Family

I am about familied out and have 1 more 3 day weekend to go which is to me the worst. All day today we had the Italian side (hubs) in a park. Over 100 showed which is remarkable. Learned I am related by marriage to lots of good Italian names that to me sounded like different types of cheese. We spent the day there playing bocce and enjoying a huge feast of every food imaginable plus some. I even got to enjoy a bit of it that I could gum/slide down and not chew.

But we have attended 2 high school graduations, 2 junior high graduations, 2 confirmations, 2 communions, 1 wedding, and of course Mother's Day with both sides and Father's Day x2 (kept them separated after the Mother's Day fiasco) all in the space of 45 days plus we have done most of the bridal planning on top of it.

Next weekend is the worst to come in my opinion. For 3 days I get to spend helping to cook and clean for 30+ people in a conference center with 10 separate bedrooms, one small kitchen, no utensils, no microwave, 1 oven, 4 cooktops, and 1 frig. Anything we want to cook with we have to bring with. Did I mention there will be 2 kids under the age of 2, 7 kids under the age of 10, 8 kids under 18, 3 kids under 21, and 20 people between the ages of 21 and 74. Every year there are complainers. Every family has them. Somehow it seems my family has more than most. There are 6 kids and 2 paretns. Each kid has a spouse. Each kid also has a family and who in some cases, have a family of their own. Total chaos in which I am not used to anymore. I like my peace and quiet.

Now in my defense.....I am on 2 antibiotics - one for a sinus infection and one for my mouth and all the dental work that started out simple but has become a nightmare.....plus I am working 1 girl short (who is on vacation) and 1 girl who is pmsing. I have one nostril that is entirely full of blisters from blowing my nose so much. Loverly!

Wedding update: nothing much to note cept we have picked out the cake topper, the candy treats, the vases the bridesmaids will put their corsages in, the bridesmaid dresses, the save the date magnets which are off to the printer, rented a trolley instead of limos, down to 3 different invitations, ordered the unity candle, and daughter is down to 4 bridal gowns from the Maggie Sottero trunk. DJ is being booked this Tuesday. Daughter has started a wedding website and I will link it only for friends.

New doctor hire update: hopefully we will be hiring a guy tomorrow. I feel good about him.

I am exhausted and need to get through this next 4 days doing as much prep things after my 12 hour days as possible....so this might be my last post for a bit.

TGIF

Update on the week:
Daughter and hubs had a blow out last night over the newspaper announcement. Settled it tonight. Everyone happy. Announcement sent in to paper by us.

Interviewed 2 doctors to work for us. Neither passed the 1st interview. One wanted to work 1-2 days per week but that would depend on when her sitter can babysit and would change every week. Other doesn't have the credentials and was practicing outside what our state says she can do. 4 more next week scheduled.

PMSing office employee better. Got her period and is on meds so calm today.

Tooth pain better but still can't eat anything but mush. Kinda getting used to it and gotta say it's great for the wedding diet.

Foot pain better but don't tell hubs....his ego would get too big. Nothing worse than an egotistical doctor who was right in the first place, especially if he is your husband.

So I am thinking....ok halfway through the week.....gotta get better......then I wake up. Ever have one of those days that you just had a feeling something was going to go horribly wrong before the end of the day? Had that feeling this morning. Morning hours passed with no problems. Afternoon....should have known and listened to my gut. When a geek says something is simple computer wise, it usually isn't. I killed an office computer today.

Son in law to be (SIL2be) is a network administrator and who I called in a panic....I felt him laughing at what I did. Ok ok ok....I will spill what I did. The front office computer was running slow. I had SIL2be check it last week to take off start up items that didn't need to be on startup, thinking it would run a bit faster. Well, he said you barely have anything loading but Windows XP and Norton's. The reason why the computer won't respond is the ram....it only had 256 ram. So he wrote down what I was to buy. I finally had time last night to go to Best Buy and get what I needed...only of course they didn't have it exactly....the geek there said this other one is larger and is compatible. I didn't believe him so I called SIL2be and he said well if they said it was ok, then try it. He said it was simple to put it in...only one way it clicks in.

Yeah. Right. Should. Not. Have. Listened.

To make a long story short.....I guess I put the memory card in upside down and fried my motherboard (no clue what that is but heard it's bad....real bad). Now in my defense.....both geek and SIL2be said putting in the memory card is easy. It can only go in one way. Well, it went in my way too so I call that defective advertising. It can go in 2 ways....one right and one wrong. So I brought home tower for SIL2be to see if it is salvageable.

Just the right topping for my week. Thank goodness I don't have anything to do tomorrow but pay bills, balance the checkbook, take care of my grandpuppies and dogsitting for my niece's lab for the weekend. Fri night we are taking hub's parents to dinner for Father's Day. Saturday all I have to do is the wedding and reception for another niece. Sunday church......and laundry. Sounds peaceful. I mean what else can happen this week that hasn't already happened?

