...a "note-worthy" day

this coming Sunday, after a short service music rehearsal...
we unveil the 2009 Lessons & Carols music to the choir...

BLT & I have spent quite a bit of time searching...
listening, reviewing, doing & re-doing the list...
UnklePhil compiled a demo CD before he left on vacation...



the demo CD, as well as one selection that's on my computer...
are ready to play on Sunday...the only thing yet to do ?
organize and arrange the music...
so for the last few days, I've been working on the "book"...



we purchase enough originals for each singer...
but I've found that working from copies...
which is legal, since we bought the originals...
is better... easier for the singers in many ways...

I print the copies "larger", with editorial markings...
I can also change the page orientation if there are nasty page turns...
but the best idea I "borrowed" from "pit orchestras" & church musicals...

I create a "book" with carefully mapped-out page turns & notes...
completely in order, with page numbers & a "TOC"...
that contains all 12 choral pieces, 9 readings & 3 congregational hymns...
then I make a copy for each singer, plus a couple of extras, punch holes...
and pass out a complete book to each singer...

this saves SOOO much rehearsal time...
passing out 1 bundle instead of 12...
[having the hymns & readings,"in place"...
also means no juggling of a thick bulletin & the music...
during the service...]

most notes & comments are in place, all is "in order"...
there's no,"I don't have that piece"..."I'm missing a page"...
and finding a starting point is easy with sequentially numbered pages...
all the singers need to do is put the "book" in their binder...
listen to the CD and learn the music...

the only "catch" ?

someone,[that would be me...] has to "make" the book...



I started with "clean" music, then copied it...
enlarging it from 110 to 115 %, single sided...
then I spend time putting in rehearsal letters if needed...
marking staves[parts], notating tempo changes...
deciding on page turns, putting in comments...
& marking pronunciations in the "usual" places...
[ie Is-RAY-el, not Is-RYE-el...]
so that we can avoid those nasty nasal vowel sounds...

using the readings and hymns from last year's book...
I "whited-out" page numbers & other unnecessary markings or notes...



then using my L&C 2009 proposed order page...
I worked my way through deciding on page order...
then placing page numbers on the pages & on my order page...

having done that, I re-wrote my proposed order page...
as the "TOC" page, with all pages listed...
for all choral music, readings & hymns...



then I printed-out a copy...

tomorrow, I'll put all the single-sided pages as double sided...
[a lot of exacting work...]

then we can begin the "print" phase...
and hopefully be ready for the rehearsal Sunday...

I love it when a plan comes together !

...a good start

on Thursday, Molly & I finally made it to see the dog trainer...
this kennel has won numerous awards & came recommended by MM...



driving up the long sycamore lined driveway, gave a sense of peace...
there were no noisy, barking dogs, crowds of people or other distractions...
just grassy enclosed dog training areas, B-I-G buildings...
and lots of country quiet...

we parked & Molly used the "potty area" while we waited...
finally I opened the door to let M, the trainer, know that we were there...
an older couple, with their 2 Fox Terriers came out...
we stood back for them, but since they didn't bark, neither did Molly...



M, the trainer, had her 2 Golden Retrievers resting inside in pens...
Molly was alert to them , but didn't bark or anything...
because they didn't react to her presence...
[this picture is of her with the younger of the 2, beautiful dogs !...]

M was pleased with Molly's lack of aggression towards the terriers & her dogs...
we chatted a bit about Molly's past, what my issues were, etc...

then we discussed training techniques & equipment...

she proceeded slowly, because some training equipment...
if used improperly, can & will hurt or injure the dog...
and she didn't want to freak me out when she wanted to try this...



we discussed both the prong & choke collars...

[here are descriptions of both kinds from a web site...
which follow the same basic pros & cons we discussed...]

Prong or Pinch Collars
# Prong or pinch collars are designed along the same lines as choke collars. Instead of choking the dog, however, they pinch or poke the dog's neck. They look like torture devices: a circle of chain links, with long, rounded protrusions on each link. However, they are actually more humane than choke collars, because dogs are less likely to become seriously injured from being poked than from being choked, especially if the prongs have rubber tips. Make sure that the pinch collar is not too tight. As with any collar, you should be able to fit two fingers in between the dog's neck and the collar.

