It's the time of year when companies present next year's benefits plan to their employees. I swear it gets more and more difficult to make selections every year. On the one hand I am very grateful to be offered a number of choices especially considering that there are many companies who don't have a lot of choices to offer. That being said what I have seen in the last several years is that more and more comes out of my paycheck to pay for less and less adequate coverage.
Insurance companies are ruling the world of healthcare! They are making mega-billions of dollars in the process and I just don't know how they are getting away with it. If you select a program that allows you to choose your own doctor instead of the insurance company slaves, your annual deductible is now reaching EXORBITANT rates. My annual deductible is now so high that unless I have a hospital stay, I will not meet my deductible for the entire year, that is in addition to the bi-weekly premiums of $130 for the crappy coverage.
Insurance companies also get to decide which treatment your doctor, you know who I mean...the professional with the actual degree...which treatment is your doctor able to provide for you that the insurance company will pay for. Whether it is the BEST treatment is irrelevant to the insurance company. Who are these flunkies that are sitting in their golden offices stamping "denied" "denied" "denied" on these treatments? I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago because my back was absolutely killing me. I have never had back problems before. My doctor prescribed a generic muscle relaxer and a generic anti - inflammatory and massage therapy treatments. I was kind of looking forward to those because I've only had one massage and it seemed like the ticket to loosen my strained back muscles. The day before my appointment the massage therapist had to call and tell me that my appointment was canceled because the insurance company wouldn't cover it. REALLY? They must have the absolute biggest BALLS in the world to allow untrained, non-clinical, office personnel to make other people's health decisions. In all fairness there has been a lot of fraud, false claims and cheating and you can't blame them for trying to cover their losses. But in the end as usual, it is the honest person who is not the one taking advantage of the system that ends up paying for the cheaters.
This topic could turn into the longest blog ever but I will leave it at those few, very few, issues for now.
It's been great fun and an exercise in self-discipline to post a blog everyday for 30 days but I can't believe I did it. I hope I don't break my arm patting myself on the back.
Showing posts with label NaBloPoMo November. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NaBloPoMo November. Show all posts
Monday, November 29, 2010
Leave My Willie Alone
Oh this is a hot news flash...Willie Nelson smokes pot! Apparently he was busted in Texas, now is that any way to treat a Texas Icon? Yes I know, it's illegal to be in possession of pot, to smoke it or to grow it. But we let our celebs get away with murder here in the US of A anyway don't we..O.J.? At least Willie smoking pot isn't harming anyone else...and he paid back all of the taxes his former financial frauds bilked out of the government.
We finally got the opportunity to see Willie this summer and let me tell ya, that guy works his ass off. He performed non-stop for about an hour and a half. It was a great show...he was most likely high, but I don't really care.
This is not the first time Willie has been busted for pot and probably won't be the last. This time his tour bus pulled into the Sierra Blanca checkpoint and the Border Patrol Officer said he smelled pot when the bus door opened. Geesh...the pot smoke probably poured out of there like a fireplace with an unopened flue. Willie's an old man, maybe he needs it for medicinal purposes, besides it's got to be boring out there on the road. You know he's not gonna quit no matter how many times he gets busted. You keep on rollin' Willie, we still love ya.
We finally got the opportunity to see Willie this summer and let me tell ya, that guy works his ass off. He performed non-stop for about an hour and a half. It was a great show...he was most likely high, but I don't really care.
This is not the first time Willie has been busted for pot and probably won't be the last. This time his tour bus pulled into the Sierra Blanca checkpoint and the Border Patrol Officer said he smelled pot when the bus door opened. Geesh...the pot smoke probably poured out of there like a fireplace with an unopened flue. Willie's an old man, maybe he needs it for medicinal purposes, besides it's got to be boring out there on the road. You know he's not gonna quit no matter how many times he gets busted. You keep on rollin' Willie, we still love ya.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Christmas PRESENT
Last year at this time our community lost 6 police officers in 3 separate incidents and in the span of only 2 months. Their names are etched in our memory and hopefully never forgotten. Officer Timothy Brenton shot down on Oct 31st, Officer Mark Renninger, Officer Tina Griswold, Officer Ronald Owens, Officer Greg Richards shot down in a coffee shop Nov 29th, and Deputy Kent Mundell shot Dec 21st and died Dec 28th. The killing of Deputy Mundell took place right down the road from where I live. So many lives changed in an instant...spouses widowed, children without a parent, parents without a child and a community shattered.
As I prepare to immerse myself in the preparations for the holidays, these officers are a reminder of how precious life is. The most difficult thing we can do is to live in the moment. It is so rare to live in the moment that I actually notice when I am doing it. The past is gone and there is nothing that can be done to change it, the future is not guaranteed all we really have is the present. Feel the feelings you are having in the present, if you are sad, be sad, if you are happy, be happy this is all you have.
Give yourself a TRUE Christmas PRESENT this year and live in it. Don't let it end there live in the present as often as you can. It is gone all too soon.
As I prepare to immerse myself in the preparations for the holidays, these officers are a reminder of how precious life is. The most difficult thing we can do is to live in the moment. It is so rare to live in the moment that I actually notice when I am doing it. The past is gone and there is nothing that can be done to change it, the future is not guaranteed all we really have is the present. Feel the feelings you are having in the present, if you are sad, be sad, if you are happy, be happy this is all you have.
Give yourself a TRUE Christmas PRESENT this year and live in it. Don't let it end there live in the present as often as you can. It is gone all too soon.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Photos - Phamily and Phood...
