Oh, and I finally lost the LDB contest last night. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up almonds for my cookie baking today and I found myself humming "pa-rum-pa-pa-pum" on the way out and realized I'd been earwormed. I was really hoping to make it through the season without hearing it. Not that I mind it; I mind losing.

t /shallow

Because I have this conversation DAILY and am hoping my kid will grow out of it.

Learned incompetence is even less cute when you're dealing with strangers.

Since the shuttle was coming at 3:30, I kinda didn't go to sleep last night. Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh.

Please, just let me on the motherfucking plane.

I have had a cascade of everything being too complicated--when I went to The Hobbit, my ticket didn't print, but they didn't tell me I could go in to the movie until I'd missed at least five minutes of it--instead walking me over to the machine even though I told them my curtain time. When I went to the pharmacy to pick up a script, it was too soon. But when I ordered the refill Monday, I told them it was a vacation override. Why are you telling me at 6:10 that the insurance company's offices are closed two days later? I'm leaving the country, and I want my meds. I'm glad they worked around it, by delayed billing if they can't get the override without me. Then there is the grand Nook waste of time, and this morning I get out at Terminal 6 instead of 4, and my passport and record locator won't let me check in, and the American Airlines lady is asking me questions I can't answer: "Did you buy this through Alaskan Airlines?" (at whose terminal I initially disembarked). No, I bought it through the internet. LET ME ON THE PLANE.

I hope the "Check in in Miami" doesn't blow up into anything, but the plane is late. Wait--they just called my name???

Oh shit. I don't have a birthday present for my father. Either that, or I don't have a Christmas present for him. His bday is tomorrow, and I was sort of thinking about getting him a case of fun beer, but I can't do it on my own and have no way to make the logistics work before meeting them for dinner tomorrow. I guess I can give him what was going to be his Christmas present and then figure out Christmas over the weekend.

Good times!

ita !, what is this meds vacation override of which you speak?

I'm supposed to get my Ambien on 12/25, but I'm leaving the 22nd for the in-laws, and I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep for 4 days.

And still no Live Aid...

I heard the remake in the mall yesterday. I don't know if that is winning or losing.

Still no LDB.

Oh la la, Strix! How have you survived, without le override? It is, how they say, the stuff de la vie!

Uh, basically, if either their internal guidelines or insurance say it's too early to fill the script, they can push ahead with a vacation override. I think they usually get one electronically--yesterday was the first time I've heard anyone calling about it, but I guess my case stuck out?

Because, you know, life?

But if you're going somewhere where they have branches, they will probably suggest transferring the script. I can only speak for CVS, but f they offer tis, SAY NO. There is an upper limite (2? 3?) on how many times you can switch branches (what is this? DVD software?) and I do think it's 3, because I was at risk of ending up with my long term script somewhere not HERE.

I've never transferred a script with anyone else, so I don't know where the rules apply.

I have to say--between my local Walgreens and the compounding place near my pain guy--CVS s a sack of shit. Walgreens is a bit mechanical (a very uninterested speedtalking pharmacist calls you whenever you get a new prescription on their files. I told them to stop.) but they've never questioned a doctor's prescription to me the way CVS would, repeatedly, and refuse to fill it out. Which, you know, == my life.

Painkillers. Don't do them.

The local compounding pharmacy is actually creepy. She told me she loved me Tuesday.

Ah, well, we''re delayed by at least an hour. So much for my chilling in the terminal time with sis. Good thing our flights end up in the same place (I refuse to consider this delay making me...NOT HAPPENING).

Alright. It's either nap or Nook. They're Scroogy with the power in Terminal 4 of LAX, and I don't want to sit here waiting for next coffee manboy.

Good luck making it out of town, ita!

If anyone wants a pick-me-up today I highly recommend reading this darling children's story, written & illustrated by my friend Sal. So adorable, and the art is fab.

By comparison, I feel uncreative and blah. My parents called me after 11PM last night, my mother all spun up about something that wasn't a problem at all, and of course that meant I slept very poorly, and then got up at 5:30AM to go running.

In better news, I'm taking three days off next week, and hopefully I'll get my new bike this weekend. Yay new bike!

The end of the world: [link]

ita ! thanks! I have NEVER heard of this! My Target pharma is calling my doc and my insurance to see what can be done.

She's all "You should have some meds left till the 27th" and I was like "FLU! Puked several out and had to take extra! And if I have to spend 4 days at my in-laws with no sleep, Xmas will NOT be merry."

So we shall see!