I have pretty much the same routine every day. One thing I do nearly every day, without a hitch, is growing in my relationship with Jesus. I accomplish this through reading, journaling and engaging in 'life conversations' at Panera Bread early each weekday morning. However, something struck me about my attitude as I was driving to Panera Bread this morning which led me to writing this post.
I think it was the road rage I was suffering from as I was driving to Panera this morning that caused me to stop and examine my disposition today. This, accompanied by my checklist, my daily to-do’s, seem to be causing me more stress than they should and I don’t know why I’m letting them do that.
My list of what it takes to just 'get out of the house' in the morning seems to be ever increasing. I find myself waking up before my alarm battling with decisions that I need to make before I even roll out of bed.
Do I go work out when I get up or after work? I wrestle with the pros and cons of that nearly every morning. What about breakfast? How will that be affected by my choice in work out time? Then there is getting my lunch packed and not forgetting it. And what about all of the paraphernalia that I drag along with me every day. The papers, the reminders, and the bag they all get put into.
Then there is the actual getting ready for work. The showering, all the teeth maintenance, and the hair goop. Then you have the whitening gargle followed by brushing and flossing. I have to lotion my legs and feet or they get dry as the desert. Getting everything to the car is a challenge in itself. And don't forget the contacts. Of course they never cooperate, always folding up or not going in my eye right the first time.
Toss in the dog. He's old and he's blind (and looney I might add). Sometimes he stays asleep upstairs when I get out of the shower and other days he's up. When he's up he wants to come down with me. I usually do my crunches, have some coffee and watch the news. The dog will sit by my chair and just stair into the kitchen, never budging. But let me decide to have my breakfast and sit down to eat it and he has a crisis and needs to go outside right then and there. However, he just can't go out and get his business done. No he has to pace up back forth about twenty times to find just the right place to go. Once he's done, remember I said he was old and blind, he can't find his way back to the door. In the meanwhile, my cereal has now turned into 'sog city'. Not a pretty picture.
Then the gym bag, my laptop, the bag with all the papers, and my lunch all have to find their way to the car. And the fact that its winter, doesn’t make the situation any more pleasant. Not only do I have bag after bag strapped over my shoulder and in my hand, I look like the Michelin Man in my poofy down filled coat. And try to maneuver between the two cars in our garage with all these bags is not an easy task. Oh yeah, don’ t let me forget the cup of coffee I’m juggling in on hand and the car keys in the other. Everything in one trip equates efficiency. By the time I finally sit down in my car to leave I’m exhausted.
Inevitably, I get ½ way down the road and realize that I’ve forgotten something. Just last week I had gone as far as the stop light at Bittersweet and 23 (about a mile from our house) and thought I’d forgotten my lunch. I whipped the car around and fumbled for my cell phone (that’s buried far beneath my seat belt and layers of the Michelin Man coat) to call Lori to see if it was still in the fridge. She said that she saw me carry it out with me. It was then that I realized that I had dropped in the trunk when I put my gym bag and my laptop in there. So I whipped the car around and started back towards Panera.
Is my routine so pathetic or what! The more I have to do the more I get stressed. And throw any unforseen obstacle in my path, such as the driver 3 cars in front of me today that wouldn't go faster than 35mph, and the stress-ometer often often goes up a few more notches. I race to get to my destination so that I can spend time with God, but there are days when I find that the attitude that has evolved in me on the way there could be putting up a wall that is lessening the intensity with which I want to have with Him.
I don't want my God time to just be a slot in my day just so I can check it off. More often than not, my time with Jesus is so awesome. But when I find myself with an attitude such as the one that had developed in me today because of all of the things that I do to try to meet all of the thngs I think I need to do, I have lessened the experience on my side of things.
Routine is my nature but it doesn't have to be accompanied by self inducing tension. I need to remind myself that God is with me 24/7 and not just for the 40 minutes that I spend with Him at Panera. Don't get me wrong. I've had some incredible experiences with God in those 40 minutes and have no intentions of eliminating that from my regimine. If I could only remember that I can talk to God anytime. And although our standing appointment is awesome, I shouldn’t be getting uptight just to make it on time. Optimal time with God isn't about checking it off on my list of things to do, its about the quality.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Crowned
Friday I had an appointment to get the perrmanent crown on a molar that I broke the side off of two weeks ago. It took nearly an hour to get the temporary crown put on but the hygenist assured me that it would only take less than 30 minutes to put the permanent one on the tooth.
