nkburlington

So, yes.  My insurance covers the Aldara my Dr. prescribed for my warts.  The cost is $186 and I paid $35.  Thank God for employment health plans!  Having said that, even if work didn't cover it, I'd pay the full price.  It's not as expensive as I had thought.  When my Dr. said it was very expensive, I was thinking $300 - $400.

I just apply it before I go to bed three times per week.  There are twelve treatments in the package I picked up so that's a months worth.  I don't know if I'll need any more than that.

It's apparently going to make a mess of my foot and I can't cover it once the cream is applied so that should be fun for sleeping.  

I'll put my first treatment on tonight before I go to bed and see what happens.  

My cousin from NS is driving through town tomorrow and she's going to stop by for dinner and crash here for the night before she heads out on Tuesday morning.  I haven't seen her in almost 30 years and we found each other on Facebook.  Damn!  I love Facebook!

She sent me some photos of the last time she was in Ontario and my mom says she remembers the day quite clearly.  It was in 1979 which would put me at 12 years old.

I'm making Penne a la Vodka for her for dinner tomorrow so I'll make the sauce today so that tomorrow night all I have to do is cook the pasta.  Easy peasy!

Anyway, it will be an interesting visit for sure.

So, this is what my foot looks like after he took the blister off:

It's gross, I know but believe it or not, it doesn't hurt all that badly.  In fact, since he took the blister off, it feels much better.  I can actually put weight on it today.

Next comes liquid nitrogen for the warts.  Fun!  Wow!

I called my insurance company and they do cover the cream that the Dr. said I could self apply and therefore, not need the nitrogen.  I just have to clarify it's the right stuff.  He said many insurance companies won't cover it because its primary usage is for genital warts.  Since my work is giving me grief about taking time for these doctor visits, I'd be better off being able to deal with this issue on my own time.

 

I still can't put any pressure on my foot but at least it's not throbbing.

Well, my appointment went better than I had thought.  

I was / am still in a lot of pain and as soon as he walked in I started to cry and tell him I didn't want him to touch my foot because it hurt so badly.  He was VERY understanding and explained that the previous treatment had done it's job and he was very pleased with how the blister looked but said he would have to cut the blister off otherwise, it would end up healing over and we'd have to start again.  

He was very, very gentle as he cut off the blister and said could not believe the number of plantar warts I have - a cluster of about five that he could see.  

He said considering how much discomfort I was in, we could wait a week before the next treatment which is liquid hydrogen.  Yippee!  I can hardly wait.  (/ sarcasm) I booked my next appointment for next Friday afternoon so that I could take the weekend to recover.

I asked him for a RX for T3's so he wrote me a script for 60 of them!  Sixty.  Yay.  Those should last me for about two years.  .

All in all, I'm not in too much pain right now - thank God for small mercies. 

On a side note, I asked what the chances were of going to the hospital and having them surgically removed.  He said there is one Dr. in town that does that but she is in the process of closing up shop and is not taking any new patients.  Damn!  He said he would look around for me to find out if anyone else does it.  That would be IDEAL!  Get put under and wake up with no warts and a couple of days off work.  Works for me.  I'm not holding my breath however.

So, I have a follow up appointment with the doctor regarding my foot.  I'm sure he's going to take one look at it and go "Oops".  I can't imagine that this is the desired affect.

I'm scared.  I have no idea what he's going to do to it.  I would love to get a general anaesthetic and have him dig out what's left of the warts and then take the rest of the week off to recuperate.  That way, it would be done and I could get on with my life.  I will ask him about that option today. 

He'll probably laugh out loud.  A general anaesthetic for warts?  Yeah, right. Bwahahahahaha.....

So, I have these plantar warts on my right heel.  They've been there forever and I finally decided I'd better have them taken of.  Well, if I'd known how fucking painful it was going to be, I would have left well enough alone.  Having said that though, they are not exactly going to go away.  They needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

So, long story short, I've barely been able to walk on my foot, it hurts like hell and I get to go back tomorrow for more work.  I have no idea what he's going to do.  I have no idea if what has happened to my foot is the desired affect.  To me, it looks infected but there is no puss or blood or selling of any sort - it's just gross and very, very painful.

I could not go to work last Wednesday due to the pain and I had to leave early on Thursday which wasn't so bad considering it was a long weekend.  Still, it was not a very productive weekend. 

Anyway, here is what the foot looked like on Friday:


It's not the best photo but you get the idea.  I took it with my cell phone so it's out of focus. 


Today's picture:

A few months ago - before Christmas - I just happened to notice on one of the Bell Mobility bills a phone number that I didn't recognize.  I asked Michele about it and she had no idea.  I called Bell to find out and they said the number belonged to Patrick B.  I called Patrick and he said he has never, ever been a client of Bell so no, the number did not belong to him.

