Wednesday, March 26, 2008

the wee hours

The Death of “The Return of Jezebel James”

I missed the first episode (I figured I’d download it later and I knew it wouldn’t matter since they changed a bunch of stuff going into the second epi), but caught the second one...and just absolutely LOATHED it. I thought it was terrible. It was like AS-P only had GG in her and she was going to try to force it on two actresses who just weren’t right doing it. Every time Parker Posey said, “Coco” with that weird pronunciation of hers, I wanted to scream. It sounded pretentious and forced.  “Lorelai” would said “Coco” in that forced way only to make fun of her mother’s friends in the DAR.

I don’t know who to blame the failure on, except that Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose have been good in everything else they’ve done. In fact, Lauren Ambrose was even okay in this, considering what she had to work with.  Do we blame the Gilmore Girls’ rapid-fire chatter that should only be done by Lauren Graham and to a lesser extent, Alexis Bledel?  The horrendous laugh track?  The farfetched storyline?  The laugh track has worked on other good shows and there have been more farfetched storylines, so it must be the GG chatter.

I was actually embarrassed for Amy Sherman Palladino, the show was that bad. I’m relieved that the show was put out of its misery, so I didn’t have to watch it out of a sense of loyalty, because I truly hated it.  Leigh-Ann hated it, too. We could both tell that we would hate it from the moment Parker Posey started talking in Gilmore-speak, which was from the first sentence out of her mouth. Since the review mentioned that the second show fixed some things that were wrong with the first, I can’t even imagine how much I would’ve hated the first. It’s hard to imagine it could’ve been worse.

So, now that you know that I hated it. How did you feel?

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

terribly early in the morning

If it’s not one thing, it’s another

My cold has finally almost completely gone away.  Now, I have gigantic water retention foot paws (what I imagine chubby bear cub paws would look like without hair), my fingertips are dried out, sore, cracked and bleeding, and hurt like hell (I’d never even contemplated such a thing, and then my mom mentions a couple of weeks ago that she has one fingertip that’s cracked...and now both thumbs have really sore cracks - ugh, the power of suggestion.  When I met Leigh-Ann, I’d never heard of reflux, and now I need a prescription strength drug for it - I’d also never heard of Fibromyalgia, and we know how that turned out too) and one of my big toes is starting to crack too.  Tonight, I’m slathering some pet groomer’s hand lotion (Leigh-Ann got it for me for Chrismukkah because I’d loved a sample of it that we got a SuperZoo) on and wearing gloves to bed.  My toe will get some Neosporin and a bandage.

I’m not even sure if the cracked & painful fingertips are the worst thing.  While I enjoy a good whine-fest, it’s now getting to be a bit much, even for me.  However, stuff keeps happening.  I’ll start with one more physical thing, then move on to a financial thing.  I’ve suddenly turn into a narcoleptic.  I’ve been taking Lyrica again for the past five weeks, and I’m now up to the dosage recommended for Fibromyalgia treatment.  I’ve fallen asleep on the couch, while watching tv, which isn’t overly unusual.  I’ve fallen asleep sitting at my desk, which is more unusual.  Today, I fell asleep on the toilet...for THREE HOURS.  Just now, I remembered that I didn’t even do anything, which I guess if you’re going to fall asleep in there, is for the best.  I’ve already had some water retention problems from the Lyrica, but falling asleep at my desk and ON THE TOILET, have given me club feet.  I no longer have any ankle bones.  But hey, looking on the bright side, it’s much easier to shave around my ankles and not miss any spots around the bones, because now everything is all smooth and my foot goes directly from foot to leg, without any sort of indentation.

