With all of the press and media coverage surrounding President Obama's plan for health care reform, I felt compelled to weigh in with my two cents. I will spare you all of the details as I'm sure many of you know of our plight but here are my feelings, as raw as they can be.
Over the past few years, we have had various health insurance providers from a private, specifically negotiated plan to a individually purchased policy. We went from having no medical debt to having debt equal to a year in a public higher education institution. In my eyes, this has happened because hospitals are willing to charge not only for the services provided for the doctor but for the use of the hospital and everything in it. I mean, it is really necessary to charge me $12 for a tube of diaper rash cream and then $63K for a procedure that lasted a whole 30 minutes(yes, we're talking about a shunt surgery here)?
That's not to say that I'm not grateful for the quality care that both myself and my family have received, but must it cost us so dearly?! Should a husband have to work 80+ hours a week? Should a family have to chose between eating or paying the mounting medical bills? Should a medical service provider be able to threaten financial harm to a family despite the fact that this family is doing everything they can to pay their bill on time? Should one have to forgo medical treatment because of the financial impact it will have? Must we live in fear of the "what ifs"...the fear of getting sick?
The way I see it, this shouldn't be allowed to happen in a country that prides itself on being industrialized, modern and forward-thinking. I totally support what President Obama is attempting to do--bring affordable health care to everyone citizen of our country. To end the privatization of health care which has lead to the rising costs and lower standard of care. To make sure that every child born in our country has the equal chance to grow up healthy. To make sure that no one dies because they couldn't afford simple or life-saving treatments or procedures.
For my family, personally, this would relieve us of a huge burden. We wouldn't live in fear of Cara needed a shunt revision or Caitlin needing to visit the ER. Ben & I could get the routine care that we desperately need without having to think about how it will effect our checkbook.
I have to admit that I am a bit naive as to exactly how President Obama plans to accomplish this but from where I stand, thousands of dollars in debt and living paycheck to paycheck, I can't imagine that it could be much worse than this.
One might say that due to the financial gain received from performing top-notch procedures and developing new drugs and treatments, American medicine far out-reaches its socialist counterparts. Without the competition and reward, our standard and expectation of cutting-edge medicine will be diminished. To this, I wonder, why can't the exploration of medicine just be for the betterment of mankind, for the victory over disease, and not for the financial gains or endorsements? We need to return medicine to its core--the want, desire and need to help others. Take away the monetary attachment and replace it with a feeling of charity, pride, empathy--whatever it takes to get people motivated to do something just because, simply put, it's the right thing to do, not because they have something to gain from it.
We have seen socialized medicine work successfully in other modernized countries. Surely, we have something to learn from them. When a tourist in a foreign country can obtain medical services for less than it would cost an American citizen here in this country, something is fundamentally wrong! Granted, no one wants to have to wait 6 months to have an ultrasound or to receive dialysis but no one wants to go into foreclosure on their home because such things cost them their livelihood. We must task ourselves with the job of finding that happy medium, so that it's not just a dream, an agenda but a reality.
I truly believe that our President has our country's best interest and well-being in mind as he approaches both the Congress and the American people with his plan for health care reform. While he may not have the perfect solution, at least he is moving this country, finally, in a direction to forever change the way we think about health care. It is a right, not a privilege! I have seen what the rising cost of health care can do to a family and it has to stop! It is my sincere hope that something is done, and soon, to fix this mess. I want better for my children.
Showing posts with label rants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rants. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Unleash the Fury!
I was so upset yesterday afternoon and just have to tell the story. If it bores you, I apologize in advance.
It all stared in November-December of 2006 when I went to my local hearing center to purchase two new hearing aids using the pay-out I received on a Public Employees Retirement Account I had while working for the Department of Corrections. My old aids were about 5 years old and showing their age. I thought, this was a rare opportunity (never in my life have I had this kind of money at my disposal) to assure myself the best, highest quality of hearing available, given my degree of loss. After much deliberation, and about 4 hearing aid trials later, I settled on two different models of Siemens aids. A fully programmable digital version for my left ear which has slightly better hearing than my right, which got a digital analog aid (not programmable). The total bill was...$3400. The aids came with a one year limited warranty and a 90 day trial period. For starters, I cannot tell you how many times I was in to the hearing center to have both of the aids adjusted when I got them. I just know that I couldn't compute the total by counting on two hands. I especially had problems with my right aid because the compartment that holds the battery and provides contact between said battery and the circuitry that allows me to hear wouldn't stay shut, thus making the hearing aid cut in & out. This problem was noted numerous times and the audiologist and a hearing aid technician have tried to fix it a few times, without success.