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| That's our Chef Extraordinaire on the left |
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| The Hostess With the Mostess |
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| The Star of the Show-Brined and Beautiful |
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| Wayne showed his carving skills |
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| Delightful Gravy |
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| Sweet Potato/- Cilantro garnish for the Squash Soup |
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| Birthday Girl in Purple-dish up |
Friday, November 26, 2010
Tradition - A New Chapter
Mom liked to have everything done just right, but she made sure we had a great time, I know she fixed the tree after our attempts at decorating but she did a great job. We painted the windows with holiday scenes, from scratch...not stencils. That's how I plan to spend the holiday, doing the fun stuff, watching It's A Wonderful Life, Christmas Carol and Elf, not at the mall. That doesn't mean there won't be presents, just a lot fewer of them this year. We have started a few additional traditions, I always have a day set aside to do Gingerbread Houses with the Grandkids, my two girls and I have a power baking day and our Christmas Eve dinner. I feel blessed that each year the whole immediate family stays overnight and Santa comes here. It's great chaotic, messy fun and I love it. I think they do too. Hopefully my dad will want to join us this year. He and my mom always spent Christmas Eve going to church and then spending a quiet evening at home. They would open presents on Christmas Eve, my mom started that one, she couldn't wait until morning. In the afternoon we would all invade her house, she had a buffet with her homemade chocolate covered cherries, ham, potato salad, breads, all her homemade goodies. We would all gather round the tree and open gifts then the extended family would come over. Oh it's so hard to think of Christmas without mom this year and every year going forward. She is here in spirit of course, but oh how I miss her physical presence and love.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving - Dysfunction Junction
I would be very surprised to find anyone that does not think their family is somewhat dysfunctional. Are there really people out there who think their family is entirely normal...whatever that is? If there are, I would like to meet them and find out who decided they were normal. Lest we forget however, the center of dysfunction is FUN. We have had so many dysfunctional Thanksgivings that I had a hard time deciding which one to share so I decided to start with the first one that Mark and I hosted.
We had only been married about 5 or 6 years when Mark and I or rather more precisely, I had decided that it would be a nice idea for us to host Thanksgiving. Mark practically broke out in hives at the prospect because his family and mine are so completely different. His parents both enjoyed an occasional cocktail, like every 5 minutes, my parents were practically teetotalers. His parents, particularly his dad (Doug) like throwing a few F Bombs around and my parents rarely swear. His parents like a good boxing match now and again with each other, just to emphasize a point and my parents fight a cold war. His parents are Catholic and my parents are very Protestant. So there ya have it, not exactly the Capulets and Montagues but enough of a difference to cause some discomfort.
The guest list was a little large for our tiny 1200 square foot house but we managed to gather enough tables and chairs to make it work. We invited both sets of parents, Marks 80 something grandma, Marks two brothers and two sisters and one nephew, my mom and dad, my sister, my niece and nephew and my three kids. Mark and I got up early to prepare the bird and we were all set for our company. It was cold that year and started to snow, the big, wet non sticking kind of snow.
We didn't know whether the weather was going to be a factor or not but Mark's family arrived first. Mark's dad came in first carrying two large grocery bags, he set them on the counter, looked out at the snow and said: "We can stay for exactly 3 fifths!" He promptly prepared himself a drink in the biggest glass he could find. Doug's favorite drink was gin, we used to remind him that his sister in law died of cirrhosis of the liver because she drank too much gin. According to Doug that was because she drank hers straight..."I drink mine with ice and a twist of lemon". Mark's mom, Aileen always stuck with her gallon of Rhinelander Wine.
As Doug and Aileen settled in to get comfy with their cocktails and watching college football games, Mark and his younger brother Donald were busy acting like brothers in the kitchen. Don and Mark were teasing each other which escalated into slap fighting and the next thing I heard was Don saying..."Oh man, I'm sorry...don't be such a pussy". During their slap fight extravaganza Don's fingernail grazed Mark's eyeball. Mark actually couldn't open his eye. After about an hour with a severe headache and an inability to open his eye, I decided it may be a good idea to take him to the ER.
As we were leaving I left instructions for handling the food details, Doug is quite a good cook so I was fine about leaving the cooking to him. I told them that my mom and dad should be arriving at any time. In the ER they patched Mark's eye and gave him some salve for it. He was having trouble trying to stay awake as the cornea was scratched and it is quite painful. I know he was hoping to go home and just relax but that was not going to be the case.
When we arrived home, the front door was open. I could see that Doug was bent over the open oven door checking on the turkey. He seemed to be a little light on his feet, actually he staggered a bit...he was singing loudly and generally having a grand old time. I came into the kitchen intending to relieve Doug so he could return to his football game...he said, "Oh no, no, no I got it covered my little tomata". As he leaned in to baste the turkey his eye glasses fell out of his shirt pocket and directly onto the oven element. He didn't really seem to notice.
"Oh geez Doug, your glasses fell in the oven"
"No problem..." he said as he reached in and grabbed his glasses. When he pulled them off of the element, the plastic had melted so it looked like he was pulling a long string out of the oven. It smelled a little like burnt plastic turkey at this point.
My mom took me off to the side to tell me that when they arrived the whole house was filled with smoke as Doug had dropped a pot holder in the oven and it proceeded to burn. The first thing my mom did was to get the smell out of there and clean it up before we got home.
Mark spent the day in and out of sleep and totally stressed out over his parents behavior. Personally I didn't think it was all that bad. We were all joking around and having a generally good time in spite of the mishaps. But Mark had always been nervous around his parents. Dinner turned out spectacular, Doug passed out for a while, we all had dessert and cleaned up the kitchen and it worked out just fine.
Mark's parents were wonderful people they were hard working, had a great sense of humor and were very fun loving. I am glad I wasn't raised by them but I am glad they were my in-laws. They are both gone now and we still miss them, dysfunction and all. This is my first Thanksgiving without my mom, regardless of the level of dysfunction love your family, warts and all. H A P P Y T H A N K S G I V I N G to everyone.
We had only been married about 5 or 6 years when Mark and I or rather more precisely, I had decided that it would be a nice idea for us to host Thanksgiving. Mark practically broke out in hives at the prospect because his family and mine are so completely different. His parents both enjoyed an occasional cocktail, like every 5 minutes, my parents were practically teetotalers. His parents, particularly his dad (Doug) like throwing a few F Bombs around and my parents rarely swear. His parents like a good boxing match now and again with each other, just to emphasize a point and my parents fight a cold war. His parents are Catholic and my parents are very Protestant. So there ya have it, not exactly the Capulets and Montagues but enough of a difference to cause some discomfort.
The guest list was a little large for our tiny 1200 square foot house but we managed to gather enough tables and chairs to make it work. We invited both sets of parents, Marks 80 something grandma, Marks two brothers and two sisters and one nephew, my mom and dad, my sister, my niece and nephew and my three kids. Mark and I got up early to prepare the bird and we were all set for our company. It was cold that year and started to snow, the big, wet non sticking kind of snow.
We didn't know whether the weather was going to be a factor or not but Mark's family arrived first. Mark's dad came in first carrying two large grocery bags, he set them on the counter, looked out at the snow and said: "We can stay for exactly 3 fifths!" He promptly prepared himself a drink in the biggest glass he could find. Doug's favorite drink was gin, we used to remind him that his sister in law died of cirrhosis of the liver because she drank too much gin. According to Doug that was because she drank hers straight..."I drink mine with ice and a twist of lemon". Mark's mom, Aileen always stuck with her gallon of Rhinelander Wine.
As Doug and Aileen settled in to get comfy with their cocktails and watching college football games, Mark and his younger brother Donald were busy acting like brothers in the kitchen. Don and Mark were teasing each other which escalated into slap fighting and the next thing I heard was Don saying..."Oh man, I'm sorry...don't be such a pussy". During their slap fight extravaganza Don's fingernail grazed Mark's eyeball. Mark actually couldn't open his eye. After about an hour with a severe headache and an inability to open his eye, I decided it may be a good idea to take him to the ER.
As we were leaving I left instructions for handling the food details, Doug is quite a good cook so I was fine about leaving the cooking to him. I told them that my mom and dad should be arriving at any time. In the ER they patched Mark's eye and gave him some salve for it. He was having trouble trying to stay awake as the cornea was scratched and it is quite painful. I know he was hoping to go home and just relax but that was not going to be the case.
When we arrived home, the front door was open. I could see that Doug was bent over the open oven door checking on the turkey. He seemed to be a little light on his feet, actually he staggered a bit...he was singing loudly and generally having a grand old time. I came into the kitchen intending to relieve Doug so he could return to his football game...he said, "Oh no, no, no I got it covered my little tomata". As he leaned in to baste the turkey his eye glasses fell out of his shirt pocket and directly onto the oven element. He didn't really seem to notice.
"Oh geez Doug, your glasses fell in the oven"
"No problem..." he said as he reached in and grabbed his glasses. When he pulled them off of the element, the plastic had melted so it looked like he was pulling a long string out of the oven. It smelled a little like burnt plastic turkey at this point.
My mom took me off to the side to tell me that when they arrived the whole house was filled with smoke as Doug had dropped a pot holder in the oven and it proceeded to burn. The first thing my mom did was to get the smell out of there and clean it up before we got home.
Mark spent the day in and out of sleep and totally stressed out over his parents behavior. Personally I didn't think it was all that bad. We were all joking around and having a generally good time in spite of the mishaps. But Mark had always been nervous around his parents. Dinner turned out spectacular, Doug passed out for a while, we all had dessert and cleaned up the kitchen and it worked out just fine.
Mark's parents were wonderful people they were hard working, had a great sense of humor and were very fun loving. I am glad I wasn't raised by them but I am glad they were my in-laws. They are both gone now and we still miss them, dysfunction and all. This is my first Thanksgiving without my mom, regardless of the level of dysfunction love your family, warts and all. H A P P Y T H A N K S G I V I N G to everyone.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wordless Wednesday - It's a White White World
A rare Thanksgiving Week Snow Storm dumped 18 1/2" on us.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
News Dorks
I don't know what it's like in other parts of the country but here in the Pacific Northwest we seem to go a little crazy over our weather stories. The news media is practically orgasmic over the prospect of a potential white flake touching the ground. It doesn't matter how much of the white stuff is falling, it's the top story, it's the teaser...but the kicker is that if it doesn't fall in Seattle it doesn't happen! I take that back, if it happens in the mountains..hel-lo "the mountains" ... where it belongs, that is news, if it happens in the northern corners of the state, that is news. If it happens in the South Puget Sound area, it just isn't newsworthy.
The moment the radar shows the potential for the white stuff, let's just say 5 days ahead of the "storm", the media begins the countdown to Armageddon. They send their teams out bundled up in bright red or yellow winter garb to stand outside by the freeway and look longingly up to the sky for the first flake. "Yes, there it is! And folks, it's STICKING...oh wait, now it melted...here comes another one..." Those poor reporters out there all bundled up at 2:30 in the morning just to wait...and wait...and wait. This year they added another amusing aspect to their reporting...they have a cameraman sitting in the car next to a driving reporter to take a drive down the roads and show the current conditions. Hmmmm...DORKY!
Our local broadcasters have what they call a "Jam Factor", seriously who thought that one up, it is to report obviously, the jammed up action on the roads. "The Jam Factor today is 6"! 6 out of what? Is 6 good or bad? It's all very confusing. It is getting really ridiculous...mind you this reporting occurs whether there is a trace or a foot of snow. I love how they name the storms...Arctic Blast, January Chill, February Freeze. Today a reporter was so proud of his demonstration of the "severity" of our storm. He cleared off the top of one of those sidewalk newspaper stands and said: "I'm going to put this black hat on top of this newspaper stand and when we come back you can see how much snow has accumulated on top of it". I waited breathlessly for that demo to be over!
I have to admit, I love snow days too, it's prettier than rain, but more treacherous to drive on. I kind of like having an excuse not to go anywhere, stay in my PJ's all day and drink coffee. I only like one day of it though, after that it needs to melt, my photo ops are over so let's get back to "normal".
The moment the radar shows the potential for the white stuff, let's just say 5 days ahead of the "storm", the media begins the countdown to Armageddon. They send their teams out bundled up in bright red or yellow winter garb to stand outside by the freeway and look longingly up to the sky for the first flake. "Yes, there it is! And folks, it's STICKING...oh wait, now it melted...here comes another one..." Those poor reporters out there all bundled up at 2:30 in the morning just to wait...and wait...and wait. This year they added another amusing aspect to their reporting...they have a cameraman sitting in the car next to a driving reporter to take a drive down the roads and show the current conditions. Hmmmm...DORKY!
