clamor of the busy

 

So much to do

Health Insurance:  finally after 3 1/2 months I have health insurance.  We paid for the full year . . . that, oddly enough, just about sent them into Apoplexy.

 

Taxes:  I never did make it home this winter, so I hoped I had brought enough of my files to do my taxes.  I scrounged and pulled together all I thought I needed and sent it to the Michigan accountants that had done them for the last 3 years.  I kept my fingers crossed.  I got a call, after identifying himself, his first words were:  I blame Romney!  Thank you!  I blurted out, I've been trying to explain that to people for years!  we went on to have a discussion about the coming federal health care system and how it is actually based on Romney's plan in effect in Massachusetts.  If you get your health care insurance through a job, it affects you very little.  You simply have to file a health care 1099 with your taxes or be fined or lose a significant portion of your refund.  Having to obtain your own health insurance AND affording it is an entirely  different matter.  When I was working for the Agency here in Michigan, which had it's HOME OFFICE in Maryland, and therefore my insurance was from Maryland . . . try explaining to THEM what you need for your taxes in yet another state to PROVE you had health insurance for the entire year so you won't be fined.  Anyway, DONE.

 

Mom's taxes:  My brother is actually responsible for these, but with the chaos of an early Easter, several regular Church services per week, the addition of weekly Lenten services, plus the usual assorted duties of congregation, local synod cluster and family . . . my proximity elected me to try to sort out the necessary paperwork.  The "pile method" has now been reorganized to an actual file system in the file drawers!  Lord, please don't let me have pureed something I shouldn't have.  We met up and I passed the large brown paper grocery bag to him.  Good luck.  (same accountants . . . have mercy on them.)

 

Doctor's appointment:  I already had been through this and had a Doctor here.  Since technically I still had Blue Cross, (3 different states since 2010), I already knew she was on the approved list.  However, in the 3 1/2 months of trying to get local insurance, she'd finished Maternity leave and decided to take a longer leave, (years?), to take care of her child.  Time to find another doctor.  Trying to stay with Henry Ford and prefer Internal Medicine.  One would think one common office and all would accept the same insurance, but it does NOT work that way.  I found my choice, one that I had been shifting between the first time around, (2010), except she was at an office I preferred not to go to.  That office has since closed and she now is at the same office as my previous MD.  I called to make an appt. and was told "she is not accepting NEW patients."  (Now, wait a minute, I've been going back and forth between BC/BS, HFHS, and several review sites all saying accepting new patients)  "I could make you an appt. with another doctor here . . ."  Uhh, no thank you.  (I'm going to just LET THEM pick me out a doctor??  yes let's go to a car dealership and LET THEM pick me a car.  Uhh, NO!  Now what, there weren't any other good candidates in that specialty, in my opinion.)  I decided to try the "back door method" to get what I wanted.  I requested an appt.  with her through the on-line HFHS website.  I was honest.  I got my appt.  YES!!

 

speaking of cars . . .

New vehicle:  Mom's decided she will not be driving, therefore we do not need two vehicles.  The newer of the two, was Dad's car and neither of us much care for it as a singular transport for us.  My car, hers previously, is 12 years and ageing fast, so it was decided she/we would trade in both and get a new vehicle . . . my choice, her money.  Brother and his Beloved, had taken Mom out for lunch in his vehicle, while I was out one day.  As she is rather tall, she got in and out of his newer Escape rather well.  It has the cargo space I prefer, is well rated for an American in it's category, and my brother really likes his.  I did all my research, right down to the new 2013 colors, and made a list of musts, ambiguous actually, and "really I would rather nots".  My Brother and I met with his Ford Dealer, I handed over the list, and they said they would check for one.  There won't be, I looked.  Oh, you're right.  I fielded questions from my Brother and the Dealer about my choices . . . color:  ginger ale- new this year, a black SUV, (predictable really), same with silver, white, and gray . . . NO.  Blue is becoming very common, couldn't stomach brown, and will not pay extra for red.  tow package and therefore need the 2.0:  bike rack and I'm going to need to get my stuff back one of these years.   And on it went, the Dealer seemed impressed with my knowledge . . . well I did have two weeks to research.  So that is ordered.  Hopefully we will have it when we finally get to go visit HOME in May.

 

There was more, but really don't you think this post is long enough?