OW! to a sore thumb and to customer service

I am so looking forward to a quiet Saturday - write some letters, research contacts for community events. In the meantime, I'm nursing a sore thumb, waiting for a doctor appointment tomorrow. This past Saturday, I had stopped to pick up coffee at a drive-thru. Two newspaper stands/boxes were set up for customers as they approach the window. My Metro sits low, so I am reaching up a bit - put in my quarters for the Saturday Minneapolis Star Tribune, pulled the handle up and reached in to get my paper. WHAM! Down came the front of the box, the edge hitting my wrist. Someone either had not secured the top latch on filling the box that morning, or someone else had broken into the money box and broken the latch.

My left hand was still in there, trying to get my paper - and WHAM! It came down again. I shoved the front up again (the newspaper door to pull out one paper opens from the bottom, but the larger front, to fill the box, and/or to empty the money box, apparently comes forward, also, hinged at the bottom).

Third time, WHAM! The front came down. This is heavy metal...and this time, I was fighting so hard with two hands to get this heavy metal door of my hand, that I started moving forward. In line to reach the window, I foolishly had not put the car in park - it's always been so easy to deposit my money and get my paper. Now, not only my wrist had been slammed again, but as I inched forward, my thumb got jammed between the door and the box base, and wouldn't pull out as I went forward. Big OW!

Working for the state, I'm accustomed to incident reports, so I went inside and told the shift manager what had happened. She nervously gave me information for their insurance company and the manager's name and store phone number. She said she would contact the Star Tribune and let them know of the problem with the box.

By the end of the day, my thumb was hard, swollen and bruised. It looked very much like a very fat, firm sausage, even with the ice I applied. Amazingly, it didn't hurt...until Monday. Still it was swollen, so I called the 24-hour nurse line for my insurance. I soon started regretting my Open Enrollment switch from Blue Cross/Blue Shield to Health Partners. The nurse line was fine. I wondered it I should wait and let the thumb play itself out. She said I should have it checked because of my health issues. She transferred me and I made an appoint to go to Como Health Partners because my clinic had no openings. An hour or so later I left work for my appointment. My cell rang on the way over, and as is my habit, I didn't answer it while driving. I checked my messages when I arrived - 'We're sorry, the doctor we scheduled you with does not see injuries. You can reschedule or go to urgent care.' I walked into the clinic and found there is no center desk for questions/directions. One can go to the pharmacy, radiology, OB and whatever is on that one area.

I went back to the vestibule with the door opening and closing, and spent several minutes on the phone, calling people inside the building! When I asked about urgent care and the cost, the person said O, yes, your insurance will cover everything. I replied how unusual that would be, so might I take her words as a contract. Then she said she wasn't really able to answer that and transferred me to one more automated call. All day long with Health Partners I was given to automated voices...I finally hung up and went back to work.

I called the Minneapolis Star Tribune and could get one person who transferred me and with that call and two others, never spoke with a human. I left two messages, one with Star Tribune Public Relations and one with 'one copy service' and Thank You, Mpls Star Tribune, for never returning my call. Thank you, Health Partners, for not answering my 'contact us' comment on your website. Thank you, poor customer service everywhere!!!

I did get a person today when I called the Wabasha clinic and I do have an appointment for tomorrow. Maybe by tomorrow I'll be able to bend my thumb and it won't be prickly or throbbing.

Second Christmas and minimizing at its best

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted. A couple weeks ago I picked up Sam's celebration of 'Second Christmas'. Normally meant to be held on January 25, I had to do it a couple days early because of a DFL SD67 meeting. The idea is to recycle: as a potluck, food is to be leftovers, truly pot luck! The party-giver offers items s/he wants people to take home as they leave (the secret there, is to sure a lot of the attendees are YOUNG and not of the age where they are already thinning their own possessions!

Over the last few months, I had been collecting items from around the house and stashing them aside. Not one of them spoke to me to 'take me back!' Pottery, china, collectibles, jewelry was all arrayed with colorful bows and packaging...and no leftovers came back in! I have another several bags/boxes to deliver to the local thrift store (where all proceeds support a no-kill animal shelter which also gives free exams to strays.) Tommy - fomerly known as 'Duluth Bob' - had the pleasure of Animal Ark's assistance...otherwise, I don't think he could have stayed here.

It's been wonderfully freeing to pack up so many items that once had given me enjoyment and even served a purpose, but now can go on to a second, third, or fourth life. I just don't have the patience to market items on Craigslist or E-Bay. Animal Ark is a worthwhile endeavor.

I dropped some items off last week at a Goodwill store and stopped in to see what frames they might have. I didn't purchase anything, and left the store laughing. Several of the Second Christmas items were 70s Avon glassware pieces. On the shelves at Goodwill were FIVE of the blue George Washington cobalt goblet I put out; and then I saw an Avon covered butterdish I gave away years ago (well not the same one, of course). A friend of Sam once commented something to the effect that an item that may have cost $200 off the store shelf depreciates to $5 at the local thrift store. SO right!