Mondays should be banned

I am getting old. I can no longer tolerate working 12 hour days 6 days a week then go out to dinner with friends and attend a graduation party for another friends's son all in the same week and expect to be bright eyed and bushy tailed Monday morning. I swear I feel like I have been run over by a mack truck!

Work: Today started off with no internet at the one office...after many phone calls....they are sending a technician out on Wednesday to fix the problem (like I believe that). Off this afternoon to 2nd office and my laptop's disc drive won't open so can't load new data and the dsl at that office was slower than dialup so called them back once again....I swear they should tremble when they see my number calling in again. Did I mention that all our schedules, etc are on a website so I can't access anything?

Update on wedding drama: I am nominating my daughter to be on Bridezilla. Please someone somewhere tell me this will get better. Does she need to change her mind every 5 minutes? I can't keep up. Last I had heard we were doing candles on a mirror with rose petals for reception centerpieces. Guess MOG (Mother of groom) has her panties in a wad because of that. No clue. At this point...no longer care. MOG can go KMA.

Update on mouth and tooth pain: had a root canal. So right now no pain but still have temporary bridge in and dentist and my time are not coordinating to get permanent one put in so still can't eat nor drink anything but tepid water.

New pain: lots of foot pain....thought it was just that I had been putting my feet on the wheels of the chairs at the office but guess not...ultrasound on Saturday showed a bursa so hubs injected it with cortisone....which flipped off my no hormones and set me off hot flashing something horrible again and can't sleep with the night sweats. And...as of today.....still have the pain in the foot.

Cicadas: graduation party in another cicada laden area....they are getting brave and bold now...they nose dive into you at full speed looking for a mate....and they were crawling up my and into my shirt....one even went down my shell into my bra...no clue as to what he was looking for.....then again...maybe it was a she.....Their noise level has intensified to the point that even driving down the road with windows up and radio on...you can still hear them!

Family: have a niece's wedding to attend this Saturday...wearing the deep mauve dress with hopefully heels if my foot feels better. But that isn't looking to be a good time since my sister's husband is the father of the bride yet is not allowed to walk his daughter down the aisle. So should be an interesting wedding. Also in the midst of trying to help plan the yearly family reunion get-a-way where we all stay in the same house (and there will be 36 of us there this year. Loverly! Yep looking forward to that one.....Oh and did I mention that I get to spend my ONLY evening off with hubs parents for Father's Day?

Finally....ok can't think of anything good that has happened today and since I always try to think of positives.....I shall say there are only 5 more hours until Monday is over..........YIPEE............

Gastronimical Delight

Tonight husband and I are going to for dinner with another couple to honor one of our favorite restaurants.: Ambria. It is not a place one goes to on an even monthly basis but a special restaurant. Hubs first took me for one of our anniversaries a few years ago and we have returned at least once a year since. It will be closing June 30th and it will be sorely missed.

They have this special there...you tell the chef what you don't like or can't eat and then let him create a 5 or 7 course dinner for you. Every time we have gone it has been simply amazing...mouth watering.....a dining orgasmic experience. Flavors explode in your mouth like they never have before.

Here is the place where we are going tonight....
http://www.leye.com/restaurants/rest_home.jsp?id=1
http://www.planet99.com/chicago/restaurants/652.html
http://www.leye.com/restaurants/menus/ambria_menu_1.pdf

So do you have a favorite restaurant or simply amazing dinner that you like?

Sicko

I for one can't wait until the movie "Sicko" by Michael Moore is in the theaters June 29th. I rarely go to the theater because the price of a ticket is way too high and viewing the big screen with surround sound sets off my vertigo. BUT I will go for this one. This movie is all about what I have been teaching to doctor's offices for years now....HOW TO GET PAID FOR WHAT YOU DO from an insurance company whose main job is to deny your claim for no reason. 14% of all claims submitted get denied even if you sent everything in correctly. Of those 14%, only 50% of offices appeal the claim. Of that 50%, only 4% get paid on the first appeal. Most offices drop the ball and just write off the charge. FYI - most office's denial rate usually range around 46% - but most of their denial rates are because of stupid mistakes.

I don't like denials. I take it all the way and even fight with ERISA and a patient's SPD (Summary Plan Description - the booklet that your benefits manager has which spells out how your benefits are to be paid). Insurance companies don't like people who use these booklets because they have to pay the claim then. Does that make those offices then use what I teach? Nope....That is called work. And patients - they get upset with us....because the oh so perfect insurance industry can't be wrong. It is the doctor's office and their billing that is wrong.

There are 3 denials that we get: 1. not medically necessary 2. not a benefit under this plan and 3. experimental treatment. When a claim first goes in, the only thing that looks at the claim and pays the claim is a computer which is programmed to deny certain codes. That computer makes the decision that something is not medically necessary or experimental or not a benefit or one of the many other myriad of excuses insurance companies have. It is a computer. Computers do make mistakes and it is the programmers that program those codes into it. It just irks me that offices allow this computer to deny their claim.

