be $5.00
Me: (handing over credit card): Okay. Can you check the quantity please?
IBG: There are 30 pills.
Me: There should be 60. Two times 30 is 60.
IBG: The quantity says 30.
Me: Again, 2 times 30 is 60. The insurance company says they will pay for 62 pills per month. The doctor says to take it twice a day. How can I take it twice a day if you only give me enough for once a day? May I speak with your supervisor?
Pharmacist IBG: The quantity says 30.
Me: The doctor says twice a day. Can't you multiply 2 times 30?
PIBG: I can only give the quantity that it says to give.
Me: Can't you think for yourself? Couldn't someone call the doctor to clarify the discrepancy? Why is this so hard?
PIBG: Get your doctor to re-fax the prescription.
Me: Give me my credit card back and credit the $5.00 back to my account. I am not paying for half a prescription.

Now we have to go back again.

I am surrounded by idiots, fools and incompetents.

Weekly Word Challenge: Pure & Regret

For this week's Weekly Word Challenge, I had some trouble with regret. I was looking for something that said 'regret.' It was difficult to find a picture that personified 'regret.' Then I saw how people we showing regret and realized that people were posting pictures of things that they regretted.

Well, that is still a problem. I don't really regret too much. I am generally pretty satisfied with most of my decisions and don't really 'regret' too much. Sometimes I wonder what might have been different if other things had happened, but I don't really regret much. I wrote this once for a high school reunion:

I don't generally look back on things. I try to concentrate on moving forward toward the future rather than gazing back on the past. With that being said, though, there are times when I wonder where I might be if I had done things differently, but I would not give up where I am now to go back and try again.

Okay, this is what I got for 'regret'

I regret we left most of our furniture back in Florida.

And this is what I got for 'pure':

Pure, clean water

Next week is Entrance & Penultimate.

More In the News

How's your Russian?

Donkeys doing time.

The new (old) Harry Potter?

And, finally, sure gas is expensive but be sure to check behind you before trying to pay using a controlled substance.

HALLELUJAH!!!

Today I believe there is a god. From my bank account:

5/15/2008 Transfer From Savings $150.00 Balance: $2,792.85

Doesn't look too bad? Our mortgage is $2702.36 a month. That left us with $90.00 to live on until I get paid on May 31. Food, gas, etc.

Umm...yeah. What do we have in the freezer? That is gas for two weeks...assuming it doesn't go up another $0.30/gallon in the next couple of weeks. Where is the nearest food bank?

Just logged on today and saw:

5/16/2008 ACH Deposit US TREASURY 220 - TAX REFUND $7,419.00 Balance $10,211.85

HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God has changed his name to Uncle Sam.

But at least now my family won't be fighting over nearly-rancid walnuts in the cupboards and stale Cheetos under the sofa cushions.

Please, Enlighten Me

So what do you think of this? Quite frankly, I don't really care. I have no problem at all with gay marriage. If two people love each other and want to publicly declare that love through a ceremony, hey, knock yourself out.

James Dobson says that this is a threat to traditional marriage. I'm sorry? How is it a threat? Is there some kind of Marriage Quota that I just haven't heard about? That after, say, a million ceremonies are performed then that is it for the year? Please, enlighten me. I really don't understand.

I found something from Dobson that said "How about group marriage? Or marriage between daddies and little girls? Or marriage between a man and his donkey?" Well, first of all we have laws against polygamy/polyandry so I really doubt there will be too much of a problem with that anytime in the near future or, well, anymore problems than we are currently having anyway. As for the other two (little girls and donkeys), marriage laws all say something about an 'age of consent' so I think children should be fairly safe. And since human rights are reserved for, well, HUMANS, I think all the donkeys are safe too (like I care if someone wants to marry a donkey...just don't ask me to come clean your livingroom).

Some will then say that young people will not get married. Um, what? How does encouraging more people to get married make young people not get married. The increasing average age of marriage in the Netherlands is cited (the Netherlands legalized gay marriages in 2003) to illustrate this 'danger'. Ooookaaaay...marriage age has been declining in the Netherlands since the 1970s so this argument doesn't really fly either (I can't find the citation for this...I was looking at it a few minutes ago but didn't copy it...crap).

So, please, enlighten me, how does gay marriage threaten traditional marriage? I really want to know.

Weekly Word Challenge: Earth & Seven

I have decided to start doing the Weekly Word Challenge. Why? Hey why not? Usually you would post on a Tuesday, but I just found it yesterday so I spent part of the day yesterday looking for photos that fit the words. Anyway, this is what I found.

Earth

I noticed my shadow on the ground at E's soccer practice...Earth.

These are the trees and arborvitae that surround the soccer field. Earth again.

Then last night after we got home I noticed how the wind created these ripples in the holding ponds in front of our house.

Seven

While my son was in his piano lesson, I noticed this number on one of the portables at the school.

These seven kids in baseball uniforms were near where my son was having his soccer practice (I put little black marks on their faces...didn't want anyone saying they could identify the kids...). I also noticed the pattern on the soccer ball, but someone got in the way of my shot and I was too lazy to chase the ball to get another shot so I looked for another seven, and...

...noticed the mark on my camera lens...7.

Wordless Wednesday: Shark Boy

Yep. That's a tooth right behind his baby tooth. His first permanent tooth.

Found Today on the Internet

I'm sorry, but that ain't art.

And wouldn't a legless lizard be a snake?

I think I'll pass on this.

You knew alcohol was involved, didn't you?

And finally...I wouldn't, but it's for science!

WTF???

...it's snowing...

