He Exists

 While waiting for an appointment, I heard a man check in.

He said his name and then spelled it.

Moriarty.

Today's Sighting

The curtains were closed across from me at dinner to help keep the heat in. Towards the end of dinner, I looked through to the living room where the curtains to the sliding glass doors were still open. 

"Wow, that's a lot," I said upon seeing everything covered with snow outside. There had been none when I started eating. 

Just an inch plus so far really but enough to fully coat the ground and line the tree branches with more still falling.

A Theme for 2024

It's been several years since I chose a word or theme to guide me during the year, but over a week ago a word just came to me.

It was very early Christmas Eve technically, between 4 and 5 AM, still a whole day away from Santa making his run. Waking up after a few hours sleep is alas typical for me and often without cause. I'll get up a for a while, pee, do some low key stretches, and then try to go back to sleep.

In bed a second time, my mind wandered and settled on a word, a theme for 2024. I hadn't even been considering choosing one so I'm not sure what triggered it. Nonetheless I liked it and have already been keeping it in mind.

VARIETY.

Mainly I was thinking of changing up my workouts some if only in small ways for now. Add this, delete that. Do things a little differently.

We'll see where it takes me.

Do you have a theme or motto for 2024? If so, feel free to share it in the comments.

 

10 years ago on TTaT: Life of Art 2013: the year in review

A Redeeming Win In The Little Drummer Boy Challenge

Merry Christmas if you celebrate! 

I'm pleased to report that I won this year despite a long haul from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve this year.

I've been playing The Little Drummer Boy Challenge since 2011. 

The rules from the site:

It’s very easy: So long as you don’t hear “The Little Drummer Boy,” you’re a contender. As soon as you hear it on the radio, on TV, in a store, wherever, you’re out. 

The game begins the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) at 12:01 am and continues until midnight, Dec. 23. If you haven’t been puh-rum-pum-pum-pummed, you win. For this year, anyway.

Last year I was out almost instantly on Black Friday as I watched a West Wing marathon, so it was rewarding to redeem myself this year with a win.

In 13 years of playing, I've now won 9 times.

Happy holidays, y'all!

 

10 years ago on TTaT: Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others (Wow, I don't recall this book at all.)

Note to Self, vol. XXXII

Almond Milk + Carob Powder ≠ Chocolate Milk

It was okay, but I probably won't be trying that experiment again.

Previously on TTaT: Note to Self, vol. XXXI

TFW (aka 18 years of TTaT)

That feeling when you realize you missed your blog's anniversary by nearly a month, and you check your archives and see that you also missed it entirely last year. 

Pandemic time has really gotten into my head it seems. 

Here we are at 18 years, woo!

Some highlights from the celebration 2 years ago. 

(My leopard still has her ears on this year though it's well past Easter because they please me to see. My mom made the ears when I was a kid, so I've had them and the leopard a long time.)

Note to Self, vol. XXXI

Just because a medical bill says they have billed your insurance doesn't mean they have. If there are no adjustments to the price they charge, that is a huge RED FLAG. Do not let the "Due on receipt" propel you into paying it until you've checked it out.

I made that mistake in June and have been trying to get it sorted for months. Guess what? It's much harder to get your money back after you've paid it.

I emailed my insurance in August because I still didn't see the claim listed on my account. Heard back that no, they didn't have it, but the customer service rep kindly called the billing company and spoke with someone who said they'd submit it right away.

In September, still no sign of the claim. I email the billing company directly with login info included on the bill to see what's going on. I get an auto-reply which shows they have my correct email and says they will forward it to the billing department.

No reply.

In October, I email them again including everything so far from my end. Nothing but the auto-response.

In November, I check my insurance again, no claim, and log in to the billing site which looks like they have finally submitted it a few days before.

I call the billing site's damn number. First time it doesn't even work. Next time the auto system hangs up on me. Third time I get through and a woman with a thick accent waits for me to take a breath (she's lucky I was done) to say, "Sorry to interrupt. It's a known issue." She doesn't elaborate on what it was. She says, "It's not a workman's comp claim." I think to myself, "No shit," but maybe that was part of the "known issue"?

Anyway, all I'm able to discern is that there's nothing left for me to do but wait. 30-45 days for my insurance to consider the claim. Then 6-8 weeks to get a refund, if one is due.

Current status: my insurance denied the claim because the billing company waited too long but says that's on billing company unless they can prove otherwise, so I don't currently owe anything.

Which is nice except I paid the bill months ago.

Next up: fighting with the billing company's phone system again. I'd email since that's what I prefer and I like having written responses, but they've never answered any of mine. Hopefully I will get someone more helpful this time. Or psych myself up to ask for a supervisor and demand a refund. ARGH!

 

10 years ago on TTaT: 60. Color Index