Category: This ‘n That

I can’t stand copayments! Mike and my insurance costs have been outrageous lately. I have had to look through a maze of options for us. One thing I don’t see is the need for all these various copayments! Isn’t the fortune we pay per month enough to cover expenses? I understand having a deductible which would lower costs for us and the insurance companies, but if I am paying an arm and a leg each month, why do I always have to pay a copayment? It seems no matter how much you pay, you always get them. Now that I have diabetes, the more frequent office visits I must attend and the copays on the drug prescriptions are really going to add up. According to Wikipedia, “A copayment, or copay, is a flat dollar amount paid for a medical service by an insured person. Insurance companies use copayments to share health care costs to prevent moral hazard. Though the copay is often only a small portion of the actual cost of the medical service, it is thought to prevent people from seeking medical care that may not be necessary (eg: an infection by the common cold), which can result in substantial savings for insurance companies. The underlying philosophy is that with no copay, the perception is that medical care is “free” and then is used more often.” Free? The insurance is definitely not free! I need an incentive not to go to go to the doctor more often? Is this totally crazy or what? Yes, there are hypochondriacs out there, but most of us are not. I just love writing a check each month to someone that believes I am a “moral hazard”! How nice of them to still take my money. While I am on the subject, so many of the plans require me to ask my doctor if I want to see another doctor. Again, I am not to be trusted because I might actually seek out care I don’t need.  I really think for the amount of money involved, I should be treated with a little more respect. Insurance is looking like a scam more and more to me each day. Perhaps they should do away with it all together and just make the health care more affordable. The money that we send to these crooks each month would probably fair much better in a health savings account.

I haven’t anything exciting to write lately. We made if through Thanksgiving without a scratch. I cooked most of the food, including the turkey the night before. It was a cinch to reheat.  I always had trouble getting everything done at the same time, but reheating seems to make the task easier. Mom is hanging in there and seems to be over her terrible cold. I am eating too much again, and got to lose this weight as my sugar levels have been good lately. My Hardy Boy Collection has grown leaps and bounds. I am having fun rereading all the stories. I really have nothing witty to say, nor do I have some pressing need to write about some injustice. I am sure something will come my way soon!

When I was a young teenager I began reading my older brother’s Hardy Boys books. They had quite a few and I added the ones that they were missing. I was very proud of my 58 book collection, but as I became an adult it seemed silly to hang onto them. I gave them to my nephew. I really wish that I had hung onto them because I have this great desire to reread them. And so begins my quest! In the late 50’s and throughout the 60’s the company that owned the rights to the series systematically began rewriting all the stories! Some were modernized, while others became a completely different story! It is the original editions that I am after and through the wonders of eBay I am becoming quite successful… and substantially poorer. With the cost of shipping it seems to work out that I buy them in lots, take the ones I need, and sell back the rest. I am going to have some nice sets up on auction soon. Most of the editions I had as a kid had blue pictorial covers. While I am interested in recreating that collection, I am also interested in collecting the really cool, dust-jacketed editions from the 40’s and 50’s. They have a yellow spine and wonderful graphics depicting the boys in one of their capers. If you know of any good used bookstores for me to check or happen to be at a yard sale please keep your eye out for them! Below are a couple of pics from the dust jacketed versions.

A walk in Brookline

Originally uploaded by Scott Fisher.

Sent from my iPhone

I got to my doctors appointment early ( I had the wrong time). I am on
a walk for a bit and this is what I found!

Leaves have begun to fall all over my yard. Oh, how I hate that! I am really happy just two months of the year… July and August. That gives me 10 months of weather that I don’t like. My roots are here, but my weather happiness lies in another climate. When I lived in California I loved the weather there, but I didn’t like the traffic or the cost of living. I enjoy Florida, but the humidity is a killer and Florida is not as gay friendly as Massachusetts. Still, I would rather be hot than cold. For now, I am here taking care of my Mom… which is fine. I wonder if we will ever move in the future. It  would be hard to be away from our friends and family. As we get older it seems we get attached to what we know. The thought of changing doctors, dentists, and health insurance does not sound fun and will probably get more unappealing as we grow deeper into our middle ages. I think however that sunshime will be a big motivator for me in the future. Time will tell.

I haven’t written in the longest time because my mother has been under the weather. She had a cold about 3 weeks ago that began after a fall, and she has still not recovered. Tomorrow the physical therapist comes, and we will decide if we really need to go to a doctor. She does seem to be getting better, but it is very slow. I have also been working on a new website for my friend, Judy Francesconi. She is a professional photographer with a specialty in lesbian fine art photography.  You can check out her site that I made, but be forewarned,  her site contains nudity. As soon as things settle down here a bit, I hope to write more interesting entries for you all to read!