Nothing Doing

Didn't do much over the weekend. Was rather lazy. Didn't help that the lilacs are blooming. Ugh. It's pretty miserable the few weeks they are in bloom. Darn allergies. This year it's affecting my eyes/head. Minor tension type headache and sore/blurry eyes. Keep wanting to rub them which a) makes it worse and b) messes up my contacts.

Took Leia Saturday morning to the local "Strutt Your Mutt" fundraiser for the Humane Society. Didn't sign up for the walk because I'd forgotten about it until the week before, and with all the rain, wasn't sure I'd want to go. And let's face it. It keeps getting pricier each year. No wonder the turn out is smaller and smaller. Minimum $35 pledge to enter, and they want you to get additional pledges. And that's per person/dog. Not per family. Ughh. Knocks me and Shannon out of the running. I know it's a fundraiser, but I think it knocks a lot of people out of the running.

Anyway. The pet fair was free and I figured it would be good for Leia. Then we went to the farmer's market. She did beautifully with all the people and other dogs. Especially the farmer's market. It was packed. Turned out to be a beautiful morning. Even if the lady with the fantabulous banana nut bread wasn't there.

Sunday afternoon we had quite the storm. Dime sized hail. It even spawned a tornado in the eastern side of the state. Right in downtown Billings. Yikes. No one hurt, thankfully, but definitely some damage!

Last night my two oldest nieces called. Only got to talk for a few minutes, but I really liked that. :)

The Bliss List

So I recently read this book called “Choosing Brilliant Health” by Greg Hicks and Rick Foster.

A lot of what they have to say I’ve heard already in other forms, etc. But the way they have put it together and the research they have done make it an interesting read. It’s a step beyond just saying “think positive” and has a few concrete steps you can do. I like more than just theories/ideas. Practical how-to’s are my thing. [Which is why I have a hard time implementing Cesar Milan’s dog-training, but do well with Victoria Stilwell’s advice. But that’s a post for another day.]

Alas, it was an inter-library loan, and my timing couldn’t have been worse. Not enough time to do more than a hurried read (no renewal allowed. So I don’t remember all 8 steps.

The ones that stuck with me are regarding the Bliss List and Centralizing. What I got out of it is that you should come up with things that make you happy, that you enjoy. Not just what I'm thankful for having in my life (although there's plenty of that.) But more a focus on what I like to do and have around me. Create this list and then centralize it. Focus on one or two of those things daily; make them happen.

At first I was like, “Huh? I don't know about that.” But the more I thought about it, the more it appealed to me. A bit of a challenge so-to-speak. So here’s my attempt at a bliss list, in no special order: 

• Laughter
• Reading a really good book
• Writing
• Learning (especially history, religion, culture)
• Hanging out with friends
• Family (talking with, visiting)
• Leia & Max (the new dogs)
• How I feel after working out/accomplishing workout
• Belaying for Little Sis
• Scrapbooking

I know; a lot of these things aren’t that concrete. And it doesn’t seem like a long list. But these are the thoughts that come to mind today when I focus on my “bliss” list. These are the things I enjoy, that make me feel good.

So I’m going to try to incorporate as much of this into my daily life as possible over the coming year. Let’s see how I do!

This Is Why

This is why I believe health care should no longer be considered a commodity:

We were just notified at work that our health insurance premium has increased by 23%. And that's after it went up 25% when we renewed this past January. Not only that, but they've switched to a new pharmacy. Which has a different formulary of preferred drugs. And yep. You guessed it, two of my meds are now on the third and most expensive tier.

Which means the cost for me has doubled per prescription.

And since our wondeful accountant only budgeted for an 18% increase (what planet is she on???), there's a shortfall. We had a meeting yesterday to discuss options. The boss wanted to know how we value the additional coverages added a few years back - dental & vision. And whether we'd prefer to drop that or increase our deductible.