Choke Collars
# Choke collars are the most common type of training collar. Made up of a series of chain links, they remain loose against a dog's neck but tighten up when the dog pulls on the leash. In this way, the dog is corrected when he fights against the owner's commands. For example, if the owner is trying to get the dog to heel and the dog suddenly takes off running, the choke collar will tighten up, cutting off the dog's wind and bringing him up short. Some dogs might even cough and gasp if they are choked particularly hard, so it's important to use choke collars carefully.

Molly always chokes herself with the choke collar...
pulling me down the street, coughing & gagging all the way...
which could seriously damage her trachea...

the Halti collar has been great as a deterrent to the worst pulling...
but Molly gets used to the pressure and the head swerve...
so I'm constantly having to keep the leash fairly taut...
to keep her under control, which is hard on my arthritic joints...
and creates balance problems for me...

M wanted me to at least "try" the prong collar...
her point was that it could train Molly more quickly...
than the Halti collar that I was using...
the choke collar was more dangerous to a "pulling" dog...
and if Molly responded quickly to the prong collar...
it would be the gentlest for her, which is always the best idea...

I took these Prong Collar Instructions from a web site that evaluates collars...
and adjusted them as per M's advice...

Prong Collar Techniques

1.
Step 1
To stop pulling behavior, the pinch collar can be utilized.
2.
Step 2
Pinch collar should not be tight on the dog's neck.

3.
Step 3

The trick of the pinch collar is a quick jerk and release. Holding it taut will cause pain to the dog. Think of the collar as a brief distraction which signals wrong behavior.You stop when the dog pulls, there is a quick tug on the collar which gets the dog's attention.

4.
Step 4

Once the dog stops pulling, turns around & comes back to you, praise it. Then start again.




here you see Molly being fitted with the prong /training collar...
because of my dexterity/hand strength issues, M made the collar big enough...
to easily slip over the dog's head...
[turning it inside out & being very careful of the eyes & mouth...]
then positioning it away from the regular collar...
[Molly's fur is very thick on her neck so a gentle tug won't hurt her...]



here's Molly with both her regular collar & the training collar...
each on a separate lead...
the separate lead for training is so if the dog gets out of control...
or if the training collar becomes unhooked...
there is a safe way & humane way to control the dog...



here she's walking with 2 leashes...
when she would start to move ahead, M is supposed to stop...
give a slight jerk on the training collar lead if Molly doesn't stop with her...
call Molly back to the heel "area" & praise her...



Molly is a quick study & after only a few minutes of walking...
knew to stop and return when she felt the slightest jerk...
eventually, whenever she felt the person stop...
[she never reacted adversely to the training collar at all...]



of course, she was in a strange place...
[and WHO is that dog in the mirror ?...]
with strange people and other dogs...
but she was very calm until a couple of workers came in...
to trim the nails on M's dogs...

when Molly saw those 2 guys, she began to shake & tried to hide behind me...
[I had told M about Molly's fear of men...]
so we comforted her, told her it was OK...
& gradually moved closer...

before they were done, she seemed OK with them...
and when we brought her past M's dogs, who ignored her...
she seemed OK with that too...
[she really is a quick study...her cat food breath is testament to that...]



here's more of the 2 lead technique...



and then we went with 1 lead...

at this point, I took up the lead...
so I could become the trainer as well as the trainee...

my praise response is good, though I tend to say ,"No"...
when she starts to move away...

after a few more minutes, as soon as I stopped...
Molly would turn back and come to me without any jerk at all...

so we will have to practice together for 10 minutes a day...
and the training collar will only be worn for training...
M warned me that Molly would "forget" as soon as we left...
and that only persistent training with the prong collar...
would insure the desired result...

after seeing how Molly worked with this collar...
that it's loose enough & has the rubber bumper tips...
and that she never flinched at all, nor did she pull...
I was convinced that if used properly, as instructed...
it will be a useful tool for training her...

I can SO see how it could be misused or injurious...
but with her, it won't be...
especially since I'm using a looser one with rubber tips...
and she doesn't pull at all with this...

which will help to create better owner/dog trust & understanding...

so I stopped by DP today & found these...



a leather lead for the training collar...
[she has her purple collar & leash...]



and a medium sized [I was warned about the B-I-G link ones...]
prong collar...with 3 extra links, so it'll slip on easily...
and the rubber tips to minimize any pain...
[that's her choke collar on the right...]

the rubber tips were a big score...
they didn't scan on the cash register...
so the cashier just "threw them in"...

