Friday, December 18, 2009

Health Care

I want to take a minute to talk about health care.

Clearly, I don't usually use my blog on a political front- but that's what blogs are, right? Public forums where you talk about personal injustices, or your cats, or the crown you just got on your tooth, or the final fitting appointment for your gorgeous wedding gown (all of which are relevant to the last 12 hours of my life).

But today, I want to talk about health care. When I moved to Madison, unable to receive health insurance here, I extended my policy from my former job through a Cobra plan- which seemed amazing at first. Reasonably low cost, no fuss with changing to a new plan, and I could continue on with life. Until a month or two into the plan, when I was already living in Madison and realized on my Cobra plan I wasn't allowed to see any doctors OUTSIDE of the state of MASSACHUSETTS. Which is entirely unhelpful when you're 600 miles away, and you're epileptic. Blue Cross recommended I go to walk in clinics or the ER if I needed to seek medical attention- which makes total sense. I mean, that's why I have insurance, after all. So that I can go to walk in clinics.

But I've been healthy and happy and my seizures have been under control, so my health needs have been kept at bay.. until now. Now that I've been on my Cobra plan for 9 months, I'll have to start paying the full premium, which is no longer affordable, so I've been exploring other options (which are few and far between, as private health care is through the roof expensive and I make too much money- a laughable prospect- for Medicaide). Knowing that I'll be married in roughly 3 months time, I figured the easiest thing to do was figure out something for the interim, and then hop onto my husband's plan in February. He called Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield today to figure out the details- since I take a time sensitive medication (that costs $800/ month without insurance, by the way) we wanted to make sure there was no lapse in coverage.

In infuriating calm and friendly demeaner, an agent from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield told my fiancee that they won't take me on, even onto his plan, even though I'd be paying for it, because I'm epileptic. He told Charlie not to "waste his time trying".

I'm sorry- last I knew, health insurance was created for everyone. And I'm not even trying to get it for free- I'm PAYING for it.. and one of the top insurance agencies in the country is turning me away? It's absolutely ludicrous that the sick are denied health care because they're just that- sick.

So now, I have no current prospects for a health care plan even just to get the medication I need, and no future prospect for a health care plan after marriage- though I can hold out hope that my next employer offers it. And heaven forbid I get sick or need to visit the ER or see my neurologist because I can't do that either.

This is preposterous.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Nu Shooz

As the big day approaches, things are falling into place- which is exciting. I can't say enough great things about Zappos.com, which was a formerly undiscovered territory for me... I knew it existed, I knew it had cute, albeit moderately expensive shoes, and that was the extent of it. But I seemed to remember that when Mikki was getting married, she ordered 3 or 4 pairs of shoes at once from Zappos and sent all but one pair back with free shipping- so I decided to check it out.

sure enough, Zappos offers free shipping both ways! How cool is that? Who does that? But that's undoubtedly why their shoes all cost more than $90... which isn't necessarily a lot, unless you're making Midwest wages.

to avoid a costly hem, the seamstress told me to get a 3 inch heel- which was a daunting task. I wear heels sometimes... but my feet always end up sore by the end of the night. And then I found the greatest, cutest heels ever, which had 14 glowing reviews praising their comfort and the memory foam footbed... I figured I had to give these a shot.

Turns out... they are the greatest heels ever! I've been wearing them around the house to break them in which is quite a sight, esp when coupled with my purple sweatpants and flannel shirts.





Saturday, December 5, 2009

25 Lines

I found this poem i compiled in high school, it was a project for AP English... it's all lines from different poets making one big poem. It turned out pretty cool.... I called it "25 Lines"

Somewhere on the other side of this wide night
The bloodthirsty spring has awakened in the woods.
We are the clumsy passerby, we push past each other with elbows
Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me.
If I can keep you attached to me, I can anchor you to the world.
I regret bitterly the years of loving you in both your presence and your absence.
I became a criminal when I fell in love.
Fortunate are those with the gift of knowing
Freedom is such a poor excuse
Self-destruction is the star that hangs burning above me
in the catacombs built by man.
The nights are lonely without him
The room is turning slowly away from the moon.
I know that salvation is on the way...
Or should I cross that out and say this is sad?
I used to tell you my dreams
Morbid fascination kept me hanging on
but don't bother about this--
We are all guilty, we are all sinners
The stranger beside you is the same
I am trying to be truthful
I guess you learn from me.
I love you...
whatever "in love" means.
When it's over, I don't want to wonder.



(I was kind of morbid in my younger years...)

Wicked Game

I've been really into a few things lately when i'm cooking for myself: potatoes, beets, lemon, fresh fennel, and tofu. Generally, all in the same dish.

Charlie's been on my case for replacing breakfast with coffee, so I've been working on little tricks to make the breakfast hour go smoothly. I've realized I'm extremely lazy in the morning. I wake up in order to have a half hour of time to relax, and then use that time to sit on the couch, drink coffee, and either watch the news, or check my email, or both. So I've been preparing breakfast at night so it's ready to go in the morning. Whence forth I open the fridge upon waking and see prepared potatoes, beets, and tofu seasoned in yellow curry like I did this morning, there's no resisting.

Madison finally got it's first snow. On my drive to work Thursday morning I was greeted with a few flurries, and by the time I came home it was coming down like a champ. At least I can put my snow tires to good use.

Yesterday, with my day off, I decided to go to Joann Fabrics early in the morning to get more supplies for the bridesmaids gifts in progress, and other little wedding things. As I was sitting in the parking lot, sipping an Americano and listening to Chris Isaak's Wicked Game on the radio (not a good scene) it hit me that the outside of Joann Fabrics is an awful color of taupe with forest green lettering. Suddenly, a wave of depression hit me- sitting in a parking lot, early morning, in the midwest metropolis of Odana Road, filled with every commercial shopping center you can imagine and equally peppered with shops you'll never enter in your life...

So I texted Non, "Hhhaaaaaaiiiiiiiii don't wannnnnnnnnna fall in looooooooooooove" and she instantly recognized that it was Chris Isaak, Wicked Game, and I was reassured that we were meant to be.

Here, for your listening & viewing (dis)pleasure (it's kind of lewd but at least we'll all be on the same page):



(PS I wrote this entire blog post while listening to that song... yeah, it's creepy, I know)