I called Bell back and they said too bad, we have it in our records that this number has belonged to Patrick since 2003 - five years!  For five years, the company has been paying for a cell phone that does not exist.  Nine dollars and thirty three cents per month for five years.  That adds up to over $500 for a non existent cell phone.

I called Bell in December to have the line cancelled.  We are still being billed.  I called Bell again yesterday and they claim they have no record of me canceling the number.  Just a note from 2005 to suspend the account.  So, even though the number has been suspended and the number temporarily disconnected, we are still paying $9.33 a month.

Anyway, I was the one who brought this to the attention of Michele.  Not the accountant, not the controller.  Me.  I just happened to open the mail and noticed the number.  I have no idea if anyone got in trouble for not noticing this number. 

It has somehow now become my responsibility to clean this shit up.  Um...What...how did that happen?  I'm no fucking accountant.  We have an accountant on staff.  Why doesn't SHE look after this since she was the one who missed it in the first place?

Grrr....I should have just kept my fucking mouth shut and let the company continue to pay for a cell phone that does not fucking exist.

Fuck!  You try and do something nice and responsible and look what happens?  I get all this fucking shit dumped on me like it was my fucking fault to begin with.

Fuck!

 

'Nough Said

When I fetched the mail on Friday there was an envelope from the Government of Canada - Income tax division. That is never good.

However, when I opened it, it was a cheque for $96.06! I made an error on my tax return last year and it turns out the government owed me more money than I thought. I even received $2 interest.

Go figure.

I love the show "OZ". I'm addicted to it.

DH and I were watching it the other night and there was a kissing scene - a kissing scene between two male inmates. There are a lot of sexual scenes in this show.

DH actually cringed and turned away from the two men kissing. He said, "This is the one thing about his show that freaks me out". I replied with "If it was two women kissing, you'd be all over it", to which he responded, in a 15 year old boy sort of way, "Hell ya".

Please, what's up with that? Why is it that men get turned on by women kissing but turned off by men kissing? I couldn't care one way or the other. It's part of the show.

OZ is probably one of the most realistic shows that ever appeared on TV. The violence, the sex, the rape, the murder, the relationships. It's fantastic. Not for the faint of heart, but nonetheless, a great show. Great acting, excellent writing and super story lines.

But I digress ...

Men; please tell me what makes you so squeamish about other men kissing and touching each other? Does it mess with your manhood? If you don't turn away does that mean you are turned on by it? Does that in turn, suggest you are a fag?

I don't get it.

I had a couple of news videos posted on YouTube. On one of them, I have been receiving some nasty comments - mostly about the way I look.

I'll be the first to admit it's not the best I've ever looked and the camera does add ten pounds (or in my case, 20).

If people want to berate me for my Childfree status and my obviously gloriously free life, go ahead. That's why I put it up there. I did not however put it up so people could make rude and mean comments about my weight. IMO, picking on the way a person looks is just a last ditch effort to have your say. You obviously don't have anything constructive or important to say.

I've taken both the videos down but I will probably re-post them later.

Bought the best faux fur blanket at Fortino's. I want a few more. Faux fur on one side and a lovely velvet like softness on the other.

Comfy cozy. Snuggled underneath it right now.

Jealous?

Holy crap it's windy out there. I keep thinking the roof is going to blow away.

I was going to go to Sunny Brook hospital to visit my uncle but I don't think I want to be driving on the highway for an hour with this wind. My car will be all over the road. Even Darrin's pick up truck is swaying too and fro in the driveway. NASTY!!

Christmas was good. I enjoy getting together with the family. The turkey was delicious and I made a shit load of soup and four mini turkey pot pies with the leftovers. Yummy!

Back to work tomorrow for two and a half days then I'm off again until the 5th of Jan. I'm actually looking forward to going to work tomorrow. I don't like have too much time off with nothing to do. I go stir crazy. One of these Christmases I'm going to hop on a plane and go south for ten days.

We're not doing anything for New years. We usually just stay in and cook a really nice meal and enjoy a bottle of wine by the fire and watch Dick Clark - although, I think it was Ryan Seacrest last year.

Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve just isn't what it used to be. Maybe because I don't enjoy the bands that are on. I've never heard of most of them. Does that mean I'm getting old? Or worse, turning into my parents!? Yikes.

I received my bonus today. I guess that makes up for all the crap.

$1,200 - not too shabby.