[they were free ! ]

M was quite optimistic that Molly would be able to be in a class...
without too much trouble or concern...

after we work with the training collar for a while...
I'll call the kennel and discuss signing-up for the obedience class...
since I now have an evaluation of Molly from their top trainer...
[M is featured on their web site...]

more importantly, I now know what to do to get her to mind me...
and it'll do us both a world of good to get out...
and walk in the wonderful Fall that is even now beginning to unfold...
[it's supposed to be in the 70's most of next week...]

...on being content

if you're a regular reader...



then you know that I've been going through some major "stuff"...



the way has been obscured...



and though God has been a beacon, guiding me through...
He has made it clear that "this" must continue...
until I have learned the lesson He wants me to learn...
which seems to be, that "He is enough..."



not only that He will provide all my needs...
and perhaps a few of my heart's desires...
but that I need to feel content with whatever that is...
and stop searching for, "more"...



that my life will be best for me if I accept things as He provides...
I don't need to search out "more"...
material needs, work, relationships...
are all "enough", as He provides...

my constant striving for more has only created strife and longing...
the specter of failure, fear of loneliness & abandonment...
that if I don't take care of myself, no one will...
and that has put me into an emotional & spiritual deficiency position...

the harder I tried, the more I failed...

I "worked" at getting by on "less"...and failed...
of being "loving"... "giving"... a "good friend"...
again, no positive outcomes...just failures...

I hid away from God & everyone, and was miserable...

then, almost 2 years ago, I found a way "out" of my misery...
but as hard as I would try to be a good person...
the failures continued and almost seemed worse than before...

in the last few months, I hit a different kind of bottom...
and as I became closer to Him, grew calmer & more committed to His will...
something has been quietly happening...

the painful, old longings for "belonging" are fading...
the drive to achieve some goal is changing...
mostly there is a calm sense of peace...
and the knowledge that,"all things will be as He wants it..."
and that, is just fine with me...

this morning, as I read Psalm 78:1-39 in the morning office...
I focused on the familiar passage telling how all of God's blessings...
to the exiles from Egypt as they wandered in the desert...
was "never enough"... they kept on craving more & more...

this is not new to me, but today the small voice said...
"I am enough for you..."
and it all quietly slipped into focus...

I've been heading "here" for a while now...
I hope that this is the lesson that He's been waiting for me to learn...
I also know that there will be "more", about "less"...
that I will screw-up & backslide...

but I hope that I will continue this sense of calm & peace...
my life has been full of longings and frustration on my own...
I'm looking forward to being "less", in His sufficiency...

less wasteful, less controlling, less self-centered, less annoying...

more of Him... less of "me"....



after all... there is a LOT more of Him...

God is good... all the time...

...the first day of Fall

September 22, the autumnal equinox [equal day & night]

celebrated by many ancient cultures...
often in conjunction with the harvest...

for me, the end of summer, though some heat remains...
the gathering in the bounties of the growing season...
drinking in the glories of nature celebrating her death...
preparing for the cold isolation of winter...

waiting for the light to come again and warm your soul...

...a step in the right direction...

my chiropractor uses accupressure to re-balance the nerves & muscles...
believing that the body & mind can heal themselves if balanced properly...

I went to the chiropractor, again, for the 3rd time in a week...
I knew that we were getting closer...
but I continued to have such pain standing...
[my quads in both legs would stiffen and become rigid...
making movement really hard & painful...]
trying to do more than sit or lay flat was really a trial...
with both legs weak & as the rigid muscles throbbed...

my chiropractor said that it was a "weight bearing issue"...
meaning that the nerves & muscles were not balanced...
so I dealt with the weakness in standing by over-tightening the quads...
in order not to lose my balance when trying to walk...

of course, there were ancillary issues mentally...
which I had to visualise while he was balancing my nerves and muscles...
and when he was done, RELIEF !!!

there is still some arthritic pain...
but the tight throbbing pain in my quads was gone...
along with the burning up & down my legs...
as well as the weakness & the resulting lose of balance...

so I'm hoping to move on to better health from here...
I really need to exercise more...so does Molly...
but I was so weak & clumsy... afraid that I would fall down...
because the quads would just "let go" & I'd stumble...
so every step I took made the tightness worse...
as I would struggle to stay "in control & upright"...

so now I need to keep my "head" right...
not stress over stuff I can't control...
[ie let God take care of it...]
and get my self back into becoming more fit...

