I have been quiet all week because I'm trying to get my current book ready to submit to my editor. I want to make sure the manuscript is almost perfect! That means an active voice and no head hopping. Also, no typos either!!!

I want a dog so badly, it hurts! My husband refuses to have another one after going through the experience of putting our beloved Indiana Jones down after thirteen and half years of joy. All he remembers is the tears we cried as we said goodbye. We had let him live too long; he was crippled with arthritis and had lost most of his hair. He was a stoic dog; his hearing and vision was intact and he hadn't lost control of his bladder. But that day, our wedding anniversary mind you, he howled non stop and we knew he was in pain. He had led a good life.

It's been four years. The house is too quiet with everyone going their separate ways. I miss going for a walk with a dog. When I would walk Indy, I met some really nice people and he loved everyone of them. I knew my neighborhood and the gossip. I still walk the neighborhood but people don't talk to you if you are by yourself. They wave, but that's about it.

I think I'll take the advice of my one neighbor....just go get one!

My first big girl job after graduating from college, I worked for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois. I started out on the phones answering questions about Medicare. Then I transferred to the Health Claims department where I enrolled in the management trainee program to become a Claims Supervisor. I worked there for close to nine years. I then went to work for ASA, who designed software for Health Insurance companies such as Cigna, and other state Blue Cross/Blue Shields. Ergo, I know health insurance. I have become the family 'go to' person if there is a problem with a doctor's bill, hospital bill or insurance problem.

I also was the Power of Attorney for five years over my parents' estate. I handled all of their medical and hospital claims until their death. My father had dementia and my mother suffered severe depression. Their medical bills were astronomical and I certainly learned a lot.

My frustration lies with the FSA, or Flexible Spending account that we currently have via my husband's company. Our claims are mostly for prescription drugs; my husband has a check up twice a year and mine is only once a year. I submitted a claim for his five prescription drugs and my two. I filled out the claim form, signed it and submitted it for processing. When they mailed us the check, they covered my husband's but not mine, saying that there wasn't enough information. What? Granted they had a copy of the bill since I had faxed it; the receipt had my name, date of birth, the name of the doctor, the name of the medication and the cost.  Really? Reading the documentation, I had to appeal this decision in writing. So I did, but this time I sent it via snail mail and sent the original receipts from CVS.

Friday, I got another denial, saying the information on my drugs was incomplete and it was a duplicate. I am SO irritated I could scream. At least they indicated I could call them which I will do once I calm down. I know for a fact that the processors are only paid minimum wage, so that may explain a lot of this confusion.....

Productive and Crazy!

It has been a productive week! I finished the first copy of my new book. Now comes the cleaning up part; making sure I'm consistent, check my head hopping, active voice and cohesiveness. I like this part as well as writing it. Yahoo!

Then, I had a scary thing happen to me this week. People are crazy! I went to my local grocery store and there is a clerk who is over fifty and very flirty. He is also very annoying. He always teases me and my daughter by calling us 'sisters' because we look so much alike. We try to avoid him at all costs but I don't think he's the sharpest tool in the shed, if you get my drift.

I was by myself and I had a splitting headache. He followed me out to my car in the excuse to get carts back into the store. He is yakking up a blue streak and I quickly ducked into my car just to get rid of him. I started to pull out slowly and I saw a black car behind me. It looked like it had stopped and I had enough room to finish pulling out. I did and the next thing I know, they are laying on the horn. I've been in enough accidents to know when I've hit something and I know I didn't hit them. I shrugged my shoulders and took off. The next thing I knew, they started to chase me down the busy highway and pulled up next to me saying, "You hit my car!" I pulled over to the nearest parking lot with them right behind me. It was an elderly Asian couple with their grandchildren. I explained that I didn't hit them. He looked at his car (brand new Lexus) and there was nothing there. I looked at my car (2002) and there was nada! We then went our separate ways but by now I was shaking. I hate parking lots!  My husband said I just should've driven to the police department with them chasing me, Duh, I didn't think of it at the time. Now I know!