Medical Malpractice

So I get an email today that some medical claims have been processed by my healthcare provider. I knew that the Isabella-breaking-her-collarbone-X-rays were going to be costly: $664 and I haven't met my deductible yet, so you know what that means. When we had these Xrays taken at the Urgent Care clinic late that Monday evening, they referred us to an Orthopaedic specialist. Guess how much they are charging me for the "professional services" to see the Physician's Assistant @ the Orthopaedic office where they viewed Isabella's Xrays and felt along her collar bone... and then told me the same information I learned online... less than 10 minutes in the room???

SIX HUNDRED FORTY-TWO DOLLARS!~!~!~!~!

Needless to say I called them immediately and explained that they need to review this charge. I will gladly pay for an office visit (heck, I already paid a $50 co-pay). But I REFUSE to pay over $500 for them to tell me "yeah, it's broken... nothing you can really do about it...." I'll update you after the "30-45 day review" process.

And people wonder why some folks just don't want to take their kids to a doctor.

Arts Festival 2008

Rick, Isabella, her friend Fiona and I ventured to the 2008 Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival a few weekends back. We have fun in the kiddie section; the girls made sand art, fairy wands, and Isabella did her first fish print (I remember doing that when I was a little girl).

Newest Gator Fan

Presenting Miss Riley Lynn Nelson

Daughter of Steve & Heather (my best buddy since the 3rd grade) of Gainesville, FL

Born Today, November 7th at 10:35am EST

7lbs. 12 oz. 20 inches long

THIRTY hours of labor! Already a little troublemaker! ;)



Can't wait to hold her... and hug her mommy!

My Handsome Fisherman

Pictures I just recovered from Rick's deep-sea fishing adventure on October 18th.




Rick fried this bad boy up nicely with fried okra from our garden on the side!

Making Strides

As you know... I walked my fourth Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on October 25th. This year I surpassed my two goals: 1) I raised over $1,000 yet again for this amazing and important cause, and 2) I had the most walkers with me than in years past... four friends and family for a team of five. My mom, my sister April, my daughter, and my friend/co-worker Daun. After working behind the scenes this year on the Team Recruitment Committee, it truly was a great day seeing all of our hard work come together. Great weather and great company for a great cause!

(I had to wager with Isabella for movies from Blockbuster to keep her walking; by the end of the walk we had worked up to three movies. A movie and mile.)

Election Day

Today at Isabella's school they had a class vote for President. Isabella, wearing her red, white and blue, voted for John McCain! She even got a sticker. She then got to come with mom to the polls tonight to place a real McCain vote for Florida.

Regardless of the finale tonight... I am truly glad that this Election Day is almost over! No more politic-in from my family members. Woohoo!

Chin Grin

Remember this??

The best of Grand's chin!

Halloween 2008

It was a wonderful Halloween this year. Isabella's school celebrates "Country Day" on Halloween. For whatever reason, I read that to mean... dress up in your USA gear. When I pulled up at the school to drop her off (this is an unusual event, for she typically rides the bus)... I son saw a sea of cowboy hats. I'm sure Isabella was rather upset... for the first hour until her daddy brought her boots and cowgirl hat to school. When I picked her up she was proudly donning her cowgirl gear... and was carrying a jack-o-lantern. Praise to her teacher, Mrs. Mosco. Rick and I had decided that carving a jack-o-lantern wasn't in the cards this year. Funny how things work out for the good.

This is the first year that Rick, Bella and I celebrated Halloween in our new home. Our home was festive with decorations: one real jack-o-lantern, six plastic jack-o-lanterns (including two that I picked up at the local Winn Dixie that cover the lanterns that flank my garage), purple "Christmas" lights, a mum, a cinderella pumpkin (looks like it is covered with warts) and gourds, a mum, and a small scarecrow. We probably had two other neighbors on our street who had halloween decorations. I guess that have learned not to go all out... for we did not have any trick-or-treaters visit our house! There are over fifteen kids on our street!

Isabella dressed as... can you guess... a cowgirl. She donned some jeans, her horse-shoe button up shirt, a straw hat (in lieu of her two true cowgirl hats), her boots, her hair braided with ribbons, and one horse-on-a-stick.

Isabella and I met up with her little friend Fiona (she's six and was dressed as a spunky witch), Fiona's mom and dad, Fiona's big brothers Orion (dressed as a mugger with one of those neon orange knit thingy-ma-bobbers like a hunter would wear to keep his face warm... eye and mouth holes only... and he even had a toy gun) and Logan (the oldest, a 12-year old, who was at the pivotal year of being embarassed to be trick-or-treating with his family AND upset because his parents couldn't fork out a pile of dough for a fantabulous costume... and instead had to wear a cloak and a "Scream" mask). We did trick-or-treat on our street; about seven other homes has their lights on. We then traveled across the road to newer neighborhood, Winterdale. This neigborhood was shaped like one long oval with two entrances/exits at the short ends of the oval. It was an UNREAL experience. We were in Suburbia. Never in my life have I been out on Halloween and been in a spot where I could turn and see a hundred or more children and parents, Halloween creeks and screams from CD's, and 'fake' smoke wafting into the streets. Almost EVERY home in this fifty-something house neighborhood was participating, some of them going to the extreme with their decorations. It was as if there were all competing for the best decoration trophy. Most of the home-owners were dressed in costumes of some sort, sitting on their porches or in their garages doling out handfuls of treats. It was a surreal and memorable experience (and of course I left my camera at home).

I sit here, sharing this experience with you, as I dig through our stash of sugar.