Turkey Trauma

 I should say that at most of my frequent trips to SNS I have very little communication with anyone. Today, being aware of the media blitz that turkeys will be in short supply this Thanksgiving and may cost $5.00 per pound, I stopped at the aisle display case to check the prices. The few that were there, rather small,  were priced at 2.29 per lb. Before I could move away, Peter approached and asked what I was looking for. I told him what I'd heard about the short supply and spiraling prices. He said the store  had received not very many, and asked what size would I want. I said  usually about 20 lbs. (Of course I don't know what Thanksgiving plans may be as yet.)  Peter went to the wall case and searched until he found the largest. And at a lower price he said. So I bought the treasured item---Shady Brook, 15.16 lbs. at $1.49 per lb., totaling 22.59. There were 2 tags  attached and he told me to be sure they scanned the right one. He even showed up at the register to make sure. Thanksgiving will arrive some day, and a turkey is here.

  Travails are not yet at an end. Two young girls were at the register, whose collective IQ's  may add up to 100. They packed the groceries in the bag I'd brought, and then questioned one of the 3 coupons I'd handed them. She didn't think I had the item for the Drake's product. I did, but she unpacked the bag to find it. Aha, there it is. The other asked about the date. It expires in November. Oh, so it does. When I got home, I checked the receipt. I don't always, but wanted to this time. Only 2 coupons were deducted, and not the  Kellogg's $5.00 coupon. I didn't feel like driving back over, and wouldn't have for 1 or 2 dollars. But I know they put the coupon bag away so for  $5, I did. I handed her my receipt, showing the Kellogg's purchase  for $5. 49. She found the coupon in the coupon bag, and looked at it, asking the other girl about it. The coupon reads FREE and  in smaller letters "Up to $5.00."  She just read the FREE and put it in the bag. Duh.  After their consult, she said that the manager is on break, and that she would need  to decide what to do about it, and she put the coupon and  receipt back in the bag. I said the decision would be to give me $5, but of course they have no clue. Maybe it was their first day. I asked when the manager would be back. They dunno.So I reclaimed my coupon and receipt and left. (And by the way, not a word of apology, but they're not at that level of responsibility or understanding.

(I guess I have too much time on my hands, but I already took care of the cat's needs and reached QB on Spelling Bee.

Ah, WellNow...

 As an unwelcome reminder from that abysmal visit, I just received a statement that I owe WellNow  $20. It's not a large amount, but I'm sure I  don't owe it, apart from the lack of service received. I have reached my deductible for the year for one reason and for another, urgent care visits are  covered by my BC plan at 100%. So I called the number on the bill, and asked about the balance owed, which acknowledged an insurance payment. The rep, Kayla, quickly said the Statement was mailed Oct. 2, and since then Medicare  has paid the full amount, though  I was  not told I didn't owe until I called. I don't think Medicare paid it, but BC/BS. But nobody knows or cares.

    At best, a  5-minute problem easily solved, but looking at the charges made me feel sympathy for those who lack insurance. The charge for the Office Visit, never really resolved, is $220. The charge  for the (aborted) attempt at Removal  of Impaction is $50. Joe the Provider, after first being rounded up, spent no more than 5 to 7 minutes before he disappeared again. The ear impaction removal would have been a fair price, but was not completed, with the "provider" fleeing the  scene. 

   But I got my money's worth, since the cost was zero.

  

Back to bed and

 ...the dream state happens. After I solve wordle and get to genius on Spelling Bee, usually around 5 a.m., I go back to bed and sometimes fall asleep, or maybe almost asleep, if you can dream in that state. Nothing much happens and dreams are soon forgotten , unable to be revived, but slip away like oil on water. But today's dream has clung to my mind, even though it's about nothing, kind of like the Seinfeld premise. So I write it down.

