titania82

Today, I deleted my Facebook account.

This decision was the culmination of two things, neither of which are particularly dramatic, but nonetheless, reason for concern.

1. My Facebook friends were comprised of High School, College, Work, Neighborhood, Family, Etc. These circles are not always meant to mix. Example: I found some pictures from my college days which I thought other friends on Facebook might find humorous. I made sure that the ones I posted were clean- i.e. little alcohol if any, not suggestive sexually, and generally not anything those pictured would be embarrassed by should someone from a recruiting office find the profile. I did my best to tag everyone so they knew the pictures were there. In response, another friend posted pictures from a UF drinking birthday party at Hooters. In those pictures where I was tagged, I was being a normal college kid. While this friend did nothing wrong, I woke up in the middle of the night from a dead sleep and realized that work mates could see those pictures, including people from whom I might be begging a job in a few years. All I could think about for the next hour was the fact that on Facebook, if you have friended someone, you really have no control over what tags become associated with you, and thus viewable in your profile. Bad Bad Bad plan.

2. Getting back in touch with old friends was sucking up too much time- at work, at home, on my phone. I need to pay attention to the woman I love most, not Facebook. I need to play with my dogs, read books, study- not Facebook.

How many forms of interaction with the web world do I really need? It seems that with LinkedIn, two blogs, etc, I should be able to keep in touch.

I always formulate blog entries, and then never get around to writing them.

( So here’s one that struck me on Sunday night. )

If you don’t receive a copy already, I would suggest picking up a copy of the Harvard Business Review December Issue. The issue’s case study and commentary titled “When Steve Becomes Stephanie” is specifically focused on transitions in the work place. When I opened up my copy I was truly amazed!!!

If you saw me in a police car, what would you think I got arrested for?

Answer me, then post to your own journal.

***Disclaimer- I'm actually increasing my percentage contribution to my 401K and other investments today to take advantage of this oh so low period***

I just checked my 401K balance- OMG. :::cries:::

While household budgeting is a very personal matter, I wanted to reach out to my flist for informal feedback. We need to get greater control of our finances and maximize budget predictability. We've tried several things and can't seem to stick with them, so- I'm thinking of moving to a cash only system of household budgeting (with online money movement for things like mortgage, car payments, etc.

Edit: This is along the lines of the plan on which I'm ruminating.

So for feedback, have any of you tried it and if so, how did it go/is it going?

We had an awesome first (wedding) anniversary! We took the time to cook dinner together and baked wonderful chocolate cupcakes with chocolate espresso icing.

We're still not pregnant. I'm trying to keep an upbeat attitude in that every new month is an opportunity for success. I'm lucky that J is willing to go through this and that I might have the opportunity to experience raising, loving and mothering a child that is a piece of her.

While in Chicago for work, I managed to miss two tests for one of the classes I'm taking over the summer. Yesterday I attempted to make them up through the university testing center. It was not meant to be.

I arrived on campus and realized I didn't have a scantron for the tests (since when do students have to provide their own scantrons?) No problem I thought, there is a vending machine in the student center that sells them, and an ATM from which I can get the required cash.

The ATM was out of order.

No big deal I thought, I'll run over to the off campus bookstore where I can buy a scantron with my debit card.

They were closed.

No problem I thought to myself- I'll go get that iced coffee I wanted at the Mc'D's and get cash back so I can use the vending machine.

That McD's doesn't do cash back.

While starting to get frustrated, I realized there was a Walgreens next to the McD's. I knew I could get cash back there, so I went in and purchased a pencil and asked for cash back.

With cash in hand, I drove back to the student center. I try ones, I try fives and...

The machine wouldn't accept the bills.

Since going on my insurance in Feb, my darling wife has been in a doctors office almost monthly- nothing major, just routine claims. All have been paid without issue.

Last night I received a denial of claim for the following reason:

"To process this claim, we need to know if you or your dependent(s) have other medical/dental insurance. Please send a copy of the explanation of benefits to the above address or contact member services."

