What were you doing on November 24th, 2000?

I'm cleaning up my room at school this afternoon and I get a phone call. "This is the operator, is this Mark Riggs?"

I confirm that I am one of the several Mark Riggses on the planet. She asks me to hold.

When you've had a history of financial success like mine, you know when you're going to be talking to a collection agent. The problem was, I had no idea who would be collecting for what. I thought I was making progress in that department!

So when this guy comes on (I can't remember his name, so I'll just refer to him by his initials: A.H.) and says he's from some company or another (one obviously made to sound like its employees are anything but bottom-feeding buttwipes), and asks if I'd like to make a payment today, I have to ask...

Question 1: A payment for what?

He tells me he is collecting for St. Joseph Hospital and something else hospital-related... some sort of lab or another, I think.

Question 2: For what?

He tells me he doesn't have access to medical records, and asks if I'm going to be making a payment today.

Question 3: Where is this hospital?

Kansas City.

Question 4: When was this?

He tells me it was November 24, 2000 and again asks about a payment. At first I thought he said November 24, 2004, and I was positive I had not been in the hospital that day. Then I heard the 2000. But it still wasn't ringing any bells. I don't know about you, but when people call me up and spend the conversation constantly asking for money without giving any seemingly-valid reason for me to cough it up, I tend to think "Am I being scammed or what?"

I tell A.H. (who is about to earn his initials) that I have no idea what this would have been for.

A.H. is incredulous. "How could you be a patient and not know what it's for?" He confirmed my name and my birthdate.

Yes, good plan. Piss me off. The checkbook will be sure to come right out. He apparently didn't check to see that I have NO credit rating whatsoever, so he probably should have kept the vinegar and used more honey.

I informed him that I had recently been called by a hospital about an appointment for some sort of kidney thing or another... that would be an appointment I knew nothing about because I'd never called to set it up. So, basically, good sir, I'm not 100% positive that all hospitals keep good records.

A.H. then says (while I'm still trying to remember what I was doing on November 24, 2000), "So you're saying you're not going to be making a payment?"

"No, I'm saying I have no idea what this is for. I'm trying to think back to then."

"Okay Mr. Riggs, do you have any questions for me before we end this call?"

"Other than the one I already asked you that you don't have the answer to, no," I reply.

Then comes THE pisser: "You haven't asked me any questions."

Oh yeah. Call me up and start pressuring me to send you money for something I have no immediate memory of, then flippin' pull that sort of stunt...

So Mr. Riggs the Teacher came out, and I said (in a very teachery tone), "Don't lie to me! I asked you what this was for and you said you didn't have access to medical records."

He thanked me and asked me to have a nice day, and I told him he should do his best to have one, too.

Once he was no longer in my ear, I could think a bit harder about the date.

November 24, 2000?

I knew I'd been teaching, so I should have had insurance at the time... albeit crappy insurance (FYI, males who are thinking of becoming teachers: it is assumed you are a female with a male spouse who will have a "real & respectable job" that has ACTUAL good insurance... so there's no need to provide decent insurance for you).

Then it hit me: Oh... THAT November 24, 2000! I twisted my ankle. Bad. To the point I thought it was broken. While working. There were calls to my doctor (because god forbid you just go to the emergency room the day after Thanksgiving... no, first you have to track down your doctor so he can approve your going). There were discussions about how the employer in question didn't really have workman's comp insurance, and they'd pay for the visit if my insurance wouldn't cover it, but it would be best if the insurance covered it...

And they gave me money. I just don't know that a bill ever showed up at my house.

So, I get to call them and find out what the aytch-ee-double-hockey-sticks is going on with this.

November 24, 2000 indeed. Well, wish me luck!

The quest for a bowling curve

Jhoneric called last night and talked me into going bowling with him and Jon. A good time was had by all. But... my high score was 122, methinks.

I don't feel so bad, because I made the decision to try to learn how to bowl with a curve... I'm feeling pretty good about it today (although the pain in my arm and shoulder is not-so-wanted).

Anyway, I didn't want to leave everyone to think yesterday was a totally down day.

Oh, and we played darts, which I lost both games of.

BUT... I kicked hind end on that Martian pinball/video game!

Oh how tiring...

As I was on my way home from teaching Summer School today I had a flat tire. Of course, it had to be just as I got on the "UNEVEN LANES", so at first I just thought the strange sound was form the asphalt or something... and of course it had to be somewhere with little-to-no shoulder... but there was about 10 yards of shoulder up a bit...

::sigh::

Well, the good news is I've finally gotten to use that spare tire I bought last year before my trip to Ohio. Also in the "good news" column: I'm pretty quick when it comes to changing tires.

