On The Soapbox: And It's Not Covered, Why?

So yes, I'm a little pissy today.

People, stuff...let's just say the day is not starting out stellar. I could go on for days with my own kvetching, but this morning I need to take on a cause for another. It is a common enough problem, encountered by many people in this country. Today we talk about Medical Insurance Companies.

Say you had a medical condition like hypertension...many of us do.  After trial and error for a good length of time, you finally find one drug which works.  Of course after this good luck comes your way, the insurance company takes that specific drug off its approved list. Now, to stay healthy, it's going to be with money coming out of your pocket...at a cost of several hundred dollars a month.

So, the insurance company would rather pay for a drug that doesn't work as well, and incur all the costs down the line for repercussions...than pay upfront for a drug proven to take care of the problem  Sure, let her have a stroke, then we will pay for the hospital, doctors, rehab...etc, if she lives through it.

Kind of makes you believe the inmates are really running the asylum.

So here we are with seniors cutting their meds in half because they can't afford a full dose, people bringing in meds from over the borders because they're cheaper, and our medical insurance companies just look at the "in-the-moment' cost. They started allowing tests for preventative medicine, including flu shots, mammograms and check-ups, but still have a narrow-minded approach to the drugs which keep people healthy.

Stupidity it seems, is an epidemic well covered by the medical insurance business.

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Driving A Boat On Dry Land

Smooth as glass, that's what it feels like riding in my Dad's boat.  Technically it is not a boat, rather it's a 1985 Buick Regal...baby blue with navy blue velour interior. Yes, 1985.

Now Dad turned 87 a few weeks back and days before his birthday, his doctor told him it was time to hand over the keys. Now we all knew it was past time, but with the winter so uneventful, I was giving him until his birthday to have the final talk on the matter.  Luckily for me, the doctor did the dirty work.

Let me tell you about the boat.  That car only went on vacations. No local driving for her. No, she sat parked in the driveway until it was time for a trip. Then she would be taken down the street to his mechanic, who was told to check her out. Now this mechanic has worked on all of our cars forever. He knew the car was always in perfect condition, so he would do a cursory check-up, charge my Dad a few bucks and everyone was happy.  Dad always felt the mechanic never charged him enough, and he was right.  He's a good guy who still looks after my parents any way he can. He often told me "Kath, I'll give it a look, but that car runs better than mine."  It runs better than mine, that's for sure, but that's a story for another day

So, now it's time to say goodbye to the boat. They will still have my mother's car for the little driving they need to do at his point.  But the boat will be taking her final voyage very soon.  First, there's a full tank of gas to use up.  Didn't think the old man would ever let his pride and joy sit there half-filled, did you? No, she was always ready to go...whether it was cross-country or down to Atlantic City.

Now it's up to me to take her for the last few rides...and with the price of gas, hell, I'll take a free tank of running errands.  But I gotta tell you, for as quiet and smooth as that car is...it almost purrs...it's one ugly as sin, big freakin' car.  For a brief moment while driving it today I thought, maybe we should just keep it and have a second car.  Then reality set it and I realized I can't really see around all the angles to park it.  And it's 27 years old. And it's an old man's car.

Yeah mine, and if he can't drive her anymore...it's time she sailed away on her own.

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Mini Poodle In Tracksuit & Sneakers

I shit you not.

It was just too damn nice today not to do the walk around the big lake.  Cold, but no wind and the joyful reappearance of the sun.  February yes, February weather...not so much.. No dog for this walk, I left the bitch at home,

Honestly, I love the solitude of a long walk. Time to clear the head, say hello to other crazy people walking in the cold, and visit with the dog people strolling along.  First, I met some guy with three girls, Gracie, Emily and Maggie.  Twelve legs and all howls.  Nice conversation about weather, dogs and walking mileage.

Continuing on...there they came. A couple of women with a couple of small dogs. After the triple take, I realized that yes this little dog was wearing a red track suit with little doggie sneakers. Why would you do that to a dog?  Most people look ridiculous in a track suit, but a tiny dog.  A little dog dignity please.  And the sneakers.  Should have taken a picture, but I was literally stunned.

Back home after my walk, now it's time to take out the dog. Yes, she's making a fashion statement with her fur coat.  But, those paws are a bit too big for Manolo's.

Just two girls strolling...no need for a fashion statement.

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Using My Legs, Not My Brain

And, what the hell was I thinking?  Tweeted this morning that with 40 mph gusts and temps in the 30s, a 3 mile walk around the big lake didn't seem like it would happen.  But 2 miles around the smaller lake...eh ok.

Me, the dog and Mother Freakin' Nature.  There's some snow on the ground from yesterday, but the streets are clear so safety wasn't an issue.  Stupidity is.  Now the dog is around nine years old...she's a rescue so we're not quite sure.  The three mile hike is a bit much for her. About 3/4 of the way around it, she starts looking back at me with the face that says "Are we there yet?"  So I only take her when I do the shorter walk.

Now this walk is not really hard, there is a big hill, but it's really only an issue if you walk it in one direction. Taking the back end around has a nice incline but you don't need to battle gravity to climb it.  Off we went.  At first the wind wasn't too bad...a gust or two...I can take this.  Of course the big gusts never appear until you are close to the halfway point of the walk. No Man's Land.  Keep going or turn back...makes no difference, the distance is the same.  But is the wind?

Now me, I hate going and coming back the same way.  Even to the store, I usually go down one route on the way there, another way home. Maybe I get bored...maybe you never know who's watching you.  So my walking path was clear. Forge ahead.

Together the dog and I traveled, braved what should be normal temperatures for February in the northeast. But every few yards she'd turn and look at me as if to say "What the hell were you thinking?"

I don't know. But I won't be thinking it tomorrow.

Waking The Dead Or Just Napping Like One

Before leaving for the weekend house, I stopped by to see my parents.  Now for those who haven't read any of the family type posts before, my dad is 87 and not quite the man he used to be.  Well, I walk in through the back door and there is my dad...his head hanging down, asleep at the kitchen table. At least I assumed he was asleep.

Mom was walking in from the living room and I walked past her as I headed to the basement to drop something off.  I mentioned to her that dad was asleep and the position he was in could not be good for the arthritis in his neck. Down in the basement I can hear my mother trying to wake my dad. "Hon...hon...hon." Now that has my attention, because I know she's got to be standing right next to him. I start moving quickly back up the stairs...really fearing the worst  As soon as I reach the kitchen...boom, those hibernating brain cells checked back into the present.  "What?" he says.  Scared the shit out of us, we say.

Now granted, of all the ways to exit this life...that would not have been a bad one...at least for him. It does however, make you realize just how quickly you can go poof.

It also makes you wonder just how dead you can look when you're alive. Or napping.