Things that annoyed me this week

I’ve been having computer issues this week, which has inspired this rant-like post.  If you don’t like listening to people complain, you can skip this post altogether.

Here are some things that have annoyed me this week:

Electronics

I’m irritated that wireless routers only seem to last 2-3 years before they are on the fritz. I just bought my 3rd or 4th one, I’ve lost count. It also bugs me that it takes months to figure out that it is the router that’s causing me all the headaches because the deterioration of signal is very slow. I finally figured it out when I couldn’t stay connected for more than 5 seconds.

Software

So we get the new router and suddenly my 5 month old laptop can’t see the signal anymore but our other computers are working fine. After my husband spent about 6 hours troubleshooting the problem thinking it might be the new router or wireless card, he finally finds out that there is a microsoft wireless software loaded on my laptop that is causing the issue. He finds a forum where everyone with my computer is complaining about it. The fix? Well come to find out, this stupid software is useless, so all you have to do to solve your problem is disable it.

Blogs

I hate pop ups asking me to sign up for someones email or newsletter…most especially when I’m already a reader and subscriber of their blog.

Healthcare

Why is it that the billing departments at all doctors are so completely inept? I’m still receiving bills from my son’s surgery from 3 years ago, after umpteen appeals and umpteen approvals. Oh and the billing office for my doctor is only open between 3-5 and when I called at 4:10 the other day, the person already left for the day and the secretary wouldn’t take a message and told me to call back another day.

Actually, it’s not totally their fault, it’s also Blue Cross denying things that should be covered. They didn’t cover the surgery because the doctor used the wrong billing code (first thing fixed). Then they said I didn’t get the right prior authorization to do some thing that was part of the procedures (even though I called before the surgery and was told I needed no prior authorization to perform the surgery).  I think this time they denied paying for the anesthesia or something associated with the procedure but not the procedure itself.  That took a million calls to fix. Lastly, the doctor was out of network and this is the latest thing I’m fighting. I also thought that when I was calling around beforehand, I got that exception approved too. As it is, this doctor was an hour away and the closest qualified person to do the surgery. Sorry, but  for the money I’m paying I shouldn’t be expected to drive 2+ hours to visit an in-network specialist.  They had no record of those conversations, so I had to file yet another appeal which was yet again approved.

No wonder healthcare is so expensive. I would love to take a job to streamline some of these processes. They are just so screwed up.

I also have a dentist bill that is still in limbo from when I switched insurance numbers over a year ago.

Stimulus Spending

Okay, my town must have way too much money because they are putting extra stop signs and traffic lights in the most random of places.

My Husband Being Right

Okay, this didn’t really annoy me, but although I’m stubborn, I have to give credit where it’s due.  This week, we rented a dumpster and are gutting two upstairs rooms at my mom’s house. I actually have done very little work this time around aside from some cleanup and prep.  Babci’s house is over 100 years old and the plaster isn’t even connected to the lathe anymore. The only thing holding it on the wall is the wallpaper. It’s not insulated properly, the wiring is a gagillion years old and the lights have no switches (pull string), radiators need work, the bathrooms moldy and rotted.  In fact, when we took down the bathroom walls, the walls weren’t even connected to the ceiling. They were just kind of floating there and you could wobble them around. Nuts.

Anyway, as we were debating our plan of attack, I thought that since Babci is already 77, that we should get the first floor totally done so that when she gets to the place where she can’t climb stairs anymore, she has a nice little apartment with a remodeled bedroom, bath and kitchen all ready to go.  He had the opposite theory, start at the top and work your way down.  Last weekend as the bathroom was being gutted a water leak sprung and started raining into the downstairs kitchen. I then realized that working from the top down makes more sense and admitted the error of my ways.  Once the upstairs is done, I don’t have to worry about it impacting the downstairs rooms.

Thanksgiving

Not really much to rant about here.  I am really looking forward to a long weekend of cooking and eating and hanging with family.  I love this time of year, so I’ll end on a happy note.

I now realize my silly ranting is really sounds very elitist scum to me. I am thankful that my family can get the medical care they need and that I can afford insurance (expensive or not).  Babci had siblings that died as children from illnesses. Wow, I’m so glad I can bring my kids to hospitals and specialists if I need to. How would I have gotten that screw out of my son’s nose otherwise?

Computer problems? In all honesty, computers are a luxury. Do I really need all the electronic gizmos in my house? No. In fact, the week I was having all my computer issues, I actually worked out again.  That in itself was a good lesson.  It’s good to unplug and go back to the basics of living.

Have a great holiday and be sure to  eat an extra slice of pie for me.