Molly & I have an appointment Thursday at 1:15 PM...
with the elusive dog trainer for an evaluation...
I need to learn how to be the "alpha" dog...
and Molly needs to learn that not all other dogs will attack her...

then we can go to the training classes with other dogs, safely...

I also have a ton of house cleaning & yard work to do...
hopefully I'll be able to get it done...
without reverting to the painful situation...
since it all involves standing[dishes & cooking]
cleaning [sweeping & vacuuming]
and getting the office moved around...

we're not mentioning all the outside clean-up...
[leaves, lawn, roses, etc...]

in other areas...

I had a really nice chat...
with the "trumpet maker" in Oaktown last Saturday...
he customized most of my professional instruments...
and has been offering most of my collection for sale...
since I retired from the symphony orchestra in 2003...

he's a really good guy & I've missed chatting with him...
I called to get an update on what still remains unsold...
if he owed me for any items recently sold[he does...]
and to have him send me the natural trumpet, if it hadn't sold yet...
so that I could use it with the Renaissance group...

it hadn't sold, so he put the natural trumpet in the mail today...
and I should have it real soon [no charge for shipping, what a guy...]



today was also the first day for sign-ups in the new health care plan...



everyone flocking to the sign-up center was already on Medicare...
[I have about 4 more years...]
so it took about 15 minutes of standing around...
before I found a chair & finally got my turn to ask MY questions...
fortunately, I had been to the chiropractor...
BEFORE I went to the open enrollment fair...
so I have no pain, the standing around did NOT "get" to me...
the way it did at church yesterday...
[I could barely lift my legs to get into my car...
after all the standing around...]

so after getting my questions answered...
there is an annual $500 deductible...
AND a $3000 annual co-pay on all the 20% fees...
[I pay 20%, they pay 80%...surgery, P.T., etc.]
after a maximum annual payment of $3500...
there are no more costs to me, that year...

annual physicals, mammograms, etc are free...
there is a $20 office co-pay, $15 for pharmacy...
and I get to keep my doctor of 30+ years...
but I do have to stay in their "system"....

however, I checked the lists and all the doctors I've liked...
are there... but my plan is to stay healthy...
so I don't need to pay anything extra...

because...

this plan is fully funded by my former employer...
NO MORE $175 PER MONTH !!!



so with my newly pain-free legs...
as well as an end in sight for the expensive insurance...
I'm feeling a renewed sense of soaring free...
which I hope remains when I go walking in this ugly heat...

God is good, all the time...

...a "not sucky" day

I bought my current vacuum cleaner about 15 years ago...



a Simplicity, which cost an exorbitant $200 then [$350 now...]
came with a full set of tools[I'm on my second set...]
as well as other "perks" for a "staff person" of numerous furry beasties...



I've had it "serviced" twice, belts replaced, etc...
and it just keeps sucking up the pet hair, etc...
until yesterday, when it kept stopping & starting...
when it ran, it sucked-up everything...but then it would just stop...



as you can see, it is well-made...
so I cleaned it up & took it to the repair shop...



there was an older lady at the counter with her 1960 Kirby...
I stood in line while the nice man at the counter...
fixed a non-turning wheel & replaced the belt...
then she pointed out the frayed cord...

at this point, he said that it would need to be left...
since they would need to order the replacement cord...
but it would be ready within a week...
so her cleaning schedule wouldn't have to be altered...

I had assumed that I'd have to just leave mine too...
[when was the last time a repairman fixed your problem at the counter ?]
and I figured that there must be a short...
but a few twists of the screw driver tightened the loose handle...
solving the stop/start problem immediately...
which he demonstrated as he had plugged it in...
then he took it into the back to replace the belt...

a couple of minutes later, he was back...
he had also fixed the loose upright locking mechanism...
and told me that I owed him all of $3.26 !!!
[just the part, NO LABOR !!}

the lady with the commercial vac at the other part of the counter...
was amazed at the little cost...
it reminded me of when I was a kid and we always took stuff...
to be fixed, or repaired it ourselves, if we could...
instead of tossing it away when it broke...
or just buying a new one when it got old & worn...

that's one of the perks in frequenting family owned businesses, like this one...
that have been around for years, providing customer service...
selling quality merchandise and being able to keep it running...

I think that the name brand of my vacuum, "Simplicity"...
says it all...

this experience didn't "suck" at all, but boy... my vacuum sure does...
it sucks up everything I point it at...and that's a good thing...

