slow drain = call roto rooter=write  a fat check



*shuffles off to make a phone call mumbling & grumbling about the endless upkeep of old houses*

Get the wax out of your ears, ppl!!

I'm tired of being jerked around by people who don't listen when you're doing business with them.

So far this week it was a person taking an order in a restaurant who got it wrong, the vet when I told him what preventative medicine I need for the dog, and sadly today it was the hairdresser who didn't listen when I told her I didn't want my hair cut really, just trimmed & shaped. Geebers.

Aaaaaaaaaaaamen sister!


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Ah hates talking to health insurance companies & today I've been doing nothing but just that. They've raised jerking ppl around to an Art Form.

Yeah, health facilities tend to be bad.  Most famous story I have:

The summer after my sophmore year of college, I was staying on campus and doing workstudy as a job.  I suddenly got super dizzy for two weeks, to where it was hard to even walk straight without falling down.  For that school year, I had gotten the extra health insurance in addition to the school's basic.  So, I went to the school health center, and they sent me to specialists.  I had to get my head scanned (is that MRI or CAT? always forget), and then a full sight and hearing test.  All along the way, I kept checking before going further, "This is covered by the extra health insurance coverage, RIGHT?)".  They were like, "Oh yeah...".  Well, fast forward two years, and my parents at home suddenly get calls/mail, saying if they don't pay my $10,000 medical bill from that incident, they would be taken to jail?!!!!!!  I had NEVER received ANY mail notification from them (and I got forwarding on my mail, since college students move a lot).  Well, my mom spent months arguing with them and many hours on the phone.  Turns out, they hadn't done the right paperwork.  So, everything got paid by them except like $400.  Yeah...

Now, at my current doctor, I went in couple months ago and they were going to do some tests.  I noticed a posting on their wall to not run tests sent to "Spectracell" for any patients who had the listed insurance companies.  They were noted that those insurances would not cover the test.  I saw mine on there, and adamantly told them that whatever tests had to be sent there, I did NOT want them done, since it wouldn't be covered.  Guess what they did.  Check my claims, 2 tests went there, totaling almost $400!  So, had to do the whole calling/faxing/etc, and my doctor's office is going to pay it.  Good grief....

I have more stories, but I'll leave it at that...

$10,000!!!

You must of gotten dizzy all over again seeing that number. The final tally was comparatively reasonable!

Did they ever mention an inner ear infection, I'm wondering. A couple of ppl I've known over the years got them, dizziness was their main symptom. It took awhile to run it's course, very nasty ailment.

My son's been hit with $600 in uncovered bills so I've been trying to see what's up with that since he was still on my insurance at the time & he went to participating providers.

Within 2 months he injured his neck wakeboarding, got his eyeball scratched by a dog & got a wicked throat infection that took 2 visits to an internist & 3 visits to a specialist to bring under control. Too bad he can't  just be declared a disaster area so he could get federal funds to resolve all this. He still needs laser surgery to remove residual swollen lymph tissue in his throat.



ETA-the MRI is where they put you inside a tube & take a series of pictures, with accompanying bang-bangs every time a pic is shot. They usually pipe music in to distract from the noise. It's more expensive than a CAT scan, but it's more detailed.

[ Last edited by  Seeker-09 at 2009-4-16 10:16 PM ]

Yeah... they thought it was a combination of BPPV (Benign Planetery Positional Vertigo), which is where if you get congested enough, it messes up your equilibrium.  However, during the full-scope hearing test, it turned out I'd had recent high-upper hearing loss in only one of my ears.  They said that would have also caused something like that, especially if only one ear.  And I hadn't even gone to any loud concerts!  lol...  Oh, yeah, it was an MRI... fun stuff

It's totally the WORSE feeling in the world to suddenly end up with an unexpected medical bill in the mail.  Believe me...here's my scary nightmare:

My hubby spent 3 days in intensive care back in Nov. 1996 (when his brain was biopsied -- found brain tumor).  The following May, 1997, I get a bill in the mail....on a Friday before Memorial Day (a 3-day weekend)...the total?

