Strong Winds, Good Vibes, a Joyous Alex, & a Song for the Lone Beader

Strong Winds and an Unpleasant Surprise

Yesterday I was away from home for about five hours which was the longest I’ve been out alone in months. The first stop was for my previously mentioned root canal. When I located the office (following my computer generated map) I had to park in a very large parking lot far from the office. The walk was demanding: I was dragging one of the large bottles of oxygen because all of my small bottles (that I can carry) are empty.

For some reason, the winds were so strong that it felt as if I was in Chicago facing a gale coming off the lake. It was a demanding walk, but at least when I got to the office I found it on the first floor, so I didn’t have to drag that oxygen up a flight or more of steps.

After I signed in and filled out three pages of insurance and medical history, I was hit with a surprise that, like the winds outside, almost knocked me down. My Humana Medicare supplement covered none of the root canal’s cost!

When I purchased the supplement the salesman told me that if I used doctors and dentists that were in the Humana “system,” the most I would pay would be 25% of the procedure’s cost. Thus, I had carefully consulted the humongous Humana PPO referral book to locate a provider who was “in system.” So…can you imagine my shock when the receptionist informed me that Humana would cover none of the root canal’s estimated $1050.00 cost!

That’s cost in almost 8% of my total yearly income—and I can’t afford it. Thus, I left the office for the cold winds outside without having the root canal done. I’ve spent most of this morning attempting to contact a human being at Humana who can explain why the policy isn’t covering what the insurance agent said it would cover. Thus far I’ve not been able to contact a human at Humana!

Of course, after my four months as an insurance agent, I believe I understand the problem: (1) insurance agents usually know little about the policies they sell; (2) insurance companies write the policies in jargon that even a Philadelphia lawyer would have difficulty interpreting; and (3) insurance agents are rewarded for sales not honesty, which is the primary reason I am not selling insurance.

The Journey Had a Fantastic Surprise

When I left the parking lot, I decided to avoid the Interstates for my return trip because I could see traffic backed up on I-71 and, since I’d not been so far from home in months, I decided to navigate by the seat of my pants and explore—a long time favorite pastime.

I drove northwest on a road I’d not previously traveled and suddenly realized that I was going to pass Nick’s (my oldest son) house. I turned into the long driveway and when I reached the house, I tooted my horn because I realized that I couldn’t make it up the many steps to his porch dragging the oxygen. I’d not seen Nick since before Christmas and I felt overjoyed when he came out of the house! When talked for at least thirty minutes and made plans to get together for a Bar-B-Q on my deck when the weather warms and the wind begin to blow from the south rather than the north. Wow! Even rotten experience like being screwed by one’s insurance company can have an upside!

A Jubilant Alex

After leaving Nick’s house, I spotted a pet food store that, thanks to research done by Bryan, carried Alex’s favorite cat food. The furball is ecstatic and has already consumed four packets of it. Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

In Honor of the Lone Beader’s Newest Project

Below is a draft sketch of the Lone Beader’s latest project: a 1946 electric trolley car as used by Boston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority:

When I read her post about it, I began singing one of my favorite Kingston Trio folk songs, the MTA: