The Rite-Aid Rx Saga

We have been getting our prescriptions filled at Eckerds for years. At least ten years, but maybe as many as 15...? Our Eckerds turned into Rite-Aid a couple of years ago. And I am not so sure how I feel about it now.

Day 1: I have a Dr. visit. He changes one of my prescriptions to twice a day (up from once a day). Same mg, just a different dosage. I run my Rx by Rite-aid on my way home. The pharmacist said they were out of this particular drug, but would have a shipment in the morning. Come back tomorrow. Ok, fine. Its on my way home from work so not really a big deal.

Day 2: I go by Rite-Aid on my way home from work. I ask for my Rx, and the Pharmacy assistant goes off to look for it. 15 minutes later, after slowly checking every filled script in the place, she comes back and looks at me blankly. I explained that I turned in the Rx yesterday, it wasn't in stock, so I was told I could pick it up today. She sighed as if I was inconveniencing her and went to a computer. They must still be using a dial up connection. It took another eternity. She couldn't find it, even after asking me to spell my last name 3 times in a row...everybody who might know anything was on break...(?), and maybe I should try back tomorrow.

Day 3: Different assistant, so I felt hopeful. This man couldn't find it but only needed me to spell my last name twice, and finally found it on the computer. He told me that since I had had the prescription filled only 2 weeks ago, the insurance company wouldn't let them refill it again so soon. With a heavy sigh of my soul, I explained to him as patiently as my rage would allow that this was a DIFFERENT Rx. A DIFFERENT dosage. He looked uneasy, but told me he would have to call and get it straight with the insurance company, and would I please come back tomorrow.....

Day 4: Once again, I go to Rite-Aid. I get the same assistant as the day before. The one who promised me he would get it all straightened out with the insurance company. I asked to pick up my meds. He seemed to remember me, but somehow had gotten my situation all confused. He said something about the insurance company again, I reiterated that it was a DIFFERENT dosage this time. He got on the dial-up connection computer AGAIN. And then has the audacity to come back and inform me that to get a different dosage, I would need a prescription. Like I had just decided that I wanted to up the dosage all on my own..!?!? I was sooooo NOT amused.
I told him that I had turned in the script FROM MY DR. a couple of days ago, and was still waiting for them to get it straight. He told me he would need to verify this with my Dr.'s office. He would make the phone calls, and then I could pick it up....get this...TOMORROW!!!

Day 5: I go back to Rite-Aid AGAIN! The girl was the one I dealt with first. The one who clearly couldn't find her way out of a paper bag, even if she had a flashlight and a map. She looked at me blankly. She slowly pawed through all of the ready Rx bags. She came back to tell me she couldn't find it. I leaned over the counter, got as much in her face as I could, and I told her in my best imitation of Satan that she better find it. I had been through hell and back for 5 days and I wasn't leaving until I got my damned meds! She looked scared and if she thought I was a woman on the verge of homicidal rage, she would be right. She left and a few minutes later the male assistant came back, with a BAG in his hand. But....they were almost out of stock, and he could only give me a partial refill. I could come back to pick up the rest....tomorrow!

Day 6 (also known as Today!): I run by Rite-Aid on my way home from work. The girl sees me, gets all nervous and walks to the back. The man comes up to talk to me. Yes, he realized that I only got a partial refill yesterday, BUT....in the process of trying to finish up the refill today (after that truck dropped off a shipment), that whole error message from the insurance company came up AGAIN. He is going to have to call them AGAIN. And then...who knows....I will probably go back on Friday only to find out they are out of stock AGAIN....I swear, I am ready to move all of our prescriptions to Walgreens. Or CVS.
Both of them are equally convenient to get to. At least...at the very least....I got my partial refill and have enough of this medication to last me through the weekend. Assuming that I won't be able to get my refill on Friday. I am so frustrated right now!!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Twas the Nite of Thanksgiving


Twas the Nite of Thanksgiving
But I just couldn't sleep
I tried counting backwards,
I tried counting sheep.


The leftovers beckoned -
The dark meat and white
But I fought the temptation
With all of my might

Tossing and turning
With anticipation
The thought of a snack
Became infatuation.

