Friday, November 30, 2007

Persistance pays off

I got a coupon in the mail the other day from CVS. It said that I would get a $25 gift card if I filled a new prescription or transferred a prescription to their pharmacy. As luck would have it,I got a new prescription for my diabetes supplies.

I went in on Monday to pick up my prescriptions and handed the girl my coupon. She couldn't ring it in correctly so she asked another girl to help her. Girl #2 said I had to be a NEW customer to get the gift card. Nowhere on the coupon does it say that. She huffed and puffed and acted like she was doing me a huge favor and agreed to give me the gift card......but she couldn't get the code right and the register wouldn't calculate it correctly.

She said I didn't qualify and that it couldn't be done.
Girl #1 asked the busy pharmacist and he just shook his head. She gave me the coupon back and said to try another day.

I was pissed. I always forget to redeem coupons and things and the one time I do they made me feel like a criminal.

I just called their corporate headquarters and spoke to a lovely woman. I gave her all the information and she put me on hold. A few minutes later she got back to me and said she had spoken to the manager in the CVS I had gone to and they will absolutely honor the coupon so that I can get the $25 gift card. She apologized several times for the staff not knowing how to process the coupon and the fact that they said I couldn't get it.

I'm so excited! Money is tight as usual and that gift card will help me get some stocking stuffers for Christmas...not to mention that Chanukah is only a few days away!!

I'm so glad I made that call!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

The handsome doctor

I've worked at my job for 17 years. When I first started,I became close to Dr.C who was 62 years old. He was so good looking he could easily pass for an old fashioned movie star like Rock Hudson or Cary Grant.....only much better looking. He was tall,charming and extremely handsome. The women swooned when they saw him. Who could blame them?

I ended up working with him a lot and I got to know his routines. Tuesday mornings he would take a piano class at Berklee College of Music and then end up running late for his first patient at 8:30am. His assistant,Bernice,would often run up to me and whisper,"He's in a bad mood. Can you do anything?" I just shrugged my shoulders and said I'd try.

When Dr.C would come down the hall I would make a face and say,"Rumor has it you're in a bad mood today. I have to work with you ALL day so I hope you're not really crabby!" He would always laugh this booming laugh and say,"Who said I was in a bad mood? Well....I guess the traffic got to me but I promise to be in a good mood from now on." Then he'd smile and see his first patient.

One day a mean and nasty patient grabbed my nicely polished hand and sputtered,"YOU are a disgrace to the entire medical profession! Your nails are too long. They could poke my eye out. I'm going to report you to the medical board!!"

I was so horrified and scared.I was still kind of new. Just as Dr. C was about to go in to see that patient,I wiggled my finger at him to come here. I told him what the woman said. He looked at me and asked,"You're a disgrace to the entire medical profession?" I nodded slowly. He laughed,patted me on the back and said,"Congratulations! What an honor....the entire medical profession. Wow!" I asked,"You're not mad? You don't think my nails are too long?" He just shook his head and said,"She's nuts!"

When he retired several years ago,I wrote a song for him to the tune of Johnny Angel. The doctors all dressed up in angel costumes and sang it to him. It was so funny.

The reason I'm writing all this is because Dr.C came into the office today. I ran over to him and hugged and kissed him. We talked for a while and then everyone came over to see him. He was there for a while so I got to talk to him a few times. Some people said they weren't sure if he remembered them. He is 79,after all. I asked him if he remembered me and he said,"Of course I did,Robin!" I was so happy. If the president had walked in no one would've paid any attention to him. Seeing Dr.C today just made my day!!!!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

A very happy Thanksgiving

Well,turkey day is over and I'm stuffed! We had a lovely day and it was just the way I wanted it. Kara came over with her chocolate lab Cody AKA "my furry nephew." Her mother-in-law Ginny came over too which was so much fun. I love Ginny. She is very kind and loving and I always enjoy being with her.

She is also Lisa's mother-in-law but Lisa,TC and the kids are in Florida right now so Ginny couldn't be with them on Thanksgiving.Their loss was our gain.
Rich's friend Gary also came over today and after dinner the guys watched Gettysburg which is a 4 hour movie.I've seen it a few times but I always cry.

While the guys watched their movie,the girls took Cody for a little walk to try to work off the food we devoured. It didn't work. We could barely move when we got back home.

We each tasted a dessert but we really couldn't eat much. Why do we always eat too much at the holidays? Who cares? We all had fun.

I hope you all had a very happy day too.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Tired of diabetes

November 8th was my 2 year anniversary of being rushed to the hospital with pancreatitis and diabetes and almost dying. I know I have a lot to be thankful for since I'm still alive but I'm really tired of being diabetic. Some days it's just too much of a burden.

I know I could have something much worse where I only have weeks or months to live and I feel lucky that diabetes is something I can control more or less but today,I wanted to give it back. I hate it and I resent it.

I don't enjoy checking my blood or thinking about food all the time: how many carbs?grams of fat? grams of sugar? I don't stay on my plan all the time and then the guilt kicks in. Stress makes me eat. Why doesn't stress make me want to exercise??