This is a GE paid plan administered by Cigna. In the enrollment portion for GE, I must state if this is her primary/only coverage for rate eligibility.

I called the member services line and first clarified that this was her only coverage, After being assured that payment would be rendered I asked- after all of the previous claims, why are we getting this denial/question? Her response- "Because we didn't know.". What a brilliant answer on behalf of her insurance company.

Dear Cigna Administration,

I save GE money on a regular basis by always requesting generics, self treating, avoiding the doctor's office if I have a viral infection, questioning line item charges on my doctor's office invoice, etc. Why do you have to treat my wife's efficient and hard working doctor's office so poorly by holding up payment by fifteen days for a question you should have known the answer to- or that you should have sought out the answer to at the beginning of coverage.

You should know the cost of capital and realize that by delaying payment to this smaller organization, you are costing them a larger percentage than you've made by holding the money and additional fifteen days.

Shame on you for making doctors pay for your inability to manage your customer information.

Warmest Regards,
MS

For once, I feel a little home sick- not for St. Pete/Tampa home, but for DeFuniak, Destin, Niceville, Fort Walton, Seaside, etc. I'm not sure if I'm chasing the simplicity of life (seemingly- life didn't feel so simple then) or if I'm chasing a sense of relaxation. Perhaps its even wanting some of my friendships back from those times. I really am not sure of my inner most motivation- but I'm yearning for a fun conversation, loud music, and the smell of the ocean mixed with bottled beer at the Red Bar. I miss driving over the Midbay bridge and thinking crap- I've got another 20 minutes home. I miss the strawberry banana shake from Tastee Freeze, and the never ending bowl o pasta from a shack near Eglin thats name I can no longer remember. I miss being able to walk the lake out of boredom. I miss dirt roads, gravel driveways, and bridges that are barely bridges.

I'm by no means green- but I try, *a little*. With fuel costs the way the are, my pocket book is helping a bit as well.

So far, we're driving less, though I can't cut out my 50 miles round trip every day. We're carpooling with friends and family more- it's a big benefit that J's brother & sister in law live 3 streets away. And in general, trying to be less wasteful.

I was in the grocery store and faced with a decision, soy milk or cows milk. Soy milk- fuel used for fertilizer movement, harvesting, transporting for processing and tranporting to market. Cows milk- fuel costs at original cow auction, fuel costs for feed, fuel costs for milking, fuel costs for processing, fuel costs for transport.

So, in my brilliant friendslist' opinion, is there an environmental/resource advantage of one over the other? Your opinions are much appreciated.

We keep toying with renovating the kitchen. I hee and haw about it- the cost- savings versus home investment versus return on investment, etc. In order to take some of the uncertainty out of the decision making process, my beautiful wife suggested we get it over with and go to Home Depot for a general design and cost session. We took our kitchen dimensions over on Saturday, gave the design guy our general CTQ's and went back on Sunday for a review of the new layout and costs. Based on these cabinets, which are at the low/mid level of the spectrum, we are looking at ~$8K, for just the cabinets- no installation, no counter tops. Did I mention that our kitchen is 10 x 10??? This probably seems reasonable to most of you, but I'm still a bit shell shocked. I think we are going to sit on this idea for another 6 months, make a few minor upgrades to the kitchen as is, get quotes from other home improvement retailers, and then make a decision. I was originally estimating an investment of ~$15 K. The appliances I want (which I get from GE at wholesale, total about $4K (fridge, dishwasher, stove hood, and can we say beautiful stainless steel gas stove top with 6 burners and an electric convection oven?), if cabinets are 8 K, that leaves a mere $3K for counter tops, lighting. installation, doorknobs, paint, and anything else that might come up (like moving gas and water lines. Can it be done???

:::grumble grumble grumble:::

If you all have any alternative online sources for cabinets- please let me know!

New favorite beverage:

Talking Rain Twist

No artificial taste. Target has the bottles on sale this week- I'm going to buy in bulk.

Happy Birthday Katy!