Our local broadcasters have what they call a "Jam Factor", seriously who thought that one up, it is to report obviously, the jammed up action on the roads. "The Jam Factor today is 6"! 6 out of what? Is 6 good or bad? It's all very confusing. It is getting really ridiculous...mind you this reporting occurs whether there is a trace or a foot of snow. I love how they name the storms...Arctic Blast, January Chill, February Freeze. Today a reporter was so proud of his demonstration of the "severity" of our storm. He cleared off the top of one of those sidewalk newspaper stands and said: "I'm going to put this black hat on top of this newspaper stand and when we come back you can see how much snow has accumulated on top of it". I waited breathlessly for that demo to be over!
I have to admit, I love snow days too, it's prettier than rain, but more treacherous to drive on. I kind of like having an excuse not to go anywhere, stay in my PJ's all day and drink coffee. I only like one day of it though, after that it needs to melt, my photo ops are over so let's get back to "normal".
Monday, November 22, 2010
Let Em Eat Snow!
It's really amusing when the local weather forecasters get to predict snow for the area. They make it so ultra dramatic.."We are here in Bellingham where we saw a SNOWFLAKE! This could mean the roads will be icy in the morning so drive carefully tomorrow everyone. Watch for that dangerous BLACK ICE...we're all GONNA DIE." I'm sure the ratings go through the roof, I know the grocery stores are packed. People buy enough food to last a year after the first flake falls.
I love the snow, I hate to drive in it just like everyone else, but it's so pretty and quiet. At least for the first couple of days, after that it can go away. I say if you can't lick em...eat it!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
To Continue the Thankful Theme -Shan's Day
I asked for inspiration for blog topics the other day and received some great ideas. Shan wanted me to write about how wonderful my oldest daughter is because she is my oldest daughter and therefore somewhat biased I would presume. I wasn't going to do that but I think it fits in with the Giving Thanks theme of the week (self imposed theme) during which I make every attempt not to get sucked into the next holiday hysteria. If you have no desire to read about how wonderful my family is...you may want to stop reading now. It is almost Thanksgiving and this is what I am thankful for, self indulgent? Of course it is...but it's my blog and I am in total control...I don't want this post to turn in to a 20 page entry so I will post about one kid at a time today is Shan's day.
The oldest child always seems to be the one stuck with the highest expectations from the parents, birth order misfortune. Shan mostly lived up to the expectations-she walked at 9 months old looking like a precocious little tiny person, talked at a very early age...and never stopped since and like all "only" children she was a GENIUS in our own minds. Shan has always been a very determined, outspoken, independent spirit. I love that but it means that we had our moments when our ideals didn't exactly meet. For example she didn't always feel like she wanted to go to school. I do remember one day when she was really putting up a fight about it, I gave her her lunch box and shoved her out the door and told her to get her butt up to the bus stop. She thought it might be a good idea to go ahead and open the door and tell me no...so I locked her out. She then PLASTERED her entire body up against the front room window and howled like a banshee thinking she would get her way. When I opened the door and she saw the look on my face, she knew that wasn't going to happen so she started running down the street, lunch box swinging away with me running after her in my lovely pajamas to make sure she got to the bus stop. We had this little encounter maybe once or twice a week. It was exhausting.
She managed to skip school quite often during her high school years and we were on a first name basis with much of the staff. It's hard when you work full time to make sure your teens finish school. Even though she had to read something like 8 books in the last couple of weeks of her high school career in order to graduate she did make it.
Just so you don't think she was a total brat, she managed to hold down a job for about 3 years when she was in high school, which is really remarkable for that age. Here's the thing, we didn't have a lot of money when the kids were growing up but I don't think they felt poor. The kids know what's important in life, people not things.
Shan has three wonderful kids, a great husband and she is one of the busiest people I know. I am very proud of how she puts family first, and she certainly does that. She is a Girl Scout leader, she helps at the Co-op school and is the first to volunteer for anything that is needed. She is a childbirth educator and a doulah. She is not the world's most organized person and she will wear you out just watching her take care of all of her responsibilities, but she does it. Shan has a lot of friends, and the reason is because she is fun to be around, and she cares about people. Shan lives up to her values and has taught her own children to do the same. She spent most of the summer taking care of my dying mother. Shan and grandma were very close, she brought my mom and my dad a great deal of comfort being there. It was a heartbreaking summer for all of us but Shan put grandma first and dealt with her own sorrow later. Shan is a remarkable lady. I could obviously go on and on .
I love my oldest superstar!!!!
The oldest child always seems to be the one stuck with the highest expectations from the parents, birth order misfortune. Shan mostly lived up to the expectations-she walked at 9 months old looking like a precocious little tiny person, talked at a very early age...and never stopped since and like all "only" children she was a GENIUS in our own minds. Shan has always been a very determined, outspoken, independent spirit. I love that but it means that we had our moments when our ideals didn't exactly meet. For example she didn't always feel like she wanted to go to school. I do remember one day when she was really putting up a fight about it, I gave her her lunch box and shoved her out the door and told her to get her butt up to the bus stop. She thought it might be a good idea to go ahead and open the door and tell me no...so I locked her out. She then PLASTERED her entire body up against the front room window and howled like a banshee thinking she would get her way. When I opened the door and she saw the look on my face, she knew that wasn't going to happen so she started running down the street, lunch box swinging away with me running after her in my lovely pajamas to make sure she got to the bus stop. We had this little encounter maybe once or twice a week. It was exhausting.
She managed to skip school quite often during her high school years and we were on a first name basis with much of the staff. It's hard when you work full time to make sure your teens finish school. Even though she had to read something like 8 books in the last couple of weeks of her high school career in order to graduate she did make it.
Just so you don't think she was a total brat, she managed to hold down a job for about 3 years when she was in high school, which is really remarkable for that age. Here's the thing, we didn't have a lot of money when the kids were growing up but I don't think they felt poor. The kids know what's important in life, people not things.
