2010

Can you believe it's almost 2010?

Have a great new year everyone!

Feeling Inspired

We had a wonderful Christmas. Then the day after we got three bills from Lancaster General Hospital which were all wrong. According to these three bills we owed thousands of dollars.

It wasn't a big shocker. We go through this all the time. But three of them at once? Just one day after Christmas? Ugh.

I told Barb that the weekend would still be a holiday to me and we could deal with it Monday.

I also made a commitment to myself to start really addressing my health issues on Monday. I wouldn't rest until I could find out what was causing every pain, every problem, everything. If I had to find new doctors, new drugs, whatever, I was going to do it. There were too many things going on that I just didn't understand or have any explanation for.

Well Monday I started with the bills. I decided to address one bill at a time and follow them through to resolution. The first bill we've already received twice already. Both times it was incorrect. And both times I was told to rip it up and throw it away. But the bill just keeps coming.

It seems, from talking to LGH and Aetna that someone at Aetna thinks that I have a maximum benefit on my policy and that maximum has been met. But everytime I call Aetna they tell me that is wrong and I do not have any maximum benefit on my policy. But the issue just coninues to go on.

I just wish that I could gather the appropriate parties from both LGH and Aetna and sit down and resolve this once and for all.

I'm like this little guy translating messages between two giant companies. Why can't they just talk to one another?

Then right in the middle of my struggle on Monday some problem occurred in the LGH billing office and they closed for the day. What? Ugh.

Dealing with this alone will probably take the rest of the week.

Brrrrr

Some people don't mind this cold weather. Some even like it! Weirdos!

My body has never liked cold weather. I just run from one warm place to another, shivering and complaining along the way.

It's just been me. It's just been my body. I don't like it.

We've all seen guys out in this stuff in short-sleeve shirts. They're usually big bears though, with more body mass and more body hair than me.

It's in the 20s here this morning. It makes me shiver just thinking about it.

So why am I here?

Well I considered flying south, and staying south many years ago. But I concluded that this is my home, and always will be my home. My family is here. I have friends here. I have many business contacts here. Here...I am established. Besides the cold weather a few months each year, this is where I am happy. This is home.

We don't have earthquakes here, or wild fires, or mud slides, or hurricanes. It's pretty mellow.

We have a lot of neat history here too. I love to drive Pennsylvania back roads. They were built before automobiles so many simply follow property lines between corn fields. You can be driving along and "whoop" all of a sudden there is a 90-degree turn.

There are certainly some beautiful areas of Florida but the state grew so fast that most of it seems like highways connecting housing complexes and industrial parks. There just isn't enough character or history.

But there is sunshine. There is warmth. I would love to be there now. The weather dude on TV just said that it might reach the 30s today...might? Ouch. If I open the front door my sinuses will let loose. You might want to invest in Kleenex the next couple of months.

(sniff)

It's home though. I'll just hunker down, stay warm, and wait to hear that Spring training has started in Florida.

The Party is Over

After much frustration with my health insurance company I've learned that it was in my best interest just not to interact with them at all.

But on December 26th I received three bills from the hospital, all wrong, about $15,000 wrong. Merry Christmas to me.

One of these bills I've received twice already, and I've resolved it twice already. Last time I addressed it with my insurance company they told me to throw it away.

They're always getting things screwed up. I often wonder if any other business could stay in business making this many mistakes. The hospital also complains about their ineptness. But they don't have to worry about it because I sign forms promising to pay them if my insurance company doesn't.

What is it like being the mediator between two giant companies? It stinks! I wish I could just get representatives from both companies in a room and resolve it right there.

But today I'll be the little guy, the little guy with advanced cancer, making endless phone calls throughout the day, beating my head against a wall, just to get what should have been anyway.

Ugh. What a way to start the week.

Christmas Hangover

I was going to dive back into politics this morning. But it's such a tough subject after such a beutiful Christmas, I think I should put that on the back burner for awhile.