...But I'm addicted to Dancing with the Stars.

On a separate note- I make a mean split pea soup.

...not meant to live past 30 (That is correct- the shrubs had been in front of the house for over thirty years!).

I've had a general dislike for two shrubs adorning each side of our front porch since we purchased the house. What happens when JB leaves for a soccer game, a juiced up hedge trimmer is in the garage, and I have free time on my hands?

It all started out in such an innocent fashion. We have silver sage in front of the front yard facing bay window. Said silver sage is out of control. I did a little research through the Texas A&M website and found that the sage should only be trimmed in winter blizzard. Given that the winter blizzard came through, what better time to trim it back- right?

I get the trimmer out of the garage and see that the two much loathed scrubs also need to be trimmed- I started trimming and didn't stop until each stalk was but a nub on the ground...whoops. My next logical conclusion was that I was going to need a shovel to dig the roots out- our shovel wouldn't do. One hour and $120 later, I arrive home with a new shovel, 2 juniper bushes, lawn trash bags and a few other miscellaneous items. Three hours and one additional person (JB came home from soccer to my mess) later, we have holes around the stumps/roots, but they aren't going anywhere. Enter stage right- Pete. Pete has the most beautiful yard on our street and has been glancing over at me since I started "trimming" the hedges. I could hear him thinking "what are those silly gringas up to now?" As it turns out, Pete has been in the commercial landscaping business for 20+ years. Fifteen minutes and one pick axe (sp?)- or some kind of hooked axe like thingy- both stumps/root systems are completely gone. He then proceeds to teach us how to plant the junipers, water them, etc.

Thank goodness for Super Men like Pete who save the face of one silly little, overly "empowered", gringa. But hey, now I know, when I want to pull out a shrub, don't cut it down. Instead, wrap a large gauge chain around it, attach it to a pickup, and drive forward! You would think, growing up in the middle-o-nowhere I would know these particularly pertinant facts of life.

As a total aside, I have a serious fear of snakes. Yes, I'm fully educated (thanks to the afformentioned growing up in the middle-o-nowhere ) in the differentiation of poisonous versus non poisonous- but they still freak me out. I don't want to get close enough to them to have to differentiate and then make an action decision. Did I mention that we found a coral snake under my car when I was leaving for high school my senior year, or that my stepfather, senseless has been bitten and hospitalized (i.e. nearly died) from a rattlesnake strike? Okay, back to the original intent of this aside- while digging up the stumps, I uncovered four little garden snakes. I managed to stay calm enough to pick them up and move them into another flower bed (I know rationally they are good for the flower beds).

I had nightmares all night thanks to those stupid garden snakes. Ick ick ick ick ick ick ick. I guess that is what I deserve for digging up thirty year old shrubs.

Last May I was diagnosed with PCOS. The diagnosis was a relief and a trauma- a relief because I knew I was no longer alone/freak of nature/ there was really something wrong with me and a trauma because as long as I didn't know, I could assume I was fertile and a ready and able backup plan should JB have trouble conceiving. I experienced a brief mourning process, got over myself and realized that with proper treatment and planning, I could conceive later down the road.

Fast forward 9 months. Symptoms are getting worse, not better. I googled and googled trying to find a Dallas area dermatologist who might specialize or at least have a holistic approach to PCOS related dermatological issues. Coming up blank, I went to the UT Southwestern Medical website (where I was diagnosed), scrolled through, and picked out the dermatologist with published research papers best aligned to my issues. I called, attempted to schedule an appointment. My first, second, and third choices were no longer accepting new clients. The only appointments available were with an physician specializing in suspicious mole removal- no thanks! I called my reproductive endocrinologists office for a referral. First, the person at the desk sounded like I had three heads when I asked her to request a referral from Dr. W. Are referrals no longer a normal thing? After placing me on hold for eleven minutes, she finally came back and gave me Dr. W's email address from which to request a referral.

Email response: Call the UT Southwestern Dermatology department at XXX-XXX-XXXX. WTF.