$96,000 plus change

Yeah....I don't know how I made it through that weekend...a lot of tears, fears, and confusion.  I truly believed that we would be homeless and that my daughter would be taken away from us because we'd be homeless.  I still get a pit in my stomach thinking about that weekend.  Turns out that the primary insurance company had rejected the hospital's paperwork because THEY didn't provide enough backup.  Did we get anything in writing from either party?  Oh, hell no.

That's a heartstopper. And an incredible amount of money for a 3 day stay!

That just added to the stress of getting the bad news. : (

I looked in the Yellow Pages to find a fence company to get estimates for installing an 8 ft length of fence, including a gate. The guy who came was so overbearing I took an immediate dislike to him. He called me 'honey' first of all, and right out of the gate that didn't sit well. He talked at me instead of to me, which I also hate. In less than 2 minutes & without even going into the options about the types of gates available he came up with a price of $895. I have to get more estimates, but that seems excessive for one length of wooden fence & a gate.


I lied & told him I'd think about it, lied again & told him it was nice to meet him & sent him on his way. Aargh.

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I always talk to other people to get recommendations. Guys like that make my blood boil--and they know it by time they leave. Do you already have the fence or will you need to buy it? See if the place you're buying it does installation. Those people's jobs ride on what customer's think. The way the economy is, you should have the pick of the liter in service providers.

There's a fence on 3 sides of the yard. It used to be closed in, but when an old patio roof got taken down so did the piece of fencing between the house & detached garage. That's the piece that needs to be replaced. Using someone who's recommended would be a better plan, I'll have to ask around. Thx! : )

If there is a DIY store (Lowes, HomeDepot or the likes) Check with their costs. Also there are usually builders and laborers that hang around, ask people you come across in the wood/building supplies area while your there.
Sounds weird to talk to strangers hanging around a DIY store but I've been able to get some good information and once got some guys to do some labor for a good price. Asking other customers is a good way to find out info too.

Thanks for the suggestions, Critter. : )

Heck, Seeker!  They even have pre-built fence sections!  If you buy the materials, you just need to get a guy to dig holes, pour cement, sent the fence sections, and viola!  

Good luck and don't go with that condesending jerk of a guy ($895 guy), okay?  

You scared me for a minute. I thought you were gonna tell me to pull a JRS & put the piece of fence up myself.


Thx for the good wishes. No worries about going with that guy. What a nob.

Hmmn..I'm not even sure what a nob is, I just like the sound of it. Every once in awhile the thought crosses my mind that maybe I should nail down the meaning of a word or phrase before I use it lol.

Well, I would have put it up myself but I know you, Seeker....remember that falling off the bed experience in Ben's room?  Man....that sounds bad, but I know YOU know what I mean!  

You can also buy bag quick-crete. It usually takes one bag per post-hole.

We're using that under the deck, one of the guys built 3 frames that just lay on the ground and we mix the bags/water and pour into the frames.  these will be the base for some extra support.

We are also going to use the bags to extend the driveway. That is a later project.
We will just spread the dry product on the scraped ground - the moisture of the ground itself will react and it makes a hard surface.  Strange but it works.  In post holes, the guys don't use water - same reason, the ground is moist enough to make the stuff into concrete.

Yeah, but always buy more of the quick mix cement than you need....unless you have a lot of rocks in your yard to add to the hole if you dug it too big!  Oh, another tip:  take four nails and nail one each about 1/2" deep into each side of your post....acts like rebar.  


Damn....we women are way more macho than the guys on this forum!  

[ Last edited by  JRS at 2009-5-1 12:10 AM ]

LOL!!!!
We have two pick-up truck loads of those dam bags. I'm ready to have them out of the carport so I can park my bike easier!