Acetaminophen, Liberty National, & Alex

Acetaminophen Recall…

has been primary to the Temple family’s conversation last night and this morning. I received a CNN email Alert last night in my email and, after reading the story, checking the list of retailers, and the Perrigo batch list. I telephoned my mother. She uses quite a bit of Acetaminophen. Thankfully, she primarily had Tylenol in her house; however, she also had three bottles of generic Acetaminophen, which my niece, Katie, who was staying with her overnight, help her locate and destroy. As for me, I had two bottles, one of which matched the batch numbers. This alarm wasn’t as bad as the 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders panic, but it certainly brought back the memories.

Liberty National Insurance…

is still haunting me. Early this morning a couple to whom I sold three life insurance polices telephoned me. They had been trying to reach Liberty National Insurance for some time, but no one would answer the telephone. I realize that their problem is not my problem since I am no longer an insurance agent or connected with Liberty National. However, to me, it isn’t a question of whose problem it is, but of ethics. These are people who trusted me and in turn the company I represented. I told them I was no longer an insurance agent and gave them what little information I had on reaching the company.

I wish I could have done more, but I have myself been trying to reach Liberty National for over a month. No one answers the local telephone number and the only communication I have had was a form letter from their attorneys reminding me that I had signed papers agreeing (1) not to sue Liberty National and (2) not to tell people, including friends and relatives, to cancel policies that I sold them. Last week I received a phone call from Dan, who had been my team leader and was demoted to the status of agent on the day David and I, the only remaining agents, were fired—if one can “fire” a non-employee contracted as an independent agent. Dan quit Liberty National after a nasty run-in with the regional manager, Roger the Fop. He asked me if I had ever been paid. I responded I had not and that I was desperately in need of the money owed me. He had not been paid his share of the commissions for policies that I sold and delivered back in July and August. Neither one of us knows how to deal with this company, for they continue not to answer the telephone or respond to our letters.

Alex…

will probably sleep all day! He and I were rather cold last night and he went to sleep snuggled against my chest. Unfortunately, I awakened around 3:00 a.m. and could not get back to sleep, so I got up. Of course, Alex got up, too, and followed me around the house. Eventually he went to the front door where he meowed and scratched to go outside. Being the permissive parent that I am, I let him out to cat around. Half an hour or so later, when I was tired enough to retire, I opened the front door and called him. No Alex came. I went to the back door and called him. No Alex came. Reluctantly I retired.

This morning I repeated the procedure, leaving the front door ajar when I went to the back door to call Alex. Evidently he was finally willing to come home, because he came in through the front as I was calling him from the back. After eating his breakfast, he wanted me to hold him, which I did until the call came in from the couple to whom I had sold insurance. Since then Mr. Alex has been asleep on my desk beneath the (warm) high intensity light. That’s where I expect him to remain throughout the day—or at least until he’s ready for lunch.

I don’t know where or what Alex was doing all night. But I have a suspicion. A couple of evenings ago when I opened the front door for Alex, we found another cat standing in the yard in front of the porch. Alex stood in the doorway for a bit staring at the other cat who returned his gaze. Then Alex walked to the edge of the porch and the two cats carried on a lengthy meowing conversation, before both cats took off together. That night Alex came home before bedtime; last night, who knows!