I've already decided I'm going to buy a new DSLR - the Nikkon D60. It's a sweet camera. The reason I bought the MacBook Pro was in anticipation of the new camera. I really want (need) to get back into my photography. It's such a great hobby and I really enjoy it.

I have a small ING account that I've been contributing to for a while now. I think I contribute $20 / pay. It's not a lot but $40 a month does add up. I have over $500 in there and it's all mine to do with as I please. Thanks to my substantial bonus, I don't have to touch a penny of it for my camera and after I buy the camera, I will even have a few hundred left over from my bonus to add to my special savings account. I could have close to $1000 in there. Yippee! I love saving money - especially when it's all mine and I can blow it on anything I want. It's not for Darrin and I. It's all for me. I love that.
+++

I grabbed a fast food burger on the way home tonight because I was starving and I didn't know what I wanted for dinner. I think it was a mistake.

I don't eat that shit very often (maybe once or twice a year) but when I get a craving, I have to have it. I end up regretting it later. Not only because it makes me feel like shit but because I just don't like eating that crap. I guess twice a year won't kill me.
+++

I'm sitting here relaxing with a glass of wine, unwinding from my day. We are working until noon tomorrow and then I'm off until next Monday, Tuesday and another half day Wednesday. Then I'm off until January 5th. The office is open on Friday the 2nd, which I think is ridiculous but I took that day off because I didn't want to come in for one day that was going to be dead anyway. Some people are working that day because they don't have any vacation time left. That sucks. Imagine working Mon - 1/2 day Wednesday, having Thursday off for New Years day and then coming in for Friday? That makes no sense at all. MB does not give days off. This is the first agency I've worked for that does not shut down for Christmas. I've always had the week or two during Christmas off.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the time off. I just wish I was going someone tropical. One of these days I will hop on a plane and head south for Christmas. What fun!
+++

Which brings me to a question; have you ever travelled alone? I'd love to just get away for a few days all by myself but I'm afraid I'd be bored. I like to be with Darrin when I go away but sometimes I just want to forget about him, my family and my life and just go far, far away. I'm scared though.

Who knows - maybe with my special savings account I'll treat myself to a trip :)

The snow started to fly on Thursday night but the drive into work on Friday wasn't too bad as I suspect a) many people stayed home to avoid the drive and b) many people have already started their Christmas vacation.

I left at noon on Friday after the Boss Lady said we could use our discretion regarding the driving conditions. I stopped at the liquor store on the way home and still made it home in less than an hour!

Thank the Lord for snow tires. I don't know how I every managed without them. I never get stuck anymore. My neighbor is always amazed that I never get stuck in my little 4 cylinder, front wheel drive Saturn. I keep telling her it's the tires! Well worth the money. I sail past most drivers while their wheels are spinning.

Yay....

Last week it was research cell phones / plans for her son. The week before that it was research cell phones / plans for her daughter for Christmas.

Today it was address and mail her personal Christmas cards. She doesn't know where to draw the line. I've done other personal duties for her which I will not go into here because most of you already know about those.

Oh! I did tell you that she asked me to pick up her daughter from school, drive her to a Dr. appointment and then take her home. GMAFB. I told her I did not feel comfortable doing that and she said she understood and said she'd call her daughter a cab. Whew!

I'm at my whit's end and I don't know what to do because it's bothering me and it's showing. I'm becoming very angry at work and I don't want to. I'm letting her personal duties interfere with me doing my job and I don't know how to broach the subject with her.

I was not hired as a personal assistant. I was hired as a Marketing Coordinator / Assistant / Exec. Assistant. I feel that asking me to do these personal tasks for her is above and beyond what my job description says.

Janice, my direct report has already spoken to Michele about this. She was OK for a while but then fell back into giving me these stupid menial, personal tasks.

It's getting to the point where I don't want to go to work and I do not want to feel like that. I really enjoy my job and the people I work with. I'm getting more and more account management responsibility as time goes by. I'll be doing some PR and taking a PR course in February. I'm looking forward to having more important work to do. Janice hopes that once the new year starts, I'll be too busy to do her personal tasks. I hope Michele notices that and doesn't continue to dump these tasks on me. I don't want to be super busy with A.M. stuff PLUS her stuff.

I don't understand why I always get disenchanted at a job after about a year. I get bored or end up resenting every single thing some one asks me to do.

I'm perceived as a receptionist / office clerk and I don't want to be. I was hired as a coordinator - not a receptionist.

Grrr....

I don't want to end up hating my job. I want to continue to enjoy going to work rather than resenting it.

So, our blinds for the living room finally arrived. They look great.

