Athene Numphe

Ugh! Just spent the last 30 min or so dealing with various and sundry medical billing situations.

1. Called to pay a bill for Little Prince from when we took him to the doctor for strep back in December. Left a voicemail. Got a call back and paid bill. Found out that his doctor can finally take payments online. Hurray! Maybe one day I'll even be able to email them for non-emergency questions.

2. Called lab company for tests I had run in Feb. Found out they'd transposed two of the letters in my insurance code, so that's why it didn't go through. They're resubmitting. I'm 90% sure they did the same thing last year. Hopefully they'll get it fixed in their system.

3. I got sent a collections letter for the ER bill from my accident last September. I never even got this bill. And Progressive told me that they were getting all hospital bills directly and not to worry about them. So first a call to the collections agency to say "what is this bill? Oh, really? It should have been taken care of." Then a call to my auto insurance saying "Oh, you did get that bill. That's interesting." Then a call to my health insurance, left message. Then a call to person-who-hit-me's auto insurance with an "On, you have that bill too. Ok. And tell collections agency that it's been worked on. Got it. Thanks." Then a text to acupuncturist to make sure she sent in release form/info to pwhm's auto insurance to get bills paid. Finally a call back from my health insurance with a "Well, what you're seeing is the full amount of the bill, but you should only be paying a negotiated amount until you hit your deductible for the year. But I can't tell you if you hit that. I can just tell you what I see." I swear, my health insurance adjuster person for this case is crazy hard to get a hold of. At least he sent the info the pwhm's auto insurance. Ugh.

Just in case people are wondering about my bills, I had $2,525 in PIP from my auto insurance. I have blown through that. In addition to that I've already paid $1,350 in payments out of pocket and still owe over $1,700 to various providers. And that's a total of over $5,500 just in medical bills. I have a High Deductible Health Plan through my employer and good car insurance. And we wonder why health insurance is so borked in this country and why people go bankrupt when they have a medical emergency. The fact that the insurance companies are playing the bounce around game is just ridiculous. At this point I'm just praying that pwhm's auto insurance comes through and offers to cover everything (like they did for Little Prince's bills). Otherwise I guess it's court and lawyers fees. Isn't that fun?

We're all okay.

The drive home from work/daycare with Little Prince sure turned out to be interesting. To start the highway was PACKED. So I tried a side route I'd never done before. It worked out really really well. We were stopped in the middle lane at the red light that brought us back to join in with the normal way home when the whole car was rocked violently forward. Yup, while sitting at the red light, the woman in the car behind us rear-ended us. It took a moment for it to register and then Little Prince started crying. I put on my blinkers and got out of the car. He looked fine and there were no obvious signs of damage either on him or to either car. The woman in the other car looked visibly shaken and upset too. She got out and claimed that the brakes on her car just stopped working suddenly. Since LP was crying and in case there were any problems, I wanted to trade information. But the light was going to be changing soon and we weren't in a good spot to deal with things. I suggested pulling into the grocery store parking lot just up the road. Then I snapped a quick picture of her license plate with my cell phone in case she decided to drive away instead.

So we drove up the road and pulled into the parking lot. She claimed she was stopped and was admiring my bumper stickers when all of a sudden her car just rolled forward into mine. Not sure I believe her 100%, but that's what she said. Apparently it's her boyfriend/fiance's car. If that's really what happened, I guess he'll be getting a talking to. I took a picture of the insurance card, so I didn't have to write it all down and wrote down her name and number.

Drove home. Comforted/nursed Little Prince and filed the claim online and they'll call me tomorrow. Can I just say I love that we have cameras on phones now. It just makes things so much easier. I had all of the information for the claim. I also love that I can file my claim over the internet.

Little Prince seems to be fine (as fine as a teething toddler the week after daylights savings time switch can be). My back and neck kind of hurt. I'm going to talk to the insurance people about where we should go to get checked out just in case.

I'm so glad that we still have LP rear facing in his car seat. I was just thinking that maybe we should start to turn him around, but I think I want to leave him rear facing longer (the seat is weighted up to 40 or 45 lbs rear facing and he's 22ish). I don't think a very low impact bump should damage his car seat, but I'll make sure to ask the insurance agent just to make sure.

Little Prince in his car seat, from a few months ago.

