I Can't Dance

Don't ask me. 

When we were married ten years, we took a cruise on Princess Cruise Lines. It was an older crowd than Royal Caribbean, but a beautiful ship. 

I noticed a couple that was likely in their fifties. They were just an average couple that looked as though they might rarely go away to together.  One evening we were in a nightclub that was playing slower songs and we watched this couple dance together. They were so fascinating to watch. They were really good. They knew the steps and they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. I envied their ability to move around the dance floor. 

I will dance a slow dance if I'm in the middle of a crowd so no one sitting in the sidelines can see me.  Actually that's the only way Bob will dance. We don't dance around in some special steps, we just move back and forth. There have been times when I've wanted to actually learn how to dance. But anytime I've tried to learn any steps, I find that I am standing with my balance on the leg that's supposed to be raising up.   That makes for some awkward quickstep to try to shift my balance which never ends well. 

Several years ago I was by the dance floor at a wedding when one of the 20 something groomsmen grabbed my hand and dragged me out on the dance floor. I was dying laughing telling the cute boy that I couldn't dance. 

Well, he COULD.  He ignored my protests and pulled me out to the floor. I'm thinking this has to be some kind of spectacle with some middle age woman dancing with this young boy. 

And what I found really fascinating is I could tell which direction we were moving just a split second before we were moving that way. And I knew why I knew. He placed his hand on my back and with that touh he was indicating which direction he was going to move next. Now I doubt I would have been deemed to be any kind of dancer, but I could at least tell which direction I should be shifting my weight to. It was actually kind of cool. 

I still envy those couple that get out and dance and enjoy their time out on the floor.  We rarely dance anywhere and we still occupy a couple of steps in either direction. 

Thorough Examination

Well we're back at it again. 

Deciding again on health insurance. No, you are not imagining things, it was just a few weeks ago we went through this nonsense. 

Our COBRA expired in October. That was the first of the sicker shock.  A huge increase in premiums along with a horrible deductible that also included all the prescription costs. A couple weeks ago we received notice that this "great" policy with a premium of $558 (mine only) was no longer available, so Aetna now offers an equally lousy plan for a minimum of SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHT BUCKS A MONTH!  

Some time in October I was able to get far enough along on the healthcare.gov site to see quotes. The only insurance company available to me was Anthem. Lowest price approximately $550 a month with a $6000 deductible. I called Anthem directly and the lady that answered the enrollment number listed in their site as a place to ask questions couldn't answer any questions. She suggested I called Member Services. I told her I was not a member, but she was virtually useless. 

They did have a online chat service. I needed to find out what would happen when we are in Florida this winter. The online chat indicated that I would not be covered in Florida except for emergencies. He explained there is no way to be covered in both Florida and Indiana. 

How incredibly stupid is that?  

Later that day Bob gave me a number of a State Farm agent who was the daughter of someone he worked with. 

When I called her I wasn't expecting much. I explained I was looking for coverage for both Indiana and Florida. The health insurance company (which wasn't State Farm) was not included on the list on the exchange. So apparently there are insurance companies that may offer health insurance that you will not find on the exchange. 

I found that if I signed up for coverage starting now, I could lock in 2013 rates for all of 2014. The rates were good. I decided on a $466 premium with a $2,500 deductible. It's amazing how you start thinking that's a good price after being offered $780 with a $6k deductible. 

Yesterday I got an email from the agent that said the insurance company needed to have answers to health questions. When I called the company I found that I had just subjected myself to an hour and a half proctological examination. 

It was brutal. To the point of asking about medications I took five years ago. After a long drawn out discussion about the reasons for a full hysterectomy in 2007 (solid mass on an ovary) she followed up with a question if I was seeing a fertility specialist or was planning any fertilization treatments. 

I'm NOT JOKING!  

It was the most painful phone call I have had since a relative died. 

So now I wait two to five days to see if they now will adjust the premium. Yeah, I didn't think that was supposed to happen either. 

And we have to wait for that decision to make a decision for Bob's Medicare Supplement because if I am forced to stay on his insurance of $780, I am only gifted that policy if he stays on his former employer's retirement health insurance. 

It still amazes me that the idiots that think this Obamacare kept the costs down relate a normal insurance increase of $20 a month to the 50% - 100% increase. Along with the outrageous amounts of the deductibles. And let's not forget that now your prescriptions are part of the deductible. 

Thank You

All the Kings Horses

It's over. And the sooner we realize that the better. 

So last night Obama decided to grace us with the only type of apology that the man knows. He's sorry that anyone is in a predicament with their health insurance if they relied on his words. 

If you can call that an apology. 

I saw a 2010 video today of Eric Cantor in a meeting with our leader pointing out the issue of insured Americans losing heir health insurance. Cantor indicated that possible 10 million people would lose their health insurance under the plan. He pleaded with Obama to pass a law that would prevent the very issue everyone is now screaming about. 

Obama then said that it's just a small number. (Except for the 10 MILLION people who have lost their insurance). And he said that "they" would find all their plans on the exchanges would be less expensive than the ones they were losing. 