Shan has three wonderful kids, a great husband and she is one of the busiest people I know. I am very proud of how she puts family first, and she certainly does that. She is a Girl Scout leader, she helps at the Co-op school and is the first to volunteer for anything that is needed. She is a childbirth educator and a doulah. She is not the world's most organized person and she will wear you out just watching her take care of all of her responsibilities, but she does it. Shan has a lot of friends, and the reason is because she is fun to be around, and she cares about people. Shan lives up to her values and has taught her own children to do the same. She spent most of the summer taking care of my dying mother. Shan and grandma were very close, she brought my mom and my dad a great deal of comfort being there. It was a heartbreaking summer for all of us but Shan put grandma first and dealt with her own sorrow later. Shan is a remarkable lady. I could obviously go on and on .
I love my oldest superstar!!!!
Friday, November 19, 2010
It's Customer Service Season-Let's Talk About It
If you have a J.O.B you are in customer service. Unless you work completely alone and never deal with a single human being ever, as Bob Dylan would say "You Gotta Serve Somebody!" I am in the Health Care industry. I do not have direct contact with patients, for which they should be forever grateful. Who wants a health care giver that can't quit saying.."Ew ICK", "that's disGUSTing" or "I ain't touchin that"? I work in the finance end of health care,nothing to do with insurance, so don't hate me and no I am not rich...that would be the bosses. I deal with customers all day, they're not buying anything from me but they need something. My customers are my fellow employees, the executives of the company, the vendors who sell goods and services to us etc. I have also been a hairsylist, a grocery clerk and a Travel Consultant so I feel somewhat qualified to talk about customer service. Most importantly, I have been a customer and I know how I want to be treated.
If you have been treated like crap as a customer or if you have been treated exceedingly well, I would love to hear your story. I want to talk about some of my pet peeves as a customer, of course and unfortunately I have experienced some of these attitudes in my very own office, some when I have been shopping and some when I have called a so-called Customer Service Help Desk!
1) The CS Agent who answers the question you didn't ask. This agent is so experienced and so clairvoyant that the minute you start to describe your issue, they interrupt you with a resolution. Unfortunately, since their hearing aids weren't turned on, the resolution has nothing to do with the problem you are having. I will call this one the ASS-humor -they assume they know everything and they just want you off of their phone so they will humor you.
2) The CS Agent who talks down to you because you don't know how to ask the question. This person is the Gamer...they like to play the little game where they will tell you the answer as soon as you get the question right. They don't know that you don't actually work there and you are somehow not in tune with their buzz words and terminology-their corp-speak. They won't offer any information or assistance until you are on-board with asking the right question in the right way..for THEM.
3) The CS Agent who makes assumptions about your income level or level of intelligence based on your clothing or accent. Just because a person doesn't dress up to go shopping does not mean they may not have 20K stuffed in their wallet! Maybe that's why they are shopping..they need a wardrobe. The accent issue is a particular pet peeve of mine as a former travel agent. Speaking with a foreign accent does not mean the person is deaf...quit yelling at them. They are also not stupid, obviously they know at least two languages. Sadly, in my own office, I have heard time and time again customer service agents making fun of people calling in with southern drawls. Give me a break! These are our own employees...being from the South does not lower the IQ one bit...how many US Presidents are from the South? This is a great corner of our country...KNOCK IT THE HELL OFF!! I call this CS Agent-the Blue-Blood, they obviously see themselves as better than the people they are supposedly helping.
4) The One Word CS Agent-The agent answers the phone with a very monotone voice...xyz company...that's it? No Name, no "how can I help you?" "I was calling about a problem I am having with blah blah blah"...silence...pregnant pause..."Do you need my account number?" Computer goes click click click in the background..."One moment ma'am" the warmth abounds like a hotel carved in ice! I will call this one Mr Roboto.
5) The CS Agent chewing gum or eating in your ear-Seriously...that is rude for anyone! EW! I call this one "too young to have a job or just plain...FIRED"
There are other things that are irritating about the state of Customer Service these days too...what about the phone system that circulates your call to various recorded messages never allowing you to speak to an actual human being. Press 1, press 4, no press 0 - PSYCH!! That almost makes me cry!
Fortunately not all customer service agents are like the ones I have profiled...there are many that are excellent. They treat you with respect, listen to your problems and find ways to solve your problems. Your company needs to pay you a great deal of money, you have a difficult job. The customer is not always right but they should be made to feel like they are not always wrong or a nuisance.
If you have been treated like crap as a customer or if you have been treated exceedingly well, I would love to hear your story. I want to talk about some of my pet peeves as a customer, of course and unfortunately I have experienced some of these attitudes in my very own office, some when I have been shopping and some when I have called a so-called Customer Service Help Desk!
1) The CS Agent who answers the question you didn't ask. This agent is so experienced and so clairvoyant that the minute you start to describe your issue, they interrupt you with a resolution. Unfortunately, since their hearing aids weren't turned on, the resolution has nothing to do with the problem you are having. I will call this one the ASS-humor -they assume they know everything and they just want you off of their phone so they will humor you.
2) The CS Agent who talks down to you because you don't know how to ask the question. This person is the Gamer...they like to play the little game where they will tell you the answer as soon as you get the question right. They don't know that you don't actually work there and you are somehow not in tune with their buzz words and terminology-their corp-speak. They won't offer any information or assistance until you are on-board with asking the right question in the right way..for THEM.
3) The CS Agent who makes assumptions about your income level or level of intelligence based on your clothing or accent. Just because a person doesn't dress up to go shopping does not mean they may not have 20K stuffed in their wallet! Maybe that's why they are shopping..they need a wardrobe. The accent issue is a particular pet peeve of mine as a former travel agent. Speaking with a foreign accent does not mean the person is deaf...quit yelling at them. They are also not stupid, obviously they know at least two languages. Sadly, in my own office, I have heard time and time again customer service agents making fun of people calling in with southern drawls. Give me a break! These are our own employees...being from the South does not lower the IQ one bit...how many US Presidents are from the South? This is a great corner of our country...KNOCK IT THE HELL OFF!! I call this CS Agent-the Blue-Blood, they obviously see themselves as better than the people they are supposedly helping.
