Less Hustle More Coffee

Happy……..geez it’s Thursday already? Wow! Happy Thursday that is! I was not going to do a blog post this morning as I was thinking that nothing was going on. Well, plenty is going on, but not much worth talking about.

The pic above, a reference to how fast things are suddenly moving. Things are picking up speed for sure —or needing to. Like me. I’m needing to speed up and catch up with everything blurring past me.

First things first, quarter end is finally done. The last bit included 2 hours worth of data entry, lost by the Oregon tax website as they have not included a “save” button on the transit tax portal. I guess most employers have the software to do an upload when they have to enter 59 employee’s socials, earnings and tax information. We do not according to my peeps. So I stopped to do a payroll function and it was gone. What’s 2 hours? A lot at quarter end. ::sigh:: This I am used to, so no surprises, no tears, no blood, no sweat…just another thing to have to do again. Another box to still be checked off. However, this next time I’d have to wait until 1) payroll was over 2) I had a stretch of about 3 hours in case something didn’t balance 3) I had recent trip to the girls room first 4) Wouldn’t take the BP meds with the water pill in it til after the report was done (LOL) 5) I’d have a cup of coffee or water in case I got thirsty as I’d be strapped to the chair til it was over. And while I dreaded it, and had rushed through payroll so I could do it, I was able to get this done yesterday with no issue. This completed quarter end. I’ve made a note that this is something I can be working on in the “lull” I have while waiting on other information. It’s always been done last I guess b/c it’s not as significant of a deal as opposed the other tax returns but I can put this ahead and do it in the middle of the month instead of waiting til the end. I think everyone waited on this part as Oregon was so odd and difficult to figure out. I am happy the tax return itself is not hard at all now that I know how it works.

And so I have been trying all week to get some orders placed on line and things moving and shaking on the Christmas front. Some packages have to be shipped and also with the orders and shipping some times taking longer, I hate to wait. However, every night it has been busy with something. I did a store run one night, made our squash casserole and did some household chores, and then last night we had George’s benefit open enrollment meeting on zoom. We were very happy with the insurance costs and to have 3 plans to choose from. However, there is not a hospital near us that is in the network. They don’t accept Tri-Star. I think it took some of the hospitals about 45 min away in various areas. This is not going to work for me. I’m also not sure my doctor is on there and you can’t get online to see until you have a membership in the plan. And we need to know this information beforehand so we can decide if we want to do this or not. I’m not getting on a plan that can’t tell me that information. They said “oh if it’s an emergency, you can go anywhere”. Ummm no. I know how that works. That means that when it comes time to be focused on whatever emergency you and your family are dealing with – you will also be fighting with insurance companies and every little company that did anything to you for a very very very long time. Ummm not thank you. I’m not willing to have those battles and they are not going to be willing to hear me squawk if I have to. I’ve laid the line with George. Absolutely not going to take this plan if docs and hospitals are not on it. I want peace of mind.

They have filled the plans with all these ancillary benefits/voluntary benefits to fill the voids (extra insurance to patch the holes of the insurance you are already having to pay for). It all sounds good til the rubber meets the road and you get all the bills coming from that ambulance ride, that anethstesia service, that hospital that – ooops wasn’t on the plan – so sorry.

Even if it did cover the emergency after a fight you know you are going to have, then what if you have chest pain and it turned out to be an irritated muscle. Oh boy those test will be expensive at 100% as it turned out not to be an emergency after all and you just visited a hospital out of network. No ma’am. No sir. Not gonna happen. We need to be covered where we are and not drive miles for care or die in the process getting there. Not going to pay for insurance for coverage I won’t receive and have to pay full price for. Naw….

On top of everything else going on, I really don’t need the pressure of THIS now. But it is what it is and imagine I’ll be moving us to our work’s plans which will let us join since changes in spouses plan allows me to make a family status change at my own company. We don’t need this right now. But it is what it is. <—–I’ve said that so many times in my life I’m tired of that phrase.

George says he’s going to meet with them at work to understand more. I’m not going to be happy unless the names of our providers are in the network so it doesn’t really matter what they tell him. I’m not going to believe someone’s word. It needs to be in writing. Not in the network in black and white, not for me. I have to have peace of mind and that is the last thing we need to be worrying about when there is an emergency or NOT an emergency.

So maybe tonight we will look at my company’s insurance. I just don’t trust this one right now we are looking at with his company with all our favorites not in the network and having to drive miles for the cheapest service which was a feature they were encouraging. Inconvenience the employee so the company can pay less. We pay less too as claims are cheaper on the front end, but you may pay more in gas to get there or pay yourself as your provider may not be covered, or die b/c you had to drive to the other providers that were on the list, or just refuse to use the system b/c who the heck wants to drive to Egypt for coverage, LOL. Again. Naw. I’m not pleased. You are right. Ain’t nobody gonna be happy unless Mama is happy and Mama is not happy with this deal so Mama gonna do something else!

Also our calendar and to do’s are picking up and we have already kinda run out of very many Saturday’s to get shopping excursions done. We still have Sunday’s but this gal needs time to get household chores done and a bit of rest one day of the week at least. We have Katy’s shower this Saturday, we have dog grooms and friend get togethers and we are very much looking forward to all of it.

We are awaiting Aldi to get in the smoked turkey and have been working on the Thanksgiving meal a bit. I have to figure out the payroll week in that short of a time frame. Mom is coming. I will not get any EXTRA time off other than the company holidays (of course not) – due to the short week and payroll has to be done. So all the cooking will be done on Thanksgiving Day and not before. I will have to get Mom after work on Wednesday and while usually I try to go in early and get off early – that may or may not be possible to do that day. We’ll see.

So the time crunch is coming upon us along with everything else. But there are two of us to pull it all off. We may have to shop after work at night. I need to get my on line shopping done first. Crazy crunch time. I’m feeling it. Like I do every year. We’ll get through it. We will also have the December crunch and the January crunch. February will be our hibernation month this next year. Don’t anyone mess with it! I need to see but I think I may have a day of PTO I can take – maybe two and still have the 40 to roll over. I have to see. If I do then I can decide when is best to take it. Now or at gift wrapping time? Ahhh so much to do! And not much time to do it in.