Guess what happened last week? Go on, I bet you can guess...Yep, the right aid broke as in it totally stopped working on Monday! I know it has something to do with the lack of contact between the battery and the circuit. Anyway, I called and tried to get in to see the hearing aid technician. The earliest appointment they had was yesterday afternoon. I piled the girls into the Subaru and drove the 30 minutes to the office. When we arrived, the technician took my hearing aid into the workroom to take a look at it and try to repair it to working order. About ten minutes later, she returns to tell me that she cannot get it to power on. Not only that, but in order to get it fixed, I would have to spend $240 to send it to the Siemens repair factory for them to look at. I have to pay because it's out of warranty. Just out of the warranty mind you, because every time I had a problem, the warranty "renewed" from that day, so it had only expired at the end of January.
You can imagine how upset I was upon hearing this. True, I should have known about the warranty but, I figured given my history of problems with this aid, that the repairs would've been done without cost. Nope, no can do. The technician said that she could talk to the owner to see if the cost could be discounted, but couldn't guarantee it. Excuse me?! I just brought $3400 worth of products from you and you can't cut me a break? That was the first thing that set me off. Then, I come to find out, that if it's the circuit board on the hearing aid, Siemens may or may not even fix it since it's expensive and about 80% of the cost of the aid. Usually, when it's something that major, they just return the aid and tell the customer to get a new one.
Whoa, hold on! I just bought this aid a little over a year ago and it might be broken beyond help already. Can anyone scream--LEMON?! My goodness, you'd think for $1700, that it would last a tad bit longer than 15 months! Oh, I was infuriated and felt like I got ripped off by Siemens. And this is supposedly a reputable company that has been in business for years. In my opinion, something as expensive as this hearing aid, should have come with more than a year warranty, but that's a whole other can of worms. After feeling bad for getting emotionally upset at the technician, I realized that it wasn't her fault, except for selling me a piece of junk, and that I needed to direct my anger at who was at fault.
I requested and promptly (I think she was scared of me at that point) received the customer service number for Siemens corporate and fully intended to unleash my fury upon them. Unfortunately, I did not return home until 4 o'clock MST and unfortunately, the corporate office is located in New Jersey. Lucky for them, because I had a few choice words to say, to say the least. Now, I have to wait until Monday and in the meantime, I will be gathering up documentation of how many visits I've had, the serial number for my hearing aid, etc. I will be armed and ready and probably a little bit calmer. My goal, you might ask? To get a verbal apology for selling me a piece of junk, possibly getting the repairs done for free and maybe, just maybe, a discount on a new aid, if it comes to that. I will not rest until I feel satisfied that they understand how upset I am. Do not sell me junk, I just won't have it! The little bit o' Irish in me can go a long way!
Oh yeah, and due to my hearing aid being non-functional, I have not been able to fully hear for almost a week now and by the time I come up with the money to have it sent in, it will be 3-4 weeks minimum before I can hear fully again. This is so very frustrating when I'm supposed to function as a wife and a parent. It's hard enough wearing aids, because of their limits, now add insult to injury by only having one "working" ear. It sums up to pure misery...
It all stared in November-December of 2006 when I went to my local hearing center to purchase two new hearing aids using the pay-out I received on a Public Employees Retirement Account I had while working for the Department of Corrections. My old aids were about 5 years old and showing their age. I thought, this was a rare opportunity (never in my life have I had this kind of money at my disposal) to assure myself the best, highest quality of hearing available, given my degree of loss. After much deliberation, and about 4 hearing aid trials later, I settled on two different models of Siemens aids. A fully programmable digital version for my left ear which has slightly better hearing than my right, which got a digital analog aid (not programmable). The total bill was...$3400. The aids came with a one year limited warranty and a 90 day trial period. For starters, I cannot tell you how many times I was in to the hearing center to have both of the aids adjusted when I got them. I just know that I couldn't compute the total by counting on two hands. I especially had problems with my right aid because the compartment that holds the battery and provides contact between said battery and the circuitry that allows me to hear wouldn't stay shut, thus making the hearing aid cut in & out. This problem was noted numerous times and the audiologist and a hearing aid technician have tried to fix it a few times, without success.
