Eek!

So, I take Calista to the vet today to get a couple of teeth extracted, and then this afternoon I take Bella in for her physical. We decided to have some allergy tests run on Bella because she's itchy all the time. And she has yeast in her ears. And she needs special hypoallergenic food. And she needs some medicine for a few days, and ....EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS LATER, I'm walking out the door.

Watch Out for Women With Knives

So, yesterday, in my attempt to be a good helpmeet and mom, I got out some frozen pork chops for my family to eat while I was entertaining. And two of them were stuck together with plastic in the middle. And I used a knife to separate them. And the knife slipped and sliced my thumb.
Fine. So I put a big ole bandaid on my thumb, as the Barbie one didn't want to stay.
Then, later, I got out a Southern Living serving dish, which I discovered the hard way was chipped on the side. And so now I have bandaids on FOUR FINGERS.
Sigh. This is why I don't cook. It's dangerous.

Aaaaaahhh

I have been looking forward to today with much anticipation. Monday, school started for DD1, and I went and volunteered at the school, so bzbzb. Tuesday, I had meetings all morning until 12:30, ate lunch, and then went and got my car tags renewed. By the time that was done, it was time to pick up DD2. Yesterday, I was having company over for a CABi party, so I spent all day getting the house company ready, and doing laundry. That last bit was a mistake, as laundry is a big ole time sucker, and I still ended up putting dirty dishes in a laundry basket and hiding them in the pantry at 6:55.
Anyway. Today. Glorious Today. Aside from having to get the DDs ready early, and leaving the house at 7:15 so we could drop Calista off at the vet by 7:30 a.m, it is a wonderful day. I don't HAVE to do anything. I will probably continue with the laundry, and work on my taxes (I KNOW. Shut up.) but I don't HAVE to.

Today

Church, Arby's for lunch, waited for a while at the AT&T store to get a new phone to replace the one that went thru the washer, then helped Debbie & Mark finish packing up their house. There's only a bit left in the garage now, and they are out of there!

Came home around 7, and DH cooked! Nothing like coming home to a hot meal.

If...

...your pastor comes back from Hershey, Pennsylvania, and gives you a chocolate bar from there, don't eat two squares and then put the rest of the bar in your purse, and then leave your purse in your car all day while you help your friends move in 90 degree weather.
I'm just sayin'.

Olympian Returns Home

Jonathan Horton, the Olympic gymnast, lives 7 houses down from me. He got home last night, and a bunch of us welcomed him home with flags and signs. We got his autograph, and DD2 got her pic taken with him. It was very exciting, tho, DD2 i think was more excited about the dogs.
"Mommy, take my picture with this dog! OK, now i'm going to find another dog, and you take my picture with that dog!"

Funny/Not So Funny Letter From My Insurance Company

You may remember that I need to get a BRCA test, a genetic test that will determine if I have either the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 genetic mutation. A positive result would mean my changes of getting cervical cancer, uterine cancer, or a recurrance of BC are high.
The test costs $3,000.
So, a few months ago, I called my insurance company to see if they'd cover it. Yes, they said, but we need a letter of medical necessity from your doctor.
I called my onc a few times and left messages telling him he needed to write the letter. No response, of course, so at my next appointment, he said, "'Ave you 'ad ze BRCA test yet?"
No, quoth I, have you written the letter of medical necessity yet?
He looked confused. Of course, the man goes thru nurses like nobody's business. I think he's on his 6th one since I started going there in February of '07. So, he scrawls a letter on some letterhead, and hands it to me. I fax it to the insurance company.
I get a CC of a letter sent to Dr. Casimir. The insurance company couldn't read his writing (surprise!), so they sent their response to the 1st doctor listed on the letterhead. I called Dr. Gressot's nurse, who talked to Dr. Casimir's nurse, who of course had no idea what letter she was talking about.
I call the insurance company again, and have them re-send the letter to Dr. Gressot.
Then, two days ago, I get this letter from the insurance company, edited to avoid boredom:

We have completed our review of your request for coverage of BRCA test. Based on the information reviewed, we are pleased to inform you that coverage is available. All covered services are subject to screening for allowable charges. The final allowable charges will be determined when the bill is submitted and will be based on the actual services provided. Please note this letter does not guarantee payment. Benefit payment is based on the provisions of your benefit plan.