By the end of the meeting it was basically this: dropping dental & doubling our deductible to $2000 would just cover the increase. Just.

Heaven help me if I need anything next year, because it will all be out of my pocket. There's that 80/20 split after the deductible until the maximum out of pocket is met (that will most likely increase to $2000.)

Well. The CPAP machine better not break, and hopefully my doc will call me back with some alternative meds that are more affordable. I know I need to share in the costs of my health care, but we've had an increase of  almost 50% over two years! And I can guarantee my income & my employers' income haven't increased by that much!

Stepping Into the Fray

Okay, you knew I would do it. I ended up checking out the news. I  just have to comment on the Stupak Ammendment to the Health Care bill.

So if I can't afford the premiums and need assistance to pay for my health plan (something that is not too far-fetched of an option for me), I can't have a plan that allows me to choose if I want to have an abortion or not. Unless I purchase a rider. Okay. A) That's assuming insurance companies are going to make these available and B) My employer will offer that and C) I'll be able to afford it. Considering I can't afford the regular plan, odds are I won't.

And there is an interesting impact - this applies if the small business you work for takes advantage of the tax credits. They won't be allowed to offer abortion as part of the plan. Even if the premium is paid for without any subsidies. And what small business won't take advantage of every tax credit they can? Again, this pushes women to have to buy separate coverage. A) Assuming insurance companies will offer it and B) Assuming the employer will offer it to their employee and C) Assuming the employee can afford it and D) Assuming there will be no fear of retribution from employers and coworkers for those employees who do opt to purchase abortion coverage.

I work in a small office. I can guarantee you, we all know who has what, does what, chooses what.

It just pisses me off. Why the hell aren't we hearing about ammendments that affect coverage for men? I know, I know, pro-choice and pro-life isn't as simple as that. But it should be. I want to be able to choose on my own. To make my own decision based on my life, my beliefs. Others want only one choice. Based on their belief. Let me choose yes or no, and you choose no. I won't force someone to have an abortion, just don't force me to go through a pregnancy. (Which has a whole set of health issues & mortality fears of its own! Something like 11-13 in every 100,000 live births results in the death of the woman in the United States. And it's most likely an under-reported figure. Race also plays a factor. African American women are 3-4 times more likely than white women to die in or because of childbirth. No one talks about that, do they?)

I'm sick and tired of having my choices limited because I'm female and not wealthy. God damn it. And you know, sometimes, there are only so many things I as a female can do not to get pregnant. Abstinence is unrealistic. And frankly, in my mind, for 100% of your life it's not healthy! Mentally or physically. Birth control is only 99% effective. It just pisses me off. It puts the burden, the onus, on women. I guess that's what pisses me off the most.

The only effect this ammendment is going to have is further restrict the ability of women to choose for themselves.

And I'm sure this post is going to anger people I know and further confirm the opinion that I'm a flaming liberal. I just am tired of it all.

Return of the Dark Ages?

I am flabbergasted by the news I’ve been hearing about the change in recommendations for mammograms and breast self-exams. And especially the reasoning behind it.

I’ve been reading the articles, listening to the reports, and I’m still going "What in the hell are they thinking?" The quotes that bother me the most are the ones that talk about saving women from the “endless stress” and “false positives”. Are they kidding? Really? Reading between the lines I’m hearing/seeing these two words: CUT COSTS.

Maybe it’s because a good friend of mine has a daughter in her 40’s who was diagnosed in the last two months with breast cancer – all because of her regularly scheduled mammogram. And it is advanced and fast-growing, spreading…she’s had 4 surgeries already. She does not have any of the risk factors. No history of breast cancer in the family. Yet they would have waited until she was 50.

She’d be dead. She still might be dead before then. But at least now she has a chance.

I don’t know. The reasoning seems weird to me. Especially at a time when curbing costs is so prevalent in the news.