I called Goeman's Appliances today regarding our range. This is the third service call on this range since we bought it in July. Not good. I left a message for the customer service manager who must be tired of hearing from me by now. I told her I've had enough and I want a new range. Three service calls for a new range is unacceptable. We obviously bought a lemon and I want it replaced.
***

We bought this really funky faux fur blanket at Fortino's this weekend. The cats are enjoying it more than we are :)
***

I friended an ex boyfriend on FB a while back. He accepted my friend request within about 24 hours. I sent him an e-mail just to say hey and find out what he's been up to for the past 20 years. Nothing. No response at all. Why would he accept my friend request and then not return my e-mail?

He's more than just an ex. I lost my virginity to this guy. He dumped me - in a bar. I threw a glass of water in his face before I left the bar. If he was upset about the way we left things, he would not have accepted my friend request. Strange.
***

It's 9:40pm on Sunday. I should be tired but I'm not. Darrin is snoring away in the bedroom so I'll probably end up sleeping in the spare room but the sofa seems like a good place too. I want to snuggle under the new blanket. Besides, the fire is still burning and it's warm.

Good Night :)

God. When was the last time I did this? I just figure nobody really gives a flying fuck, so why bother.

Life is good. Got our kitchen redone - finally. It looks fantastic but now we're in whack of debt and that's not good with a recession looming. Oh well. I try not to worry about things I have no control over. It's not worth the agro.

We also bought a new computer - a MacBook Pro. It's sweet. I can't wait to get used to all it's functionality and make movies and maybe even try and sell some of my photography.

Work is OK. I have a habit of getting restless after about a year. I enjoy working here and the people are great. Really. I'm getting more and more responsibility. I want to take on account management responsibilities and they're very open to that. Besides, the more valuable I make my position and myself, the longer I'll have a job. I have also signed up to take a PR course. I'm excited about that. Overall, things are good...except...

My boss. The stuff I have to do for her is totally unreasonable within the realms of my job description. The woman needs a personal assistant and that's not what I am. I did not sign up for that nor do I want it.

Here are a few things she's had me do for her recently:
- Buy her a new cell phone. She lost her cell phone and had me shop for a new one for her. She actually wanted me to go and buy the BlackBerry for her and pick out a plan. Huh? I could not buy the phone for her because she had to be there to sign the contract. And no, I cannot sign for you. No matter how little time you have to go and get it yourself. Not my problem.
- Track down a cell phone and a reasonable plan for her son. Do you have any idea how many cell phones there are out there and how many plans? How the hell do I know what he wants and how many minutes he's planning on using?
- Book a flight for her son to go to Calgary.
- Book a Dr. appointment for her husband. C'mon!
- Book grooming appointments for her dog. Her dog!
- Arrange to have fabric samples and office chair brochures sent to her friend's office so she can have a new chair ordered.
- Call the driver exam office to get a copy of her son's driver certificate so I can fax it to the insurance company. Turns out he had to show up in person anyway because he had to sign it.

There are some other things that I know I'm forgetting but you get the point.

She took away our bonus incentives. Basically it's a market share program whereby the more money the company makes, the more money we get as a bonus. It used to be 10% - 12% based on gross margin. It's now 1% - 4%. I'm not sure if that's for next year or this year. Our bonuses for the year are usually handed out around this time of year so we'll see. I'm hoping to get enough to buy a new DSLR digital camera. This is the one I'm looking at (http://www.nikon.ca/en/Product.aspx?m=17040) I still don't know how to do links on here :(

Anyway, my angst is not enough to make me look for another job. I'm quite happy here - just frustrated. I'm hoping that as I take on more work related responsibility, she will realize that I don't have time to do her personal bidding.

5 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

I'm not normally affected by the death of a Hollywood star but for some reason, this one is affecting me. I guess because he was so young and very talented. He had what appeared to be, a bright future ahead of him.

If it was indeed an accidental overdoes, I think that makes it worse because you realize that he didn't take his own life. It was an accident.

It's just sad.


Actor Heath Ledger Found Dead at 28
By VOA News
23 January 2008

Heath Ledger (Nov 2007 file photo)
Police in New York City say Academy Award nominated actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday in a Manhattan residence. The Australian-born actor was 28.

Authorities say a housekeeper discovered Ledger unconscious in his bedroom, with bottles of sleeping pills nearby. They say there was no indication the actor committed suicide.

Ledger's father Kim confirmed his son's "tragic, untimely and accidental passing" to reporters outside his home in Perth, Australia.

Ledger was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the 2005 movie Brokeback Mountain.

He will appear later this year in the newest Batman movie, The Dark Knight, in the role of "the Joker."

Ledger has a two-year-old daughter, Matilda, from his relationship with actress Michelle Williams, who played his wife in Brokeback Mountain. The couple broke up last September.