I took the first appointment they had so that I could get the whole process over and get on with the rest of my day. Best laid plans! I got right in when I arrived at 7 am and it wasn't long before they hygenist had the the temporary crown off my tooth.
Although I've never really had any pain during this whole time, the tooth, or what was left of it was very sensitve to hot and cold. They hygenist was scraping and digging to get all of the cement off my tooth from the temporary crown. I'm laying there in the chair and here it comes that 'tube thing' that sprays water and then the 'sucking thing' that gets all the water out. I about went through the ceiling when she sprayed the tooth and then sucked it dry. I said man, that was cold. She was definitely more kind the next time she had to swoosh it out.
Next came the fitting of the shiny "gold" crown. I hadn't been too crazy about having gold in my mouth since two weeks ago when the dentist recommended it. He said he could put a porcelean crown on but he was fearful that it might crack. The last thing I wanted was to have to go through this rather expensive process again so I succumbed to the gold crown.
The metal was freezing and once again when she put it over my remaining tooth I about went through the ceiling. The crown wasn't fitting like it was suppose to and the hygenist kept taking it out turning it and putting it back in but it just wasn't dropping into place. Finally she gave up after I endured several repetitions of the unbearable cold on my remaining tooth, and said the dentist was going to have to come look at it.
Shortly thereafter, the dentist was at my side. I don't know what he did differently but the crown was not nearly as cold as when the hygenist was putting it on and taking it off. The dentist as well would put it on but when he took it off he was drilling or something to make it fit better and then trying it again. This process went on for quite some time. I was just relieved that the drill was not on my tooth as I didn't get any novacaine this time.
Finally the dentist was satisfied with the way it was fitting and said he was going to go polish it and then they's cement it on my tooth and I'd be on my way. Why it had to be polished when it was going to be way in the back of my mouth was beyond me but I figured for nearly $1000 it probably should be polished, maybe even once a week!
It seemed like I'd been laying in the dental chair forever and no one had come back with a tooth. A few minutes later the hygenist showed up and said, "we have a problem." I asked what happened. She told me that when the dentist was polishing the crown it slipped from his hand and they can't find it. I just looked back in disbelief.
I think there must have been 3 or 4 other hygenists and the dentist looking for this crown. I had to go to the bathroom so I got up and walked past the front desk with that little bib thing still haning around my neck. I heard one of the receptionists say to the other, "what is Bob still doing here?" I just chuckled to myself an went on to the bathroom
When I got back to my chair the hygenist had returned again and said that they might have to put the temporary crown back on and re-order another permanent crown. I really didnt want to wait another two weeks to get this tooth fixed but I was obviously at their mercy.
I continued to lie there in my chair listening to the comments from the search going on in the next room. A few minutes later I heard the dentist shout "I found it!" The hygenist came hurrying back into my room to tell me it was located. Yeah, like I didn't know that! She assured me they would repolish it and steralize it and then they'd put it on my tooth and I'd be on my way.
It wasn't long after that that the hygenist and the dentist were back with crown in hand. The cement they put on the crown to attach it is not only the worst tasting stuff but it also extremely extrememly cold. At this point however, I didn't really care how much pain I had to endure, I was ready to be done with it.
What was supposed to be a 30 minute process had turned into a 90 minute parody of errors. Funny thing is that the next day I got a check in the mail from the dentist. Hmmm.....were they reimbursing me for the for the very strange appointment I had the day before. No such luck. It was just a $17 overcharge on the price of the crown.
I took the first appointment they had so that I could get the whole process over and get on with the rest of my day. Best laid plans! I got right in when I arrived at 7 am and it wasn't long before they hygenist had the the temporary crown off my tooth.
Although I've never really had any pain during this whole time, the tooth, or what was left of it was very sensitve to hot and cold. They hygenist was scraping and digging to get all of the cement off my tooth from the temporary crown. I'm laying there in the chair and here it comes that 'tube thing' that sprays water and then the 'sucking thing' that gets all the water out. I about went through the ceiling when she sprayed the tooth and then sucked it dry. I said man, that was cold. She was definitely more kind the next time she had to swoosh it out.
Next came the fitting of the shiny "gold" crown. I hadn't been too crazy about having gold in my mouth since two weeks ago when the dentist recommended it. He said he could put a porcelean crown on but he was fearful that it might crack. The last thing I wanted was to have to go through this rather expensive process again so I succumbed to the gold crown.