4) The One Word CS Agent-The agent answers the phone with a very monotone voice...xyz company...that's it? No Name, no "how can I help you?" "I was calling about a problem I am having with blah blah blah"...silence...pregnant pause..."Do you need my account number?" Computer goes click click click in the background..."One moment ma'am" the warmth abounds like a hotel carved in ice! I will call this one Mr Roboto.
5) The CS Agent chewing gum or eating in your ear-Seriously...that is rude for anyone! EW! I call this one "too young to have a job or just plain...FIRED"
There are other things that are irritating about the state of Customer Service these days too...what about the phone system that circulates your call to various recorded messages never allowing you to speak to an actual human being. Press 1, press 4, no press 0 - PSYCH!! That almost makes me cry!
Fortunately not all customer service agents are like the ones I have profiled...there are many that are excellent. They treat you with respect, listen to your problems and find ways to solve your problems. Your company needs to pay you a great deal of money, you have a difficult job. The customer is not always right but they should be made to feel like they are not always wrong or a nuisance.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Being Thankful Just Ain't Sexy
Before the last witches hat is gone from the shelves in the department stores, Christmas Trees are erected in Shopping Malls and Department Stores across America. Don't get me wrong, I love the orange, purple and black of Halloween and the glittery red, green, silver and gold of Christmas as much as the next person. What about the holiday in-between, the un-sexy, homely middle sister of Halloween and Christmas? What about poor little old forgotten Thanksgiving?
OK, so Thanksgiving is not exactly a retail marketers dream, cornucopias, turkeys and veggie trays can only be so glamorous! Be creative, it's your job as a marketing guru to make us spend money we don't have! Good Lord, you got us to believe that if we don't go into debt for six months for Christmas then little Johnny will need therapy for the rest of his life due to his parents lack of love by not buying him that $600 computer. You brainwashed us into thinking that STUFF is what Christmas is all about. Well sharpen your damn pencils and market STUFF (not just stuffing) for Thanksgiving. We could be out buying new furniture so granny doesn't have to sit on patio furniture or the kids don't have to sit at a card table, what about expensive new china settings and serving dishes? This is AMERICA man, land of the over-consuming consumer, wouldn't you rather see us indebted for the whole year instead of just a few months?
Thanksgiving has the bad rap of being the dysfunctional family gathering (more on that on my Thanksgiving post) but nobody has a perfect family. Have another drink, turn on the football game and get the hell over it!
You only see the real assholes of the family that one time of the year anyway. You have a whole year to make fun of them after they leave...look at the bright side, blog-fodder for later.
I wanted to include some credible details about the origin of Thanksgiving for everyone (nobody reads this anyway so everyone is an exaggeration) but my main source was the internet. If it's on the internet it must be true except for that which is posted by complete wackos! I think the most credible info is from the William Bradford Diaries It seems as though America started out with a communistic approach but after discovering that people weren't inspired to work for the good of the team, their harvest was a little meager. Once they worked their own land they had more bountiful harvests thus inspiring the first Thanksgiving. It was allegedly in August (I also heard October, way to get it right Canada). Maybe that's our problem we need to move it to August, we don't have any competing holidays then anyway...but the pumpkins aren't ripe yet. Abe Lincoln said we should have it in November so November it is.
I say let's put the Thanks back in Thanksgiving. Have we forgotten about the many things in our lives that we have that we are not just entitled to but should be thankful for? I hope not...I wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and thanks to my daughter from anotha motha for giving me the inspiration to write about this topic.
OK, so Thanksgiving is not exactly a retail marketers dream, cornucopias, turkeys and veggie trays can only be so glamorous! Be creative, it's your job as a marketing guru to make us spend money we don't have! Good Lord, you got us to believe that if we don't go into debt for six months for Christmas then little Johnny will need therapy for the rest of his life due to his parents lack of love by not buying him that $600 computer. You brainwashed us into thinking that STUFF is what Christmas is all about. Well sharpen your damn pencils and market STUFF (not just stuffing) for Thanksgiving. We could be out buying new furniture so granny doesn't have to sit on patio furniture or the kids don't have to sit at a card table, what about expensive new china settings and serving dishes? This is AMERICA man, land of the over-consuming consumer, wouldn't you rather see us indebted for the whole year instead of just a few months?
Thanksgiving has the bad rap of being the dysfunctional family gathering (more on that on my Thanksgiving post) but nobody has a perfect family. Have another drink, turn on the football game and get the hell over it!
You only see the real assholes of the family that one time of the year anyway. You have a whole year to make fun of them after they leave...look at the bright side, blog-fodder for later.
I wanted to include some credible details about the origin of Thanksgiving for everyone (nobody reads this anyway so everyone is an exaggeration) but my main source was the internet. If it's on the internet it must be true except for that which is posted by complete wackos! I think the most credible info is from the William Bradford Diaries It seems as though America started out with a communistic approach but after discovering that people weren't inspired to work for the good of the team, their harvest was a little meager. Once they worked their own land they had more bountiful harvests thus inspiring the first Thanksgiving. It was allegedly in August (I also heard October, way to get it right Canada). Maybe that's our problem we need to move it to August, we don't have any competing holidays then anyway...but the pumpkins aren't ripe yet. Abe Lincoln said we should have it in November so November it is.
I say let's put the Thanks back in Thanksgiving. Have we forgotten about the many things in our lives that we have that we are not just entitled to but should be thankful for? I hope not...I wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and thanks to my daughter from anotha motha for giving me the inspiration to write about this topic.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Wednesday Light - It Just Makes Me Laugh
Just because I am still tired...I am in the middle of a good book...I have to pay some bills....it's a dark and stormy night...and this video always makes me laugh. So click and enjoy!!
