Blatherings

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:55:58 GMT

I love the outdoors, but the outdoors hates me!

Yesterday we went to the local pool because the podiatrist wants me to walk in water to help build up muscles without putting much pressure on my foot. Okay, worked on that, felt great, we had fun, etc...but despite SPF 50 sunscreen liberally applied and deeply rubbed in, my shoulders and chest - basically everything above the water line - are lobster-like. Corran and Peo used the same sunscreen and are pretty much fine (although Corran says his face feels slightly burned, but I think it looks tanned).

Then just now I was sitting on a chair on the back lawn so I could water the poor plants I planted before the surgery which have been mostly neglected and are getting quite crispy, and I count at least eight mosquito bites in the short time I was out there. And I'm allergic, so they swell up and itch something awful.

At least I've recently come upon a two-pronged approach that numbs down the itch enough so I can fall asleep (although woe be unto me if I wake up in the middle of the night, because then they all come online fast and furious), which is good because every other methodology I've ever tried - and believe me, if you've heard of it, I've tried it - has failed.

Step one is to fry 'em. When in the shower, I aim the shower-on-hose right at the bite and then slowly bump up the temperature to the point where I can almost not stand the heat. Then I hold it there for a few seconds, wincing...but afterwards, the bite is numb for a good few hours.

Step two is liberal and deep-rubbed application of Benadryl's bug bite/poison ivy gel. My awesome neighbour told me about the spray version last year, which works okay but leaves the skin sticky. I found the gel at Target and it's much neater and by rubbing it in deeply, I find that it works better and longer than the spray. It does not immediately remove itch, but a little while after application it shrinks the swelling and makes it manageable. Combined with the pre-numbing from the shower frying, this works pretty well.

So if you've tried a million creams and home remedies to stop mosquito bite itch and they've all failed, try either or both of these. It doesn't eliminate itch permanently or anything, but like I said, it's enough to be able to fall asleep.

Now if only I could do something about my Scottish-heritage skin that burns despite sunscreen...

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:47:07 GMT

A really cool episode of Nova I've mentioned before is about to rerun, at least on our local PBS:

Nova:
Kings of Camouflage
Tue, Jul 21, 07:00 PM to 08:00 PM (60 mins)
Cuttlefish are able to change their skin color and even their shape to blend into virtually any background. (TV-G, CC, Stereo, Rerun)

Highly recommended, and obviously check your local listings to confirm.

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:54:59 GMT

Holy moley, this is the BEST protest against airline luggage mishandling EVER.

United Breaks Guitars

It's catchy too. I have a new earworm, I think.

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:44:30 GMT

Trailer for Balibo

I'd see that even if LaPaglia wasn't in it (albeit by DVD just because of babysitter logistics), and him being in what looks like a very powerful role makes me wish I could get to Oz to see it in a theatre, since the likelihood of it playing wide in the US is slim and I don't live in NY or CA.

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:31:36 GMT

How to make a small child happy the frugal way:

1) If you spot cheap stickers in a bargain bin, get them. Cheap is at least 100 per dollar or better.

2) If the stickers are on a strip, keep the strip when empty.

3) When child requests purchase of expensive ribbon-on-a-stick, or in the case of Peo yesterday, just complains about having nothing she wants to do in the backyard, tie the empty sticker strip on a stick.

4) Enjoy as child runs around the backyard like a crazy person, absolutely thrilled with her own ribbon-on-a-stick, which makes way better noises than the expensive kind anyway (the paper-plastic sticker strip goes THBBBTTTPPP when waved quickly). Plus who cares if the child is too rough with it? No sensible parent would let a child experimentally stick a silk or cloth ribbon into a thorny bush repeatedly, but with re-used waste materials, let 'em experiment! Woot!

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:14:42 GMT

Consumerist's Top 10 Ironic Ads From History

Funny/scary.

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:46:16 GMT

Hahaha...