Guess what happened last week? Go on, I bet you can guess...Yep, the right aid broke as in it totally stopped working on Monday! I know it has something to do with the lack of contact between the battery and the circuit. Anyway, I called and tried to get in to see the hearing aid technician. The earliest appointment they had was yesterday afternoon. I piled the girls into the Subaru and drove the 30 minutes to the office. When we arrived, the technician took my hearing aid into the workroom to take a look at it and try to repair it to working order. About ten minutes later, she returns to tell me that she cannot get it to power on. Not only that, but in order to get it fixed, I would have to spend $240 to send it to the Siemens repair factory for them to look at. I have to pay because it's out of warranty. Just out of the warranty mind you, because every time I had a problem, the warranty "renewed" from that day, so it had only expired at the end of January.
You can imagine how upset I was upon hearing this. True, I should have known about the warranty but, I figured given my history of problems with this aid, that the repairs would've been done without cost. Nope, no can do. The technician said that she could talk to the owner to see if the cost could be discounted, but couldn't guarantee it. Excuse me?! I just brought $3400 worth of products from you and you can't cut me a break? That was the first thing that set me off. Then, I come to find out, that if it's the circuit board on the hearing aid, Siemens may or may not even fix it since it's expensive and about 80% of the cost of the aid. Usually, when it's something that major, they just return the aid and tell the customer to get a new one.
Whoa, hold on! I just bought this aid a little over a year ago and it might be broken beyond help already. Can anyone scream--LEMON?! My goodness, you'd think for $1700, that it would last a tad bit longer than 15 months! Oh, I was infuriated and felt like I got ripped off by Siemens. And this is supposedly a reputable company that has been in business for years. In my opinion, something as expensive as this hearing aid, should have come with more than a year warranty, but that's a whole other can of worms. After feeling bad for getting emotionally upset at the technician, I realized that it wasn't her fault, except for selling me a piece of junk, and that I needed to direct my anger at who was at fault.
I requested and promptly (I think she was scared of me at that point) received the customer service number for Siemens corporate and fully intended to unleash my fury upon them. Unfortunately, I did not return home until 4 o'clock MST and unfortunately, the corporate office is located in New Jersey. Lucky for them, because I had a few choice words to say, to say the least. Now, I have to wait until Monday and in the meantime, I will be gathering up documentation of how many visits I've had, the serial number for my hearing aid, etc. I will be armed and ready and probably a little bit calmer. My goal, you might ask? To get a verbal apology for selling me a piece of junk, possibly getting the repairs done for free and maybe, just maybe, a discount on a new aid, if it comes to that. I will not rest until I feel satisfied that they understand how upset I am. Do not sell me junk, I just won't have it! The little bit o' Irish in me can go a long way!
Oh yeah, and due to my hearing aid being non-functional, I have not been able to fully hear for almost a week now and by the time I come up with the money to have it sent in, it will be 3-4 weeks minimum before I can hear fully again. This is so very frustrating when I'm supposed to function as a wife and a parent. It's hard enough wearing aids, because of their limits, now add insult to injury by only having one "working" ear. It sums up to pure misery...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Insurance Blues
For a long time, I've been a supporter of both equal-access public health care and a nationalized health care program for all Americans. I was rallying behind Bill Clinton when he put Hilary in charge of coming up with something economically feasible years ago. Now, faced with my own health care crisis (of the mini-sort), I am wishing that I lived in Canada, Australia or any country that offers free health care to it's citizens. The United States really needs to get on the ball. If we can't have nationalized health care because of the cost and putting the federal government further into the red, than can we at least have a "watch dog" type of organization to ensure fair and equal access to those paying top-dollar for private insurance plans? There are so many injustices and just-plain-wrong things going on that I wish someone was in charge of preventing. What exactly am I referring to, here's the skinny...
