To Leave a Message...

This has been a week of "to leave a message, please press one."  Or "We are experiencing a high volume of calls, please call back at a less busy time."

When you get in an accident through no fault of your own, there's a lot of paperwork and phone calls to be made.   I don't like making phone calls.  Due to my continuing neck and shoulders issues (that certainly were NOT helped by that Silverado), I have to use the speakerphone option.  

I'm not found of speakerphone.  People complain that they can't hear you, I complain that I can't hear them and if I'm on hold and have started writing something-I forget that I'm waiting and they when someone finally answers, I then forget who and why I've called!

My absolute "favorite" is when they place you on hold for 5 minutes or more (and yes, I'm sure that's some sort of gimmick to get you p-o'd and not want to deal with the issue on hand) and then either hang up on you OR tell you "we are experiencing a high volume of calls, please call back later."

Later, as if later is going to improve their lack of answering or my mood?

I also hate leaving messages for all these various insurance people.  This week I left literally 6 messages and I gave them all 48 hours to call me back.  Do you know NONE of them did!  Not even ours!

Honestly, I'd probably be more patient if I weren't a "patient".  Also, I'm pretty sure those muscle relaxants are only relaxing my brain which has turned me into a very cranky curmudgeon.

Everything is irritating me.  I was snippy to the Social Security agent who finally helped me change my address.  I had to wind through all the various departments just to leave a message to have them call me back.  My mention of this to this poor woman wasn't met with sympathy at all.

My new general doctor gave me a referral to a rheumatologist.  We're getting off on the wrong foot.  I called and was put on hold for over 6 minutes and then the line went dead.

I'm taking a few tallies:  6 calls to various insurance companies.  4 calls to the IRS-none of which were successful (they said to call back at a less busy time!).  3 calls to the new arthritis medical group and the 2 to my regular doctor.  Oh, almost forgot-I had to call my HMO in California to let them know that Medicare will not allow me to have both my husband's PPO in Arizona and them on stand-by as my Medicare account.

Of course Medicare will still be deducting my Part B money that will do absolutely nothing for me as long as my husband is providing me with medical care.  If I opt out however-should I ever need it, it could take 6 months to a year to get it re-instated.

This they were able to tell me on only the first call.

To share some good news, which I'm sure you're all wondering if I'll ever share with you again:

Family room is done.  Kitchen backsplash looks beautiful and the kitchen is together.  By the time you read this-our new dresser and the bed will have arrived and we'll have finally had a good night's sleep!  (The frame to the bed and the nightstands will follow in several weeks.  My husband has finished:  installing 3 fans, our desks, the laundry sorter and a few other "honey dos".  And thank goodness, the replacement slats on the family room blinds will be done by the end of the weekend.

Now I need to heal enough to look for a new car and get the nerve to drive it.

All in good time.  I'm really hoping for a "quiet" December.  I could use a little "boring".