...the Ides of September [?]

I always thought that the "Ides" of a month was the 15th...
thanks to Shakespeare's warning in "Julius Caesar"...
but thanks to Wilkipedia, I now know that...
the "Ides of September" is actually on the 13th...

which is almost irrealivant, given the fact that the Ides...
was always the full moon of any month...
since they figured backwards from the new moon, "Kalends"[ie Kalendar]...
& due to their shorter year, 307 days & irregular months...
Ides fell on the 15th in 4 months [including March]...
the 9th in 2 months and the 13th in 4 months [including September]
but in all months, Ides was always the full moon...

at the moment, there is a 1% waning crescent moon...
so tomorrow or the next day will actually be...
the "Kalends"of September or new moon...
but since I took these pictures on September 15th...
I'm sticking with my title...
a little knowledge can be an annoying thing, in this case...



as we were walking, I noticed this harbinger of fall...
an early-turning Japanese maple...



a few steps further, a Morning Glory showing the summer's best blooms...



looking across the "circle", a liquid amber that's also an "early turner"...
this was a flaming torch last fall...



and finally the Creeper... wearing its late summer crisp...
the nice drenching we had last Saturday night...
has washed all the summer dust away...
but there's been too much heat & not enough water...

so it's crisping, not waiting to turn...
though there are a couple of scarlet leaves in the shade...
the equinox and fall will be here next Tuesday...
all the early summer green is fading & tired...

soon, will come the wet & cold...
I can't wait...

...dog day at the "spa" [aka the vets]

about a week ago, I found Molly's collar in the "Batcave"[her crate...]
and upon closer examination soon discovered why...



I don't know how,[perhaps caught on the crate...?]
but she managed to break it...
so I went to DP and bought a new one [$11...]



same color, but a bit bigger, wider & heavy duty...
transferred her tags[rabies, Mudville licence & microchip tag...]
and put it on her...

it didn't last 2 days...

day before yesterday, after our walk, I noticed that it was gone...

she walks with the Haltie collar, which takes some work to put on her...
so I hadn't noticed that the new one wasn't on her when we "suited-up" to go out...

I looked in the crate, her other "places", outside in the back yard...
and it's "MIA"... I'll probably find it right after I go buy another one...
but considering what I spent on her yesterday at the vet's...
I'm going to keep looking around for it a bit longer...

she needed her annual rabies vaccination...
as well as more heart worm pills & flea/tick preventative...
I didn't want to order them online because she has gained some weight...
since coming to live with me last October 1...
she was a skinny 45 lbs then & most medications have a dosage break around 50 lbs...
so I wanted to make sure that she was getting the correct dosage...

since my bathroom redo, I don't have a tub anymore...
there isn't enough room for us both to be in the stall shower...
which I think would freak her, she doesn't like hoses at all...
only dog I've ever known who seemed afraid of them...
so since she was going in for her shots, I arranged for a bath & nail clip too...
[I can manage the cat's nails, hers are too thick...]

so Molly had a spa day yesterday...

coming home clean & refreshed to a clean "Batcave"...
since I laundered her bedding while she was "spa-ing"...
we took a short walk, since I knew that they hadn't walked her at the vet's...
and she will NOT go "inside"...

then it was back in the house...
making sure that the kitties all knew she was back...

[they get pretty frisky when she's "out"...
snoozing on her bed, going inside the "Batcave"...
SPie even nibbles on her dry food if she's left some...]



finally after running around the "circuit" a couple of times...
[LR-DR-kitchen-office-hall, etc., etc...]
scattering felines who levitated to the high ground in her wake...
she settled down with a pig's ear, on her freshly washed nest...
yipping at any & all felines who moved within 10 feet of her...

I've been playing "phone tag" with the dog trainer...
who had cancelled our appointment due to a new floor installation...
causing the kennel to be closed for a few days...
I'll keep trying because we need her evaluation...
so we can find the right class situation for us...

it's always something...

now I have to round up Piglet, Fluff & SPie for their rabies shots...

Pigs & Fluff will allow themselves to be vaccinated...
Sneaky Pie, however wouldn't be caught last January...
so this may be a problem, as I can't renew their city licenses...
until they get their rabies shots...
and all of their licenses are due mid-October...

wish me luck... or at least just minor injuries with quick clotting...
[SPie takes NO prisoners...]