Except that was another lie. Most are considerably more expensive, both in the premiums and the deductible. 

And we heard him last night say he wanted to "fix it".  

Everyone is calling for him to fix it. 

And he can't. 

We are closing in now to mid-November. Now when do you sign up for your new health care plans?  Either you already are or you are doing it now. 

He exempted the employer mandate early enough that it might have made a difference. 

You see, although he wants to rule the world, he forgets that he does not (yet) rule businesses. He's trying, mind you, but he cannot issue an edict and expect it to be immediately carried out. 

So let's assume for a minute that as of tomorrow, the individual mandate is delayed for a year. Now think about this for a minute. Let's say they pull the website and really fix it. Just where do you think that puts us right now?

Pretend you are one of those who have had their policy abolished by Obamacare. You have received your notice that you will not be covered as of January 1st. What happens to you?  

Hasn't anyone realized that the policies are issued by insurance companies.  These companies have had to analyze what they could offer under this POS law.  I'm sure they have calculated their best estimates of what the premiums and deductibles would need to be, gotten their management's approval, drafted up the changes needed for their systems and actually have TESTED their systems to be sure they could go live with the changes by January 1st. 

It is too late to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. 

The insurance companies are past the time they could offer any other policies for 2014, program the polices, offer them as an option and have anyone enrolled in them by 2014. 

There are millions of us responsible Americans that can not even stand the thought of being uninsured for even a day. 

Wanna know how serious we take insurance?  After Bob semi-retired, he took a sales job with the Big Box Store he worked for 38 years  that paid less than nothing, certainly less than minimum wage for a year to be able to continue his seniority and our health insurance.  The insurance benefits were more than what he was paid. 

So now we have maybe 10 million people facing a lack of health insurance come the new year. 

The ACA plans may be absolutely horrible, but if you take down the website, those people now have NO insurance option.

NONE. 

He can't fix it. And he doesn't want to anyway. 

And it's only gonna get worse.  

And thanks to Ed for reminding me of a message from Bill in Kentucky that was sent to Bret Baier during the Special Report. Read on the air. 

"Putting things in perspective: March 21st 2010 to October 1 2013 is 3 years, 6 months, 10 days.  December 7, 1941 to May 8, 1945 is 3 years, 5 months, 1 day.  What this means is that in the time we were attacked at Pearl Harbor to the day Germany surrendered is not enough time for this progressive federal government to build a working webpage.  Mobilization of millions, building tens of thousands of tanks,  planes, jeeps, subs, cruisers, destroyers, torpedoes, millions upon millions of guns, bombs, ammo, etc. Turning the tide in North Africa,  Invading Italy, D-Day,  Battle of the Bulge, Race to Berlin - all while we were also fighting the Japanese in the Pacific!!  And in that amount of time - this administration can't build a working webpage."

Still Going Strong

It seemed as if it was maybe twice a year when I was a kid that a certain song would blare out of our console TV with the words,  "Oh Lamb of God, I come.   I come. ". 

Decades of the honorable Reverend Graham calling the masses to "Come up.  Come up". 

Tomorrow night he will grace our TV once again. At 10 pm, Rev. Graham special, My Hope America will air on Fox News. 

Let me clarify. 

With the exception of Graham, I have found that all TV "preachers" to be horrible charlatans.  

I related this story over a GEEZ a month or so ago. 

Since marrying Bob, now going on close to 23 years ago, I had never spent a night home alone until six years ago when he went down to our newly closed Fort Myer home to continue decorating the place. (Yes, surprisingly he is very chick-like in his decorating skills, so I can trust him on this task). 

The first night alone in our two story house I was not afraid, but I was not overly secure either. I leave a lot of lights on in the house when he's gone, even now. I want it to look like no one can enter by hiding in the darkness of an unlit house. (I also have a loaded gun on my nightstand and by my chair downstairs. :D. )

At that time I also decided I wanted to have the TV left on all night.  

That first night I woke up around 1 and our bedroom TV was then on someone I had never heard of. This scum was standing in an absolutely humongous arena. 

Then I began to listen to his words. He was telling the crowd that Jesus wanted all of them to be rich. And he wasn't referring to a quality of life rich, he was talking MONEY.  MONEY RICH.  and that was all he talked about for the entire time I listened. 

I sat up and was just appalled. Having a restless night anyway, I got up and googled him. And I was sickened at another scum convincing so many people to send him money so God could make them rich. 

I imagine Ol' Joel has those stairs behind him lined in gold. 

I am constantly surprised by how many people that I know personally that think Olsteen is not a Jimmy Swaggart wannabe. Well, actually he's probably past Swaggart in money terms.  I cannot even stand to look at his super whitened teeth. 

I would first send my money to Nigeria over this scummy scam. 

I hope I can wash that image of his fake smile from my memory tomorrow when the 95 year old Graham's special airs tomorrow night. 

I've set my DVR.  I hope I'm not disappointed. 

If I've offended anyone who just loves Olsteen! I really sorry. But I'm more sorry that you could think he was legit.