(Warning: you will need to read my past blog called spirited aerobic to understand who I'm talking about in this blog...)
The week after my gym friend gave me the Bible tract, I approached her after class and told her that I was a Christian. She was happy to hear it, but she couldn't speak at all. When I asked her what her name was, she had to write it for me on a napkin! But, nonetheless, I told her my name and why I was here in Hollywood (a little bit about DOOR, PATH, etc...) and that I was going to Hollywood Presbyterian Church. I asked her if she had a church to go to, and she said she did. But I invited her to Hollywood Pres anyway.
Fast forward to Sunday morning. I had let Brian drive my car home since it was late Saturday when he left, so I was walking to church and he was going to meet me there with the car. As I turned onto Hollywood Blvd, I happened upon my gym friend! I said, "Carole, hello, it's so good to see you! I'm actually just going to church right now. Would you want to come with me?" And she nodded! So then we walked to Hollywood Pres the rest of the way and she came inside with me. I showed her where Brian and I were going to sit, and asked if she wanted to sit with us, but she felt more comfortable sitting in the back. But I looked at the end of the service, and she stayed through the whole thing! So she must have enjoyed worshipping there.
Now whenever I go to gym class I say Hi to her! Yay! I have made a new friend!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Music of the Night
I live off of Santa Monica Blvd, one of the busiest streets in Hollywood, and maybe also the US. Those of you who have talked to me before know that I struggle sometimes with the noise in trying to get to sleep at night, but for the most part I enjoy the proximity to being close to the "action."
Often there will be some events in our neighborhood that remind me of what a wonderful community I live in, and Sunday night was no exception. I had just gotten back from playing clarinet in the orchestra concert, and I was pretty tuckered out. Maybe it was the 1.5 hour rehearsal before the 2 hour actual concert, but I was exhausted...
I parked my car, only to be greeted with: Mariachi music! That's right, friends, there was a real live Mariachi band playing at the house kitty corner to me. I mean, it doesn't get any better than this! Costumes and all. I think that someone over there was celebrating their birthday, because they were playing this song called, "Las Mananitas" which I remember learning in Spanish I my sophomore year in high school. It's a traditional birthday song that people normally sing as the birthday boy/girl is waking up. Thank you Lord for the wonderful blessing of this neighborhood! When I start questioning why I am in Hollywood, may I look back and read this blog...
Often there will be some events in our neighborhood that remind me of what a wonderful community I live in, and Sunday night was no exception. I had just gotten back from playing clarinet in the orchestra concert, and I was pretty tuckered out. Maybe it was the 1.5 hour rehearsal before the 2 hour actual concert, but I was exhausted...
I parked my car, only to be greeted with: Mariachi music! That's right, friends, there was a real live Mariachi band playing at the house kitty corner to me. I mean, it doesn't get any better than this! Costumes and all. I think that someone over there was celebrating their birthday, because they were playing this song called, "Las Mananitas" which I remember learning in Spanish I my sophomore year in high school. It's a traditional birthday song that people normally sing as the birthday boy/girl is waking up. Thank you Lord for the wonderful blessing of this neighborhood! When I start questioning why I am in Hollywood, may I look back and read this blog...
Next year's Holloween costume...
Yesterday, as I was walking home from work there were these three men a few apartments down from mine, obviously had had a little too much to drink, but I had to walk by them anyway, so I pressed on... and as I passed by them, one of them said in slurred speech to me, "Hey, can I borrow that pink shirt you're wearing for Holloween next year?" I frowned my Miss Stephanie doesn't think you should be talking to her frown that I sometimes have to wear here in Hollywood and firmly replied, "No!"
Seriously, though, how random is that? Holloween? I don't know... the best part of living in LA sometimes is how random it is.
Seriously, though, how random is that? Holloween? I don't know... the best part of living in LA sometimes is how random it is.
Will we really find each other on Facebook?
A few years ago as a college student, if I met someone that I really enjoyed hanging out with, all we had to do to ensure that we would meet up again would be to make sure we had each other's phone numbers. Fast forward a few years to life in LA (and maybe everywhere else on this earth that has unlimited internet access), and the response at the end of a great event or party is, "I'll find you on Facebook." There is not a sentence more disgusting than this one. There could not be a more passive way to communicate with the world at large. And will I really find whoI'm looking on Facebook? Access to Facebook is blocked at work, and I am a limited Facebooker, mainly keeping up with friends who are out of town. Let's face it, I don't have time to track down a person I barely know whose last name I don't recall.