I will not feel guilty that I took a different route home. I will not feel guilty that I didn't pull into the other lane when I thought about it. I will not feel guilty that the straps on LP were a little looser than I'd have wanted them to be when we pulled into the parking lot. We're all fine. These things happen. I handled everything in the best way possible. The end.

On Wednsday, lordaerith and I said good-bye to our kitties and headed to the airport to fly to Boston. The flights went very well. At our layover in Houston we picked up non-pariels for Aerith's mother-in-law and 4 caramel apples (they were by 3 get 1 free) to share with the rest of his family, which we did, slowly over the days there.

Got into Logan with no problem. Got my bag and to the Enterprise dealership with no problem. Because we have a CostCo membership we were supposed to get 5% off and a free upgrade. The 5% was in the system, but the free upgrade wasn't. However, the guy was really awesome and said that he'd give it to us anyway. When we went out to look at the cars that were in our size, he mentioned that oh, there's a 2010 Prius over here and I'll give it to you for just $5 a day more. You should have seen Aerith's eyes light up :). So we took it. Drove out to Haverhill to Aerith's sister's house. Sister, niece (8 year old daughter of other sister), and sister's husband were all there. Sister's husband has a garden and grows green beens, cucumbers, and zuchinni (3 of my absolutely fav veggies) amongst other things. Dinner was made by sister and included stuff from garden. Yum! Hung out for a while and after niece was asleep, watched Role Models with sister and her husband. Still funny.

Woke up on Thursday and slowly nephew got up. He's 17 (OMG, i've known him since he was 5!!!) and his voice has dropped and he is now taller than Aerith. He stands like an awkward teen, all gangly and hunched. It's adorable. Finally Aerith's mom showed up and then everyone, except for me and sister's hubby (who was at work) went to Water Country. I had to stay at Sister's because I had to teach a class online at 2. But that was okay because I just hung out and chilled and the class went well. Also it was in the 70s and I don't do water parks until it's at least 90 out. Eventually they all got home, then we went to the store and got food to grill. Aerith showed off his awesome grilling skills.

Friday Aerith and I went to H&R Block to try to sort out some old tax stuff that seemed weird. It's still weird, but whatever. I had to teach the second half of the class that afternoon. As soon as it was over, we got in the car and headed out to W. MA to visit with artemis42 and her partner. Got caught in some traffic, so we were thankful for the Prius! Had a very lovely visit with Ms. A and her partner. They live out in the middle of nowhere with apparently lots of lesbians, musicians, and chickens (what is it about redheads and chickens?). We played music exchange. I played Marian Call for them, and they played their kirtan and an early cut their new blues album for us. A made yummy yummy dinner. That girl can cook salmon like no one else. After dinner we hung out and she showed us Sita Sings the Blues (you can watch it online if you want), which is an animated movie about Rama and Sita and some other stuff. Finally it was past midnight, so we said goodbye and headed back. I fell asleep on the way back, but Aerith was amazing and made the drive, even though he was really tired by the end of it.

Saturday we showed Sister and Niece how to make breakfast tacos :). Then we headed to Rockingham Park to meet up with Aerith's mother and uncle and watch/bet on televised horse races. All the horses I picked kept coming in one spot behind what I said, until the very end where I won a whole $3.80 and the woman behind the counter asked if I was over 18. It was silly, but kinda fun.

After a brief stop at Sister's, we headed out to wabres's Hobbit Hole. It was me, Aerith, Wabres, his brother, Wyleblad and his wife, Percival, and godspiel. It was great to see those guys again! We had lots of cheese, including queso made by Aerith. Wabres made his chicken masalla for dinner. We watched YouTube videos and talked gaming and went to Kimbel's for ice cream. We left around 11:30. On the way back to Sister's we got caught in some really bad traffic due to construction.

Sunday we woke up expecting to take most of Aerith's family to see Scott Pilgrim, but it turns out that after we got back, Aerith's sister was coming home from his other sister's house and her car got side swiped by a van and she and her car got pretty banged up. She's okay, but had wicked bruises, a cut on her head, and said that her back was hurting her. So we dropped her off at Other Sister's house and got Aerith's Mother and went to the movie just with her. Scott Pilgrim was pretty good. I wanted it to be totally awesome, but after reading the books, it was almost-but-not-quite-as-awesome as I was hoping. After the movie, we saw his mom's place and the infamous dining room table that is ours, if we could ever figure out how to get it down to Austin. Went back to other sister's and realized that it was late and Aerith and I needed to do laundry. So we took Niece back with us and did laundry and Sister's got Nephew and South Asian food.