Huh?

notable Events of Today

A local furniture store is closing its doors. They were closed the past three days to slash! their! prices!
So, DD1 and I went down there about 9:30 and waited with about 100 other people for their doors to open. I'd visited this store about a month ago and saw a desk I liked. The price at that time? $449. The doors open, and we head to the desks. The price of the desk now? $450. Wow! What a bargain! Needless to say, we didn't buy anything.

This evening was Meet the Teacher at DD1's school. This school has between 500 and 800 students. It has about 45 parking spots. They invited all students to show up tonight between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to meet their teachers. Needless to say, DD1, DD2 and I rode our bikes....

Trip to Kansas

So, I didn't post while we were in Kansas, because my overactive imagination is convinced that there is a band of burglars just waiting for the slightest hint that we are out of town to come in and steal all our stuff.
Anyway. The trip went well. We left Houston Sunday the 3rd about two hours after I'd wanted to, as I had to finish packing, stop the paper, tidy the house, etc. I was so tired that at one point we stopped at the Sonic in Calvert and I got a Diet Dr. Pepper AND an iced coffee.
We stayed at the Omni Mandaylay in Irving. I always go to Hotwire.com to make our hotel reservations because you can stay at nice hotels for cheap. They have a whirlpool (aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh), and free stuff for the kids. We ordered room service that night, and I had this vegetable ratatouille en croute that was fabulous.
(I have morphed into an almost total vegetarian, for a lot of reasons: the phytochemicals that fight cancer, the lack of fat in vegetables, and the unwillingness to cause another being to die so I could eat.)
Anyway, Monday the 4th we met Emily and her grils at the mall, and walked around, and ate at RainForest Cafe. After lunch, we hit the road.
During our trip, we went to the zoo and Cowtown. I'd post pix of cowtown, but i forgot my camera at my mom's house. At the zoo, there was the peacock that was stalking my niece Laura, and another blue crested bird in the rain forest house that freaked her out. So, being the supportive aunt that I am, I bought her a glass figurine of the blue-crested bird in the gift shop...

Assumptions

I'm going to quit envying other people's marriages, i swear. first there was my friend M from church, who used to do lots of drama and stuff with her husband. they are divorcing. now, one of my best friends from high school, who has been married over 20 years, and they used to go camping and do all kinds of stuff with their kids, is divorcing her husband.
i guess that old adage about not comparing someone's outsides with yr insides is true.

I. Am. So. PRETTY

next year? if i talk about taking a vacation just before school starts, will y'all just slap me? we got back from KS Monday, Tuesday was a nonstop day, with a meeting from 9 to 3, then meet the teacher, and Jillian's last blast of summer. It ended with me going to 6 stores at 8:30 p.m. trying to find those last bits of school supplies. I had bought 80% of the supplies a month ago, and had separated them into two bags, one for each daughter.
So, this morning, which bag do I pick up and take to school? THE WRONG ONE.

Too Soon

DD2 starts school WEDNESDAY. I'm not ready! Where did the summer go? The day b4 school starts, I always let them pick something fun to do. The problem with DD2 is that she can't make up her mind. She'll say she wants to go to the Aquarium Downtown, which is a bit expensive, so I'll tell her she can't take a friend, and then she'll say she wants to go bowling and bring some friends. Then ten minutes later, she'll want to go to Build-A-Bear....I'll keep u posted what the final decision is...

Funny Comment

DD2 wakes up the other day with crazy hair. DD1 takes one look at her and says, "Mrs. Frankenstein called. She wants her hair back."