I called our insurance company today (Aetna) to ask about a claim that was denied when I truly thought it should have been covered because it was a simple clinic visit and we paid our co-pay at the time of service. So, I call up and speak to a Yolanda who informs me that the claim wasn't processed correctly and that she will re-submit it. I will get a final bill from Aetna after it's been processed again and may have to pay a portion if the $5K deductible hadn't been met prior to this appointment. Good, just what I wanted to hear. True, I wish we didn't have to worry about deductibles and co-pays but that's life. Gone are the days of covering my family members for free, no deductible, cheap co-pays and excellent coverage--only had that once in my life, while working at Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham, MI. There are days when I want that job back, just for the benefits. Anyway, I'm wandering...Next, I dared to ask about our plan's (Aetna Advantage Plus) coverage for physical therapy (PT) since Cara is going to require some to catch up on her milestones. This is where the dam of bad news broke loose. I was informed that our plan doesn't cover ANY (not one ioda, one dime, one session) of physical therapy unless the deductible has been met prior to any PT claims coming through. Now, thankfully, due to the $21K brain surgery and ER visit we have far exceeded our deductible this year so here is what Aetna will graciously cover:
-24 sessions of PT per calendar year
-$25 maximum per session to be paid by insurance
Whoa! Hold the phones, did she say a WHOLE 25 DOLLARS?! Wow, that's so generous. Now, while I have no idea what an average session of PT costs, I can almost bet the ranch that it's more than $25. I mean, when we saw the Nurse Practioner for 10 minutes for Cara's 1 week follow-up, $100 was billed to Aetna. Since physical therapy is a bit more hands on and involved, I just know that $25 isn't going to cut it. So, we're going to be shelling out some serious cash for every session that Cara needs and we will because we are going to everything we can to give her a chance to have the best quality of life--bills be damned.
Now, come next year, when we start all over with the $5K deductible, you have to wonder how in the world we will afford the PT. This question was on my mind too, so I asked Yolanda if there was a plan in existence (with Aetna anyway) that covers more, in terms of PT. She then transferred me to the sales department where I spoke to a gentleman who told me:
1. I couldn't change plans until we had been enrolled, with no policy changes, for 6 months which would bring us to Novemeber of this year.
2. If we wanted to change to a more inclusive policy, we would have to undergo the underwriting process again and Cara's hydrocephalus would be "exposed" and probably wouldn't be covered on the new policy because it would be deemed to be a pre-existing condition.
3. We are stuck with this policy and I just wasted 10 minutes of my time asking about changing.
I thanked him for his time and hung up.
The wheels in my head were turning and I was starting to get pissed off. I mean, what the heck is wrong with insurance in this country if the people who really need it (sick, poor) can't get it because it's either too expensive or because said insurance will not cover the medical condition that they so badly need coverage for? We pay just shy of $300/month for this insurance only to find out just how limited it is. I sometimes wonder why we even bother to pay for it at all except that I wouldn't want to be stuck with a $27K tab. It just bites (in lack of a stronger word to keep this blog at it's "G" rated status) that only the healthy can get good, affordable insurance these days. Yes, it's nice to have so that you don't have to pay for well-child visits and just in case something horrific happens but, when something does happen and heaven forbid, you need some special services, good luck! Hope you have a nest egg hidden under the mattress for such things.
Some would say to me that we should have sprung for a better, more inclusive health care package but, give me a break, who actually sits down, when selecting insurance, and says, "Gee, let's see how the coverage would be if Johnny needs brain surgery or Sally gets cancer." Nobody is that morbid. You get a plan that you can afford that covers the basics and you think life is good. Then your literature for said plan arrives, and you might read the little chart that explains the percentages of coverage and such, but you push it to the back of your mind--you're not going to need to know how much your plan is going to play for orthopedics because you're never going to need it, right? I don't want to go through life thinking about the worse case scencerio every time I purchase something, that's too exhausting.
Since I have discovered our fate due to poor insurance coverage, I've had to try to find funding from other sources, unless, we went to declare bankruptcy next year, which I'd rather avoid. I have a meeting with the financial counseling department at Children's Hospital on the same day that Cara goes in for her PT evaluation. In the meantime, I have to round up 90 days worth of pay stubs, bills and such so that our counselor can determine if we qualify. I have also contacted the county health & human services department to see if the state has any programs that might off-set our medical expenses. Short of having a fund raiser or setting up an account at a bank for donations, which will probably never happen, I'm fresh out of ideas. Of course, there's always payment arrangements, problem is, you have to have money to make those payments and things are already quite tight around the waist right now.