And not encouraging women to do breast self-exams? WTF? Why not? So there’s no clear cut data either way. Yet they say unequivocally "don't do it." Does it harm to do the exam? To become familiar with the look and feel of your breasts? Logically to me I would think you would pick up on changes much more quickly. Especially now that they aren’t going to recommend the mammograms any more until women are in their 50’s.

But oh yeah. We have to save those helpless women from the stress of false positives. And those biopsies showing they don’t have cancer. Turns out they weren’t needed, so let’s not do anything that might trigger doing them.

Who cares if it does help some women stay alive? Oh, wait. That’s negligible. Have to screen another 300 women in their 40’s to save one life. Gee, I hope that one life isn’t my sister. My friend. Me.

Wading In

So I've been preoccupied, naturally, with the health care reform attempts going on in Washington. Especially now, since my employer lost a government contract that provided a third of our income. It also cost us three full-time and two part-time employees. We are a small business. Even smaller now. Only 5 of us. And our premiums increased 35% last year, when we had 8 on staff. Who wants to bet our premiums won’t increase again in January? Didn’t think so. Odds are it will go up substantially (especially since I’ve had some medical costs – about $2000 out of pocket so far. And several co-workers have had health issues this year. We are also predominantly over 50. Only 2 of us are under that.) I’m expecting to have to start paying part of my monthly premium. Which is at $383 now. If it stays the same, if I only have to do maybe half, I could squeak by. But all extra spending would go out the window. And if energy costs or gas costs go up… After months of thought, research, and unending news coverage (ad nauseum!), here's what I keep coming back to: The free market isn't working for health care. We need a public option. Frightening, no? Especially for me. Because as the years progress, I have developed a less-is-better mentality when it comes to government. You could say I'm Anti-Federalist. But the fact of the matter is that the free market/capitalism isn't working when it comes to health care. A) It's not really a “free” market. Example: limited competition. For instance, we have 3 carriers in my state. And one of them only became available in my state about 3 years ago. So we have one big player, and two small ones. Making it easier for insurance companies to do business across state lines may help, especially in more populous areas. But not for me. There’s just not enough population, ie premium volume, in my state. Too many small businesses. B) The market is going to focus on profitability, economies of scale, supply & demand, etc. That's just the way it works. Which means there will always be a section of the populace insurance companies won’t cover, and a section they’ll try to drop, and coverages will decrease as premiums increase because costs will keep rising. C) Health isn’t a product. It isn’t a commodity. It isn’t a thing. But insurance is. So we are combining the two. I just think the public option should be a choice. Is it a perfect one? No. Will there be problems? Yes. Do I entirely trust our government to manage the program efficiently when it comes to money? Not entirely. But while the insurance companies might manage money more efficiently, they’ll cover fewer people, with less benefits. Arghh. I’m giving myself a headache. I want the public option. But I also want cost cutting. Price standardization (ie, same price for same procedure for same area regardless of who you have insurance with, or if you have insurance at all.) Reform of the court system (you think changing health care is bad…the lawyers are worse!). Something has run amok here. Maybe an easier solution would be for small businesses and individuals (whether because self-employed or pre-existing conditions) who can’t get affordable insurance on their own should be considered federal employees for the purposes of health insurance and allowed access to the vaunted federal insurance program. That would allow entry into an already existing pool, allowing for more affordable premiums. Supposedly. An intermediate step, so to speak. All I know is the system so far isn’t working. More of the same isn’t an option. The Republicans have had nearly 16 years (8 of them with White House control) to do something. It’s time to put up or shut up. Seriously. To me the rancor has more to do with the fact that they not only lost the presidential election and control of congress, but they lost to a black man advocating change. The bogeyman is in control. Sorry, but I really believe for many that is what they subconsciously feel. Racism is alive and well. They’re angry and they’re scared. The system as is, the status quo, has served them all quite well. But when you aren’t the one orchestrating the change…yeah. Reactionary fear.

