Git 'er done, Congress!

What a difference a week and dental insurance makes. My busted tooth has been spackled over as I await installation of the permanent crown, the abcess is a mere memory and I am not in pain. I had almost $600 out of pocket for deductible and copay, but I consider that (a) Dr. Hinkle and his staff earned every red cent, and (b) I got off cheaply, because I have an employer-sponsored health plan (medical, dental and vision) that costs me $20 a week pre-tax, and costs my employer a bit more besides.   I know some of you are coping with your own need-to-keep-breathing health expenses and coverage (or lack) thereof, that make my root canal look like pocket change. Consider the incense lit, ok?

How many of you knew I used to sit on a death panel? Yup? I worked for several health insurance carriers, processing and denying claims. What do you do when a terminal patient hits the million dollar maximum on his policy? You do what the policy says. What happens when a strange new virus crops up and starts expensively killing a statistically strange number of young men in urban centers? You circle the wagons and consult with the legal department. It's what insurance companies do to survive. And it is heartbreaking and it is wrong.

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt has contact information for your congressional representatives. Tell them to get cracking on our survival.

Attention all personnel

The SCA is not "family."

That is all.

Gonna make somebody sweat. Mostly me.

Need to put together some cooler food and finish packing for Silver Desert Collegium. Just checked the weather report, should expect temps in the 90's during the day, down around 60 at night - and I've offered to teach taiko. It'll just have to involve frequent water breaks, that's all.

Cool foods are the plan. I'm going to cook up some soba tonight and chill it in a zip lock. I've got an entire hami melon which I can happily eat for brekkies both days. Rice with some canned tuna for dinner, maybe? Need to think about a light, easy camp dinner.... Oh, and I have the organic nama sake. I'll take that to share, it's nice and light chilled.

Should be fun. Except for that demo last month, this is the first event I've been to since A&S.

And next week I invade CAID!