A Warm Blog to Keep You Toasty on this Chilly Spring Day

The bills for a lot of my recent medical procedures are starting to come through and I get emails telling me that "a new explanation of benefits (EOB) is waiting for you." The one I received this morning is for my magnetic imaging (MRI). The bill is for $3,152 and then Cigna "negotiated a discount of $1030.70" and my plan paid $1803.00" now I "owe" $318.19. "You saved" 89%." It is funny how they make you believe that they did you this great service and that $318.19 is a good deal. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't but how in the hell would I know? I will pay it and be happy that I saved 89% thanks to their billing voodoo. While I am in the medical portion (most of my life these days) of the blog I spent 76% of yesterday dealing with trying to get done what I thought my doctors had already done mainly because they said they were going to do it. Sorry for the run-on sentence. I know they are busy (at least they create the illusion that they are if they are not) but do what you say you are going to do! They have staffs of what seem like dozens and dozens of people yet they cannot have someone do the simple thing they promised would be done?! So concludes the medical portion of our blog. Most likely.

This is the best hand possible in Euchre regardless of the suit. A "loner"

Last night Cha Cha and I went over to her brother (my brother-in-law for you scoring at home) Tom and both of our sister-in-laws (how does that work?) Kara's house for pizza and Euchre. I hadn't played Euchre in a long time. We used to play in high school all the time because we were nerds maybe? I never really thought of myself as a nerd but the Euchre should have been a clue maybe. I think I lettered in Euchre, in fact fiction and got a Euchre scholarship in college. We had a good time last night and each team won one game and we didn't have a tie-breaker game to decide the ultimate champion or anything so that made it all the better. I am not going to say that I threw the second game. Mainly because I didn't.

Happily, I do not have much to say today. Usually I am blogging about what drives me crazy (pun kinda intended) and maybe I am in a good place mentally this morning. I am sure I have mentioned here many times that I love the rain and the calming effect it has on me. It is raining this morning and Cha Cha and I are each doing our own electronic things and listening to classical music in the Tiki Room. Occasionally, one of us will think of something we wish to discuss and we will both break from our regularly scheduled activity (she reading and me writing and nobody doing 'rithmetic). We'll talk and then we will resume our chosen morning fun. It is still kind of early (just before 0700) while most people are probably still in bed on a rainy Saturday morning.

A couple of days ago I was getting dressed and I had the television on. There was an Andy Hardy movie on (starring young Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy). For you MIDDLE-aged or beyond people you will remember these movies. They are from longer ago than most of we MIDDLErs were born but they used to play them on weekends before we had cable television and before WGN was a super station. Anyway, I looked at the schedule on the television and saw that there were five Andy Hardy movies in a row so I set and recorded all five. The one that was on had a very young Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) in it. When I watch them I may even do it with a grilled cheese sandwich, Frito's and some tomato soup. Today being a cold damp day may be the one. I hope one of the ones recorded has Judy Garland in it - how can you not love Dorothy Gale? I think my chauffeur Chachki and I may be going shopping first. That is good because I am not sure we have enough tomato soup to get me through all of the Andy Hardy movies. I am just an old soul today.

Scarlett O'Hara's sister and Dorothy from Kansas - what a cast!

I mentioned yesterday that I was probably going to meet-up with my old college roommate Spiro today. I doubt that will happen now because his son's baseball game will probably be canceled due to the rainy weather; our reunion not happen today. I have not heard back from him yet so I am uncertain. They live quite a bit north but one day this will work. I cannot believe how cold and wet it is today. Nice thing is I get to wear my heavier St. Louis Cardinal's jacket. I rarely get o wear that one during baseball season. Don't be alarmed I have plenty of St. Louis Cardinals' garb to get me through any type of weather.

Okay, I have to start getting ready for our shopping extravaganza. I am still tired but that may just be the relaxing rain and the chilly temperature outside. I am warmed by you stopping by whenever you can.Yes, I know that was a bit cheesy but it was sincere. I am not afraid to admit my cheesiness. Most people love cheese - I'm sorry if you have dairy allergies. Have a great rest of your weekend even if it is just watching Andy Hardy movies and having a blanket around your shoulders to keep warm while it rains (or maybe eventually snows) outside. TTTMonday...MITM (out) TA!