Now, for the financial thing - last year I exceeded my pharmacy benefits at the end of March.  This year, at the end of January.  Yes, that’s right, I had one month of pharmacy benefits.  I’d wanted to try Fentanyl patches for pain medication that won’t have me on that up & down rollercoaster of pain/pain relief/pain/pain relief.  They’re more expensive than the Oxycodone pain meds I’ve been taking, which is why I waited until January to try them, so I wouldn’t have to pay for them.  For breakthrough pain (when you’re taking a long-term pain med, you usually get a prescription for short acting pain med for those times when you get sudden acute pain that the patch can’t handle), I was given liquid Oxycodone (OxyFast), so it would work faster.  I was able to get the generic, so it only cost me $10.  If I had paid cash, it would’ve cost $425.  I didn’t find that it worked that much better than the pills, so I went back to pills this month.  Good thing, because my pharmacy benefits are G-O-N-E.  That’s right, everything from now on, will not be covered.  I had to pay $125 for the Oxycodone, which I suppose is better than $425 for the OxyFast. Heh.  Also, I thought the Fentanyl patches worked pretty well, except for the slight skin rashes, but I thought that a slightly higher dose would work better.  I figured the higher dose would help me cut down on Oxycodone, so I went up 25 micrograms.  They had to special order the better generic (yes, it’s true, all generics are not created equally - ask any person who is in chronic pain...or any drug addict, hahaha), which will be delivered tomorrow.  Last month, I had to pay $10 for what was about $225 for the generic.  For the higher dose, it’s $285.  Um, I don’t have $285 to spend on a patch right now.  Ugh, if I want to take what I’ve been taking for the past month (We’re seeing a new doctor in the same practice because our doctor thought we’d be a better match with this doctor, as he’s willing to try newer meds and off-label uses - this doctor isn’t accepting any new patients because he’s full...he’s the head specialist guy, the owner of the practice, who we originally wanted to see, but couldn’t get an appointment for, and we like him very very much), what was $55 out of pocket, will now be $560.  If I got exactly what I had last month, it would be $915, which doesn’t even include the reflux med that works best for me.  I’ve been either using Zantac, Prilosec, or Pepcid - Protonix is the only med that really works well, and it’s another $115 a month.

I’m going to call my insurance company and see if I could get on another plan.  I just got an increase in my old rate (of only about $15 to $185), what’s a few hundred dollars more.  Actually, if I paid $300 more for my plan, I’d probably end up being way ahead, especially if I could get more co-pays.  I only get two a year, and we have to see our doctor once a month, at $95/each, because they supposedly need to keep an eye on us, and because of the meds we’re taking, we have to see him once a month to get the written prescriptions.  They don’t allow refillls for Schedule II meds.

So, if someone robs a bank on Thursday morning, and I come home with my meds on Thursday night, mum’s the word, okay?  I’d do the same for you.  Well, unless there was a big reward, then I’d turn you in, so I could buy my meds.  I’d spend the money getting you a good lawyer too.  Really, I swear.

I apologize for the rambly nature of this entry.  It’s 4:54am, and we’re just lucky that I haven’t fallen asleep while writing this, I think.  I’m going to go slather my fingers & toes with lotion now.  I hope you all are doing well.  I’m a little behind on reading blogs too, but I try to keep up with you as much as I can.  I miss visiting you regularly, every single day.  Wait, I’ll leave you with one good thing happening in my life.  The length of three football fields away, a CUPCAKE bakery is opening - Retro Bakery.  That’s right, a CUPCAKE bakery.  Not only does it have cupcakes, it has a cool retro theme and a cool owner who blogs.  So, if you’re in Las Vegas and you’re craving some cupcakes, check out Retro Bakery in Centennial Hills.  Look out for the vicious dogs three football fields away - their owners don’t like visitors, and one of them is especially cranky because her fingertips hurt.  Make sure you go directly to the bakery.