Hey Doctor Who fans, heck out the photo Consumerist used on this story...

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:51:24 GMT

Wanna know an awesome thing about having used prefold cloth diapers?

Now, when I've got an iodine-soaked dressing on my foot and some of the iodine wicks out along the bandage, all I have to do is put a diaper down under my foot and voila, potential staining mess contained. And who cares if the diaper gets stained...iodine is the cleanest brown stuff it ever had on it!

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:00:49 GMT

1) Happy Canada Day! Woohoo!

2) This also marks our first full year in Austin.

3) Got the cast off today. I'm supposed to now wear support hose to minimize swelling, plus back to the black boot of doom (which is at least removable and so I won't have to wear it when I sleep). But after doing all of that for a couple of hours today, I noticed some drainage from one of the incisions on the support hose, so I called and now they want the hose off and Corran has to go buy some iodine solution stuff so I can put wet dressings on it for awhile. Yay.

And there's enough pain when I try to step that I'm not really walking yet. Plus they couldn't x-ray today because their machine needs repair, so I'm holding off on full pressure until an x-ray says it's okay even if it hurts.

4) While there, we discussed the ultrasound machine non-covered-by-insurance issue. I think the doc intends to argue that, but other than that, he said if the rep said they wouldn't bill me, they won't, but just to be sure he's putting a call in to remind the rep of that.

Also, the other billing nonsense has been distilled down to this: I paid the remainder of my deductible to the hospital, but somehow the doctor's office got its billing into the insurance before the hospital did even though the hospital's bill is dated the day before, so the hospital now has to refund me the $837.37 so I can then pay it to the doctor's office. And yes, it's too much to ask that the insurance do so...they told me I have to do it myself. Been waiting all day for a call back from the hospital's billing department.

Oh, and the double-billing thing from the doc's office...they said his associate assisted in the procedure, hence the double-billing, and if insurance isn't covering it that's weird, but at least for that the doc's office is going to work it out with insurance themselves. Hopefully it doesn't turn into a bill for us but the lady there didn't seem to think it would.

Fun.

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:43:01 GMT

Health care costs getting you down? Here's a fab solution!

Common Sense Doctor w/ Fred Willard from Fred Willard

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:43:08 GMT

Quoted from the site linked:

Lt. Dan Choi, from Orange County, California, is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an Iraq War veteran. On Tuesday, he will face a panel of colonels who will decide whether or not to fire him -- to discharge him from the military for "moral and professional dereliction" under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Lt. Dan Choi may be fired from the military for refusing to lie about who he loves

Sign a personal letter of support for Dan before Tuesday's trial and help him fight "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:32:15 GMT

Peo just had her first ever dose of Monty Python. We showed her the Ministry of Silly Walks sketch. She giggled several times and declared the walks very silly. When we asked her what she thought of it afterwards, she said, "It was a bit too silly." But later she confirmed she liked it anyway.

Then she pointed to a screen shot of the Inquisition on the DVD box and asked to see that. She is currently having a mega-tantrum because we said no. Well, and because it's bedtime.

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:06:59 GMT

*headdesk*

Over the past few weeks, we've received statements from the insurance company listing all of the charges for my foot surgery. I paid the remaining of my yearly $1500 deductible (which was $837.87) to the hospital at pre-registration, and after that the rest of it should be 100% covered.

As an aside, this is "good" insurance, because on the insurance we had before leaving Nevada, we had deductibles all over the place plus they only did 80% after the deductibles. The surgery was about $45,000ish, so we would have had to pay about $9000 plus deductibles under that plan. (Of course, Corran pays wayyyy more on premiums for this insurance, so it might be that amount anyway...)

