Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
comic strip overdue media

Friday, December 09, 2005

Yipee! No need to keep a secret anymore!

As part of our employee appreciation efforts, in lieu of a Christmas party this year, the hospital gave everyone a $100 gift card to Wal-Mart. So, I can probably go ahead and buy a new tyre and still have money for holiday gifts for my family. Yay!

Yesterday I went to the oral surgeon. Because I have sleep apnea, they're going to take my wisdom teeth out at a hospital rather than in the office. That means my health insurance has to pre-approve the change, so it'll probably be two to four weeks before I have it done. The total I have to pay after dental insurance is $134 (20% of the total). Not bad. And if United Healthcare has to approve it, then it probably works like the outpatient surgery I had for carpal tunnel, and the hospital part will be covered 100%. Yay again.

I also started my job at the gas station. I'm catching on to the register pretty quickly. Authorising the pumps is quite easy. The hardest thing to do is apparently the lottery, and I've watched that. It was was a good night to start, with a winter storm that petered out to just some slush on the roads and no real snow accumulation (although at one point snow was coming down in groups of flakes that were three to four inches in diametre). I only worked four hours. I'll work six more on Saturday. I like it so far, and I like my co-workers. If I can work about 10 hours a week there and 5-10 hours per week at KET, that brings me up to 35-40 hours per week. I feel better about myself already, more productive, more together. It's funny how something small can do that.

I got the rest of my paycheque today, so I should be on track to make my rent. I have to go back and check how much I worked at KET to be sure, but I've got $375 of it and then I get paid at KET on the 15th and that should be at least another hundred. My rent's $470, so it'll be down to whether I need more for late fees. Starting next month, though, my paydays line up so that I shouldn't be late for any reason. I've already plotted them out through June. That'll save me about $30 a month.

Tonight is our Secret Santa party. I'm really looking forward to it. I took my gifts home last night and after work relaxed to Ella Fitzgerald with the holiday lights on and a candle burning in the little lamp. It was very nice.

Hope your holiday season is stress-free (ha!) and happy.

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