Monday, January 14, 2008

mid-morning

I Miss My Tastebuds

This cold stinks, man.  I haven’t been able to taste anything for two days now and it’s driving me crazy.  All I can discern is spicy, sweet, salty, etc.  On one hand, it’s good because I can’t taste any of the crappy cold meds I’m taking, but on the other hand, I miss tasting food.  Okay, fine, I can’t breathe and I have a horrible phlegmy cough, but it’s not fair that the joys of Gatorade and matzo ball soup have been taken from me.  I protest!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

early evening

Omigawd, I am so very sick

I think I fought off Leigh-Ann’s cold, only to get one from someone else last week.  Ugh, this is the most disgusting cold I’ve ever had.  My head is just full of gunk.  It’s so gross.  Also, I hate blowing my nose.  I don’t know why, I just do.  So, this is like Chinese Water Torture to me.  Also, absolutely no sense of taste anymore.  It’s so depressing.  I had to go to the store to get some dog food and some cold junk and it was crowded & awful.  I put a bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket and constantly used it because I didn’t want to contaminate anyone else.  I’m so happy to be home in my pjs & slippers.  2008 is having a very inauspicious start.  I’d hoped for much better.  I hope the new year is treating you much better.  I’d only wish this horrid cold on my worst enemy.  Actually, I’d like to make a list…

Oh yeah, and because we’re all treated like criminals because of meth heads, I couldn’t get the proper medication to clear out my sinuses because the pharmacy changed their hours and closed before I got to the store.  Thanks useless laws, now I have to suffer until tomorrow, while the meth heads are now getting their drugs from Mexico.  How ironic, their supply hasn’t dried up, but those of us who are sick can’t get our meds unless we keep banker’s hours (oldtime bankers, not these silly new bankers who are open at all hours).  Me and my very very stuffed up head & nose are quite unhappy about this.  I couldn’t buy Mucinex D, only DM, the one that doesn’t have Sudafed in it.  My usual Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold just didn’t do the trick this time.  Perhap it’s time for me to try Leigh-Ann’s ooky neti pot.  I want to be able to breathe, dammit.  And taste food!

Monday, January 07, 2008

late evening

Sickness & Exhaustion Permeates Our Residence

We went out “partying” on Leigh-Ann’s birthday for sushi dinner.  We topped off the night with Ilona’s arrest by a parking lot ninja (pictures soon to follow), but she charmed her way out of it with the old “I’ve got children waiting for me at home” expression.  Okay, no wait, she didn’t.  They didn’t care.  Also, no arrest, but that would’ve been way more exciting than a shiny yellow boot strapped to her front tire because she accidentally parked in a mall management spot (on a Saturday night, when no management person in their right mind would’ve been at the mall...not to mention, they really don’t get such great parking spaces either, because my legal space was much closer than Ilona’s), which cost $40 to have removed.  We did make a quick trip to the grocery store afterwards for some pet food and some dog water.  Yes, our little dogs get bottled water, don’t yours?  Okay, Phoenix gets it so we don’t ever have to pay for bladder stone surgery again, but still...spring water for the dogs.  Anyway, to help end the night on a cheery note, after the three of us gave up every last dollar we had (they only take cash, the jerks!) to get Ilona’s car out of car jail, I found a $20 bill on the floor at the grocery store, and there wasn’t anyone around for me to ask if they dropped it, so I claimed it.  I felt deserving.

Leigh-Ann woke up the next day (yesterday) very sick.  In fact, she didn’t really exactly wake up until late late last night for a little bit.  Luckily, I learned how to take care of all the pets while she was gone, so I made myself useful and took care of everyone.  The birds got a little more junk food than they normally get, but I’m sure they got more nutrition than I did.  Well, I did eat carrots & Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk dressing, so my eyesight won’t suffer.  But anyway, she’s been suffering from a nasty cold, which we thought was better, but has gotten worse, and I’m suffering from mental & physical exhaustion.  Well, mostly my back is killing me.  Cricket’s injured back means that she has to be carried up & down the stairs these days.  My back has said “Ow!”

New Year’s resolutions and pictures & details from Ilona’s Really Terrible Very Bad Parking Night.  A tantalizing teaser.