Anyway, we thought everything was okay with this. Well, sort of. There's the lingering doubt about the fancy ultrasound bone healing machine...I was very clear with the doctor that I would not pay for it if insurance didn't cover it, and he at first said it probably wouldn't be covered but wanted me to schedule an appointment when the rep from the company that makes the devices would be there. At that appointment, suddenly the doc seem overly confident that it would be covered, and when I expressed suspicion, the rep said they would bill insurance but that if insurance denied it, they wouldn't charge me. I thought that was weird but remember, I was on a LOT of hardcore pain meds. Later, when we got the statement from insurance denying it (which was the first time we saw the cost: $4500), I got worried that the form they had me sign saying I was accepting the device may have had a "you'd better pay" clause. I was VERY CLEAR to the doctor and the rep that I was not capable of reading due to the drugs and the rep said it only said that I was accepting the machine and that they could bill insurance. But now I'm nervous...and for $4500, if they try to bill me, it's SOOOO going to a lawyer.

Our theory is that the doctor and rep may have worked out some kind of deal because I think the doctor wants to be the Austin distributor for the product and as a 36 year old with this kind of surgery, I'm probably awesome material for proving that it works (as opposed to the senior citizens he usually sees). But that's just a theory.

Anyway.

We thought at least the payment for the surgery stuff was taken care of.

Oh...except for the part where the deductible hadn't cleared when I was in the medical supply store getting the rented wheelchair. They took our word for it and didn't make us pay right then. But we've received a statement from insurance saying that they're covering part of it but waiting for a response to a letter sent to the store before covering the rest...erm...

Anyway.

Like I said, the surgery was fine. There should be no bills for the actual surgical procedures.

Um...you know where this is going, right?

THE FRAKKIN' PODIATRIST'S OFFICE WANTS $837.87.

Look up in the post. That number should seem familiar.

*sigh*

Corran and I just went through the stack of insurance statements and credit card statements and doctor bills, and our theory is that both my doctor and his clinic partner each charged for one part of the procedure. I have never met his partner. If he was present during the surgery, I didn't know about it. So our theory is that the office staff - who have been grossly incompetent on multiple occasions, messing up appointment times, failing to put my folder on the right person's desk for insurance processing while I waited six weeks to hear about coverage (at least that lady apologized and admitted the error), and tons of failures to call back on messages - have somehow managed to charge this aspect of the surgery under each doctor's name. So the insurance paid it once and has the others listed as duplicates. Somehow out of all that we're guessing that they think we have to pay THEM the remainder of the deductible that I can prove I already paid to the hospital.

GAHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Now, chances are, this will get settled by arguing and phoning and maybe Corran doing some foot-stomping when we go to their office on Wednesday for an appointment. But again, the STRESS of this crap is driving me crazy. We shouldn't have to spend hours on the phone arguing about someone else's mistakes.

And speaking of mistakes, I've just heard back from the Texas Department of Insurance about a grievance I filed with them regarding River Ranch Radiology, the people who did my MRI back in January. See, River Ranch Radiology said my portion of the procedure, towards deductible, would be $474.15. The receptionist said insurance might actually pay more of that, so she encouraged me to pay half that day and they'd bill the rest. So I did. Then we got a bill that was $188 higher than the $474.15 quoted. They wanted the other half PLUS an additional $188. In April, I spent hours on the phone with River Ranch Radiology and all of the insurance players, and everyone pointed the finger at someone else. The Texas Department of Insurance has now told me that indeed, River Ranch Radiology quoted me the wrong amount, and sorry, the government entity cannot compel anyone to fix the problem. So I had to pay the extra $188. Needless to say, I'm advocating that everyone avoid River Ranch Radiology like the plague, because you can't trust their quotes. They just go ahead and charge more after the fact and the patient is hosed. Nice.

Seriously, this is the real hell of US health "care". It's mistake after mistake after mistake and even if you can make the mistake go away, you have to spend tons of energy and time and stress doing so. And even when you're right and they're wrong, there's apparently no recourse. It's not worth going to a lawyer at $250 an hour for a $188 charge.

