Speaking (Or Writing) Of The Spy-ers...

I was not surprised last week when we got a particular piece of junk mail. It was a cardboard ad for a seminar. We get such things often, usually for Farmer H, concerning hearing aids. He never goes, but somehow those dirty, dirty spy-ers must have heard me yelling daily at him, often ending with: "You need to get hearing aids!"

This ad was not for hearing aids.

Heh, heh! It's for a PEE seminar! I got a chuckle out of that. Especially with it coming during the time The Pony was getting an ad for talking about spinny chairs. I didn't know if this ad was generated by me writing about Farmer H's pee issues from his "prostate roto-rootering" surgery, or from our phones listening in on when Farmer H was talking about his pee issues after the surgery.

Anyhoo... here I was, chuckling over this pee seminar ad, getting ready to send a picture to The Pony and expose another dirty, dirty spy-er. Then I looked at the address, to see if it actually had Farmer H's name, or just said Resident, and could have been a mass mailing.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was addressed to ME!

I don't know what that's all about! I guess it could have been from my writing, or from my phone listening in. Which reminds me, I don't think I've shared this with The Pony yet.

Those Dirty Spy-ers!

On our way home from picking up my long-awaited prescription on Thursday, The Pony and I were talking about old school days.

"I really liked having practice for Academic Team at the middle school. We had those spinny chairs. It was fun."

Of course, because why would The Pony want to concentrate on practicing spouting knowlege when there was a chance to spin round and round on a chair in the computer lab?

This was around 3:15, near the end of Errand Day. Later that evening, The Pony sent me a text.

"Remember how I mentioned the spinny chairs from middle school Academic Team in the car? Just got an ad for them."

I think the blame for this electronic eavesdropping goes to The Pony's phone. Mine would have sent ME the ad. And the OnStar feature in T-Hoe would also send it to me, not The Pony.

Dirty, dirty spy-ers! I will never invite Alexa or Siri or Dot into my Mansion!

My New Best Friend

This is my new best friend. This little LED flashlight that is emblazoned with the name and phone number of our credit union. I don't even know where I got it. Other than from the credit union, of course! Maybe it was a door prize, or maybe Farmer H got it as a souvenir from the yearly dinner that he attends. All I know is that it rests in the little basket of odds and ends on the kitchen table, my makeshift office. 

When the power went off at 5:25 Saturday evening, I still had daylight through the kitchen windows, though subdued by the storm that caused the outage. I knew I had a little flashlight in that basket. I rooted through the pens and winning $2 and $3 ShowMe Cash draw tickets that I save for The Pony. There it was! A lifesaver for when darkness fell.

Oh, it was VERY dark. No moon because of the clouds. No light after 8:30, except the two solar lights on the porch rail. To navigate the Mansion, I needed this little flashlight. He worked like a champ. Bright enough to see. Small enough to drop into my shirt pocket when sitting in the dark, awaiting my next sortie to the bathroom.

Years ago, I ordered a bunch of little LED flashlights like this, in assorted colors, for the guys' stocking stuffers. I'm going to order some more for ME. To leave in each room. They're really handy when the power goes off, and they don't take up room like a big flashlight. They don't smell up the air like a cheap candle. And they don't run down your phone battery.

I Would Rather Pepper Just Get Peppered

There's trouble in paradise! Farmer H got a text from our across-the-road neighbor on Wednesday evening. He said, "Your new dog is coming over at night and making my dogs bark. Could you do something about it?"

This upset Farmer H. Coming from neighbors he thought were our friends. We've been invited to football viewing parties and cookouts over the years. They commented on how nice Farmer H keeps our lawn. But now, Farmer H was insulted. That's how he acted, but I think he was more hurt.

"Huh. It's not like Pepper is doing anything. I guess he forgets how their dogs killed our 37 chickens. And how their horses got out and trampled through our yard and garden until they could come catch them."

"Yeah. The chickens were a bad deal. They only killed a couple a day. So there was time to do something to stop it before all of them were dead. But they didn't. Their horses wasn't really their fault. They just got out. And don't forget, Jack used to run under their fence and chase their horses. But we DID get the shock collar and break him of that. I don't think they're being jerks. They're just telling you that Pepper is a problem for them. I know that strange dog comes in our yard at night and makes Pepper and Jack bark. I wouldn't be so sure it's Pepper causing their dogs to bark. But maybe they have a camera, and it IS Pepper."

"Well, I'm not going to tie up my dog. That's why I live in the country. He's not gonna be in a pen, or in the house."