The Canine Health Wars

I'm on the road again. Fourth business trip of the year, two more to go. And this is the second one since end of August. I get back from this one Saturday only to leave Monday afternoon for New Orleans. The South. In September. Hot. Sticky. Hurricane season. Oh, joy. I hate traveling for work. Especially with Scully being sick. She's got pneumonia for the second time since June. She's been on one antibiotic for four weeks (two more to go for that one), another antibiotic for one week, plus pred.nisone, a bronchodilator and an inhaled steroid. {sigh} Excessive to some, I suppose, since she's "just a dog". But how can I justify not doing for her what I'd do for me? She's a living breathing being. I can't just consign her to pain, distress, because she's a dog. Doesn't seem right to me. Not when I can see her struggling. I've had the talk with the vet about if it's time to let her go or not. She's 14, and the health is going. Even non-dog people I know have noticed. But the vet doesn't think so. After all, Scully is still eating well (most of the time), is moving around, going outside, etc. The fact that she begs from the neighbors when they are outside grilling is a good sign. I suppose. Although my neighbor T feels guilty if she doesn't give Scully anything. {rolling my eyes} I am forcing myself to face the fact Scully might not be with me much longer. I have several friends promising to tell me when I need to let go in case I can't face up to it myself. I'm hoping we can knock out this pneumonia soon. At least keep her comfy until Mom & Dad get her the end of September.

Making Dad Laugh

Sitrep: 1/2 Lawn mowed, ~2 mi Walk

So I called my parents this morning to see how they fared with Tropical Storm F.ay, since the eye apparently moved quite s-l-o-o-o-w-l-y over them last night. Dad answered (nice surprise, it's usually Mom & I've talked to her and my sister the last two days.) Considering it was early for me on a work day, Dad should have been surprised it was me. But since I've called 2 days in a row to check on them...not so much. Really it's just an excuse to call! And yesterday I figured was the best chance to catch my sister not in the pool! But when I started with "The weather channel reported 51 tornadoes in [ ] county, are you guys ok?" Dad couldn't help but laugh. A real belly laugh. I think I really tickled his funny bone. Turns out it was one tornado, with 51 homes damaged. And not near them. My poor beleaguered brain apparently condensed the report and scrambled it about a bit. [g] But hey, at least I made my Dad laugh! I think it's quite humorous that they've had no tropical weather this season until the week my sister visits with her family. Lucky them - trapped for 2 days in the house with a 4 and a half year old who lives to swim. [g] While on the phone my BIL in the background hollered "Send snorkels!" LOL. So far all's well at the house. Streets around the neighborhood that flood with regular rainfall are flooded. But nothing beyond that. The last few days have been busy for me. But finally our 2-day annual seminar for a local company is over and the instructor in on his way home. Had to do the hostess thing the last 2 days, and eat out. Bummer. Last night we walked from the downtown hotel he stayed at & up to the walking mall and a local eatery that used to be a brothel. Big Dorothy's. [g] Good steaks and fun atmosphere. It's about a mile from the hotel one way. The weather cooled down considerably, and it sprinkled a bit. But it was a nice walk. On the way back we got ice cream. It's a good thing we walked! Saw the chiropractor again today for a status check. All looks good. A few more adjustments today and that's that unless I'm in pain again. He told me again not to baby my right hip for that arthritis, to keep moving so it stays lubricated. Which I'm doing. Sort of. :) I have got to get back into REVing. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Just a lot of hips and butt. [groan, I know]. Oh, and I'm buying a new (to me) camera. It's a smaller digital camera I've been wanting. Not quite a pocket point and shoot, but smaller by quite a bit than my digital SLR, and with a really good optical zoom. It's going to be my "around-town" camera. One I can carry with me and not worry about leaving in the trunk of the car. Not like my "baby", my D SLR. [g]