...DOH !, 1 step forward...2 steps back

I have a credit card through the AFM[musician's union...]
the interest rate is only 17.9%[insert pithy comment here...]
as opposed to the 24-26% many companies charge...
and about 2 years ago, before the economy tanked...
they were offering a "length of the loan" interest rate of 5.9%...

5.9% until it's paid off, as long as the minimum payment was made on time...
otherwise it would revert to 17.9%...

17.9% is not bad... but NOT as good as 5.9%...

so I transferred a couple of balances from significantly higher rate cards...
[they were in the 22% range...]
set up an automatic payment, felt good about the move...
& proceeded to ignore the account, just like I usually have done...

everything was fine until I used that card in July...
and since I do all my bill pay online...
including receiving e-statements...
I forgot to check my statement for a minimum payment increase...

the minimum payment increased by $3, I didn't catch it...
the July payment was subsequently $3 less than required...
so they not only hit me with a "late fee" for the missing $3...
but they zapped my 5.9% into 17.9%...

I, of course was NOT used to monitoring this account...
since it was on an automatic payment...
so the scheduled payment for August was not only $3 short...
the reverted interest rate made it $165 short...

so this morning, I was awakened...
by a very nice lady from the credit card company...
who wanted to know when I was going to get "current"...
as I was now, "2 months past due"...

after going back and forth...
re "my automatic payments"& perfect payment record...
we finally figured out the problem...
which I confirmed online later...

so on advice from her, I called "customer service"...
and found out that there was nothing that I could do...
to negotiate my interest rate down...
which meant that my previously manageable payment of about $190 p/mo...
would now be a very painful & hard to manage, $350 p/mo...

*SIGH*...[1 step forward, 2 steps back...]

however...there is a light at the end of the tunnel...

if I make at least the minimum payment, on time, for 6 months...
they will revert the 17.9% back to 5.9% !!!!
I was unaware of that benefit...[the interest difference is about $180 p/mo...]
so now I know where the refund for my health insurance premiums will go...

HMMMMMMMMMMMM....

I should also mention that they allow only 12 months...
of pre-scheduled payments to be set-up in advance...
& that this month was my last scheduled one...
so I might have been late with October anyway...
because I was unaware that I needed to set-up more payments...

in other words, this was a train wreck bound to happen...
and as I am working on my "money-handling methods" anyway...
this is a good time to deal with being more aware of what I'm doing...
since my problems come from avoiding "dealing with things"...

so I need to monitor all of my automatic payment accounts better...
perhaps that's the reason for this lesson...

"everything happens for a reason..."

my devotional today stressed that God would be my "only supply"...
for both spiritual & material needs...
so I suppose that means that this dance, is His...

I must have made some progress these past 2 years...
since I am feeling calm about all this...
trusting Him to provide all my needs...
and to keep me, Molly & the kitties safe & cared for...

God is good, ALL the time... [even when I do stupid stuff]

...and now, some REALLY good news !!

this is NOT a post on the national health care issue...
about that, I will only say that I believe everyone...
should have access to quality, affordable, competent & concerned health care...

no one should have to be in fear of becoming sick or hurt...
or watch a loved one struggle with pain...
because they have NO health insurance...
or can't afford to go to the doctor...

as to who should set it up or run it...
that's beyond my wisdom...

having said that...

my health insurance monthly "co-pay"...
has risen to $175 per month...
which has contributed to the rapid evaporation of my savings...
[the total monthly cost is around $675, I pay $175 of that...]



when I started teaching in 1984...
school districts not only paid ALL the premiums for medical, dental & vision...
for ALL district employees & their dependents...
they also paid all of it for retirees until age 65...
[they will cover "their share" of my medical until I'm 65...]

the last year I taught[2005]...
I took the cheapest option for health insurance...
[I don't consider K an option...]
and had to pay $15 per month, taken from my check...

and only 3 years later, my share had risen to $175...
while I also pay $55 per month...
for about 2/3 the dental plan that used to be included...
and now, I have NO vision coverage at all...
[an eye exam & new glasses cost me almost $500 last summer...]
my chiropractor has never been covered...[$40 per visit...]

so on Saturday, when I found the fat envelope from "risk management"...
[school district speak for "insurance & benefits"...]in the mail...
I opened it with great interest...
as my FFers buddies had just been talking about the "changes"...