If we had nationalized health care like some other countries, while I may have to wait to receive some services, they would be free. Cara would get the treatments that she needs without us having to worry about affording them. What a wonderful thing that would be! Imagine that, everyone getting the care & services they desperately needed without having to be the next Bill Gates or Donald Trump. We claim to be a land of freedom, equality and opportunity and yet, there's an alarming number of people who an either uninsured or, in our case, under-insured. What's being done to help...not much at all. Some states are better at helping their indigent than others. Colorado just happens to be a pretty lean state in terms of social service programs. Just great!
My point...you just might hear that we've jumped ship and moved to Aussie-land. Move over, Sarah, we're moving in!
**OMGosh, this just might be the longest post I've ever written so, bless your hearts if you take the time to read it!**
I called our insurance company today (Aetna) to ask about a claim that was denied when I truly thought it should have been covered because it was a simple clinic visit and we paid our co-pay at the time of service. So, I call up and speak to a Yolanda who informs me that the claim wasn't processed correctly and that she will re-submit it. I will get a final bill from Aetna after it's been processed again and may have to pay a portion if the $5K deductible hadn't been met prior to this appointment. Good, just what I wanted to hear. True, I wish we didn't have to worry about deductibles and co-pays but that's life. Gone are the days of covering my family members for free, no deductible, cheap co-pays and excellent coverage--only had that once in my life, while working at Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham, MI. There are days when I want that job back, just for the benefits. Anyway, I'm wandering...Next, I dared to ask about our plan's (Aetna Advantage Plus) coverage for physical therapy (PT) since Cara is going to require some to catch up on her milestones. This is where the dam of bad news broke loose. I was informed that our plan doesn't cover ANY (not one ioda, one dime, one session) of physical therapy unless the deductible has been met prior to any PT claims coming through. Now, thankfully, due to the $21K brain surgery and ER visit we have far exceeded our deductible this year so here is what Aetna will graciously cover:
-24 sessions of PT per calendar year
-$25 maximum per session to be paid by insurance
Whoa! Hold the phones, did she say a WHOLE 25 DOLLARS?! Wow, that's so generous. Now, while I have no idea what an average session of PT costs, I can almost bet the ranch that it's more than $25. I mean, when we saw the Nurse Practioner for 10 minutes for Cara's 1 week follow-up, $100 was billed to Aetna. Since physical therapy is a bit more hands on and involved, I just know that $25 isn't going to cut it. So, we're going to be shelling out some serious cash for every session that Cara needs and we will because we are going to everything we can to give her a chance to have the best quality of life--bills be damned.
Now, come next year, when we start all over with the $5K deductible, you have to wonder how in the world we will afford the PT. This question was on my mind too, so I asked Yolanda if there was a plan in existence (with Aetna anyway) that covers more, in terms of PT. She then transferred me to the sales department where I spoke to a gentleman who told me:
1. I couldn't change plans until we had been enrolled, with no policy changes, for 6 months which would bring us to Novemeber of this year.
2. If we wanted to change to a more inclusive policy, we would have to undergo the underwriting process again and Cara's hydrocephalus would be "exposed" and probably wouldn't be covered on the new policy because it would be deemed to be a pre-existing condition.
3. We are stuck with this policy and I just wasted 10 minutes of my time asking about changing.
I thanked him for his time and hung up.
The wheels in my head were turning and I was starting to get pissed off. I mean, what the heck is wrong with insurance in this country if the people who really need it (sick, poor) can't get it because it's either too expensive or because said insurance will not cover the medical condition that they so badly need coverage for? We pay just shy of $300/month for this insurance only to find out just how limited it is. I sometimes wonder why we even bother to pay for it at all except that I wouldn't want to be stuck with a $27K tab. It just bites (in lack of a stronger word to keep this blog at it's "G" rated status) that only the healthy can get good, affordable insurance these days. Yes, it's nice to have so that you don't have to pay for well-child visits and just in case something horrific happens but, when something does happen and heaven forbid, you need some special services, good luck! Hope you have a nest egg hidden under the mattress for such things.
Some would say to me that we should have sprung for a better, more inclusive health care package but, give me a break, who actually sits down, when selecting insurance, and says, "Gee, let's see how the coverage would be if Johnny needs brain surgery or Sally gets cancer." Nobody is that morbid. You get a plan that you can afford that covers the basics and you think life is good. Then your literature for said plan arrives, and you might read the little chart that explains the percentages of coverage and such, but you push it to the back of your mind--you're not going to need to know how much your plan is going to play for orthopedics because you're never going to need it, right? I don't want to go through life thinking about the worse case scencerio every time I purchase something, that's too exhausting.