So,what pushed me over the edge today was going to CVS to pick up my blood pressure med and my test strips. On our old insurance,test strips were $50 but they usually lasted 6-8 weeks depending on if I had a problem with my sugar and felt the need to test more often. Today was the first time I had to fill that prescription.

As the cashier added it up I was stunned. "What is $93????" I asked in a panic. It was the test strips. My new insurance doesn't cover my strips although it has been covering my lancets which I use to prick my finger. So I can draw blood but I can't test the blood. How the hell does that make sense?? The pharmacist agreed that it didn't make sense at all.

I just wanted to blurt out,"Do you think I enjoy having diabetes? Do you think it's fun to test my blood every day?" Instead,I got teary and really couldn't say much. One of the other cashiers told me to call my insurance company tomorrow and explain the situation and hopefully they will send me a new monitor so that I can buy supplies that they will cover. I certainly hope so.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

I love the things she says

Lillianna and I were in the car on our way to her best friend Mollie's house today. I don't even know what we were talking about when she said,"Between all my friends,I'm the one who is closest to my mother."

I thought for a second and said,"That's not true. All your friends are very close to their mother." Since I am friends with all those moms I felt pretty sure saying this.

Lillianna said,"Well,ya...but not like we are. You take me everywhere you go."

I laughed and said,"That's true. You've sat through my root canal for over an hour when you were 3. You've come to hair appointments,doctors appointments....just about everything....but you have to remember,you are my only child."

I have always thought it was just easier to take her with me wherever I went because she is such a well behaved child. Then I said,"Nana used to take me everywhere she went too and then I used to take Kara everywhere that I went. It just seems normal to me,I guess."

I had such a warm fuzzy feeling because Lillianna and I are very close. I hope it always stays that way.

Another reason to be proud of my daughter

I'm always proud of Lillianna. She has always been a kind,loving,compassionate,thoughtful and generous child. I wasn't surprised at all when I went up to school for my parent-teacher conference on Thursday. Mrs. O'Neil said that Lillianna was very helpful to her classmates and she always asks if there is anything she can do to help in the classroom. She's not Eddie from Leave it to Beaver,"You look lovely today Mrs.Cleaver." She genuinely cares about people and always tries to help when she can.

During the week of conferences,a Scholastic Book Fair was held in school. Each teacher could fill out a wish list of books she would like for the classroom. If a parent would like to purchase a book for the class then he/she can look at the wish list and choose from there.

I wish Lillianna had told me about this while we were at school instead of when we were in the car on the way home. I would've bought a book for her class. Yesterday,Mrs.O'Neil said the kids could take one more look at the Book Fair since it was the last day. Lillianna checked Mrs.O'Neil's wish list and saw that there was only one book left on it.

She took her dollar that I gave her for ice cream during lunch and decided to see what she could do.(They can only buy ice cream on Fridays.)She asked her friends if they wanted to pitch in and buy Mrs.O'Neil's last book. Some people only had a quarter to give but Lillianna said every bit would count. In the end,she managed to gather the $5 for the book and she bought it for Mrs.O'Neil.

(Lillianna would have to add the details to this but she's at a local Junior Miss pageant with her best friend and she's sleeping over there tonight so I'll have to wing it.)

Mrs.O'Neil asked who bought her the book and Lillianna gave her all the names of the people that chipped it. I was so proud when Lillianna told me this story but for a second I felt bad that she didn't get her ice cream which she looks forward to every week. When I told her that she said,"Mom,a book is way more important than an ice cream!"

Is this child really only 10 years old? I know I wasn't that thoughtful or generous at that age. I am so lucky to have this child. She simply amazes me.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Ha-Ha-Ha???

I'm going to have to stop watching t.v. because it's making me crazy!
This morning,on Fox News,there was another story about Santa. I know it's almost December but why is this year the year to bash Santa?

Apparently there are stricter guidelines this year for department store Santas. After thousands of years of greeting people with,"Ho-Ho-Ho Merry Christmas!" he now has to say,"Ha-Ha-Ha Merry Christmas!" Why? Because Ho-Ho-Ho is scary to children and offensive to women!

Let's break it down,shall we? It is 2007. Ten year olds are creating profiles on MYSPACE and meeting strangers online. Scary for the parents but not scary for the kids. Kids of all ages are playing Grand Theft Auto which allows them to steal cars and assassinate innocent bystanders while they rob banks and whatever else seems "fun" to them. That's not scary but Ho-Ho-Ho is going to traumatize them?? Get real,folks.

As for being offensive to women,I've never had anyone call me a "ho" so I never associated Santa's greeting with a derogatory remark towards women. Are farmers going to have to rename their hoe too? We'll just call it that flat bladed thingy since we don't want the farmer's wife thinking that Old McDonald has a girl stashed in a hay stack when he yells,"Hey honey,can ya bring me that hoe in the barn?" Can you just imagine the confusion? The divorce rate would sky rocket!

In a time when we are all completely desensitized to violence,why turn something innocent into something that it isn't?

