It had to happen. I should have known.
Today is the day that my husband’s health benefits plan kicks in. Three months of employment (and paying into the plan of course) and congratulations, you now only have to pay a 20% deductible for prescription drugs and other fun stuff.
I’ve been holding on to a recent prescription slip for a week or so, waiting for this day. So after three hours of work at the computer this morning (aren’t I good?) I put on my coat and off I went to the pharmacy, to fill my first month of prescription, hurrah!
I handed in the slip, along with my shiny new benefits card, and hung around waiting for my name to be called. Now, if the truth must be told, I was a bit nervous. I’ve had problems with benefit cards before. What if they didn’t flip the switch or unflag the account or whatever it is that they do at the health insurance office? What if there’s some kind of problem? No, no, I said to myself; stop creating things to worry about. You checked online yesterday, and everything was fine. Plus your husband verified with Human Resources at work to make sure everything would be operational as of April 8.
Well, the pharmacist called me over and said, “Your claim has been refused.”
Heart plummets into stomach. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.
“Why?”
“They say you’re not listed under this policy.”
Sigh.
“We checked this yesterday. I’m on the plan.”
She must have seen me gritting my teeth, because she said, “Well, we’ll try again.” She called the insurance people and talked to them for about five minutes before they discovered together that I’m the second person listed on the plan (duh – my husband is the first), so they had to type in a 02 somewhere instead of a 01. (I’d like to take this moment to point out that the 02 is plainly printed on my card. I know, because I looked when she gave it back to me.)
At this point I stopped listening as relief washed over me. Everything was going to be fine. I’d get my prescription and go home.
Except it wasn’t fine. The pharmacist came back to me and said, “The insurance people tried to run the claim through while I was on the phone, but the network went down, so we can’t do it right now. Can you come back later?”
Heck, why not. I’m having so much fun here that I can’t wait to come back for more.
“I’ll call you when their system is back up and we’ve completed the claim,” she said. “I’ll let you know the moment it’s ready.”
“Why not,” I said, “I’m in the neighbourhood tonight anyway.”
Then I took the bus to another pharmacy to pick up a parcel, and got flak from a supercilious postal worker because my slip said I could pick up my parcel after one o’clock, and it was twelve forty-five. (How was I supposed to know what time it was? I don’t wear a watch, and there wasn’t a clock anywhere around. All I knew was that I had left home a long time ago and spent much too long in a pharmacy in west NDG before trekking into Westmount for this damned parcel.)
He’d look much more attractive as a rock. Or a hatstand. He had that kind of personality.
It seems to be that kind of day. I can take great comfort in the three hours of work I did this morning, though. Yep. Something to be proud of.
And blessings be also upon the head of Rosy, who has talked me through a business problem. It’s nice when Accounting offers to call you to confirm that your cheque has been written and mailed out. I won’t get it before Christmas — not that it matters overmuch now, as it’s too late to use it for clearing the credit card in order to do the on-line shopping that needed to be done a week ago — but if all goes well I should at least have it in time for next month’s rent.
Blessings be upon the head of 
Dear readers:
The other revised file landed in my inbox moments ago. There is work for another week, once I’ve delivered the current file this afternoon.
This morning we were getting Sparky ready to head over to his caregiver’s place as usual. Every day he chooses a beloved toy to take with him, usually just something to snuggle with when he goes down for his nap, but sometimes he wants a car or a train to play with during the ride too. Today he had two engines for car play, one in each hand, and I had him up on my hip in preparation for carrying him down to the car. (Yes, of course he can get down the stairs and walk to the car himself, but he is also two, and there is an entire exciting world of grass and trees and flowers and dirt and spiders between the door and the vehicle, and a schedule that must be kept.)
Dear God/dess/all aspects of the Divine: