the doctor will see you now?

there's been a lot of discussion the last week or so about bartering

back before we had a health care system (or big insurance), this was an accepted way to get things

course this was back in the day when they used ether on a rag over your face and took out your tonsils on the kitchen table

but I'm wondering what I might possibly be able to barter with to get some of those medical bills paid down

oh yeah, and how many chickens would it take to get a fence repaired?

geesh!

home owners insurance isn't what it used to be

ok, you'd think that wouldn't be a big surprise

after all it is an insurance company and since I've had lots of experience with health insurance companies, why did I expect any thing different?

time was when you had a piece of a fence blow down they'd come out and take a look and say "yup, this fence needs to be replaced" and write an estimate for the entire job

but those days are gone

they took a look, estimated for only the portions that actually came down, took off the "depreciation" then took the deductible

the bottom line is that I told them to just withdraw the claim -- I don't want it on my insurance history when it isn't going to pay us anything

{sigh}

just one more thing to try to work into the budget

and it's heigh ho off to the fair

the health fair, that is

I went this morning

driving through the fog at 7:15 on a Sunday morning

at least I had a pretty good idea where I was going!

by 8:45 I was all done

blood work done -- the gal doing this job was GREAT -- kudos to her, since I'm a hard one to get blood from (haven't I said you can't get blood from a turnip!?) results will take about 4 weeks

bone density scan done -- a new experience for me -- in this case we get instant results, and this could have been better -- I'm on the low side of normal for my age -- guess I have to try to remember to take more calcium supplements since drinking more milk is definitely NOT going to happen -- can't stand the bloat

stop off at the Susan G Komen booth -- and get totally angry that I'm still making payments on the bill for having my mammogram done since it turns out I would have qualified to have it done for free -- have I mentioned lately that I think the health care system in this country is seriously screwed up

truth is I'm not looking forward to getting the results on this year's blood work -- after last year's tests my doctor told me I should occasionally test my blood sugar since those levels were a little high last year

confession time: I haven't done that -- it's just a pain to have to share equipment with someone else, and I don't think of it first thing when it should be done

add to that having not done much of anything in the form of exercise since about this time last year when I started having the problems that ended in my surgery and now having issues doing much walking because it bothers my knee

well, I'm just not looking forward to being told AGAIN that the magic elixir is exercise -- yeah, right, how would you suggest I do that

I know -- it's the same story and the definition of insanity -- doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results -- but I just haven't ever been good at exercising, and there's really nothing of that stuff that I enjoy, so it really is like drudgery

so add in the guilt factor too

ok, I'm done whining for today

I think

waiting for the other shoe - er, fence - to drop

why is it that just when I'm thinking "yes, I can handle what's happening" life throws me another little reminder that I have absolutely no control over anything

I've been moving along, trying to keep the finances in order so that I could come up with small amounts to do painting, etc., so we can put the house on the market

feeling pleased that I was whittling away at the medical bills

yeah, right

this month I blew that up by needing to have a tooth pulled -- a $240 expense that was totally unplanned and also totally ate up the little amounts I'd been setting aside for six months

and the day before yesterday I got the final determination on yet another lab bill from last summer's surgery -- right, the whole bill -- another $492 -- is entirely my responsibility

nothing like feeling like you're going backwards

so yesterday afternoon I was going to let the dog out into the yard and looked out to see this

yup, the wind had knocked down two sections of the fence -- actually broke off the post in the center of that section right at the ground

lovely, this wasn't even a section of the fence that we were planning on working on -- it had looked fine until yesterday

so great

strike any ideas of getting anything done INSIDE the house -- we're going to have to do something about the fence

I'm trying to figure out who to call about the possibility of putting in a claim on our homeowner's insurance -- except I can't even remember who that is since it's paid by the mortgage company, I never even see a bill --

and knowing we have a $1000 deduct able, but it might get us enough to buy materials

but what will it do to our premiums -- and so our house payment -- afterwards

oh, yes, and there's still that other section of fence, the one with multiple patches, that we're watching

geesh

some days I'd really like to not be an adult any more

or to just run away from home