Barb and I had a great Christmas, with each other, and with both families. It was great to see Barb's nephew Ellis, and my niece Heather filled with such child-like Christmas enthusiasm. It made me smile from ear to ear and brought back my own childhood memories.

Ellis was so anxious to open his presents I thought he was going to pee his pants. He's way too smart for that though. I watched as he tried to play every angle he could possibly think of to convince his Mom and Dad to let him start. He just couldn't wait. He was going to burst. But he behaved himself.

When the moment finally came he was ripping and tearing. He was really hoping for this quite large plastic dinosaur. "Red Spikee," he called him. It was big! It had a battery pack that could be recharged and the remote control (yes the REMOTE CONTROL) required it's own batteries. It talked. It moved. And I didn't get to see it in action because the main battery pack took until around midnight to charge.

As soon as he saw what it was he had the hugest smile and just started jumping up and down and shouting, "Red Spike Red Spike!" Red Spike!"

Oh no, "some assembly required. This would require help from his Grandpa and a little more patience.

My brother reminded me of how impatient we were at that age. We were given a specific wake-up time, which of course we ignored. But we didn't dare sneak out of our room to peak at the presents in fear of the wrath of Santa.

We would peak our noses into our parents' bedroom and whisper, "Is it time yet?"

"No. Go back to bed," was the most frequent response.

We developed a strategy. I could lay on floor in the hallway with my big toe still in my brother and I's room. Then my brother could daisy chain off my exentended arms, and then my sister could stretch out from my brother's arms. This way we were "technically" still in a bedroom we rationalized.

My sister would peak at the tree and all the presents and report to us her findings. We really didn't gain much knowledge...really none...from this we could only tell that there WERE presents.

Finally it was time and we knew it. We stormed my parents bedroom and dive-bombed onto their bed.

"OK. OK," my Dad would concede, begging for peace. My parents would demand just a couple of minutes to wake up, maybe get something to drink, get themselves situated to watch us goofballs. And there it was.

My presents were to the left of the tree, Karen's were to the right, and Doug's were around the fireplace. Karen liked to rip and tear and was done in three-seconds. I was slow about it and liked to watch everyone else. Doug was somewhere in-between, always logical.

One of my favorite gifts this Christmas was being able to watch Ellis, and Karen and Jamie's daughter Heather. To see their unbridled exhuberance and genuine excitement was a treasure to behold.

Everyday is Christmas

I have been giving out early gifts. I just can't control myself.

This morning Barb turned the tables on me and hit me with an early gift. It was an electric razor. I haven't used one since I was around 16. I think she's trying to tell me something. (smile) Thank you Barb. I love it.

I've always been a little different in my approach to holidays. I always felt that if I wanted to celebrate the birth of Jesus that I could, and should, do that on anyday of the year, anyday I wanted to. I pretty much feel that way about all holidays. I don't need to wait for Valentine's Day to tell Barb how much I love her. I don't need to wait for Mother's Day to tell my Mom how special she is to me.

I try to remember the life of Jesus everyday. For me, His life is an example for me to try to live up to. Of course I can never fully live up to the example that Jesus has set for me. But it has been important to my life to have his life as a guide.

Even from his birth he was teaching us important lessons. Here he was, the king of kings, born into poverty with nothing, surrounded by farm animals and the love of a mother and father.

It may not involve boxes of chocolates or fancy jewelry, but I will celebrate the birth of Christ everyday.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Christmas Makes Me Think Of.......

Goofy kid stuff such as walking on my dads back when I was a kid, to get it loose for him. Also, hearing the story of when I was little when my dad use to hang me from above the door and let go and I would just hang there, I guess that was my arm strengthening exercise. I used to have my brother and sister sit on my feet and I would shoot them across the living room, that was fun, I don't know if I could do that anymore (lol). (I know I can't write like my husband, but it's funny stuff)

I miss both sets of grandparents very much and the things we used to do with them on the holidays, but that is what good Christmas' are all about.

I certainly hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas holiday and New Year.

There will always be tons of good memories past,present and future.