This morning Aerith and I got up and drove into Boston, getting a little lost, to get me to the hotel. I checked in and dropped off my bags, then we drove to the airport (we got really lost...but figured it out thanks to iPhone goodness). Said goodbye to Aerith and I made my way back to the hotel via public transportation and walking. Chilled for a bit, walked around the area for a bit, and took a bath at the hotel. Now the Frenchman is here so I have to go. Yay!!!

Both lordaerith and I are fine.

This morning as we were driving down Parmer to go to work, a deer ran across the road and into the right front side of our car. The car still runs, but the front fender panels are dented, the front passenger door is bent and won't open, and there is some cosmetic damage to the back passenger door. Also there was a noise of the front passenger tire scrapping the wheel well as we took corners on our way to get me to work.

Aerith headed to work and called the insurance company from there (I know because the claim is already in the online system & he just texted me about it). We have some rental coverage which is good because Aerith's car is still in the shop.

Of course I feel crazy guilty about all of this because we were running late because I realized as we started to leave the house that I'd left my access pass for work on my desk and had to run back in to get it. Also, I saw the deer a split second before it hit us so I'm wondering if I had said anything if we could have avoided it. Now, if I hadn't had to go back, something else might have happened. And if I had said something, maybe Aerith would have swerved just a little and then the deer would have hit the passenger door instead of the front of the car and I would have been seriously injured. And if, and if, and if...

Also, after we pulled over on the side of the road to give the car a quick check (making sure we hadn't poped a tire or anything really bad), we didn't look back to check for the deer. Of course by the time we actually got over, we probably couldn't have seen the deer anyway, and so now part of me worries that it wasn't a deer. But I know that I saw a deer because my brain went "DEER!" a second before it all happened.

So, yeah, I'm pretty shaken and my right thigh is just a touch sore and the car will need to go into the shop (which it needed to do anyway), but over all, we came out of this one okay.

Also, for the past several days I've been really jumpy about things on the right side of the car when we've been driving. Guess I don't have to be jumpy anymore.

Had a good birthday weekend.

On Saturday Aerith and I went to get some blood drawn (our dr. had ordered tests for both of us). The office was the comfiest, nicest blood drawing places I've ever been to. They had a big leather lounge chair for you to sit in when the blood was being drawn. The idea is that the chair makes the patient relax more. It worked. Talked up a storm with the woman taking the blood (sometimes I really remind myself of my mother).

After letting them take our blood, we went to Kerby Lane for breakfast. Sat outside, which was really nice. I ordered steak and eggs. Did some homework during the day and got a call from my favorite ex-b/f, who I haven't talked to in almost 10 years b/c we fell out of touch. Was AWESOME to reconnect with him again. For dinner we went to a hibachi place around the corner. I ordered steak and salmon. I guess I was REALLY in the mood for steak that day...

Sunday was full of relaxing and more homework. Also, a call to daobear to wish him happy b-day.

Monday night was Heroes watching. I am still happy with it.

Today was my "day off", which of course means that it's my day to get things done. I got a bunch of reading done, but it was hard because I wasn't feeling well all day.
I also went to get Aerith's car inspected, as the inspection had run out in August. It wouldn't start, so I went to the office and got someone to jump it. It jumped just fine and so I drove it to the inspection place around the corner. After sitting in the waiting room for over 1.5 hours, in which I finished all the reading I brought with me for school and was reading my novel, the guy came up to me and said that he couldn't get the car to start even with jumping it and so he couldn't inspect it. This is where Texas is different from Mass. In Mass that would have earned the car a great big R, where as in Texas, they just told me to get it fixed and sent me home.
After doing work for a while longer, my headache got the best of me and I ended up taking a 2+ nap.
Dinner was breakfast for dinner: eggs and bacon and hashbrowns. yum.

Of course, this whole not feeling well thing has put me behind on all the million things i have to do. I really want to go to TRF this weekend, but I have 3 major assignments due next week. I'm mostly done with one, partly done with another, and haven't started the third. I was hoping to start the third today, but the not feeling well & nap sort of took that away. Well...we'll see.

So brain dead. Had a mid-term for Organizing and Providing Access to Info class, which is one of the most disorganized classes I've ever had. Was not so much fun, but I got through it. Bleh. Brain dead now.