Experimental treatment: Another huge one. Medical billing is done by codes put out annually by the American Medical Association. There are different types of codes (a series of numbers, letters and numbers, and numbers and letters. All numbers are called CPT codes. Letters and numbers are called HCPCS codes. Numbers and letters are called temporary codes. Now these temporary codes are not really experimental as they have to have FDA approval to even get a temporary number assigned to it but they are for emerging technology. But the AMA decided to use these codes for 5 years and if the code usage was there, then it would become a permanent code and be converted to a CPT code. In podiatry we have a non-surgical treatment for plantar fasciitis and heel pain. It has been around for 15+ years and a FDA approved treatment. It finally got a temporary code 7 years ago and a permanent code 2 years ago. Do insurance companies pay for it? Some do but most don't. They call it experimental. Every single claim I get a denial for I have to take all the way through the appeal process (3 levels then to a peer-to-peer review) before I finally get it paid. This takes anywhere from 1 to 2 years from the time the service was done before the doctor gets paid. Now I am tenacious. Most offices are not.

So go watch the movie and really find out about what is happening in our great USA with healthcare. Get the real story. This is the only movie of Michael Moore's that is totally right on and what is really going on.

For any of you who bitch about what your healthcare costs....here is what we pay for our health insurance for 3 people: $2800.00 per month for a policy with a $2500.00 deductible and then pays claims at a 50/50 percent. Now do you see why small businesses cannot afford to hire full time people or offer health insurance?

Week in Review

All of us have had those Kodak priceless moments....yanno the ones.

Bad: As you all know, hubs and I spent the weekend pulling up carpeting, painting the hall and the new surgical room at the one office, and painting the 2nd story of our house. Discovered muscles I never knew I had.

Good: Tuesday after work we celebrated son's 24th birthday at the restaurant of his choice. Bad for me since they think garlic is the main dish.

Good and hilarious: Wednesday I got to do one of my favorite thangs....preparing the month end reports for my clients and sending them their monthly invoices then did another favorite thang...went to a dinner meeting and learned all about the new vein surgery....then got to watch hubs try to help clean up the office for patients the next day while very snookered.

Bad: Thursday I got to go get my permanent bridge put in and what I had thought was going to be the end of my pain...how wrong I was!

Worse: Saturday after office hours I ended up back in the dentist chair getting a root canal done knowing that this dentist thang still isn't over.

Very bad: Saying goodbye to 4 of son's friends who have yet another tour in Iraq (most have spent 4 tours there already).

Good: Today we spent at my nephew's high school graduation in cicada territory. We all met at my sister's then carpooled to the high school. During the 4 hours we were at graduation (which was moved indoors due to the mating calls of the cicadas overpowering the PA system), our car tires were covered with the little things. Here are some pictures taken in cicada territory:
Cicadas at base of the tree...the brown ones are dead shells and the black ones are live:


Cicadas on the tree singing their mating song:



Cicadas mating:


Cicadas on our tires:


So-so: All in all, for a blue moon week, it's just been a so-so week! I am still not out of pain with my teeth. Weight loss is now at 35 pounds which is good for the wedding diet and kinda getting used to oatmeal and tepid water and scrambled eggs as a diet. I did bring out my juicer for some pureed vegetables.

Priceless: Downloaded Eva's books and reading them and looking forward to...... :)

Wedding Plans Update

Well, photojournalist and videographer booked.

Invitations picked out: we are hand making them.

Reception booked.

Church booked.

Now to designing the table centerpieces....we have round tables seating 10 per table. We are thinking of a square mirror with rose petals and candles. We found this to either just use on the mirror or use as a thank you gift for each place setting or instead of the thank you card, we could use seating cards with the guests name on them and the table number they are sitting at: www.myweddingfavors.com/garden-glass-gel-candle-rose.html

We have set up how the presentation of the bride and groom into the reception is going to occur: the wedding party will be introduced through the doors on the same floor as the rooms. There is a bridal suite on the 2nd floor with a staircase going down into the reception rooms...they are thinking of coming down those stairs when the bride and groom are introduced with the groom coming first with the bride following and then he kneels at the bottom and holds out his hand for his bride.

We still have to trim down the guest list. Groom's mother gave them a list with 160 people on it on which only 50 were on their list so they are working on her to get their list down to a manageable size so they can invite friends since we are only having 200 people. Daughter and groom only want people invited that they know personally, eliminating friends of the parents that they don't know, and daughter is ready to go with my idea that anyone over the approved 50 the groom's parents pay for at $150.00 per plate.

Bride and groom finally got MIL convinced that they are not going to Miami to the honeymoon the groom's parents are willing to pay for (their condo for 2 weeks with them getting to use it for one week then having the groom's parents join them for the 2nd week) and are doing their own thing.

Still looking for THE dress (for the bride) and the bridesmaid's dresses.

337 days to go..........