So, I might have saved a life today. I'm chalking it up to a win.

That Fray song was educational!

Story?

oh ... update on the saga of mom: Friday I got a call from my sister saying that mom had been in the hospital for two days with "congestive heart failure". We couldn't really talk during the day, so we spoke that evening. They'd turned mom loose (congestive heart failure? isn't that usually kind of, um, FATAL?) but she wasn't up to speaking coherently. Turns out my sister's going in for knee replacement surgery on Dec. 10; I offered to go up and stay with them to help out for the first week or so - my sister seemed to think that would be good.

Spent Friday night lying awake trying to figure out how to juggle my schedule and remaining leave time to take off, how I'd get up there, things that would need to be done - my usual strategizing - and getting used to the idea of being up there in mid-December but not Christmas (can't manage the time or money). Sunday we spoke again and when I asked about going up to help out ... I'm not needed, they've lined up some friends who'll take care of it all.

Kind of a relief, but I'm practically getting whiplash from the emotional back and forth.

Then I get a letter from my insurance company saying that they're not covering my appendectomy. Reason? I was healthy afterwards. Turns out that they're objecting to my having been admitted to the hospital - they think that, since I was healthy and didn't have any complications, I should have been put in an observation room for a few hours and then sent home ... which would have been at about 2:00am. So, due to this objection, they're not paying for any of it. $19K and change. I spoke with the hospital and they're writing it off as uncollectable, which is a relief, since I don't have that kind of money lying around. But now I'm worrying that I'm going to have problems getting medical treatment in the future, if the insurance company's going to deny this kind of thing.

bleah ... it's a Monday to end all Mondays (and it's raining).

Yeah, I don't think anyone will be noticing what I am eating! And I am probably exagerrating about only eating salad. I bet there will be potatoes and lots of good stuff.

Aims, I wish you were living in LA but not so you could give me food. But so that I could SEE YOU!!! And how did you save a life today? And thanks, 'cause now I am earwormed with Sir Elton.

Whose life and how, Aims?

Bother, now I have to go to work.

Best of luck with the new OB, GC!

Some of our units are being upgraded for energy efficiency and weatherization. I was accompanying the guys from our energy company to each apartment. We have a number of tenants with severe mental illnesses. One of the favorite tenants is an old hippie who just took too many hits of acid and is a paranoid schizophrenic. We're talking tinfoil lined apartment, noone allowed in while he's not there, won't leave his apartment if there's food in it kind of stuff. He's sweet as hell and not really a bother, except for when he gets absent-minded.

Today, we got to his unit and banged on the doors. For fifteen minutes. We tried calling both of this phone numbers to no avail. BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!

Finally, he came to the door and opened it up and it was like backdraft with smoke. The units are set up shotgun style so when you open the front door, you can see through the living room and kitchen to the back door. It's maybe 25 feet.

Couldn't see it at all.

Tenant had started baking a pizza lord knows when, probably about 3 this morning, and then fell asleep and forgot about it. He has his smoke detectors disabled (they are bugged, he says), and all of his windows and door cracks covered so we never even saw the smoke on the outside.

We got in, got both doors open and got the place aired out, but I now smell like I've been dunked in the fryer at McDonald's. Yuk.

~ma to GC!

Toddson, your insurance company needs a smiting. Really, can we just have a blanket smite? Mine just "notified" me (via EOB) that I need to apply for more therapy visits. In every year past, they have notified me before the fact with a letter.

So now I have a month of visits that they won't cover. Fuckos.

(gosh, I can't believe I'm still so single. Or that D'Hoffryn hasn't called me yet.)

There's a song on the I Miss Buffy tribute called "Kinda Wish D'Hoffryn Was My Boyfriend."

I can't believe how much I hate your insurance company, Toddson. Wow. Glad your mom is doing better, at any rate.

Definitely a win, Aims!

I seem to be reacting to the past week/several months of badness by wanting to curl up on the couch and watch TV all day. That's okay for one day, right?

One day of it is perfect , -t.

I went Tday shopping - it took 5 trips to get the groceries in the house.

Good news, GC. I hope everything works out and you can get on with enjoying the experience. And go World Domination!

Todd, I'm speechless! Shame on you going and getting that appendectomy for the fun of it. Good to hear your mom is doing better.

Wow, Aims. I'm glad you were persistent.