Whatever Lulu wants, Lulu gets...
Just had another great chamber board meeting. They voted on new membership software--REJOICE! We desperately need it, and it was Goal #1 on this year's program of work. They voted to share the cost for an outdoor movie night for the community, and they voted to formally support the raising of the lodging tax. A good night.
It's a lot of work to get ready for a board meeting. Besides the big stuff, there are many loose ends that need trimmed before a board meeting. And it's important to be organized and inspiring and forward-moving because it would be bad to get all bogged down and inefficient and bore the board members. So far, so good.
Just as we were developing a tiny little cushion in our bank account--and we're talking a few hundred dollar cushion--we get walloped. The business insurance is due at the shop--$1200. That means there's no money there to pay for the twice-yearly car insurance bill--$700. And then there's our huge credit card bill that Kevin still hasn't called about--$500.
And finally...last weekend the boys were playing hide-and-seek in the house. Stevie ran into the bathroom to elude Mark, Mark caught up, and Stevie slammed the door not realizing that Mark's finger was in the way. Mark's index finger had a lot of little bloody bumps on it, was very scraped up, and looked as if it could be broken. Kevin's aunt is a nurse and she was out in the pasture so we asked her her professional opinion. She couldn't tell if it was broken by looking at it and suggested the ER. I called Mark's regular doctor and, of course, those boneheads couldn't fit him in and they, too, recommended the ER. I should note here that there is no urgent care within 35 minutes. We don't have proper health insurance. Mark was crying and in obvious pain. It hurt me to do it, but I took him to the ER.
He had 3 x-rays. The doctor spent all of 5 minutes looking at the finger, looking at the x-rays. It wasn't broken. Band-aids and ice were the treatment. The bill was $515.
I thought $200, maybe even $250. So that bill was a shock that made me think of the failings of our entire health care system. Awesome that we were able to see a doctor so quickly, but what the frick!? There is no way to justify that cost. Just no way. And that is roughly 1/4 of my monthly take-home. That is the kind of visit that snowballs into something much worse for many people. The kind of visit that cripples the nation. The kind that depletes puny little cushions. So go universal health care! Because this shit is ridiculous.
Other than that, it was a pretty typical week around here. I've been getting up early and working out, but I haven't given up the sweets. I'm working a lot. Kevin is working a lot and suffering through a nicotine-deprived depression.
Mark is developing a fear of pumas and a love for the cheesiest horse slide shows on YouTube. This is Mark's favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13nz4vyhLs4
I encourage you to watch it. If you know me, you'll know my suffering. And you will understand what I mean when I tell you that Mark is a 3-year old boy going on melodramatic, horse-loving tween girl. Complete with painted toenails. And he knows the words to the song and sings along!
Stevie still hates school because "it's so boring". He has instituted "Star Wars Saturdays" and spends most non-homework moments either playing light sabers, watching one of the Star Wars movies (he has all 6 now), putting together a Star Wars lego set, or playing Star Wars Legos on Wii.
I'm spent!
It's a lot of work to get ready for a board meeting. Besides the big stuff, there are many loose ends that need trimmed before a board meeting. And it's important to be organized and inspiring and forward-moving because it would be bad to get all bogged down and inefficient and bore the board members. So far, so good.
Just as we were developing a tiny little cushion in our bank account--and we're talking a few hundred dollar cushion--we get walloped. The business insurance is due at the shop--$1200. That means there's no money there to pay for the twice-yearly car insurance bill--$700. And then there's our huge credit card bill that Kevin still hasn't called about--$500.
And finally...last weekend the boys were playing hide-and-seek in the house. Stevie ran into the bathroom to elude Mark, Mark caught up, and Stevie slammed the door not realizing that Mark's finger was in the way. Mark's index finger had a lot of little bloody bumps on it, was very scraped up, and looked as if it could be broken. Kevin's aunt is a nurse and she was out in the pasture so we asked her her professional opinion. She couldn't tell if it was broken by looking at it and suggested the ER. I called Mark's regular doctor and, of course, those boneheads couldn't fit him in and they, too, recommended the ER. I should note here that there is no urgent care within 35 minutes. We don't have proper health insurance. Mark was crying and in obvious pain. It hurt me to do it, but I took him to the ER.
He had 3 x-rays. The doctor spent all of 5 minutes looking at the finger, looking at the x-rays. It wasn't broken. Band-aids and ice were the treatment. The bill was $515.
I thought $200, maybe even $250. So that bill was a shock that made me think of the failings of our entire health care system. Awesome that we were able to see a doctor so quickly, but what the frick!? There is no way to justify that cost. Just no way. And that is roughly 1/4 of my monthly take-home. That is the kind of visit that snowballs into something much worse for many people. The kind of visit that cripples the nation. The kind that depletes puny little cushions. So go universal health care! Because this shit is ridiculous.
Other than that, it was a pretty typical week around here. I've been getting up early and working out, but I haven't given up the sweets. I'm working a lot. Kevin is working a lot and suffering through a nicotine-deprived depression.
Mark is developing a fear of pumas and a love for the cheesiest horse slide shows on YouTube. This is Mark's favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13nz4vyhLs4
I encourage you to watch it. If you know me, you'll know my suffering. And you will understand what I mean when I tell you that Mark is a 3-year old boy going on melodramatic, horse-loving tween girl. Complete with painted toenails. And he knows the words to the song and sings along!
Stevie still hates school because "it's so boring". He has instituted "Star Wars Saturdays" and spends most non-homework moments either playing light sabers, watching one of the Star Wars movies (he has all 6 now), putting together a Star Wars lego set, or playing Star Wars Legos on Wii.
I'm spent!
posted by lulu | 6:29 PM
2 Comments:
If we ever get our Wii fixed, we'll need Stevie's guidance on how to play Lego Star Wars worth a d@*n.
I made it about 40 seconds into tha that slideshow before I had to give up (and I have THREE girls!!!). I think my favorites are 1) the white horse placidly standing in front of a star appearing to go supernova and 2) the two horses rearing in unison amidst the prairie lightning.
OK, that was disturbing.
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