Since I have discovered our fate due to poor insurance coverage, I've had to try to find funding from other sources, unless, we went to declare bankruptcy next year, which I'd rather avoid. I have a meeting with the financial counseling department at Children's Hospital on the same day that Cara goes in for her PT evaluation. In the meantime, I have to round up 90 days worth of pay stubs, bills and such so that our counselor can determine if we qualify. I have also contacted the county health & human services department to see if the state has any programs that might off-set our medical expenses. Short of having a fund raiser or setting up an account at a bank for donations, which will probably never happen, I'm fresh out of ideas. Of course, there's always payment arrangements, problem is, you have to have money to make those payments and things are already quite tight around the waist right now.
If we had nationalized health care like some other countries, while I may have to wait to receive some services, they would be free. Cara would get the treatments that she needs without us having to worry about affording them. What a wonderful thing that would be! Imagine that, everyone getting the care & services they desperately needed without having to be the next Bill Gates or Donald Trump. We claim to be a land of freedom, equality and opportunity and yet, there's an alarming number of people who an either uninsured or, in our case, under-insured. What's being done to help...not much at all. Some states are better at helping their indigent than others. Colorado just happens to be a pretty lean state in terms of social service programs. Just great!
My point...you just might hear that we've jumped ship and moved to Aussie-land. Move over, Sarah, we're moving in!
**OMGosh, this just might be the longest post I've ever written so, bless your hearts if you take the time to read it!**
Monday, June 11, 2007
Going on a jet plane
In case you have been wondering why I've been so quiet lately, here is the reason. I have been running ragged trying to prepare 4 people for a trans-continental flight to Detroit for my brother-in-laws wedding. We've had to patiently (or not patiently) await the arrival of Caitlin's flower girl dress, drive way across town to have it altered, take suits to the dry cleaners, find suitable clothes for the mother of the flower girl and then attempt to pack our family of 4. Let me give you some of the highlights.
--Finding a "formal" dress when you've not been blessed with a model's body has been nearly impossible. I have been to store upon store and resorted to ordering from JCPenney (thanks for the gifts cards Mom & Dad). What a mistake that was. First, did you know that you really can't pay with gift cards on JCP's website? Well, you can't. Especially if you have more than one. You have to pre-pay in the store, wait for them to receive the payment to "release" the order to be shipped, then wait for the order to arrive in the store. To make a very long story short, let's just say that JCP's right hand doesn't know what it's left hand is doing, or saying. They told me the order was shipped one day via the 1-800 number and when I arrive in store to pick it up, I'm told another date, four days later. Umm, hello...I'm on a deadline here! Grr! Thankfully, in my running about today, I found a cute outfit from Catherine's. Granted, it cost me about twice what JCPenney was charging but hey, it's in my hands and it looks good. No guessing if JCP's periwinkle will be more purple than blue.
--Having a dress altered is a royal pain in the arse. Caitlin's dress for the wedding is beautiful. It is kind of an antique ivory almost a sheer with lots of layers, a petticoat, the works. Well, turns out, that in order to take up a hem off the length, one has to take it up from the bodice due to the delicate ruffle on the bottom. The seamstress made it look simple enough even if there were pins every 1/2 inch along the bottom. The dress was promised to be ready to go today. Well, we get in there, Caitlin tries on the dress for the final fitting and what do I immediately notice, despite my naive eyes? That the ruffle along the bottom is not the same length all the way around. OMG, are you serious?! I momentarily panic because in exactly three days, we are to be mid-air. I politely (don't ask me how) point out the problem to the head seamstress who promptly comes over with her pin cushion and begins to make the adjustments. She asks me, again, when I need the dress back by and when I tell her, you can just see the color drain from her face (that makes two of us). "Umm, our plane leave bright & early Thursday morning, so I'll need it by Wednesday". So, we are due back in Lakewood, about 40 minutes away again at 4pm on Wednesday--lovely, with the price of gas being what it is.