So, I raced to the kitchen,
Flung open the door
And gazed at the fridge,
Full of goodies galore.

Gobbled up turkey
And buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots,
Beans and tomatoes.

I felt myself swelling
So plump and so round,
'Til all of a sudden,
I rose off the ground.

I crashed through the ceiling,
Floating into the sky
With a mouthful of pudding
And a handful of pie.

But, I managed to yell
As i soared past the trees....
Happy eating to all -
Pass the cranberries, please.

May your stuffing be tasty,
May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes 'n gravy
Have nary a lump,

May your yams be delicious
May your pies take the prize,
May your thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs.

Happy Turkey Day

Crazy

Things are crazy busy around here. I want to blog, really I do. But having the time to actually sit down and put together a few thoughts is hard to do lately. Everything is fine. Its dandy, even. We've got a really nice Thanksgiving weekend planned. And then a most excellent trip to Jamaica for Christmas. I have always wanted to go to Jamaica, so this is one of those places on my "list". This trip is the kids' gift, too, so...the bulk of my Christmas shopping is DONE! How cool is that?

Anyway, I feel like I have neglected my blog, but I am here. Alive and well. I will try to do better, I swear.

OCD Thanksgiving

Alright, so Hannia sent this to me several months ago. I was just sending her (and Stephen) a request of what they might bring to Thanksgiving (it did include a plea for pink pie...Stephen has been perfecting his recipe for it). And I had a sudden recollection of this letter taken (stolen...LOL) from a blog "Back to San Diego". Apparently this is for real. And honestly? I would just stay home and eat take out before I would attend this family's celebration. Geesh!


The blog:


I'm not one to gossip, but I received this letter from a friend. She got it from her coworker, whose sister wrote it! (Seriously)

Apparently, it takes a village to build a Thanksgiving feast...and as we know, every village needs a village leader (or village idiot, as the case may be).

I changed none of the wording except for the names (so they can't sue me when they read this).


The Letter:



Happy Thanksgiving!

---

From: Marney

As you all know a fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner does not make itself. I need to ask each of you to help by bringing something to complete the meal. I truly appreciate your offers to assist with the meal preparation.

Now, while I do have quite a sense of humor and joke around all the time, I COULD NOT BE MORE SERIOUS when I am providing you with your Thanksgiving instructions and orders. I am very particular, so please perform your task EXACTLY as I have requested and read your portion very carefully. If I ask you to bring your offering in a container that has a lid, bring your offering in a container WITH A LID, NOT ALUMINUM FOIL! If I ask you to bring a serving spoon for your dish, BRING A SERVING SPOON, NOT A SOUP SPOON! And please do not forget anything.

All food that is to be cooked should already be prepared, bring it hot and ready to serve, warm or room temp. These are your ONLY THREE options. Anything meant to be served cold should, of course, already be cold.

HJB—Dinner wine

The Mike Byron Family
1. Turnips in a casserole with a lid and a serving spoon. Please do not fill the casserole all the way up to the top, it gets too messy. I know this may come as a bit of a surprise to you, but most of us hate turnips so don't feel like you a have to feed an army.
2. Two half gallons of ice cream, one must be VANILLA, I don't care what the other one is. No store brands please. I did see an ad this morning for Hagan Daz Peppermint Bark Ice Cream, yum!! (no pressure here, though).
3. Toppings for the ice cream.
4. A case of bottled water, NOT gallons, any brand is ok.

The Bob Byron Family
1. Green beans or asparagus (not both) in a casserole with a lid and a serving spoon. If you are making the green beans, please prepare FOUR pounds, if you are making asparagus please prepare FIVE pounds. It is up to you how you wish to prepare them, no soupy sauces, no cheese (you know how Mike is), a light sprinkling of toasted nuts, or pancetta, or some EVOO would be a nice way to jazz them up.
2. A case of beer of your choice (I have Coors Light and Corona) or a bottle of clos du bois chardonnay (you will have to let me know which you will bring prior to 11/22).