Grease Monkeys

Weekly Goal: 1x Bootcamp, 1x Qigong, 1x Mow Lawn

Apologies in advance if I sound cranky...I'm very tired; slept poorly. Not inclined to parse my words for mood. [g] Dreamt last night I was on the phone with Shanni and she was sick; started with a cold and got worse. I was irritable because she wouldn't tell me the symptoms and I was feeling sick in my dream. Maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me something? Like if I don't get off my butt and exercise and eat better I'm going to get sick? Saturday was an uneventful day for the most part. I motivated my sorry self out of the house around noon to go get Shanni. We'd planned to work in my yard, putting in the new flower bed borders and starting on the back "deck". Except it pretty much boiled down to a quick run to the cell phone store (she locked her SIM card therefore blocking all but 911 calls) and then to the store to buy a bulb for the car headlight. We had to get someone to help us as the number bulb I needed wasn't on the shelf...the guy told me to bring my car around and they could change the bulb for me. For $5.00 (plus cost of light bulb). I guess I'm cheap, because I didn't want to pay someone to do something I can d0 - and have - myself. Shanni was quite dubious. Once at my house I looked up the instructions quickly online (to make sure I didn't unplug some necessary wires). I had a little trouble getting the cap off. I didn't want to use force (been there, done that, broken a few things!) so first tried finessing it off. Went with force. ;) To make a long story shorter, we changed the bulb. I had a bit of trouble lining the bulb up with all the grooves. Hard to line things up blindly. But finally got it in. At one point during the process Shanni went "Don't you have any guy neighbors we can call?" Pfffffttttt. I also heard "Ooooo...you're dirty!" (Funny coming from a girl who just a few years ago was happily catching frogs in the irrigation ditch by her house.) I said what I usually say, "I'm washable." She was pretty proud when we finished - and the light worked. [g] I also made a point to show her how to check the oil and washer fluid, and where the anti-freeze (coolant) goes. And the battery. I guess I'm going to have to show her how to change a tire one of these days. The rest of the afternoon she kept calling us "Grease Monkeys." So I didn't exercise last week. Went to the chiropractor for my hip Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. By the evening after the second adjustment I felt great! Wednesday was a final adjustment and also to review the x-rays of my hips. Turns out I have very early signs of arthritis in my right hip. Surprise. Not. It's always bothered me, and I figured eventually I'd have arthritis there. Just not at 35. [g] The doc said I can keep on exercising and walking/hiking is okay. I'm just not to take up running. In one of those "did I say that out loud" moments, I went "Please. I just took up walking. Running's not even an option!" He looked a little startled, but laughed. So. Now I really need to lose that extra 20 pounds. Just more motivation! I was afraid he was going to tell me to stop exercising all together. But from what he told me, and from some research I did at the library, I'm okay to continue. Just need to wear really, really good shoes. He told me where I can get some good orthotics (not custom made) for about $50. I think I'll try those before going the orthopedist route again. So. Onward and upward. And it's nice to know I'm not hallucinating the aches in my hip, or the pain when I sleep on my right side. [g] And yesterday I managed to motivate into the garden. One flower bed out front now has a new border - two years after removing the old one. ;) It's that generic plastic border you bury except for the edge, but it works for me. Got 50 feet of it for $5.00. Gotta love procrastinating until the end of the season. Hah. The veggie garden is not making much progress...tomato plant is all played out. Carrots are finally coming up and I thinned them out. Green onions aren't getting taller and browning on top. Lettuce is struggling. But it's getting much cooler. I actually wore jeans out to dinner Saturday night. The Chives and Basil are hanging in there. At least the lime trees are looking wonderful! Not much else to report, except that Shanni keeps getting herself grounded. So far she's lost going out one afternoon, her cell phone for 2 days (oh, the inhumanity! lol) and now our outing to Ga.tes of the Mo.untains Saturday with BBBS. Heh. Poor kid. NOT! I keep telling her about the time my mom dragged me home from a friends birthday slumber party because I hadn't finished my chores. I was 16 at the time...