In my opnion, telling someone that you will find them on Facebook is another way of saying that they are either a)not worthy enough b)didn't catch your attention enough or c) they're too creepy to give them your cell phone number. What has happened to our culture?! Instead of relating to people, we're stalking them! Like we have to know their religious, political and sociological beliefs before we will actually decide to communicate with them in an active way. Maybe it's self preservation. We want to be liked by others and, in turn, want them to like us, so we hide ourselves behind our internet persona and then decide, after a few I Chats, whether or not the real us will come out.
I have had an increasingly difficult time making meaningful friendships here in Los Angeles. The population itself is so transitory, and at times fake, that there have been some lonely moments. Also some really great ones. But this whole Facebook phenomena, I have to admit, makes it seem even more difficult at times.
I press onward. I actually added someone as a friend on facebook today! It's fun to connect with people, even if it is only via the internet. And I challenge anyone reading this to try to find me; you might be hard-pressed to succeed because my privacy settings are way up high. Anyone who knows me well knows the best way to get to me is calling me up and planning quality time!
In my opnion, telling someone that you will find them on Facebook is another way of saying that they are either a)not worthy enough b)didn't catch your attention enough or c) they're too creepy to give them your cell phone number. What has happened to our culture?! Instead of relating to people, we're stalking them! Like we have to know their religious, political and sociological beliefs before we will actually decide to communicate with them in an active way. Maybe it's self preservation. We want to be liked by others and, in turn, want them to like us, so we hide ourselves behind our internet persona and then decide, after a few I Chats, whether or not the real us will come out.
I have had an increasingly difficult time making meaningful friendships here in Los Angeles. The population itself is so transitory, and at times fake, that there have been some lonely moments. Also some really great ones. But this whole Facebook phenomena, I have to admit, makes it seem even more difficult at times.
I press onward. I actually added someone as a friend on facebook today! It's fun to connect with people, even if it is only via the internet. And I challenge anyone reading this to try to find me; you might be hard-pressed to succeed because my privacy settings are way up high. Anyone who knows me well knows the best way to get to me is calling me up and planning quality time!
Found: one dentist!
Praise the Lord, huge answer to prayers! I found an amazing dentist here in LA who accepts my insurance and who does not think that anything is wrong with my mouth, namely, that I do not need a nightguard. He even gave me a free toothbrush and floss, just like my dentist in Michigan. And he gave me a little calendar to keep track of my next appointment with him in six months. I found a winner, yes indeed. This just goes to show that we as consumers have an amazing freedom of choice- and that if I don't like the dentist I'm with or uncomfortable with the way he's treating me, I don't have to stay. But for now, I have found a great dentist and I'm so happy! Now I just have to check off eye exams on the list and I will be a walking picture of health.
Monday, May 4, 2009
A Day at the Zoo
Rudy and I at the zoo. He loved the flamingoes!Brian and I, through a wonderful gift of some friends of mine, were able to take a crew over to the Los Angeles Zoo! We loaded up into two cars. We had five adults, a 7 yr old, 4-yr old, 2.5 yr old,1.5 yr old, 9 month old, and a high school freshman. Whew! What a day! We packed bag lunches and set out for the zoo. We got to bypass the incredibly long line because we already had our tickets, and the day went splendidly. Looking after that many moving children at one time was at times difficult. But the adult:child ratio was pretty good itself. I had many favorite memories of the day, but my favorite one is when I got to hold Rudy, pictured above, as he was looking at the flamingoes. He was so happy, he loved it! He wouldn't stop pointing at them, it was so great. I think I saw a little bit of Heaven that day in his excitement.
Health "Care" Providers...
Having just moved to a new city only a year and a half ago, and finally having established some benefits, April and May months are labeled Take Care of Myself months. I have began the search for doctors, dentists, eye doctors, etc. Found has been my primary doctor, after a four hour wait in her office. She did apologize for running so late that day, and as they took care of my insurance, were very kind, and were able to help me out with my second Hep A vaccine (it's taken forever to find someone willing to give me the second shot... hello, I work with the homeless, kind of a necessity...) I have decided to stay with her as my primary doctor.
My real healthcare woes in LA come from attempting to find a dentist. Let me preface this whole conversation by revealing that out of my whole family, my "health file" is probably the thinnest. I am the healthiest in my family. I have only ever had one cavity in my life (see my blog entry entitled "star teethment"), I have gone to visit the doctor twice a year every year since I was a small child, and I take great care of my teeth. In January I had gone back to the upscale dentist who did my filling last year for a normal cleaning, only to discover that he is not in my healthcare network. Translation: he is super expensive! It was time for me to find a dentist in LA. This was a scary proposition. I mean, my dentist in Michigan that I have had since I was a child gives me a toothbrush every time I come in that says, "Smile, Dr. Mead loves you." So I was not prepared to search for a new dentist.
