Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
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Thursday, December 26, 2013

I woke up this morning

with a horrible dream in which I went totally mad, waking up at 8:12 am (I have to be at work by 8:30.) I was a bit late, but I was a little ahead on my time so I think it will work out. Despite thinking it would be dreadfully dull on a light clinic day right after Christmas, it actually went fairly smoothly and I got a lot done. I was the only one in the library for the most part, as my office mates were gone. It was so quiet I could hear the copier in sleep mode from across the room. So I travelled around the hospital occasionally and played some music from my phone using a little speaker (it's called a Music Bullet) as I worked.

I chose a primary care dentist for my new DMO plan (it's like an HMO, only for dentists). Essentially, there are 34 dentists in our town who take the plan, many of them part of one practice. So I made that practice my PCD after calling and making an appointment. You see, on Christmas day I was eating a spring roll (yes, Chinese food, the one thing you can count to be open on Christmas, and Jin Jin is excellent). Anyway, a crown with the tooth inside came out of my mouth. Essentially it broke off at the gum line, meaning I'll probably have to have oral surgery, which is unfortunate to say the least. So I'm going to have them check out things and see what all needs to be done. The drawback to the DMO is the lack of participating providers/small pool of them. But there are two very good things, one being that it costs a mere $3 and some change per pay period, half of the PPO plan, and second, it doesn't have the limits that the PPO has, so if I need intensive stuff it will pay for it. It even partly covers adult orthodontia (which I don't really need at this point). The other doesn't. So I'm hoping I made the right choice in going with this plan. The appointment is safely after the new year, when my flexible spending account will be refilled, etc.
    After work today I:
  1. Went to the pharmacy, picked up a friend's medicine and paid for the medication they had put on hold for me when I couldn't pay before Christmas.
  2. Actually went to the YMCA and discovered a recumbent bike that I used for a short but good introductory workout. I hope to start going regularly and extending the amount of time, variety of activities, and level of speed, etc.
  3. Spent time with YKWIA and A, especially watching YouTube videos with YKWIA. I now know much more about apartments and customs of Japan, and unfortunately have watched an entire video devoted to bestiality in Colombia with donkeys. Yeah. I know. I think he takes a certain amount of pleasure in making my brain hurt.
  4. Stopped by Taco Bell on the way home and ate.
Now I'm home and I'm online enjoying what may be the last night of regular cable Internet. Tomorrow the plan is to take in the cable box and modem and cancel my service. Then I need to call and cancel my Vonage account because it piggybacks on the cable. That will save me nearly $180 a month right there. Instead, I'll use my phone as a hotspot with the laptop and if need be the TV and Roku box. The tablet has a data plan of its own, and the Kindle is 3G. If using the laptop or streaming videos exceeds the 2.5 GB limit I have on the hotspot, I think I can go up to 4 GB for just $10 more, still saving a lot compared to cable. I have Netflix and Amazon Prime. I have an antenna for the TV and get several network channels plus some nostalgia TV. I usually just watch the news at home, or maybe something like 'The Big Bang Theory', which is on CBS. I have a DVD/VCR recorder if I want to record something for later. I should be good to go.

Okay, getting sleepy. Hope you have a good night!

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