--Coordinating and packing for 4 people is a gigantic undertaking. You'd think, enough said, right? Not quite. It's not just doing the laundry, folding clothes and packing them into a suitcase...oh no, it's more complicated than that. Here's a sampling of my internal monologue: "What is (insert family members name here) going to where to the family portrait? To the rehearsal?...Do we have tights and shoes to go with it? What about if there's a pool at the hotel? Better pack a bathing suit. Oh wait, since we're not going to be at the wedding/rehearsal all day, I've got to pack casual clothes for everyone too. And, let's not forget that every one's beauty care products must fit comfortably into a quart size Ziplock bag...how are we going to pack Caitlin's pink hair lotion? Shoot, gotta remember to pack diapers, wipes and Pull-ups". Once that is accomplished (sometime Wednesday). I still have to put together carry-on bags for the girls and Ben & I, figure out how best to carry-on Caitlin's flower girl dress, arrange for off-site airport parking and pick up Ben's suits.
That said, I will be so glad when we finally board the plane on Thursday morning. It will feel good to sit back and try to convince two kids to behave somewhat like humans for three hours. That seems like a piece of cake compared to the past couple of days and the days yet to come. Just writing this post has made me tired. Traveling as a family of four is bound to be an adventure, I'll let you know how it goes. I'll tell you all about the journey and the wedding when we get back.
--Finding a "formal" dress when you've not been blessed with a model's body has been nearly impossible. I have been to store upon store and resorted to ordering from JCPenney (thanks for the gifts cards Mom & Dad). What a mistake that was. First, did you know that you really can't pay with gift cards on JCP's website? Well, you can't. Especially if you have more than one. You have to pre-pay in the store, wait for them to receive the payment to "release" the order to be shipped, then wait for the order to arrive in the store. To make a very long story short, let's just say that JCP's right hand doesn't know what it's left hand is doing, or saying. They told me the order was shipped one day via the 1-800 number and when I arrive in store to pick it up, I'm told another date, four days later. Umm, hello...I'm on a deadline here! Grr! Thankfully, in my running about today, I found a cute outfit from Catherine's. Granted, it cost me about twice what JCPenney was charging but hey, it's in my hands and it looks good. No guessing if JCP's periwinkle will be more purple than blue.
--Having a dress altered is a royal pain in the arse. Caitlin's dress for the wedding is beautiful. It is kind of an antique ivory almost a sheer with lots of layers, a petticoat, the works. Well, turns out, that in order to take up a hem off the length, one has to take it up from the bodice due to the delicate ruffle on the bottom. The seamstress made it look simple enough even if there were pins every 1/2 inch along the bottom. The dress was promised to be ready to go today. Well, we get in there, Caitlin tries on the dress for the final fitting and what do I immediately notice, despite my naive eyes? That the ruffle along the bottom is not the same length all the way around. OMG, are you serious?! I momentarily panic because in exactly three days, we are to be mid-air. I politely (don't ask me how) point out the problem to the head seamstress who promptly comes over with her pin cushion and begins to make the adjustments. She asks me, again, when I need the dress back by and when I tell her, you can just see the color drain from her face (that makes two of us). "Umm, our plane leave bright & early Thursday morning, so I'll need it by Wednesday". So, we are due back in Lakewood, about 40 minutes away again at 4pm on Wednesday--lovely, with the price of gas being what it is.
--Coordinating and packing for 4 people is a gigantic undertaking. You'd think, enough said, right? Not quite. It's not just doing the laundry, folding clothes and packing them into a suitcase...oh no, it's more complicated than that. Here's a sampling of my internal monologue: "What is (insert family members name here) going to where to the family portrait? To the rehearsal?...Do we have tights and shoes to go with it? What about if there's a pool at the hotel? Better pack a bathing suit. Oh wait, since we're not going to be at the wedding/rehearsal all day, I've got to pack casual clothes for everyone too. And, let's not forget that every one's beauty care products must fit comfortably into a quart size Ziplock bag...how are we going to pack Caitlin's pink hair lotion? Shoot, gotta remember to pack diapers, wipes and Pull-ups". Once that is accomplished (sometime Wednesday). I still have to put together carry-on bags for the girls and Ben & I, figure out how best to carry-on Caitlin's flower girl dress, arrange for off-site airport parking and pick up Ben's suits.