I finally found someone who would take my insurance, and let me tell you, they were really rude over the phone with regards to my insurance and even what I was needing on my visit. I just want to find someone in LA who will fit me for a nightguard (sign of stress, I realize) for the price that my insurance lists. But LA is a big place...
Anyway, a few weeks ago, I let them know that I was covered under blue cross, and they said that they had contacted my insurance, and my insurance would not cover the nightguard. I called my insurance back and asked if they would cover the nightguard, and they said that they would. So I called the dentist's office back and let them know that my insurance did cover the nightguard. They told me that if I came in I would have to pay a $50.00 deductible. I quickly let them know that I had already paid a deductible for the year and I should not have to pay. They checked back with my insurance, and called back and said that I still owed the deductible.
I called my insurance... long story short, I finally get to the office, and they tell me that they will have to charge me $50.00 service charge or something shady like that. I should have run the other way, I later found out. But how was I supposed to know? The only other dentist in my life I've ever had is such a wonderful man, he gives T-shirts to kids who come in on their spring break that have toothbrush palm trees on them. I still have mine.
I signed some paperwork, and then the financial manager of the dentist calls me in and said that he was the one that makes sure the dentist gets paid. Like I wasn't going to pay the dentist? The thought never crossed my mind. What followed was a battle of wits, which I clearly lost. The manager and the dentist came in, looked at copies of my most recent X-rays, and told me that it looked like I had four new cavities. Which could not be the case, as those x-rays were looked at by a certified dentist three months earlier who said I was cavity free. (too bad he wasn't in my network of care... I like him...). They then laughed at me for still using a retainer, said that they thought I just liked wearing the retainer and that's why I was using it, and proceded to tell me that I was too stressed out, and that someone my age shouldn't need a nightguard. But they did tell me that I needed one, so that's good, I guess.
The financial manager, when telling me that my insurance doesn't cover the nightguard, after I told him that I called him back and they did, told me that my insurance was a liar and that they were "sticky." What?! How unprofessional! I wanted to cry, I had never felt so degraded at the dentist's office before now. At the end the receptionist also questioned my knowledge of what really happened at my January non-covered appointment when she said, "It shows here on your insurance that you've never had your teeth cleaned." After I told that they had indeed been cleaned in January, she replied, "Well, I guess it's whatever you say..." How would I not know when someone is cleaning my teeth?! What in the world?
I left their office and proceeded to file a complaint with my insurance. And as I spoke with someone over the phone, they revealed that I should never have had to pay the $50.00 the dentist charged me. The man was so nice, but he basically said something like, "your health care is in your charge. You need to get copies of all paperwork that you sign at a dentist's office, and if you are uncomfortable with the office itself, you need to run the other way. If they still are not listening to you, you need to have them call us, your insurers, while you are present."
I am not going to try to get my money back, because I don't ever want to talk to those callous people again. But it is disturbing to me, that I have to be on my guard against a healthcare provider who is supposed to be providing a service to me-- who might try to swindol me out of my money instead and claim that I have problems with my teeth when in fact I really do not. What has come to us in this country? Or at least the city of LA?
I am now starting to understand what it really means to be searching for a helath care provider in a responsible way. A friend, after hearing my woes, recommended another dentist to me, and so I went ahead and made an appointment after of course finding that they were in my network of care. But then I went online and read some horrible reviews of this particular dentist's practice. So I actually called the dentist back and lied to them about my work schedule changing so that I could get out of my appointment! I believe, after careful perusing of the internet (God bless Yelp LA) I have found a dentist whom I feel comfortable with contacting. But look at what it took to get me there. What a huge learning experience for me. I now feel that I can go to battle in any doctor's office. This happened for a reason, and while I wish I could put that horrible dentist out of practice, he has a family too and provides services to people who must like him. I must forgive, forget, and move on, but move on knowing that I am in control of my own care. And if I get a fishy feeling about someone, as the insurance agent handling my complaint noticed, I have a right to walk away, no questions asked!