it seems that school districts all over are jumping on the CalPers bandwagon...
CalPers is the state workers retirement/insurance organization...
my Mom had their long-term care coverage, considered the best...
and now, CalPers has opened their network to districts...
at a significant reduction in costs to the district AND the employees...

they offer Blue Shield HMOs, Blue Cross Anthem PPOs & K...
6 plans in all... 3 HMOs... 3 PPOs...

but here's the GOOD NEWS...4 plans,[2 BS HMOs & 2 BC PPOs]

ARE NO ADDITIONAL COST TO ME [for individual coverage...] !!!



the HMO plans and the PPO plans both...
have small co-pays & check-ups are free...
but... the PPOs include a maximum $500 annual deductible...
AND include paying a percentage[20%] of the cost of many services...
that HMOs don't charge for like physical therapy, surgery, etc...
I believe that when the deductible is reached...there is no further charge...
since there there is a maximum lifetime benefit...
of $2,000,000 per member...
but I'll learn more about that at the meeting...

the BIG difference between the two is...
HMOs only allow certain doctors to be your PCP...
with PPOs, there is a much bigger network of doctors available...
to to choose from, you generally don't need a referral to see a specialist...
and you can see doctors who are not in the network...
but you have to pay a higher percentage...

HOWEVER... my current PCP[doctor] is only available...
as are many other choices in care providers from S-G...
if I choose the Blue Cross Anthem Select, a PPO...
and since that is one of the plans that would require no buy-up from me...
it's looking better and better...

my current Blue shield plan is NOT available from CalPers...
with it, I paid only 2 $10 co-pays for the whole finger thing...
BUT... am paying $175 per month in a buy-up...

if I'd been under the new plan when I had the accident/surgery...
it might have cost me as much as $2000...
as it would, had my insurance NOT changed to Blue Shield from HN...
just after the accident, allowing me to have the best surgeon...
and physical therapy...at NO cost to me...
because of the advantages of Blue Shield...

so I'm sitting here, amazed at how God has threaded this maze...

open-enrollment is next week...
the "informational meeting" is Thursday night...
the new plan will start in November...

I've paid my monthly fee through March, so I'll get a $700 refund...
right when I need to renew my car insurance ...
and pay my annual dental insurance premium ...
and my property taxes... so it will help a lot...

the potential jobs are exciting...
but this saving of $175 per month is definite...
and it couldn't have come at a better time...

God is good... ALL the time...

...are the dominoes finally lining up ?

today was another FFers get-together...
and as we were chatting, I asked K...
"So who finally got the band job [that I had interviewed for]
at your hubby's high school ?"
she responded that it was no one she knew...
[there were 4 "guys" from out of the district who interviewed when I did...]

"but... they really wanted you if you could have done full-time"...

[color me shocked AND speechless... yes, really...]

the high school band job [NOT a full day] had been combined with...
elementary classroom music at a nearby elementary school...
[I've never done classroom music...
so it's too late to start now because it's an entirely different skillset...]
so I had lobbied for myself as a part-time band teacher at the h.s. only...
[band, jazz band & guitar are 3 different "preps"...
and band is almost a triple prep by itself...]
having been led to believe by the H.R. person that "things could be flexible"...

and besides that, I just knew...
that "full time" high school band AND elementary school...
would be just too much at this time in my life...
and might send me back into really unhealthy coping patterns...

besides the fact that a full-time salary would be enough to stop my pension payments...
leaving me with no fall-back position...
if I had to "re-retire" before the 12 month year was up...
due to layoffs or poor health...
[if you "un-retire", you can not re-retire until at least 12 months pass...
and you can "un-retire" only once...]

I had just assumed that I had lost out to the younger "guys"...
because they were younger & "guys"...
[been THERE before...]
so it was a nice pick-me-up to learn that I was their first choice...
especially since it was due to my experience & abilities...

it would have been interesting to see what I might have done...
if they had contacted me to "negotiate"...
perhaps I would have agreed to more job than I could handle...
and God protected me from that...
by making them look for "full-time" only...

anyway, what K said next, really stood up the hairs on the back of my neck...

"...my school [the h.s. I collaborated with when I taught m.s.] may be hiring...
someone to assist the current band director,
[who followed me at my old school & with whom I get along very well...]
teaching a period of band & a period of orchestra next semester...
because [of the 6-8 IB program on their campus & the h.s. scheduling being different]
not all students can take music in the current schedule...
and we're up to be accredited, so they have to address this situation..."

when I expressed interest in this...
K said that she would talk to her principal on Monday...
and would really,"talk me up, since her hubby had wanted me at his school"...

when I asked God for work, I was willing to do whatever...
if it was something that I could "do" without killing myself...

the idea of working in a bookstore or library seemed cool...
but I was happiest when I taught band & orchestra...
and I was good at it...