The Lisa Byron Chesterford Family
1. Lisa as a married woman you are now required to contribute at the adult level. You can bring an hors d’ouvres. A few helpful hints/suggestions. Keep it very light, and non-filling, NO COCKTAIL SAUCE, no beans of any kind. I think your best bet would be a platter of fresh veggies and dip. Not a huge platter mind you (i.e., not the plastic platter from the supermarket).

The Michelle Bobble Family
1. Stuffing in a casserole with a serving spoon. Please make the stuffing sans meat.
2. 2.5-3 qts. of mashed squash in a casserole with a lid and serving spoon
3. Proscuitto pin wheel - please stick to the recipe, no need to bring a plate.
4. A pie knife

The June Davis Family
1. 15 LBS of mashed potatoes in a casserole with a serving spoon. Please do not use the over-size blue serving dish you used last year. Because you are making such a large batch you can do one of two things: put half the mash in a regulation size casserole with lid and put the other half in a plastic container and we can just replenish with that or use two regulation size casserole dishes with lids. Only one serving spoon is needed.
2. A bottle of clos du bois chardonnay

The Amy Misto Family (why do I even bother she will never read this)
1. A pumpkin pie in a pie dish (please use my silver palate recipe) no knife needed.
2. An apple pie in a pie dish, you can use your own recipe, no knife needed.

Looking forward to the 28th!!

Marney

---

This makes me look SO normal.

OFF

I have a day off tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have a Dr. appointment and a long list of errands. Its supposed to rain like crazy for most of the day, so IF I can get everything done early, then it seems like a perfect afternoon for a movie. I want to see "Men who Stare at Goats"....I wonder if its any good?

As if

As if in answer to my previous post, one of my favorite authors, Paulo Coelho just posted this on his Facebook page:

"Cloning Confucius: if you let bad things stop you, you won’t be there for the good things"

I think that answers my question about how to live your life in the face of so many atrocities happening all around us. Sometimes, I think Mr. Coelho has magical powers.
LOL. Maybe he is just psychic. If you have never read "The Alchemist"....OMG. Please do.

FEAR

Fear, the concept of it, has been foremost in my mind these past several weeks. The murder of Buddy's Aunt and Uncle, the missing girl in Charlottesville, the heinous shootings at Fort Hood...the list goes on and on. Its insane. Its scary. Its enough to make anybody want to lock their doors and hide under their beds for the rest of their lives. What's the point of reasonable risk and throwing caution to the wind? I think that's more my question.

I am well acquainted with fear. I grew up with fear. Not that my childhood was fraught with danger or anything. But my mother, bless her soul, was phobic about almost everything. Her message to me was that danger lurks around every corner.
Flying was a death sentence. Traveling outside the country was an invitation to maiming, torture and unspeakable horrors. Also making the list: being out and about alone at night, bars and nightclubs, strangers, heights, bridges, thrill rides at amusement parks, swimming in the ocean, driving in unfamiliar territory, rest stops...honestly, there is not enough space on this blog to list it all.

Its a wonder I have been able to lead a halfway normal life. My daughter gets annoyed by my nervous "checking up" on her. When the poor girl went missing in her town, I had to call and check up on Erica about once a day, just to say, "I hope you haven't been abducted today". My mom was horrified about abductions. When my children were really little, she would call me, and send newspaper clippings (this is before the internetz) of every case that made the news to make damn sure that I was aware of the potential dangers and was staying on my toes to watch over and protect my babies.

My mother let fear limit her life. I guess she weighed her options and decided that being safe was worth more to her than being sorry. I can't live my life that way.
The limitations are too strict. I wouldn't be able to go out and enjoy my "Girl's Night Out" if I followed those rules. I wouldn't be able to take a cruise, fly to a vacation spot, or drive up to visit my daughter. I would alienate my children with my incessant phobias. I can't do it. A part of me WANTS to do it. I still hear Mom's voice disapproving everything that I do that might be a potential risk. The news constantly tries to reinforce that danger really DOES lurk everywhere, no matter what you do. Its something that I still struggle with. But, I am determined to keep living my life, somehow. I believe that if we give in to fear, if we stop enjoying the good things, then the bad guys win. I don't know. How do you deal with it? Are you able to put thoughts of the bad things that are plastered all over the news aside? Do you make concessions and compromises to hopefully stay safer?