There's no incentive for providers and insurers to not make mistakes. In fact, under the current system, it's in their interest to make mistakes because most people can't/won't fight back. Most people will sigh and pay the bill. The small number who do fight can be defeated a lot of the time, and if not, well, it's still overall lucrative for them to make these mistakes.

Now, someone PLEASE dare to tell me again about the hazards of government bureaucracy in a universal, single-payer, government health care system. Oh please do. Because I sure as hell never had billing nightmares like these in Canada with all of those ooo-scary commie bureaucrats. All those talking heads saying that this administration is going to put a government official between me and my doctor? Hell yes! Please do! Bring it on! Someone ought to be able to enforce some rules for once! Sheesh!

PS The other podiatrist I saw as a second-opinion has also sent me a bill for that appointment. It doesn't look like they even properly tried to bill insurance and I don't recall seeing an insurance statement from them. So I'll have to call and yell and straighten that out too. Oh joy.

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:11:17 GMT

When we get time and money sufficient for it, we want to take Peo to the Toronto area to see and do all of the cool kid activities I grew up with, like the Ontario Science Centre, Ontario Place and Centre Island, etc.

We planned also to go out to Whitby twice, once for my all-time favourite nature area (I have even instructed Corran that I want my ashes put there when I die), Heber Downs, and secondly for Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village.

This morning I had a horrific nightmare that Heber Downs had been taken over by a mall-apartment-housing master planned complex thing, and all that was left was a small park of trees and a bit of a pond. When I woke up, I figured that sure, I bet a lot of what was farmland around it has been turned into more suburbs, but that hopefully the conservation area would still indeed be conserved. I checked, and it is, now managed by a government-established authority overseeing several similar areas in Durham.

However, the news isn't so good for the other attraction. Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village was sold off by the next generation of owners. It closed in 2006. Major bummer. :(

At least I know the Science Centre is still up and running...I cited its website recently in an online argument about accessibility and children's museums when some folks thought I was being unfair to the Austin Children's Museum for its relative non-accessibility. The Science Centre boasts that it is entirely barrier-free; the Austin museum has entire exhibits that require stair use (and bad stairs at that...tiny, skinny metal stairs that I hear parents complain about all the time, with good reason).

I haven't looked into Ontario Place and Centre Island...I assume they're still going and still have tons of awesome kid things to do? I loved that area full of big padded foam cylinders (basically punching bags) where you'd get bounced all around as they swayed.

PS Speaking of accessibility, I'm a bit sad this morning as an aside, because I had wanted to take Peo to Children's Art Day Park for a Biscuit Brothers concert. But it's effectively non-accessible. When I called to talk to the symphony people about it (they run the event and own the property), they said there was a path around the back of one of the buildings that was their wheelchair ramp in, since the primary entrance is by stairs. But the whole thing is cobblestone, and I remember the end of that path from last year as being quite steep; too steep for me to safely get myself up, especially with the frequent lack of purchase the wheels get on uneven surfaces. The guy on the phone also warned me that it'd be very crowded and did so in a tone that told me he didn't think I should go, even though the official line is that it's accessible. Children's Art Day Park is a great event for kids, and it's really sad that it, like pretty much everything else for families in Austin, is barely or non-accessible to the disabled. This is hands-down the least accessible place I've ever lived (the state Attorney General has even declared that state-owned buildings are ADA-exempt).

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:28:48 GMT

Check out these cool modified Lego minifigs:

http://www.greatwhitesnark.com/2008/12/15/custom-zombie-mini-fig-provides-a-lesson-in-lego-anatomy/

http://www.greatwhitesnark.com/2008/11/20/alien-chest-burster-custom-lego-figure-is-beautifully-ugly/

http://www.greatwhitesnark.com/2008/12/01/custom-two-face-lego-minifig-set-on-fire/

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:26:20 GMT

Peo's teacher told Corran on Friday that her reading has impressed the older kids at school.

Peo thinks this is great because the big kids praised her...pretty much manna from heaven for a littler kid.