In the sewer again

Okay, I can't help myself. I have to dive into this sewer again. First of all, this headline really skeeves me. It just brings to my mind the same thoughts that wrenched the land from the Native Americans ("we're civilizing them!") and attempted to steal the French language from the Acadians of Maine. It's for their own good. They don't know what's good for them.

It is so ethnocentric of these so-called 'experts' to say such a thing. Just because you may consider it 'abusive' doesn't mean it is.

As for girls being mothers at 18 (or younger), look at your local high school. Is CPS going to take high school girl's babies away from them? What about the Amish? They have (some) similar beliefs. Is the state going to take their children away? Look to your own genealogy. I have many ancestors who were married by age 16. Now you will say that times have changed. But these communities are, in essence, still living in times where being a young mother was not uncommon.

Again, I am not saying that marrying a man 30 or 40 years older than you is a good thing. I am certainly not saying that girls should marry at 13 or 14 (hey give them a chance to grow up first!!). I am not saying that I like plural marriage (although when the laundry has piled so high that it hides a small Buick or when dinner needs to be prepared and I just want to sit on my butt and watch American Idol, I like the idea of a sister-wife or two), but it is what these people do. It is their heritage and culture. I think it is wrong to make wholesale generalizations about groups of people, be that these religious nutcases or a racial stereotype against the guy behind the counter at 7-Eleven.

And they still haven't 'identified' the girl who brought the law down on this community. You'd think that if she were so afraid she would find a way to slip a note to someone or whisper in someone's ear. Like her lawyer, or someone. Anyone.

CPS makes up their own rules. And then they break them. At their whim.

And to our sorrow.

My take

Seeing all this press about the religious cult nutcases sect whatever brings back some kind of bad memories.

Now don't get me wrong, I am certainly not in favor of child abuse or girls marrying at age 14 and having children at 15, 16, 17 or 18 years old (with men old enough to be their grandfather in some cases) but isn't there some kind of middle ground? Before you remove all the children take at look at which children are truly in danger. Most DCF/CPS/whatever have guidelines that say that the child must be 'in imminent danger' of abuse, neglect or abandonment. I don't think all 416 children fall into this category. If you must remove the children, remove the girls between 12 and 16 and let the little ones stay with their mothers.

I am sitting here watching at some guy speaking about how "concerned" CPS is about the welfare of the children. I don't believe that at all. I also find it suspicious that they haven't been able to find the woman who made the alleged phone call that brought all this mess down on these people.

I would not put it past CPS to have made it all up.

I feel sorry for these people. They cannot beat CPS. This will not end well for those mothers.

My Purse

Oh, this is a fun meme. Got it over at mamatulips. What's in your purse?

First, the purse. Can I say how much I love this purse? Coach, of course (I am such a Coach whore). It is the perfect size. The handle is the perfect length. I have another (Coach) purse that I also love but the handle is just a little too short. This one is perfect.

See how everything fits so well inside. It looks so neat and tidy (so unlike my house...or my mind). There are just enough pockets and flaps so that I can find everything and yet I can carry all that I need.

Plus, on occasion, crayons or miniature cars or other various miscellaneous crap that I might pick up when I am out with my son.

And now for what is inside.

Starting at the top, I have a pouch (need we say...Coach) that was originally made as a pencil holder. I put makeup in it. Sometimes pens, but always makeup. Right now I think there is some dental floss (I need dental floss), pressed powder and a lipstick in it. To the right is my (Coach) wallet. On top of that is my inlaid opal medicine bear that I bought in Tucson, then my keys and a hairbrush (gotta stay pretty, don't we?). Below that are a couple of receipts (we're going around clockwise, in case you didn't notice), the Coach price tag (don't ask me why I still have that; this purse is over 5 years old...), a couple of pens, 3 chapsticks (my son has horribly chapped lips right now) and some lipsticks (I don't usually carry so much lipstick; I just bought those). Then there is some gum (sugarless, of course), stamps, and some sample NSAIDS I got from my doctor. Then there are two memory sticks and the digital key so I can log into work from home. Then there are some checks from my medical pre-pay plan for co-pays that I had and my work badge. Last but not least are my sunglasses.

There you have it. That is what is in my purse. Care to share?

The Cat's Turn

Dog gets 6 pictures; I get one. Hate this family. Will have to leave a present in the litter box (no, not a toaster...).

Fun With Your Dog

Imagine growling and laughing.

Mmmm...Yummy bone-thing.

Hold still, silly bone-thing. I'm gonna eat you.

Ahhh...Is good to be dog with yummy bone-thing.

Wait. What is Human-thing doing? Get away! Is my bone-thing!

Back away, Human-thing. I can bite hands too.

Am mad at Human-thing. Took bone-thing. Won't let me eat cat fud. Still mad about haircut. Gonna barf behind bedroom door.

School Daze

My son is very bright and easily knew all he needed to enter kindergarten this past year but since his birthday is in December he can't start until next fall.

We are in a big decision mode right now. We have to decide which kindergarten to send our son to. Now I am not really complaining. There was a time when I thought I would never have to make such decisions so really having the privilege of making the decision is making me kind of happy.

Actually the decision isn't really ours to make. The school that we are most interested in is a public charter (magnet) school; free, but a bit exclusive. There are like 35 slots and usually like 70 applicants. The drawing is tomorrow. To say that I feel nervous is quite an understatement. I want so much that he get in this school. It is close to home; not walking distance, but we literally drive past it every day on the way to work. It is either first or second in reading and math for every grade. The one negative it has is it has a high student-teacher ratio.

The next 2 schools are also charter schools. Not as close as the first choice, but both really good schools.

The kindergarten that he would be automatically assigned to has math & reading scores near the bottom (24th out of 30 schools).

I am afraid that he will be stuck with his auto-assigned school.