That said, I will be so glad when we finally board the plane on Thursday morning. It will feel good to sit back and try to convince two kids to behave somewhat like humans for three hours. That seems like a piece of cake compared to the past couple of days and the days yet to come. Just writing this post has made me tired. Traveling as a family of four is bound to be an adventure, I'll let you know how it goes. I'll tell you all about the journey and the wedding when we get back.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
A little consideration would go a LONG ways!
I've had it, that's it, I'm throwing in the towel, no more Mrs. NiceWoman. From now on, I'll be playing hard ball and rounding the bases in a furry.
To my downstairs neighbors, consider this your warning! We've all just about had it with your loud, obnoxious, gang-banging music blaring at all hours and all decibel levels. In case you haven't noticed...you live on the 2nd floor, so that means that people live both above and below you! It really wouldn't kill you to have an ounce of consideration for those around, especially those with little kids who are trying to sleep, who have jobs that require them to sleep during the day (and night) and, heaven forbid, those who don't want their place to sound like a club gone bad!
Apparently, informing the property manager has no effect on you, so let me just say that we are stepping up the game. The next time that our floor vibrates at an obscene hour, we will be calling the courtesy security patrol and they will be paying you a not so welcomed visit. If that doesn't work, we will be calling the police. I know, I know, they are frequent guests at your place--well, that's great, they shouldn't have any trouble finding you then. Now, please understand, we are not saying that you have to walk around on your tiptoes and whisper. See, we realize that we live in an apartment too and that certain noise is a fact of life. However, you've taken "noise" to a whole new level. Webster's has created a new definition of the term just in your honor.
That said, please, go onto Ebay and buy yourself some consideration!
Oh, and to our chain-smoking, puffing like a train next door neighbor. The city of Aurora called, there's now a new smog zone right over your head and it ain't attractive. They wanted me to tell you that every day is a no-burn day. All joking aside, we would appreciate not inhaling 2nd hand smoke every time we want to open our windows or turn on the A/C. If you want to smoke, do so in your car going 90 down I-25. That way, no one really has to smell it 'cause they're going too fast. Thank you!
--------------
Bottom line, apartment living bites rocks! We've never had this much trouble with our neighbors before. I must be the low-life residents that this place attracts coupled with the fact that the property management does nothing to enforce the "rules" that we're forced to sign as part of the lease. We have affectionatly named this place DelPoopAy (Actually called Del Arte Lofts & Flats) and when our lease is up in August, we plan on high-tailing it out of here. Oh, I hope and I pray!
To my downstairs neighbors, consider this your warning! We've all just about had it with your loud, obnoxious, gang-banging music blaring at all hours and all decibel levels. In case you haven't noticed...you live on the 2nd floor, so that means that people live both above and below you! It really wouldn't kill you to have an ounce of consideration for those around, especially those with little kids who are trying to sleep, who have jobs that require them to sleep during the day (and night) and, heaven forbid, those who don't want their place to sound like a club gone bad!
Apparently, informing the property manager has no effect on you, so let me just say that we are stepping up the game. The next time that our floor vibrates at an obscene hour, we will be calling the courtesy security patrol and they will be paying you a not so welcomed visit. If that doesn't work, we will be calling the police. I know, I know, they are frequent guests at your place--well, that's great, they shouldn't have any trouble finding you then. Now, please understand, we are not saying that you have to walk around on your tiptoes and whisper. See, we realize that we live in an apartment too and that certain noise is a fact of life. However, you've taken "noise" to a whole new level. Webster's has created a new definition of the term just in your honor.
That said, please, go onto Ebay and buy yourself some consideration!
Oh, and to our chain-smoking, puffing like a train next door neighbor. The city of Aurora called, there's now a new smog zone right over your head and it ain't attractive. They wanted me to tell you that every day is a no-burn day. All joking aside, we would appreciate not inhaling 2nd hand smoke every time we want to open our windows or turn on the A/C. If you want to smoke, do so in your car going 90 down I-25. That way, no one really has to smell it 'cause they're going too fast. Thank you!
--------------
Bottom line, apartment living bites rocks! We've never had this much trouble with our neighbors before. I must be the low-life residents that this place attracts coupled with the fact that the property management does nothing to enforce the "rules" that we're forced to sign as part of the lease. We have affectionatly named this place DelPoopAy (Actually called Del Arte Lofts & Flats) and when our lease is up in August, we plan on high-tailing it out of here. Oh, I hope and I pray!
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