Justin Timberlake - Single Ladies from SNL
Justin Timberlake - Single Ladies from SNL
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Wild Monday Night
It was an interesting day at the office today. People arrived bleary-eyed, with recycled hairstyles from yesterday, little or no makeup...warm clothing. It was all about the power outages around the hood. We had a HELLA wind storm last night that caught everyone by surprise. The media weather gods missed it with all of their fancy, expensive, high tech,HD, digital crap they predicted winds around 10-15 MPH with occasional gusts to 30. HAH! I have no idea how high the winds got here but 10-15 MPH steady winds do not sound like the Acheson, Topeka or the Sante Fe coming through. It was pretty unbelievable. Trees and branches were slamming into the house, heavy lawn furniture was blowing around like matchsticks, the roof and windows were rattling. We were among the lucky ones who did not lose our power however, I was pinned in my yard by a downed 1/2 tree. It blocked the entire driveway and I couldn't see it until my headlights were shining on it...I thought I could move it but it was HUGE...so thank God for John Deere! Markie got on the ol John Deere and I was cleared for take-off. But what a mess the roads were, trees, branches, fir needles, dark intersections, it was not fun.
I guess now we prepare for round two, we are supposed to have more high winds and the possibility of snow. Although I don't buy the snow prediction, I have a theory that the media uses the threat of snow in their teaser ads to increase ratings, it is November, one of the Sweeps months. We shall see, they were wrong yesterday that's for sure!
I guess now we prepare for round two, we are supposed to have more high winds and the possibility of snow. Although I don't buy the snow prediction, I have a theory that the media uses the threat of snow in their teaser ads to increase ratings, it is November, one of the Sweeps months. We shall see, they were wrong yesterday that's for sure!
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Bears Got It Right
I am not quite sure that I am fully evolved yet. I have checked for a tail and pointy canine teeth and I don't have them Yet, somehow I seem be fully evolved during Daylight Savings Time and completely missing something during Standard Time. I only worry because of my never ending desire to sleep during the dark half of they year. I completely understand why bears feel the need to hibernate. Like a bear my metabolism comes to a screeching halt at this time of year. It doesn't matter how many hours I sleep I am still tired and I still want more, it's my drug of choice. I can sum up my Standard Time routine in pathetically few words...Get up at 3:30ish (yes, that's AM), get ready for work, drink two cups of coffee, climb in the car, turn on the heat and put the car on auto-pilot. Work my 8-9 hrs for the day, climb in the car, turn on the heat and put the car on auto pilot. Walk in the door, take off my makeup, put on PJ's, blog (at least during November), eat, read and go to bed. OMG is it REALLY only 7:30? That's about the sum of it! It's dark, it's cold, it's dreary...count the days until it's still light at 5:00 again .
Daylight Savings Time is like a shot of pure adrenalin though...I can stay up until all hours of the night, party on the weekend and sometimes even during the week, willingly and enthusiastically take care of all of my responsibilities and have energy to spare.
HOW many more days until Daylight Savings Time? Goodnight, I've been up now far too long, time to catch a snooze...hi -ber- na- tion time!
Daylight Savings Time is like a shot of pure adrenalin though...I can stay up until all hours of the night, party on the weekend and sometimes even during the week, willingly and enthusiastically take care of all of my responsibilities and have energy to spare.
HOW many more days until Daylight Savings Time? Goodnight, I've been up now far too long, time to catch a snooze...hi -ber- na- tion time!
Wind Farm-Semi-wordless today
Last weekend I drove to Moses Lake, about a 4 hr drive from my home. Vantage, WA is about 30-45 minutes from Moses Lake. Wind Farms are popping up all over the hills around the Columbia River and while I am not sure how I like that, I can't help finding a certain fascination with them. Here are a few photos I took, in order to get the best shots I would have had to get out of my car on the freeway and that was soooooo not happening.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Voice of Summer-Silenced.
Some may not understand but I love baseball, I have loved it since I was a kid. Maybe it's because I lived in Chicago and you had to be either a Cubby or a Sox Fan. Don't get me wrong, I love other sports too, like Football, Soccer, Boxing, the television and I are close buddies during the Olympic Games. Baseball is the sport I know the best and love the most. Maybe it's the stats, the players, the emotion or the fact that it is played in the summer, I can't quite pinpoint exactly why I love it but that's how it is.
Before we got the Seattle Mariners I was primarily a RedSox fan, obviously I have a masochistic streak. I can't help but be a supporter of the underdog (obviously the RedSox have done the unexpected in the last few years at last), win or lose these are my teams. The Mariners have had some of the all time greatest ball players sure to be Hall of Famers: Randy Johnson, Griffey Jr and Sr, A-Hole Rod, Edgar Martinez, Tino Martinez, Ichiro...the list goes on.
Players get traded, they move on but the one constant, reliable and inspiring Hall of Famer in the Mariner's Organization has been the Great Dave Niehaus. Dave was an icon in baseball broadcasting, a well loved and contributing member of the community. He painted a picture so vivid in his broadcasts that you didn't need a television to know what was happening in the game. Lord know he called many a lousy game but he never made them seem as lousy as they really were, he added anecdotes about the players, he shared his amazing knowledge of baseball history there was no doubt the man was passionate about the game and he passed that passion on to many a baseball fan in Seattle. Every fan in Seattle knew the calls..."Fly Awaaaay" "BELTED....into deep left field..." and the classic..."GET OUT THE RYE BREAD AND THE MUSTARD GRANDMA...IT'S GRAND SALAMI TIME". Sadly, Dave passed away this week and baseball in Seattle will not be the same without him. There is not a dry eye in Washington State, players, owners, cynical sportswriters have all shed a tear at Dave's passing, not just because he was a great broadcaster but because he left his mark as a humble, caring, kind human being. As a tribute to Dave the 1995 one game playoff between the Angels and the Mariners was re-broadcast for the fans yesterday...the greatest game Dave ever called. We Mariner fans love you Dave, we feel a profound loss and yes, it's raining in Seattle.
Before we got the Seattle Mariners I was primarily a RedSox fan, obviously I have a masochistic streak. I can't help but be a supporter of the underdog (obviously the RedSox have done the unexpected in the last few years at last), win or lose these are my teams. The Mariners have had some of the all time greatest ball players sure to be Hall of Famers: Randy Johnson, Griffey Jr and Sr, A-Hole Rod, Edgar Martinez, Tino Martinez, Ichiro...the list goes on.