I also like the eastside of Mudville...
eastsiders are "good people" & I always felt at home there...

how like God to lead us around in circles...
past places you could be...
places you'd, settle for...
to that perfect place for you...
if we can only remain calm & trust Him to lead...

so at this point, there are several dominoes on the horizon...

only time will tell if these are the ones...
that will topple over, into others, starting a chain reaction...
but I'm NOT going to worry, because I've seen God work miracles for the last 2 years...
and I have a real peace that if I let Him lead me...
I will see even more... far bigger & more impressive...

I, on my own, have failed and botched most things I tried to do for myself...
I'm trusting Him to take this broken "loser"...
and create from the pieces, a creation He can use...
and He will... if I let Him have His way...

God is good... ALL, the time...

...eating crow [yummy...]

yesterday, I went in search of my 403b paperwork at "the district"...

they couldn't find it...

so just before closing time, when I figured that I'd have to go back...
the nice person, who had actually gone to look for it when I was there earlier... called me with some hopeful news...

she had found someone who remembered a Fedex express mail...
going out the day I'd been there...
[she remembered because they never send Fedex letters...
but the "guy" was there to pick-up a package anyway...
so she put the letter, marked "express mail", in a Fedex envelope & sent it...]

I had put the express mail address on the envelope & marked it as such...
the envelope that I had been informed in no uncertain terms...

"would NOT be mailed for me..."

"not even if it was stamped would they send it out..."

they told me that on the phone...
so I hadn't bothered to put any stamps on it...

besides, it was addressed with the express address...
so I assumed that if it was sent regular mail to that address...
something bad would happen...
and I didn't want to tempt fate by putting postage on it...

the last thing that I would have expected from "the district"...
[remember, even though I have made peace with them...
I do have over 20 years of history/experience with them...]
would have been that they would pay to express my letter...

so you can imagine my total shock when I contacted Putnam this AM...
and the representative told me...
that they not only had received my forms...
but that the wire transfer would go out Monday...

I was almost speechless...
[I know, I know... but I was on the phone...]

this is a district that has a phone menu that you have to do combat with...
in order to speak with a live person...
and then be very careful & quick witted or they will transfer you...
very abruptly, to another automated menu or someone's voice mail...

though I have found that the lowest level of staff...
is generally very friendly & helpful...
it's only as the importance of the position ascends...
that the snotty attitude & officiousness intrudes...
in some cases, becoming toxic to all who come in contact...

so it must have been a lowly clerk, like the one who called me...
after looking high & low for my paperwork...
who put my paperwork into a Fedex envelope, at no cost to me...
and sent it off, to the correct address, even though they "don't mail things"...

when I worked for, "the district", I knew lots of good people like that...
it's nice to know that there are still some around...

it also helps to, "have a Friend in high places"...
when dealing with, "the district"...

as for eating crow ?

Garfield is right...it tastes like chicken...

God is good...all the time...

...sadly, I am NOT surprised

it seemed simple...



I took my carefully filled-out, faxed, Putnam relinquish 403b forms...
all paper-clipped together in a manila folder...
[with my name & phone number on it...]
down to the district offices for the TPA's signature last Thursday...
and left them with a smiling person...
who said that she'd take them right away for the signature they needed...

and that they'd "call me" when they were ready to pick-up...



before I "made peace" with the district, this would have been really stressful...
[see cartoon...]
but trusting that all would be well, I left the forms with a sense of calm...

after a week of silence, I stopped by this morning...
to see if there was a problem...



thinking that my papers probably were in a pile on someone's desk...


or worse...



[they hide their workstations behind partitions, so who knows...]

so after standing around for 10 minutes...
telling my story to a couple of people[all of whom were friendly...]
and being totally ignored by the woman who had taken my papers to begin with...

I was told that they "couldn't find them"...
[one person actually went and looked for them...]

"...perhaps we mailed them to you..."

but that they would "look" for them...

and that they would "call me" when they knew where they were...

so now, I wait...still...
strangely calm and collected... but thinking...
perhaps they need another bit of paperwork from me...