"If you got a shock collar, you'd have to stay up and catch Pepper starting over there at night. That would be almost impossible. And I think we have too much land to use the invisible fence kind of thing."

"I'm going to look them up."

"I wouldn't mind spending up to $500 for something like that if it would work. We're not paupers. I'm just not sure we can find something that works."

Farmer H spent all evening on his phone, looking at different systems, from Walmart and Petco. One of them said you could program it by satellite. Draw in your boundaries. They could be irregular. The other said it worked in a 150-foot radius. That's the one Farmer H bought, though he really preferred the satellite version. The prices were comparable, but The Veteran said he uses the 150-foot one from Petco, and it works for his dogs. It cost $424.32.

Farmer H plans to get it set up on Monday, while The Pony is here for a cookout, to help measure the boundaries. I hate to do this to Pepper. To restrict him and SHOCK him. But he can't be bothering other people. Jack learned really fast not to run into the horse field, thanks to Mr. Shocky.

I'd really rather the neighbors just use a BB gun to pepper Pepper with little pellets as discouragement. But that would be putting the responsibility on them, and that's not right.

I Guess I'll Survive (Part 5)

The Ol' Universe was rolling on the floor, clutching its universe-y innards, hee-hawing at the continuing shenanigans with Mrs. HM's medication.

Just when I was celebrating the successful procurement of my vital drug, in fact on the phone with The Pony arranging to drive over to Bill-Paying Town and pick it up that very afternoon... I got a call from the pharmacy.

"Hello? Is this Mrs. HM? I'm calling from YOUR CLINIC Family Care Pharmacy. Your NP asked me to give you a call about your medicine. It looks like your insurance won't cover this brand name drug. The cost will be $168. He wanted to make sure you knew that, to see if you still want it."

"Yes! I've been getting a 30-day supply, and it cost me $66.31. So I imagine this is for a 90-day supply. I normally wouldn't want that much, in case he might have to change it back to the 50mg. But with this, I could take two and it would be the same thing. So I'm fine with the $168. It's not a problem to get the 90. Especially since I have to drive 25 miles to get it. I'll be there this afternoon to pick it up."

"Oh. Well. We don't have it HERE. We'll have to get it. But we should have it tomorrow (Thursday) by noon."

"That will be fine! I'll be there to get it."

"We will call when it's ready. It will be a St. Louis phone number, just so you know. From our automated system."

"That's good to know. I'll be waiting for it."

So close, but yet so far! The Universe was dangling that beta blocker in front of me like a carrot on a stick. But at least I was six days closer to getting it.

THURSDAY

I started my morning routine early. It takes me three hours to do my unwrapping of legs, exercises, shower, leg pumps, and re-wrap. I wanted to have time for breakfast, and innernetting, and some laundry, and dish-washing. Then leave at 1:30 to pick up The Pony at 2:00, and go get my precious, long-awaited prescription. I had my ear on the phone, waiting for that pharmacy call to say it was ready.

I waited. A lot. Started to doubt The Universe once again. That merry prankster!

At 11:46, my phone rang. It was a St. Louis number. I answered, and it was the recording that my prescription was ready for pickup. YAAAAYYYYYYYY!

The Pony and I started our Errand Day with this pickup over in Bill-Paying Town. The pharmacy has a drive-thru window. Not the kind I prefer, that slides open and lets you talk face-to-face as they hand you the prescription. But one of those slide-out metal drawers that are a bit low for T-Hoe, with the worker hermetically sealed behind thick unbreakable glass.

The gal was very nice. She asked if I was sure I wanted the brand name. YES! She told me that there was only one bottle left at their supplier. And since they didn't have anybody else getting this drug from their pharmacy, they gave me the whole thing. Which was 100 tablets instead of 90. The cost would be $181.95. Was that okay? YES!

I tossed my debit card down into the drawer, and she sent out an electronic signing thingy for my signature with a fingertip. Then I sent it back, and got my precious DRUGS!

The gal said that when I'm almost out, to notify them so they can have a few days to get my refill. You can bet I will be doing that. I sure hope there's not a shortage at that time, or I might have to go through this all over again!

I Guess I'll Survive (Part 4)

It shouldn't be so hard to get a prescription filled. Here it was, Wednesday, and I'd been trying since the previous Thursday. Even Farmer H, with his poor communication skills, should have been able to explain what was needed, and gotten results by now. Surely Mrs. HM, a former VALedictiorian, with a 28-year teaching career, should have been able to convey her information successfully.

WEDNESDAY cont.

