Blue Mass

Today was the annual Blue Mass at our church, recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women in law enforcement, EMS, and fire department.

The bagpipes and the memorial of the fallen were touching. After mass was a luncheon. The boy scouts cooked and served jambalaya. There were also finger sandwiches, a cheese tray, desserts.

For the kids, there was a DEA helicopter on the field behind the church, a SWAT truck, and a fire truck.

So little to offer to those who sacrifice their lives everyday.

Rant of the Day

I've heard of banks that charge extra feels if the customer actually wants to go inside the bank and talk to a teller. They justify it by saying that it costs more to service the in-person customer than the ATM or online banking customer (presumably because of the teller's salary). Still, I think it's a load of crock.

I believe that in the interest of good customer service, some things should be free (which isn't really free, but humor me).

That's why I was annoyed to see a sign in a doctor's office stating that they now charge $10 for any form requiring a doctor's signature. Camp forms, sports forms. Yep, $10 each. I get that it takes someone time to pull the file, check the info and hand it to the doctor to sign. But seeing as I, with help from my instance company, paid for an office visit/physical. Why charge extra for sharing that info (via a form)? To me, it's poor customer relations.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Ladies, have you had a mammogram in the past year? If not, and you're of the recommended age, why not make your appointment now? Done properly, it's not really painful. A tad uncomfortable perhaps, but it only lasts a moment.

I had my mammogram today. The mood lighting and soft music didn't really enhance the experience. Add a glass of wine or some dark chocolate and we'll talk. Come on, this is "second base" we're talking about!

Anyway, I'm properly positioned between the two plates and holding on to the handle as asked (what is this - a ride on Space Mountain?!). As the radiologist steps behind the monitor to snap the picture, she says, "okay, hold still now." Excuse me? Where could I possibly go?

I'm just saying....

His Magnetic Personality

He's seven and a half - well beyond the age of "knowing better." Yet Son #3 managed to swallow a magnetic rock several weeks ago. He was never the kid who put foreign objects in his mouth, even as a baby, but lo and behold, this time he did.

A couple of phone calls to our pediatrician and the local emergency room confirmed what we suspected. Since it was only one magnet and no other metal was involved, we just had to wait it out - pun intended. We were on high alert all week but no sign of the magnet. Not exactly something you can ask the school nurse to monitor, y'know?

After a week our doctor recommended an xray to be sure the magnet passed. That's not something you want to discover during an MRI years down the road. Xray showed all was clear.

I guess this means I can no longer threaten to stick him to the side of the refrigerator if he misbehaves.