In the "not-so-good news" department we have: 5 days until payday, two more days of summer school (to which I will be driving without a spare (see bit about payday), and in my haste to get the tire quickly changed I managed to gash up my hands a bit.

The other news (not really good or bad, you see...) is that my hands were filthy and I still had to buy gas. And of course who can resist scratching an itch on his face even when there isn't grease and grime all over his hands? So the people at QT were probably confused by my appearance. Teacher clothes and chimney sweep appearance.

Enough of that. On a more positive notes, Ben & Tricia brought the girls over last night and while mommy & daddy were out having dinner, I did my best to entertain. Maybe I'll share some photos from the "face-making" photo-op session. The pictures are just PRECIOUS, I tell you!

Rants, raves, and other faves...

I was helping my sister Ruth put together a desk yesterday (by the way, do you think we have something built into all of us--much like that thing that's built into women so they forget exactly how bad labor was so they'll be willing to have another baby--where people who buy those "put-it-together-yourself" furniture items forget just what a nightmare it was to put together the last one whenever it comes time to buy another one...) and I thought of something I wanted to rant about on here. But now I've forgotten it.

I don't think it was furniture. Hmm... I wonder what it was.

Well, I'll come back when I think of it. I had a big yawn right before I started typing and I think my brain spilled out...

I just saw the new Harry Potter movie and it reminded me... someone should make a movie out of the third book...

Okay, what a load of crap that movie was!

I mean, maybe it was okay if you've never read any of the books. I wouldn't know. But Tricia was trying to like it and she said she failed.

Okay, I'll start with the robes: My favorite "robeless" moment was when they went to Hogsmeade for the first time... I leaned over to Tricia and said, "Yeah, lets all wear our Muggle clothes to go visit a WIZARD VILLAGE!"

And what are the wizards wearing instead of actual robes? Apparently some clothes they stole from a production of some Dickens story. I understand why that choice was made, of course, because Dickens wrote so many stories about wizards, except he didn't.

And I understand you must take things out of a huge book like that when dumbing it down for the American audience, but don't you think the actual PLOT needs to be included... they barely touched on the betrayal of Harry's parents, and didn't even explain HOW they were betrayed, and how everyone was so sure who did the betraying. And then there was no explanation whatsoever of why Sirius, Pettigrew, and Potter became Animagi. And they aren't given credit for the Marauder's Map.

And did the screenwriter's copy of the book get dropped in a blender? Did he have to tape it back together?

And if you have that much money for special effects, that's the best you can do with the Patronus (which, by the way, isn't just a shield... but apparently... ugh, I can't even continue with that particular part of this rant).

Suffice it to say, I think I am done witht he Harry Potter movies. The good news is they can't touch what's in my head.

Oh, wait, I forgot... the whole scene with Harry crying in the woods and Hermione coming to comfort him... what was that?

And I like how they just ignore character traits... Harry steals candy from Neville? I ask again... Harry Potter STEALS candy from the non-evil Neville?

If you haven't gone to see it... well, first, sorry to ruin bits for you. Secondly, save your money! Read the book and enjoy the movie your own mind makes. It's always safe to say that will beat the actual movie any day of the week. I'm talking ANY movie, here, not just this sorry excuse for one.

Rant over.

No comment

Nobody is commenting. Nobody is reading, most likely. ::sigh::

Well, Jordan is in town and visiting now, which means LOTS of Buffy-watching.

Season 1, Epsisode 5: Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

Maybe I'll change my settings so any random moron can comment...

More things to not blog about

Well, I finished my house/dog-sitting stint last night when Ben & Tricia arrived safely home. Ben completed the marathon in 6 hours and either 20 minutes, or 0.2 hours, which is 12 minutes... I was unclear on that part.

I'm back in my hot and humid home, and looking forward to the day when my friends bully me into turning the a/c on.

Today I had my first day of summer school... and let me say they sure are a motivated bunch! I should be nice. Some of them look like they really want to do well.

Tonight I get to work on election stuff, and I'm reminding myself even as I type that I need to go vote before I go to work for the election office.

I'd like to thank all of you who have commented. Your support during this trying time is very much appreciated. God bless.

Even if you haven't just sneezed.

As long as I'm not blogging...

If you like old-time country music (or are musically open-minded enough to enjoy it), may I recommend The Wilders? Their blog was the one that inspired/required me to start this not-a-blog blog.

Still not blogging... BUT...

If you choose to reply, please keep your language school-appropriate!

There's not going to be anything to reply to, anyway.

Calm down, people... I'm NOT blogging!

Okay, I just wanted to respond to a blog... was all this really necessary?

And is that how you spell "necessary"? My kingdom for a dictionary!