AuburnChick's Adventures

A very happy and belated birthday to Joyce as she celebrated her 22nd birthday yesterday!  Woo Hoo!  And still she worked…on her special day…to get the following questions primed for us.  Many thanks, Joyce!!  Onward we go!

1.  What’s the best and worst thing thing about growing older?

The best thing is having more experiences under your belt.  I find myself much more empathetic to others because I’ve either walked in their shoes or know others who have.  The worst thing is the way my body is starting to tell on me.  I discovered this last weekend while at the Auburn game.  Well, actually it was a couple of days later when my legs and feet hurt so badly from walking all over campus several times!!  Things just don’t move like they did twenty years ago!

2.  Autumn arrives this week in the Northern Hemisphere…what one thing do you love most about the fall season?

I love the crisp mornings that beg for a sweater (I wear one every day, but I don’t look stupid during the fall).  My dogs love these brisk mornings as well…so much so that I have a difficult time getting them to come back inside so I can go to work!!

3.  Speaking of fall…pumpkin seems to be flavoring everything these days-are you a fan?   What’s your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage?

Pre-vegan days, pumpkin rolls were my favorite.  I do love the taste of pumpkin when it’s added to a dessert!

4.  Since we’re on the subject of fall…what’s the worst fall you’ve ever taken?

The worst fall, by far, happened when Rooster was in kindergarten.  He’d broken a small bone in his foot one afternoon at the park, and he woke up in the middle of the night crying up a storm (I would have too), so I gathered him up, pillow, blanket, and all, and began to carry him downstairs so he wouldn’t disturb Chicky and the Mr.

Well, my right foot slipped out from under me as I was halfway down the stairs, and down we went.  I actually slid down while leaning forward, knees bent under me, so the front parts of my legs along with my hips took the brunt of the fall.

We landed at the bottom, which was tiled, with Rooster and me screaming our heads off.  He was scared.  I was hurt.

I had rug burns all the way up my legs and bruises that were deep and nasty.

Fortunately, as I’d gone down, I’d managed to fold Rooster inside of the curve of my body, so he had been completely protected, praise the Lord.

I took myself to the doctor in the morning, but nothing was broken.  It took a long time for the bruises and burns to heal, though.

It was the scariest thing ever, and to this day, I cringe when I watch people fall down stairs.  Even though I know that the stunts I see on TV are staged, it freaks me out all the same.  The sensation of falling combined with the knowledge that there’s nothing you can do to stop it is something I never want to experience again.

5.  If you could own a prop from any film what would you choose?

Hmmm…I had to do a quick mental check of movies I like and what might have been in them.  At first, I was going to say that I’d love to have Luke Skywalker’s light saber…because I love the Star Wars series.  However, I thought of the movie 13 Going on 30, which stars Jennifer Garner, whom I adore.  I think I’d like to have her little dollhouse…the one that her best friend (aka the hunky guy she later marries) made for her and that makes her dreams come true.  I think it would be a cool reminder that a person has the power to change his/her life based on the decisions he/she makes.

6.  What’s the most interesting word you’ve read or learned in the past week?

Although I’m a reading teacher, I mostly explain the definitions of words I already know (and that my precious students should know but don’t).  Plus, my vocabulary is fairly advanced.  However, I did encounter a word I didn’t know a couple of days ago when I was setting up my students’ bellwork.  I’ve had them working on Rebus puzzles and came across the word downpipe.  Who knew that it was the pipe that led down from the gutters and carried water away?  I figured it was still called a “gutter.”

7.  When was the last time you locked yourself out of your house, car, or office?  Was it a big deal?

Ok.  I have to laugh at this question because prior to last Thursday, I would have said never.  However, last Thursday, my yard guys were finishing installing my sod and new flower beds (a post will eventually be written about this).  The Mr. needed to leave the side door to the garage unlocked so they could get to the sprinkler system box; however, he didn’t want to leave the door going into the house unlocked, so he took the key.

He called to ask if I had a house key and, I’m ashamed to admit, I said I didn’t.  I usually let myself in with the garage door opener.

I didn’t think it would be a big deal because I was getting my nails done after work and then head back to school to watch a few students of mine play football and volleyball.  Well, the Mr. wound up having to work late, and the dogs HAD to go potty.  I had to meet the Mr. at an office where he had an appointment to get the key.  It was a rather big deal, let me tell you, and by the time I got home, I was worn out.

The dogs, mercifully, had not peed or pooped in the house.

Suffice it to say, I now have a key in my purse.

8.  My Random Thought

Boy, am I ticked off right now.

First of all, I haven’t had much spare time to do anything besides work.  I’ve barely blogged and haven’t read blogs since last week.

So, when I got a statement of benefits yesterday from my dental insurance company, I was a bit miffed.  Apparently when I’d had my gum surgery in July, I’d been overcharged in my office copay…by $25.

Ok.  So I’d planned on calling the dentist.

Before I could do that, though, I received a bill in the mail yesterday…

From the dentist’s office…

For almost $500!!!

The bill showed where the insurance company had paid; however, the total did not reflect my copay.

Plus, my insurance bill clearly said that all of my expenses were accepted, and that I was not responsible for anything further.

Oh, and one final touch that totally peeved me?

At the bottom of the bill, in bolded words, was the following:  “This bill is way past overdue.”

Folks, this was the FIRST bill I’d received.

I am sooooo mad.

I do not have time for this.

But I will MAKE time, by golly.

The Mr. commented that he feels sorry for whoever I get a hold of.

I’m taking deep breaths and praying that it was a clerical error; however, once I get it fixed, I am going to let the office staff know that they need to change the little message on the bottom of their bills.  It was highly offensive to a person like me who pays her bills (when I actually owe something) in a timely manner.

Needless to say, I will NOT use this doctor in the future.  I do not care if I have to drive two hours out of my way.

And I WILL recoup my $25 overcharge.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: 13 Going on 30, dentist, Star Wars, Wednesday Hodgepodge |