Catch-22

So what would we call it, if Catch-22 was never written? I don't really recall, thinking about it for ten minutes, what exactly Catch-22 was about. I'm kinda stuck in a few of them at the moment, as if you could square a Catch-22.

I got my insurance card today. Plain and white, no cowgirl decoration or hot pink and yellow color scheme (Thanks Illinois for driving my healthcare provider away.) So not only did I get a plain-jane white card today, its so cheaply made that the member services phone number was printed incorrectly on it. It's quite odd that it's not written anywhere else on the card, probably to force me to call the only other number on the line for customers - the mental health/substance abuse coverage line! Oh wait, couple of lines later, in the legalese of the back of the card it mentions to call 911 in an emergency. Who lists a mental health/substance abuse number so close to the emergency number? I'd like to think it's some twisted little copywriter, who writes novels in his spare time, and is waiting for his break, but in the mean time he wreaks havoc on the phone lines with junkies and mental patients calling the wrong numbers.

Frustration mounts when I try to create a registration online, and after several tries and using different browsers, I break down and call the hotline. I'm on hold for a while, but it's something I'm used to because of the work I do. I speak to a representative who walks me through the new registration process - and who finds out he can't help. Apparently there's a one-digit typo on my zip code...it should be an 8 and its a 6. Unfortunately, he can't help me personally with this, I have to talk to member services. He gives me the number and transfers me. Approximately 2 rings in, I get yelled at by a robot.

I hate robot telephone servos. (I'm sure if the guy who wrote the Jetsons actually got suck on hold with one of these, Rosie would have been a very different house robot. Heck the whole Jetson's future would be different.) Anyway, after a few minutes of vocalized frustration and periods of exacting pronunciation, the robot says one of my choices is "speak to a representative". My hope goes up (don't know why I always have hope but I do), and the new voice tells me (also a robot) that the member services department is now closed. And they give me the daytime office hours, thank you call again!! Le sigh.

It feels good to vent online.

But I still don't have access to my heath insurance stuff, like setting up billing. great. And inevitably, I will have to go through all those calls again. I think my main frustration is the wasted time and having to sit on the phone, on hold, and then holding again and not even getting the courtesy of human service.

All over one typo.

:(

I'm frustrated.

so I sketched.

and now I should relax and sleep.

goodnight.

weekday

My dad turns 57 tomorrow. I just realized in 10 years I'll be fourty, which is amazing. I think I'm still processing that one. And in 20 years I'll be fifty, and add 7 to that and I'll be 57 too. My brother turns 27 this year. The difference between my dad's an my age is the length of my brothers entire life so far. That makes 57 seem much further away. lol. I wish I had remembered my camera today.

I found a shop that I MUST visit at some point. Seems handmade and artsy and they carry my favorite magazine that I've only been able to look at online - Uppercase. The store just opened on the 15th - it's called Orange Beautiful. Check out their blog: http://www.orangebeautiful.com/blog/

I'm not sure what's going on in my life at the moment. It's like being a fiber on a sponge, and the sponge is sitting in water. The bottom of the sponge is soaking wet while the top is unaware of the impending changes. I know something's going on, but not sure how it will effect me. And I'm not aware of WHAT it is, but I have a feeling that there's something changing. Like leaves suddenly opening on trees in the early spring. Its a feeling of impending-ness I guess. I can feel it.

Toy Story 3

I saw a screening of Toy Story 3 yesterday, a special fundraiser screening for the Komer Children's Hospital. I really can't say anything due to a non-disclosure agreement. And I wouldnt' want to spoil it for ya anyway! It was a GREAT movie. They went all out for the screening - got popcorn, pop, twizzlers and rasinets as we were waiting for it to start. Then at the end they had goodiebags full of toy story stuff and toy story 3 posters. I got my program signed by the director and producer. They really went all out and it was the perfect way to see this movie. Cause it's going to get at you.

As for the movie - the story was great, I was bawling by the end. You'll see. There's also a LOT to laugh at, and they keep it coming during the movie. I was awed by the animation. I specifically loved the animation of Buzz Lightyear - and I can't really talk about details because that would give away some fun details to the story - but it was beautiful, very smoothly done and I was impressed.

Unworthy

Its posts like these that make me feel mundane and normal to the point of doldrums. Sasha Barr is a genious inventor of art and design. I could never reach levels of coolness like this. Heck I couldn't even get near that kinda cool kids table during lunch.

Check out the interview and art and studio/living space photos here at Grain Edit. Seriously cool.

http://grainedit.com/2010/05/04/sasha-barr-interview/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+GrainEdit+(Grain+Edit)

Summer and Spring

Everything is finishing blooming, and one of my favorite noises - leaves on trees blowing around in the breeze - is back again. Not everything is going perfect in life, like usual, but I look at the happy little things. I'm excited about lily's of the valley blooming and the last few tulips popped open and sprawling their colors among the bright green grass blades in all the neighborhood garden patches. This time of year always makes me want to plant my own pots of flowers - since I lack a garden of my own, a teeny little pot of basil sprouts are slowly outgrowing their space on my windowsill. I'll get a larger pot for them soon so I can have fresh pasta in my spaghetti over the summer. Or maybe a fresh capresi salad.

Madge cat isn't feeling too well these days. She got shots yesterday and is quite grumpy and listless today. I found her sleeping in my sock-in-undies basket in my closet tonight. Such a funny but probably comfortable place to sleep for such a small cat. Once she's well we get to prepare her for tooth surgery which is REALLY costly and sadly infringing on my eating. There's really not that much good food available on the cheap, especially since I like fresh foods vs. fast.

Tonight I prepared a recipe from a new blog i found. I had all the ingredients on hand, and after I made my home-made pasta sauce I cracked out the kitchen aid and baked a cake. Its quite tasty. The best part is the cake has a silly name and a cute story. Check out the website - Smitten Kitchen - for the story and the recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/blueberry-boy-bait/

Casey Bats Again

I decided to look up this short after getting a link listing for purchase some original Fred Moore sketches from this animation. I'm familiar with the original Casey at the Bat short, but NEVER saw Casey Bats Again. I as a softball player, and a girl, LOVE this short.