Last night was also not so much in the fun department. After getting home early from study group, I decided to make dinner. Dinner invovled chicken cooking in crushed tomatoes...which is very soupy and will boil. Flipped chicken, chicken came crashing down, made a splashed and burned me on the arm. Ran it under water, but it still blistered just a little bit. Put ice wrapped in paper towels on it.

Just after this happens I get a call from lordaerith saying that he stopped to get the mail and now the car won't start. Run out (with ice on arm), to deal with him. Help him figure out that it's electrical (the automatic locking wasn't working). Make him call AAA. Run back home because stove is on.

Aerith get car jumped by AAA and brings it to Toyota people. He just misses the bus that comes by there. I call a cab for him. Cab doesn't show. He catches the next bus (an hour later). My cell phone almost dies so lots of calling is done while it's on the charger. Not fun. Also, am trying to study for test. Call cjovalle and qyandri and tell them not to come over due to everything.

Aerith gets home around 8:30. We watch the second half of Lost while eating (dinner, at least, came out well). Then I watch Project Runway. OMG, Laura, WTF!

Got to bed. Get up, Aerith has co-worker pick him up, so this is good. Walk to bus stop. Bus is v. late and Mopac is v. busy. Get to class JUST in time. Stop and go traffic combined with anti-bacterial medicine (did I mention I have a bacterial infection...it's treatable, but not fun), makes me nausious. So, right before test I am stressed about test and getting to class on time, nausious, burnt, and worried about car/cost of car.

Test=not fun.

Now, work.

Later reception for grad students. There will be food and drinks, but no drinking for me due to medicine. Then there will be Whole Foods and making breakfast for tomorrow and finishing paper due tomororow. Edit: Ha, finished paper and e-mailed it to prof!

Even later there will be reading and 8-10 page paper for Tuesday and project for Thursday. And possibly (but not likely) Vamp Larp.

Saturday there will be Ren Faire. So says I.

While Mom is editing the back pannel of the ceremony program (i love pagemaker), I'm taking two seconds to check in.

Life is crazy, stressful, and insane.

We have almost everything done for the wedding on saturday. tomorrow i go to the salon and get the ceremony programs printed. other than that, all we have are writing the vows, putting together the escort cards, buying 1 thing, making sure everyone who is coming to the ceremony rehearsal knows when it is, and printing up some other stuff.

then of course there's the putting it all together the day before. but really, for all the panic, i feel that we are on top of things.

of course, to really mess things up, this saturday Aerith and I were on our way to Amherst and then we were heading out to eastern ma for a day trip. hoewever, at the intersection in the middle of Hadley, my car made an awful noise and didn't have any accelleration. i pulled into a parking lot and called Toyota's road side assistance. got the car towed to Northampton Toyota. Luckly for us mom came up on wed and has a rental car so she's been chaufuring us around. unluckly, the thing that broke was the main cylindar for the anti-lock breaks. the part didn't come in until today. we figured we might as well have them replace the front break pads as well (since when we took Baby in for her 60,000 mi checkup a few weeks ago they told us the material was low). well, i just got the call a little while ago that she's done, so it's time to pick her up. bleh. didn't need this to happen. it totally through me off.

sunday we went to the PV Ren Faire (or as Cimmy said, "it's so small it's more of a Ren Fai"). Of course, we got poured on, but it was cute and fun.

right, time to get car now.

The day started out with "Hush" and "Once More With Feeling" on FX. Got to see all the way though Tara's song before I had to leave for work. And then...I got pulled over for "speeding and not using the right lane". The cop waved the speeding fee (I had my cruse control set!)...but still. The thing is that I thought about moving into the right lane, but there were cars up ahead, so I decided that it would be better not to move over just to move back, espcially b/c it near an on ramp and the roads were wet. Is really really shitty. I was shaking/half crying all the rest of the way to work. At least I got to work on time. This really was the LAST thing I needed!

so, last night we decided to let the hell beast in with us when we went to sleep. did you know that when you are asleep and kitty whiskers touch your arm tickling it, you might think it's a bug and freek out, until you wake up and see the kitty there staring at you? I found that one out last night at 4:30am.

not much else to write. the quest for the car is going slightly better. have to call a State Farm agent today during lunch and see what can be done and how much it would cost and so on. eeep. i'm kind of scared about the whole thing. but i really want the car.

Fires at Midnight comes out today. Got confermation of shipping. I hope it comes soon!!!