Unfortunately, the teacher also told Corran that some of the older kids were also starting to show signs of competitiveness with Peo over it. Peo hasn't noticed. She's too happy.

Here's to hoping it doesn't go ugly in any way. This teacher is really good at this sort of thing, so we are indeed hopeful.

But when I mentioned it to a knitting friend who works for the local gifted association, there was a lot of nodding and dire hmm-hmming because this can be the precursor for harsh judgment.

And let's be clear about this: nobody said the dreaded G-word to these kids, nobody elevated Peo in any way, nobody did any of those things that the parents of gifted kids get accused of. Heck, Corran and I haven't even met most of these kids, since Peo gets dropped off earlier and picked up later than most. All that happened was Peo read in front of them.

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:16:33 GMT

Check out the insanely overpackaged thumb drives Corran got from Costco:

http://consumerist.com/5294857/less-plastic-label-on-mega+plasticked-thumb-drives-makes-us-wonder-what-more-plastic-looks-like

And the best comment there so far is the one suggesting that Corran should be on "America's Next Top Male Model."

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:29:04 GMT

Random bit, coming from a discussion with nightxade...

Before the surgery, I was experimenting with cauliflower and found some really easy, cheap ways to make it super-yummy.

First, I buy it frozen. It was nearly impossible to find year-round in Vegas, and even sometimes in Austin it's either sold out or kind of wilty-nasty-looking. It's cheaper frozen (I buy the store brand, which is not only cheaper outright, but even more if you pay by weight for a fresh head and are thus paying for all that leafy stuff that you're going to chuck anyway), it's pre-cut and ready, and it takes only seconds to thaw in the microwave. That means it's always on hand and ready.

Secondly, it's quite easy to make it tasty without adding too much junk to it, although probably I shouldn't be having the salt at all. This ease and availability make it a great last-minute side dish.

Recipe #1: put the frozen bits in a microwaveable bowl. Add a little dribble of water. Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, and a bit of kosher salt (or table salt if you don't have kosher). Microwave on high for a few minutes until tender (time will depend on amount and on your microwave...check frequently the first few times you do it).

Recipe #2: thaw frozen bits in the microwave on a medium setting until just not frozen anymore. Pour a light dribble of olive oil on the cauliflower (if it collects in the bottom of the bowl, you've used way too much). Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Toss by hand until each floret has a bit of stuff on it. Lightly spray/smear a casserole dish with olive oil. Put florets in casserole (for maximum yumminess, try to turn any flat sides down against the dish). Roast alongside your main dish in the oven until browned (will happen faster at higher temps, obviously). I haven't actually figured out the best temp yet, but it's worked fine at several.

Recipe #3: as #2, but use a microplane grater to grate a small amount of fresh Parmesan Reggiano over the whole thing first. OMG yummy.

There's also a really good but more complex/time consuming recipe in the Joy of Cooking that Corran has made, but I can't walk to the recipe shelf to look it up. It's got a white sauce, I think, and nutmeg, and cheese...oh it's to die for but it cooks at an awkward temperature for a side dish so we don't make it as often as we'd like. We've taken it to potlucks, though, and everyone loves it. foshka has had it at Thanksgiving at his house, I think...if he remembers and wants to comment...

I've also found some recipes lately that lightly saute cauliflower in oil with some salt. I bet that'd be awesome too.

Seriously, I'm a fussy eater and frozen cauliflower is an easy way to get nutrition into me. And with it in the freezer all the time, this is just as easy as any processed food, but it's much healthier. Try it.

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:12:42 GMT

*sigh* I wish we could go to this, but between accessibility issues and babysitting issues, it's just not feasible.

But other Austin area Whedon fans should take note:

Austin's Can't Stop The Serenity 2009

"Can’t Stop the Serenity" is a global fundraising effort featuring charity screenings of Joss Whedon’s 2005 film Serenity to benefit Equality Now. In the last three years, the Austin Browncoats have raised over $16,000, and in total over $160,000 has been raised for Equality Now around the world. You can read all about the global event at http://www.cantstoptheserenity.com.

