Just Stuff

Ordinarily, when I get calls from what I suspect are some kind of bill collectors, I simply hit the off button. If one makes it through, I just ignore. But yesterday....well that was the seventh day in which we had no cigarettes here. For people who have decided to quit, this would be a great thing. For people who have no alternative short of criminal, it ain't. Melinda managed to get through 3 or 4 of the days with some old nicotine patches she found somewhere in the house.

Yesterday a very nice and perky-sounding female calls and wished to set up payment plans for me to pay the $900 + I owe the hospital. In a sense this is a little like a personal war. I will always go to great extremes to avoid any kind of physical conflict, even verbal usually, will run if I can, brush off being called coward, etc. But if that line is crossed, the fight or flight one, the one between whether I avoid or engage, then there is no giving up, no giving in, no quarter asked or given...it is to the death (so far this has always been figurative), there can be only one...and I honestly don't care which one. A calm detachment settles over me...there is no anger, no yelling or cursing. I engaged Miss Perky.

I've been through this particular war before...I basically run on autopilot through the first round of verifying names, addresses, dates, etc. She cheerily announces that she would be happy to set up a payment plan of only $75 per month and I could have it all paid in a year. "But I don't have $75 a month," I say, and we're off and running.

Do I have a credit card I could use to pay the $900? No, and if I did, why would I do that? That wouldn't help me at all. But it would pay your bill. Yeah, like I said, that might help you but wouldn't help me at all. How much is your income? About $800 a month. How much is your rent and utilities? I dunno right off... Do you have cable and Internet service? Yeah...so? You could use that to pay this bill. Why would I do that? Because you owe this bill. I need my TV and Internet far more than I need to pay that bill. Those are not necessities. Says you, they are necessary to my well being, far more so than paying an old bill. But you owe this bill. So what? Are you refusing to pay? No, I'm unable to pay. I would be happy to pay the entire bill immediately if only someone would fork over $900. Did you know that the former head of the IMF is charged with rape and he is being "held" in a sumptuous NYC apartment? [crickets] I think you should ask someone like that will far more money than conscience. I will note that you refuse to pay your bill...click.

I had apmnt today with heart doc...all seems well so far. Had an EKG and an ultrasound scan. Have to go back on Tuesday to get me carotid artery sound scanned to look fer clots or other aliens. Docs office called and said I should bring payment. I said I don't have any money. They say I owe over $500 from a few years back before Medicare kicked in (separate from the aforementioned $900). They say I have to make SOME payment on that or it will go to 'collections' and if it does that, my ability to see the doc in the future will be 'restricted'. If a guy is doing an ultrasound on you and rests his bare arm on your bare belly for convenience...doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of wearing gloves? Have to go see my other or 'primary' doc a couple times in the next couple weeks.

Met up with my friend Jordan who gave money for a carton of cigs and a bit fer gas. Will pay him back when I get mine on the third. I wasn't jonesing for a cigarette...I was jonesing for the choice to smoke one if I wanted. Tastes nasty. But choice feels good. Now I gots a nicotine OD headache...ya can't win.

Tucker and I are getting a little paranoid...over both our towns in Cityville, there has been a blue helicopter hovering over the river for about a week. has a little guy in a tuxedo hanging under it from a rope with a pair of giant binoculars bigger than his head. Is he Big Brother?

I will SO vote for Sarah Palin if she runs for Prez (a majority in this WSJ poll says she will), especially if she picks Michelle Bachmann as her running mate. Think about it...two Michelles in a row in the White House... that's important, right? Ordinarily I would never vote for a Republican for much of anything but the entertainment value of such a thing is just too much. Of course I know if she did run she has zero chance of being elected, but if she were...now THAT would be interesting. You think there would be a 'pink room'? But then maybe she could be elected...do we REALLY buy that thing about American voters choosing their President?

I got more percolatin' but to avoid the dreaded "TL;DR", I'll do another one.

TRB