   Dave was driving me to an appointment, medical in nature I presume. It was a calm day and a routine type  visit, memorable  only because Dave very rarely drove me to appointments, nor did I drive him to his, until he couldn't drive anymore.  We drove into the parking area, a wide lot, with an average number of vehicles parked in  it. Dave found a parking space on the far end. Seeing there were spots available closer to the building, I suggested we park over there. He said we were late already. I, probably feeling responsible for whatever delay might have occurred, looked at the car clock and said that the clock was usually fast, that I most likely wouldn't be late, and that parking closer would likely shorten the time of lateness, not extend it.

 I went into the building alone, and a pleasant woman with clipboard took my name  and told me where to sit, at the end of  a long wooden table pretty much filled with other patients. There were 2 seats vacant at one end, and I  asked if I should sit at the farthest end. She said yes, where that little girl, whose name escapes me, had been sitting, though she had been  circulating through the room, not sitting very much. I sat down and the intake woman approached with the clipboard, very friendly and welcoming. She said something, smiling as she spoke,  but I could not hear her words. On the third attempt, I was able to hear her say that in all the many times I had been there, she had never before had to sign me in after 12th period. Now that I could hear her, I had to figure out what she meant. Finally, I got it. Ah, I said, you are using a school calendar.

So that was the dream. What did you expect, an annotated version of Grimm's Fairy Tales or a look into the Peloponnesian War?

    

October 4, 1987

 Oh, yes, I remember that "Fall's Snowy Crippler" very well. The evening before, I had dinner at a restaurant on route 9 with Dorothy, Barbara, and probably Ruth.  The weather had been fair and I was wearing a blouse, and I remember feeling cold. The others had worn long sleeves, maybe light sweaters. 

  Dave and Don had left for a golf outing in maybe North Carolina, and Dave had left his car at the airport. Marilyn was away at Binghamton. It was David's 17th birthday and he had gone out, with Michael maybe, earlier in the evening. The weather suddenly turned rainy and cold, and we, David, Danny, and I were in for the night.

 The 4th was a Sunday and Danny and I attended early Mass in Valley Falls, 8a.m. or so. David would have driven to Schaghticoke for the later Mass; he wasn't a morning person. The rain was starting to turn to snow, light at first as I recall.

 But during the Mass, things changed--rapidly. We could hear snapping and cracking as the now heavy snow landed on the trees, which still had all their leaves. It sounded eerie.

   As we all left the church after about an hour, the sight was scary. Branches were down all over the place. One large part of a tree was lying across my car, which was parked across from the playground side. A downed wire was lying across my car, along with the tree.

  The church had been mostly full, as usual. No one had seen  what was coming. The churchgoers were appalled at the sight, all anxious and hurried, wanting to get back home. And since I  had at the time been a regular churchgoer, a lector and lector trainer, on the Prayer and Worship Committee, and a parent of kids in Religious Education classes, all or almost all of the people there knew me and  we were all on good terms. 

  But here is where I lost (some) faith in humanity. My car was the only vehicle disabled by the tree and wire. The others were parked in the front of the church. I stood there, with 10 year old Danny, looking at my car. Not a single person evacuating the building offered to help us. One man did call out that I shouldn't go near the car because the wire might be live. The snow was still falling. 

   Of course, there were no cell phones. I walked with Danny over to the Schroder residence. I wanted help. B. was obsessing because John wanted to go with Kevin to check the storm damage, and she was afraid he'd step on a live wire. But she let me use her phone, which was still working. David was home but had no car, so I didn't call him. I called Madigan's and Rosemary trekked up through the snow- filled and branch-laden road and drove us home.

   Later David drove Danny to survey the damage in the village, using Dave's fancy new camera. But Danny was so little that he missed most of the scenery, the pictures being mostly of the car's interior. We were without power for days. At one point, David drove to the high school and took a shower, incurring the displeasure of the custodian. When Gail Madigan found out, she called and said the gym locker rooms would now be open to the public for the duration of the power outage. So all was well that...

Got that Itch

    Today in the local market, as I approached the produce section to the right, a woman backed up to the end of the display section and leaned against it. Seeing me, she offered in explanation, that she had an itch in the middle of her back, so she rubbed her back against the end post. "Ah," she said aloud. "Oh," I said aloud. "Eww," I said to myself.