This year, in addition to Serenity, we are happy to announce that we will also be hosting the Austin-area big screen premiere of “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” Joss Whedon's award-winning internet musical sensation.

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:36:51 GMT

The Pacific isn’t the only ocean collecting plastic trash: A swirling 'soup' of tiny pieces of plastic has been found in the Atlantic Ocean, and something similar may be present in other ocean areas as well.

The idea of a garbage “patch” or “island” twice the size of Texas, a favorite term in the media for the now-infamous spot in the Pacific, feeds misconceptions, he says. “It’s much worse. If it were an island, we could go get it. But we can’t,” because it’s a “thin soup of plastic fragments.”

and

Law says that analyses of the density of the plastics picked up in SEA’s research show that much of it potentially comes from consumer items made of polyethylene and polypropylene plastics, which includes plastic shopping bags, milk jugs, detergent bottles, and other items “common in our everyday lives.”

and

“It’s a serious environmental problem from a lot of standpoints,” Dr. Law says. “There are impacts on the ecosystem from seabirds, fish, and turtles, down to microscopic plankton.”

The possible effect on humans is “a huge open question,” she adds. “If a marine organism were to ingest a contaminated plastic article, it could move up the food chain. But that is far from proven.”

Fun.

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:29:42 GMT

Eddie Izzard's "Cake or Death" bit done in Lego

eta Warning, you'll be tempted to spend the next few hours of your life looking at all of the related links too.

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:55:07 GMT

Edible Wolverine.

The face isn't right, but I guess we could settle for licking his chest hairs off...

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:45:32 GMT

This morning I was reminiscing about school trips when I was a kid. If the bus ride to the destination was long, good teachers would have us all singing campfire-style songs. I really enjoyed that.

Then I got sad, because these days with all of the personal music/gaming devices, kids are probably in their own little worlds on bus trips, so there'd be no incentive to lead them in singing. Those kids probably think doing their own thing is a lot more "cool" than singing in a group, but 30 years later, will they as fondly remember their little isolation bubbles?

Then again, for all I know such devices might be banned by some schools. Here's to hoping some kids are still singing their hearts out on a bus somewhere.

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:15:42 GMT

I've been doing preliminary research into doctor options should we go ahead with tentative plans to do another frozen embryo transfer in the spring of 2010.

First, guess how many fertility specialists are covered by our insurance? Hah, I know, unfair question...infertility isn't covered by insurance!

But going on the theory that most women who have gestational diabetes once have it again, and the PCOS thing makes it almost inevitable, that means I'll need a perinatologist again. Guess how many of those are in our PPO's network in Austin?

ONE.

So, yeah, again, PLEASE someone dare to tell me how US-style health care gives patients more choice than Canadian-style. (And no, the problem isn't that there is only one perinatologist in Austin. I Googled, there are others, but we only have coverage with one.)

Here's to hoping that ONE is decent and has availability when/if we need her.

Oh, and there appear to only be two infertility centers in town, and one is actually an extension of an OB/GYN office (which actually is in our network but you can bet not for a FET procedure or anything related to it). The bigger center has abysmal reviews, consistently saying they don't answer calls and are generally poor communicators. Hey, this sounds like fun...it's almost worth travelling back to Vegas for the procedure to the doc we liked there! Hell, when you're paying thousands for health care, what's a few hundred more for a hotel?

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:45:01 GMT

Peo has learned how to stealthily open her door, then our door, then sneak around to one side of our bed or the other and then startle us awake with either soft chatter or giggles.

And of course, she does this at an obscenely early hour on days when we could otherwise sleep in, but on days where we need to go somewhere, she oversleeps and needs to be woken up. Such is the law of the universe, I know.

Oh well...I enjoyed being serenaded by kazoo when I was in the loo...that was funny and cute.