The Time Sink

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Hmmm... Anyone out there on prescription medication? ...with pretty much automated refills determined by your insurance carrier or HMO? With the idiotic policy to only pay for a thirty-day supply at a time (with maybe a $10 co-pay) when the pharmacist will happily sell you a ninety-day supply for $25? Easy math. ...and that formula doesn't take into account your gas and time to go back twice!

...or one that substitutes generics for The Real Thing and you figure, "What the heck. So the pill looks different; it's gotta' be okay or they wouldn't give it to me." ...and you wake up dead; or maybe just in the doorway to wherever because You Didn't Check Out The Flipping Pill.    WT????    "He's at it again, Maude; make sure the children are safe."

Stone cold true story: Last night I opened the refill to my Lipitor (a cholesterol medication), planning to add them into my daily vitamin holders (yes; like Baen and Pournelle, I'm one of those "old guys who takes vitamins"). ...only the pills were a bit different. Now, I don't much care about generic vs. brand; but I do want to know about any changes because I'm just that type of control freak. Okay, let's see: real different. ...and it's not a dosage foul-up; there's the "20" right there. How about the reverse? "Lotensin"; that sounds fairly medicine-like. Time to hit the net (who knows where the heck the PDR is). Double "Hmmm...". A blood pressure med. The type that lowers your blood pressure... In an hour or so... Today could have been a real interesting day at work if I'd have just taken what was in the bottle labeled "Lipitor"...

But, as has been said elsewhere, "Because it's not just about me. It's about us": do you check your meds out when you open that bottle? Does your older parent? The one with the HMO from hell... And what do you do if you see something different? ...and what is "different"? Yes, you do need to know what the pill(s) you are now taking looks like. It will have markings on at least one side, perhaps on both. With the information on the size, shape, color and markings on the pill, a pharmacist or anyone with a copy of the Physician's Desk Reference (Costco, $50US +/-) can usually figure out what it is you have in your hand (old street-Jedi trick).

There's a simple point to this rant: know what's going into your body and don't trust a change you were not informed of. Pharmacists today are extremely helpful. ...and there's a twenty-four by seven one on duty at the local hospital if the guy or gal on the corner is closed late at night. They'll be happy to look things up for you if they have a minute and you explain the problem. Give them a call if something like this comes up for you or yours. They'll be happy to talk to you.

So, the occasion medical tidbit is okay from time to time? Okay, here's one on the common cold I did for Dave last year...

...and the week from hell is indeed upon me. Change orders here; plan changes there; people remembering things that should have been handled weeks or months ago. ...and Janeen bailed on vacation with her mom to the coast for a few days. Oh my.

I've about run out of tricks for pulling rabbits out of my hat; I think I'll have to find another portal... Now the powers that be want to ramp things up and start a day early. Okay; I don't see a problem on my end... "Dan, can you get the office furniture in this week?" You mean the stuff I haven't ordered yet because there's no place to put it? Sheesh. I'll tell you where...

Nah; it's really not that bad. ...certainly not as bad as being an author with a deadline<g>. I mean, it could be worse...

<Sigh>Another day closer to the weekend</Sigh> Then again, I teach Saturday. On the gripping hand, part of the main lecture is on stress management... See, laughter is goooood for you! Ha ha ha ha haaa hhaaa cackle cackle gurgle eeep...

But while I was trying to gain some perspective on my way too busy life, one of those never-ending humor emails from a well-meaning friend showed up. Yeah, one of those. But... This one had some promise, so I cleaned it up. It's not often I can mix religion and medical stuff...

Are you here today expecting a humongous "Yeah"? Okay. Yeah! It's not all done, not by a long shot. But next week we move into reactive mode and we just won't care at that point.

But until Wednesday: Joe and I are tidying up the Central Supply Annex (the East Training Room we co-opted) in preparation for sending the balance of the stock (the stuff left over from stocking new units) to the Hanford CSR. ...and we run across four kitchen faucets. Okay... We don't carry kitchen faucets on rigs... And "four" is an interesting number; that's the number of stations in the new county. But we didn't order any faucets. We don't need no stinking faucets. What we likely need are the four widgets those faucets represent. ...that were miss-entered on someone's pick list. ...and were checked in by part number on our end. ...and still haven't been called for yet.

Next week. Reactive mode. We'll find it and we'll fix it.

My, oh my; I am soooo ready for today. It's been a week; and even though I teach today, my mental bearing and gears are starting to wind down a tad. ...and "hey", guess which day my main pharmaceutical supplier decided to take off for inventory games? Yep, Friday. The same Friday I was planning on making the new "regular" weekly order for the new office. Oh well, there's second day air for a reason. ...and next day.

We still haven't figured out where the kitchen faucets came from. ...or what they represent. If I didn't know better, I'd guess the fleet manager threw them in there to get our goat. ...other than he's as hammered as we are.

...and I now have a quandary of truly epic proportions: It appears I may have at least forty-five seconds of discretionary time available this weekend. ...and Friday, the mailperson dropped off Bob and Barbara's new book and the latest issue of Maximum Linux. <Sigh> I suppose I can read up on what I need to build up a new Linux box. ...as if there's not enough parts falling out of boxes around here!

Good morning! ...and a most enjoyable, relaxing day to you all. No, I really mean it. Then again<g>...

I had an interesting experience at the close of class yesterday; after I finished the day with a lecture on stress management, the class applauded and thanked me for the lecture. I've been at the weekend gig since 1982 and I've never had that occur before. I mean, you keep people entertained and learning for eight hours or so and the normal response is to just want to go home. ...from both sides of the lectern. Dunno', maybe I got something across...

I will admit the subject is of more than just another lecture to me. My paramedic class of twenty six from 1975 has racked up something like thirty two divorces. ...and at least three guys are still with their original wives. We didn't know about things like "burnout" and "stress" back then; most of us learned the hard way.

So today, we limit the number of hours crews can work in both the day and the week. ...and we have people to listen to other people. ...and we have teachers who give lectures. I tell these young wannabes to put the notes in the back of their closets. ...and pull them out if and when they notice any of the things listed on the cover page. EMS, law enforcement, fire service, flipping burgers, going to school... It doesn't matter what it is you're doing; if the symptoms are there, use some of these tools to manage your stress before it manages you. Sure, you can burn the candle at both ends. ...and light it off in the middle with a blowtorch. Heck, sometimes that's what the job or school or moving or life is all about. But... That's not how life is supposed to be, week in and week out.

Gain a little perspective. Take a little break. Enjoy some down time.

Heck, Brian's weather pattern has stopped in here just in time to keep me from going outside and working in the yard... How fortuitous. So it's off to church and back home to relax.