I finished washing my dishes. I did not run to check the phone. I can only take so many disappointments in a week. It was probably just junk email at 7:29 a.m.

But no! I saw the email was about a new message in YourChart! Which meant I had to rush back to the kitchen, because I can't get logged in and then go back to that screen on my phone. I'm sure it's a phone glitch, heh, heh, and not user error.

Once HIPPIE got warmed up, I read the most beautiful message:

_________________________________________________________

Hello Mrs. Hillbilly Mom,

The medication renewals below were approved. Please check with your pharmacy to determine when it is available for pickup or delivery.

The following prescriptions will be filled at MY CLINIC Family Care Pharmacy - Bill-Paying Town, MO.

Toprol XL 25mg extended release tablet

Thank you for using YourChart.

__________________________________________________________

I could hardly contain my glee! I was getting it! I was getting my prescription that I need to live! FINALLY, after a week of chasing it.

I called The Pony to set a pickup time to ride over to Bill-Paying Town. I mainly wanted the company, and a spare driver in case I began feeling dizzy. Or in case T-Hoe succumbed to the 100+ degree heat, I'd have The Pony to organize our rescue. We planned for 2:00.

And then I got a phone call at 12:55.

I Guess I'll Survive (Part 3)

Monday morning, I was still trying to get the prescription that I'd been given on Thursday.

MONDAY

I called the clinic around 8:30. Got a different gal than Friday. Told her that I was not able to get the Toprol XL 25mg prescription that had been called into Farmer H's pharmacy on Friday evening. So I would need either the generic, metoprolol XL 25mg, which my pharmacy had in stock... or a similar beta blocker, depending on what NP thought. Different Gal assured me she would pass this info along to the care team.

That was it. Nothing else on Monday. No return phone call. No YourChart message.

TUESDAY

I figured I'd wait my the pharmacy opened, so I could check on whether a prescription had been sent in. The gal there said yes. It was for Toprol XL 25mg. I said, "Which you still can't get." And she said yes. And that she remembered this situation. I thanked her, and told her I would be calling my doctor again. She said she would keep an eye out for a prescription for me.

I called the clinic. Got 3rd Gal. She seemed totally disinterested in my request. But said she would send the message to NP. Of course I kept my phone with me, checking at any incoming sound, lest it be a text from the pharmacy, or a YourChart message.

At 11:34, I got an email about a new YourChart message. Imagine my surprise when the message showed that a Toprol XL 50mg prescription had been canceled, and a new prescription for Toprol XL 25mg had been sent to my pharmacy.

THAT DIDN'T HELP! They'd sent another prescription that couldn't be filled!

I called the clinic. Got 4th Gal. Who was kind and understood and seemed like somebody who could get something done.

"I don't mean to be complaining. I just want to get my prescription. I've made a lot of calls here, and nothing seems to get done."

"I will expedite this to your provider. I will use different words, so maybe he will understand. Don't you worry. You HAVE to keep on them to get anything done!"

That gave me high hopes that I'd hear something before I left for town. Nope. Not a word. So frustrating. I told Farmer H when he got home, and I had heard nothing by 5:00.

"I'll go down there tomorrow! I'll go to the counter and tell 'em that you HAVE to get your medicine! This is ridiculous. Tomorrow it will be a WEEK, and you still don't have it!"

"They're not going to tell you anything! Even though you're listed on my contacts, and that you can pick up my meds. They'll say, 'Why isn't SHE talking to us about it?' It won't do any good, and you'll just make a scene."

"Then YOU should go down there! Tell them ain't nobody doin' nothin' to get it right."

"I'll think about it. I'll call the pharmacy, in case they sent something in this afternoon. Then I'll call the clinic again. I might just ask for a work-in appointment. So I can talk to NP in person! To get this figured out!"

WEDNESDAY

The plan was in place. The Pony was on call to ride with me, if I had to make an appointment and go to the clinic over in Bill-Paying Town. Farmer H, who usually drives me, would be busy working on Cheap House. Which he hadn't done on Monday or Tuesday, having been ON ANOTHER JOB FOR HIS MONEY, putting in electricity for some random guy.

I gave The Pony a wake-up call at 7:15. Said I planned to wait until the pharmacy opened at 9:00, to call and see if by some miracle a prescription had been sent for me on Tuesday evening. I said I'd be calling the clinic if not, and trying to get an appointment. I should know by 9:30 what I was going to do.

Then I went to wash dishes as usual. I heard my phone make an incoming noise at 7:29. Hmm... I wonder that that could be. Don't you?