No one will have a happy or merry anything if this keeps up!

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Santa is too fat???? Are you kidding me??

I was watching t.v. in Tech Lube while the oil in my car was getting changed and the news came on. Apparently,moms are in an uproar because.....wait for it.....
Santa is too fat!!

Jolly old St.Nick needs a gastric bypass or a personal trainer. Moms do not think he is a good role model for the kiddies. So what if he eats a million cookies on Christmas Eve? He washes them down with milk and that's a healthy beverage. He's not swigging down a few brewskies or having a frappe at every house,now is he?

He works his butt off all year long. He puts everyone ahead of himself and he brings joy to the world. That's not an easy task especially in this day and age. He's probably a stress eater.....ahhhhhh....I can totally relate.

So what's the solution to Santa's round body? Call Jenny Craig? Liposuction? Lap band? Richard Simmons? A Dr.Phil intervention? Oh that would be hilarious.

"Santa.....you can not change what you do not acknowledge......you are over weight. You are not really jolly now are you?" For those of you who know Dr.Phil's lingo,this is what he would say.

I for one do not think Santa's weight is an issue. We will be leaving cookies and milk again this year. Maybe he'll eat the reindeer's carrots and feed the cookies to the reindeer. Then next year they'll be too damn fat to fly and no one will get any damn presents!!! Merry Freakin' Christmas!!

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

You can't quit motherhood

I was talking to my cousin last night. Her brother is divorced and she is fairly close to his ex-wife although the ex has some issues. One of which is that she barely takes care of her kids. They're not babies but they're not old enough to be on their own.

My cousin was with her 12 year old niece recently. She is very close to this girl and she loves her as well as her two brothers. She is more of a mother to them than their own mother is.Her niece revealed that she thinks her mother is just tired of being a mother. That floored me. Tired of being a mother? Tired?.....of being a mother?

I'm a mother and I am definitely tired but not of being a mother! I love being a mother. It's the best job on the planet. If I didn't have Lillianna I would have a huge empty space in my heart. She is the joy of my life.

Her activities keep me hopping,that's for sure,and I have no idea how I'd handle two kids but I completely love the one I have. I'll be mothering this child until the day I die. My mom is 70 and she is still mothering me and Kara.

It makes me crazy when parents think there is something more important in life than taking good care of their children and loving them unconditionally.

I pour my heart and soul into raising Lillianna. I take this job very seriously. I changed my work schedule back in May so that I could spend more time with her. I hate working 5 days a week but the pay off is that I can drop her off at school every morning,pick her up at 2:30pm and have the weekends with her. That sure beats working nights and weekends and missing her life.

I wish women understood that you just can't quit motherhood. If you choose to take that job....it's for life.

Suppressed stress?

Say that 5 times fast.....I dare ya!

I've been stressed for quite a while but lately,things are kind of normal although still stressful.....if that makes any sense.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not any more stressed than usual but my left eye has been twitching off and on since yesterday. That only happens when I am under stress. So I must be suppressing some stress.

I over carbed today.....I guess I am stressed after all. Stupid stress!

A growth spurt

Today was Lillianna's yearly check-up with her pediatrician,Dr.Fernandez. I knew Lilianna went through a huge growth spurt this past year and I was eager to hear what the doctor had to say. Usually she only gains a few pounds each year but this year she gained 10. Dr.Fernandez was thrilled with that. I was surprised when she told me she had grown 4 inches. I didn't realize she had gotten so much taller.

Dr.Fernandez said that normally she would've only grown 2 inches but since she grew 4,that means she's hit puberty. I told her we already knew that. The mood swings have already surfaced which can go on for the next few years.

Since I don't want to be at odds with my precious child just because hormones are taking over,I told Lillianna that when she is feeling out of control,she just needs to come to me and say,"I feel crazy." Then I can hug her or talk to her until she feels better. We tried this yesterday and it worked really well.

I have shared my lovely hormone stories with her and they make her laugh. I remember being 12 or 13 and having a melt down and my parents got angry at me. I vowed that I would remember how that felt and be kinder to my own child. Back then,I don't think parents really understood what was happening and all the emotions their child was going through.

When I was pregnant,holy hormones,I was on my way home and I drove by my house. Not wanting the stranger behind me to know that I passed my own house,I refused to turn around. I ended up driving 2 towns away before I could turn around and head home. At the time,it made perfect sense. Looking back,I just have to laugh and shake my head.

I have explained some of my PMS stories to Lillianna and again,they seem so funny now. I remember arguing with Rich way before Lillianna was born and honestly,I think I was mad about something to do with a spoon. Even as the ridiculous words were out of my mouth,I heard a voice in my head say,"Stop! You're not making any sense! You're out of control!" but I kept on freaking out anyway. I think the whole scene ended in tears and then the moment passed. Compared to my weird situations,Lillianna seems calm.

The other day she said,"I'm glad I have a Mom who remembers what it's like." I'm glad I kept my promise to myself to remember.

Do you have any crazy hormonal stories you'd like to share?