My real healthcare woes in LA come from attempting to find a dentist. Let me preface this whole conversation by revealing that out of my whole family, my "health file" is probably the thinnest. I am the healthiest in my family. I have only ever had one cavity in my life (see my blog entry entitled "star teethment"), I have gone to visit the doctor twice a year every year since I was a small child, and I take great care of my teeth. In January I had gone back to the upscale dentist who did my filling last year for a normal cleaning, only to discover that he is not in my healthcare network. Translation: he is super expensive! It was time for me to find a dentist in LA. This was a scary proposition. I mean, my dentist in Michigan that I have had since I was a child gives me a toothbrush every time I come in that says, "Smile, Dr. Mead loves you." So I was not prepared to search for a new dentist.
I finally found someone who would take my insurance, and let me tell you, they were really rude over the phone with regards to my insurance and even what I was needing on my visit. I just want to find someone in LA who will fit me for a nightguard (sign of stress, I realize) for the price that my insurance lists. But LA is a big place...
Anyway, a few weeks ago, I let them know that I was covered under blue cross, and they said that they had contacted my insurance, and my insurance would not cover the nightguard. I called my insurance back and asked if they would cover the nightguard, and they said that they would. So I called the dentist's office back and let them know that my insurance did cover the nightguard. They told me that if I came in I would have to pay a $50.00 deductible. I quickly let them know that I had already paid a deductible for the year and I should not have to pay. They checked back with my insurance, and called back and said that I still owed the deductible.
I called my insurance... long story short, I finally get to the office, and they tell me that they will have to charge me $50.00 service charge or something shady like that. I should have run the other way, I later found out. But how was I supposed to know? The only other dentist in my life I've ever had is such a wonderful man, he gives T-shirts to kids who come in on their spring break that have toothbrush palm trees on them. I still have mine.
I signed some paperwork, and then the financial manager of the dentist calls me in and said that he was the one that makes sure the dentist gets paid. Like I wasn't going to pay the dentist? The thought never crossed my mind. What followed was a battle of wits, which I clearly lost. The manager and the dentist came in, looked at copies of my most recent X-rays, and told me that it looked like I had four new cavities. Which could not be the case, as those x-rays were looked at by a certified dentist three months earlier who said I was cavity free. (too bad he wasn't in my network of care... I like him...). They then laughed at me for still using a retainer, said that they thought I just liked wearing the retainer and that's why I was using it, and proceded to tell me that I was too stressed out, and that someone my age shouldn't need a nightguard. But they did tell me that I needed one, so that's good, I guess.
The financial manager, when telling me that my insurance doesn't cover the nightguard, after I told him that I called him back and they did, told me that my insurance was a liar and that they were "sticky." What?! How unprofessional! I wanted to cry, I had never felt so degraded at the dentist's office before now. At the end the receptionist also questioned my knowledge of what really happened at my January non-covered appointment when she said, "It shows here on your insurance that you've never had your teeth cleaned." After I told that they had indeed been cleaned in January, she replied, "Well, I guess it's whatever you say..." How would I not know when someone is cleaning my teeth?! What in the world?
I left their office and proceeded to file a complaint with my insurance. And as I spoke with someone over the phone, they revealed that I should never have had to pay the $50.00 the dentist charged me. The man was so nice, but he basically said something like, "your health care is in your charge. You need to get copies of all paperwork that you sign at a dentist's office, and if you are uncomfortable with the office itself, you need to run the other way. If they still are not listening to you, you need to have them call us, your insurers, while you are present."
I am not going to try to get my money back, because I don't ever want to talk to those callous people again. But it is disturbing to me, that I have to be on my guard against a healthcare provider who is supposed to be providing a service to me-- who might try to swindol me out of my money instead and claim that I have problems with my teeth when in fact I really do not. What has come to us in this country? Or at least the city of LA?
I am now starting to understand what it really means to be searching for a helath care provider in a responsible way. A friend, after hearing my woes, recommended another dentist to me, and so I went ahead and made an appointment after of course finding that they were in my network of care. But then I went online and read some horrible reviews of this particular dentist's practice. So I actually called the dentist back and lied to them about my work schedule changing so that I could get out of my appointment! I believe, after careful perusing of the internet (God bless Yelp LA) I have found a dentist whom I feel comfortable with contacting. But look at what it took to get me there. What a huge learning experience for me. I now feel that I can go to battle in any doctor's office. This happened for a reason, and while I wish I could put that horrible dentist out of practice, he has a family too and provides services to people who must like him. I must forgive, forget, and move on, but move on knowing that I am in control of my own care. And if I get a fishy feeling about someone, as the insurance agent handling my complaint noticed, I have a right to walk away, no questions asked!
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