Players get traded, they move on but the one constant, reliable and inspiring Hall of Famer in the Mariner's Organization has been the Great Dave Niehaus. Dave was an icon in baseball broadcasting, a well loved and contributing member of the community. He painted a picture so vivid in his broadcasts that you didn't need a television to know what was happening in the game. Lord know he called many a lousy game but he never made them seem as lousy as they really were, he added anecdotes about the players, he shared his amazing knowledge of baseball history there was no doubt the man was passionate about the game and he passed that passion on to many a baseball fan in Seattle. Every fan in Seattle knew the calls..."Fly Awaaaay" "BELTED....into deep left field..." and the classic..."GET OUT THE RYE BREAD AND THE MUSTARD GRANDMA...IT'S GRAND SALAMI TIME". Sadly, Dave passed away this week and baseball in Seattle will not be the same without him. There is not a dry eye in Washington State, players, owners, cynical sportswriters have all shed a tear at Dave's passing, not just because he was a great broadcaster but because he left his mark as a humble, caring, kind human being. As a tribute to Dave the 1995 one game playoff between the Angels and the Mariners was re-broadcast for the fans yesterday...the greatest game Dave ever called. We Mariner fans love you Dave, we feel a profound loss and yes, it's raining in Seattle.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The Value of a "Valued" Employee
If I didn't love my job I wouldn't be starting my 12th year at the same place. I even took a cut in pay because my last job was so AWFUL I had to move on regardless of salary. That being said...I have to wonder how much my dedication, contributions and hard work are really appreciated and respected. Ultimately, the paycheck should be a reflection of that. I was doing some quick figuring in my head and came to the realization that in 12 years my salary has jumped by an average of .66 per hour per year. WOW that is more than a little disheartening since I have had about 4 or more promotions during that time and my annual reviews are always rated at the highest levels.
My son and I started new jobs on the same day in the same year...his salary has increased by an average of $2.00 per year. We are not in the same field but, .66 certainly doesn't seem to match what I am being told my value to the department is. My daughter is in a similar field that I am in, has increased her salary by a whopping 50K per year. This salary disparity makes me wonder what I am doing wrong! It has to be because I am not pushy enough about it. Either I have over-estimated my value or the corporate powers that be have under-estimated it...I am not sure which way it is. I am always being told how hard it would be on everyone if I were to leave...but apparently not. There are people 1 and 2 position titles below me making nearly the same salary or more than I make. How do I know this when we are not supposed to discuss salary (for obvious reasons) I hear people talk, I pay attention. What does that tell me...someone is blowing smoke up my ass! Oh I know I have skills, unique skills but they are apparently taken for granted and not as valued as they should be and it is my own fault because I do not let it be known that I know! Since they are my skills I apparently take them for granted too. Time to look at the market for my skills? As I said previously I love my job...but it is getting more and more difficult to make ends meet.
My son and I started new jobs on the same day in the same year...his salary has increased by an average of $2.00 per year. We are not in the same field but, .66 certainly doesn't seem to match what I am being told my value to the department is. My daughter is in a similar field that I am in, has increased her salary by a whopping 50K per year. This salary disparity makes me wonder what I am doing wrong! It has to be because I am not pushy enough about it. Either I have over-estimated my value or the corporate powers that be have under-estimated it...I am not sure which way it is. I am always being told how hard it would be on everyone if I were to leave...but apparently not. There are people 1 and 2 position titles below me making nearly the same salary or more than I make. How do I know this when we are not supposed to discuss salary (for obvious reasons) I hear people talk, I pay attention. What does that tell me...someone is blowing smoke up my ass! Oh I know I have skills, unique skills but they are apparently taken for granted and not as valued as they should be and it is my own fault because I do not let it be known that I know! Since they are my skills I apparently take them for granted too. Time to look at the market for my skills? As I said previously I love my job...but it is getting more and more difficult to make ends meet.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Spelling and Penmanship: Obsolete in Todays Educational Curriculum
Short post tonight...I just finished stuffing my face with some nice crunchy spicy Tim's Cascade Jalapeno Chips, my back hurts for about the 4th or 5th day and I am tired as hell.
I just have one question...why do the schools think it's a good idea to eliminate spelling and penmanship from their curriculum? According to what I have been reading they don't think it is important because of technology like, spell check and the fact that most people use a keyboard more than a pen so they don't need to know how to do these things manually. WHAT? I read some of these people's emails and it is not pretty, spell check will not alert you to the wrong word if it is spelled correctly. Case in point: One of my friends was writing her resume and her "objective" statement was: "To work for a company that will allow me to neuter my career"... Really? She meant to write nurture...not neuter...alot of people have jobs with companies that are more than willing to neuter their careers...she got the interview....maybe it was one of the neutering companies and they needed someone who wouldn't be pissed off about it.
So what's next? They won't have to learn multiplication tables because they have calculators and Excel? It makes me wonder what the schools do consider important enough for their curriculum.
I just have one question...why do the schools think it's a good idea to eliminate spelling and penmanship from their curriculum? According to what I have been reading they don't think it is important because of technology like, spell check and the fact that most people use a keyboard more than a pen so they don't need to know how to do these things manually. WHAT? I read some of these people's emails and it is not pretty, spell check will not alert you to the wrong word if it is spelled correctly. Case in point: One of my friends was writing her resume and her "objective" statement was: "To work for a company that will allow me to neuter my career"... Really? She meant to write nurture...not neuter...alot of people have jobs with companies that are more than willing to neuter their careers...she got the interview....maybe it was one of the neutering companies and they needed someone who wouldn't be pissed off about it.
So what's next? They won't have to learn multiplication tables because they have calculators and Excel? It makes me wonder what the schools do consider important enough for their curriculum.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesdays With Tito
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a dog person. Not a cat lady...never a cat lady...but I LOVE dogs. I love big dogs..I've always wanted a Great Dane but the cost is well...let's just say if it costs that much it better come equipped with a kitchen. My husband searched the internet for months, which at the speed he surfs that means he probably visited three or four sites, but he found an adorable German Bred Boxer as a Christmas surprise for me in 2009. I was delighted, we had to wait until January 20th to pick him up because he was brand spankin new. He has provided me with never a dull moment since then...by he I mean both the dog and the husband. If Baby Huey and Marmaduke ever had a kid Tito would be the result....
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