Fri 12/05/2008 1:27 PM

ready for a new week

I had quite the crappy night last night. It started out all right... right after work we went over to our favorite hangout and ate dinner. But then Chris had to go back to work - and he worked until almost 1:00 am! He came home, turned on the TV and fell asleep on the couch with the dogs loose. I went to bed around 11:00, but always have trouble staying asleep when he's not there. So I kept waking up every half hour to an hour, turning over to see if he was there, unaware that he was in the living room. Finally at about 3:30 I heard noises that suggested the dogs were out of their crates, so I got up to investigate. And that's when I found Chris on the couch with the TV on, and Brooskey eating a plastic bottle. (Vixen, for the record, was chewing on a rawhide like a good girl.) To top it all off, after waking Chris up and getting him to lock up the dogs and come to bed, I whacked my head on the corner of my nightstand getting back into bed. And oh yeah, I'm still feeling it.

Earlier this week I said I had a lot to rant about. It turns out my other gripes were not really enough to warrant their own posts, but here's a bulleted summary of what else has had me fired up lately:

Insurance companies who suddenly want a person to jump through hoops to refill a medication they've been taking for three years. They've happily paid for it every month for three years, and now they suddenly reject the claim demanding prior authorization from my doctor, and take their sweet time processing the authorization once they get it. It's not like I'm trying to get narcotics - it's an asthma/allergy drug! It finally went through yesterday, but the whole process has taken almost two weeks.
Holiday gift-giving controversy. Seriously, why do we all have to place orders for our own Christmas gifts? What happened to surprising someone with a special gift you found on your own that they might not have even known they wanted? And why do we all have to spend the exact same amount, an amount that hasn't been adjusted for inflation in almost twenty years? Since when is the price the only factor that determines the quality of a gift? As much drama and controversy as I've seen in my family, Christmas gifts were never the source. We all take the time to find each person a special gift just for them, without demanding a list; we all spend what we can afford, which is more for some, and less for others; and we all appreciate whatever we get, no matter how much it cost. How is it that my family always got this one right, while certain "other" families get it so wrong?

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2 comments/trackbacks

comment: from Dana

So.....I am waiting for your Christmas list!!! LOL I can get you something cute that I think you might need but since I am not around you at all during the year I would probably be guessing wrong...and I would prefer to get you something you want & could actually use! I do try to pay attention & do surprises but that's not always possible.

My nightstand is really tall...it's just a matter of time before I take an eye out! Great. Now that I said that it will probably happen tonight. Better get out some foam bumpers!!

I agree...an expectation that a person should spend what they don't have is ridiculous. What happened to "it's the thought that counts"??? As long as your family knows you are thinking of them then they shouldn't hold it against you if you don't have much to spend. I am having a hard time finding things that I know I want at incredible discounts and telling Stan about them but he doesn't want to hear about it. I don't want to buy my own presents but it kills me that he will pay full price & not listen to the deals...he might be able to sneak one extra present out for the same money. I always try to make my dollar stretch where I can so that I can do more for everyone else.

Fri 12/05/2008 7:00 PM

comment: from Randy

I think much of the common sense that your family has might be attributed to the fact that it's from Oregon. In my travels, I think the most decent and courteous people I've ever met are from the PacNW, specifically Oregon and Washington. I get the perception, from what I know of the PacNWers I personally know, that they are more restrained, quiet, and more level-headed than so many of those I know back in RI and on the East Coast. They seem to be a bit more laid-back. I've never been to either OR or WA, but I'd love to go to them both someday. Heck, when I go to the Univ. of Hawaii football games out here, one can tell when a PACNW team is in town. Example: Oregon State game I went to couple years ago...all the OSU fans talked to us, were congineal, decent people. But when Fresno State is town..watch out. There fans are plain obnoxoius. Another example here in Hawaii, there is a family that just relocated to my Mom's neighborhood...they even still have the Oregon plates on their autos. Again..they are very-laid back, level-headed people. I just have the perception that life isn't quite taken so darn seriously in OR as it is, say out on the East Coast. I see OR and WA people growing up with a different set (perhaps better) of values than others do. Just an opinion on my part.

Sat 12/06/2008 12:33 PM

ready for a new week

2 comments/trackbacks

comment: from Dana

comment: from Randy

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