The metal was freezing and once again when she put it over my remaining tooth I about went through the ceiling. The crown wasn't fitting like it was suppose to and the hygenist kept taking it out turning it and putting it back in but it just wasn't dropping into place. Finally she gave up after I endured several repetitions of the unbearable cold on my remaining tooth, and said the dentist was going to have to come look at it.
Shortly thereafter, the dentist was at my side. I don't know what he did differently but the crown was not nearly as cold as when the hygenist was putting it on and taking it off. The dentist as well would put it on but when he took it off he was drilling or something to make it fit better and then trying it again. This process went on for quite some time. I was just relieved that the drill was not on my tooth as I didn't get any novacaine this time.
Finally the dentist was satisfied with the way it was fitting and said he was going to go polish it and then they's cement it on my tooth and I'd be on my way. Why it had to be polished when it was going to be way in the back of my mouth was beyond me but I figured for nearly $1000 it probably should be polished, maybe even once a week!
It seemed like I'd been laying in the dental chair forever and no one had come back with a tooth. A few minutes later the hygenist showed up and said, "we have a problem." I asked what happened. She told me that when the dentist was polishing the crown it slipped from his hand and they can't find it. I just looked back in disbelief.
I think there must have been 3 or 4 other hygenists and the dentist looking for this crown. I had to go to the bathroom so I got up and walked past the front desk with that little bib thing still haning around my neck. I heard one of the receptionists say to the other, "what is Bob still doing here?" I just chuckled to myself an went on to the bathroom
When I got back to my chair the hygenist had returned again and said that they might have to put the temporary crown back on and re-order another permanent crown. I really didnt want to wait another two weeks to get this tooth fixed but I was obviously at their mercy.
I continued to lie there in my chair listening to the comments from the search going on in the next room. A few minutes later I heard the dentist shout "I found it!" The hygenist came hurrying back into my room to tell me it was located. Yeah, like I didn't know that! She assured me they would repolish it and steralize it and then they'd put it on my tooth and I'd be on my way.
It wasn't long after that that the hygenist and the dentist were back with crown in hand. The cement they put on the crown to attach it is not only the worst tasting stuff but it also extremely extrememly cold. At this point however, I didn't really care how much pain I had to endure, I was ready to be done with it.
What was supposed to be a 30 minute process had turned into a 90 minute parody of errors. Funny thing is that the next day I got a check in the mail from the dentist. Hmmm.....were they reimbursing me for the for the very strange appointment I had the day before. No such luck. It was just a $17 overcharge on the price of the crown.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Titles aren't what they're cracked up to be
Last May we sold my son's car and getting the title for this car has been an absolute nightmare. It has been a perpetual process that I'm hopeful has finally, almost a year later, come to an end.
Because I was co-signer on the loan for my son, the title was in both of our names. When the car was sold I went to the bank and paid the loan and the teller advised that the title would be mailed out within a couple of weeks to my son. During that period my son moved out and changed his address.
I had assumed that the title was forwarded to my son's new address and had pretty much put the entire transaction out of my mind. About a month later the mother of the young man who purchased the car called our house and said they still hadn't received the title to the car. I contacted my son and told him that he'd probably have to go to the BMV and apply for a duplicate title. He advised he would so I again assumed things were taken care of and moved on.
Probably around September we had another message on our home phone from the mother pleading for us to do something about getting the title work completed but she didn't leave a phone number so we had no way to contact her. I called my son to see if he knew how to contact her and asked what the deal was with the title. He had no explanation. I asked him once again to please go apply for the duplicate title and considered myself, once again, done with the ordeal.
The phone rings at the end of November. Mind you its now been 8 months since the car was sold, and its the purchasers asking for help because they still had no title for the car. By now I decided I had better intervene. I probably should have months before but I was trying to give the benefit of doubt that the problems would get resolved.
I went to the bank and explained how we had sold the car in May and never received a copy of the title and these poor people who had purchased it had been unable to plate the car for all of these months. The representative at the bank advised that when my son and I took out the loan with them they had never received a title from the dealership that the car was purchased. However, they never told us that after we had taken out the loan. They suggested that I go apply for a duplicate title at the BMV.
I felt so bad for these people who had bought the car so the next week I went to the BMV and explained what had happened. By now its the first of December. The BMV clerk advised that it would take 6 to 8 weeks for the title to come and that that was the best that could be expected. What could I do? I now had a phone number for the people who had bought the car and I called and let them know the title had been applied for and that I would let them know as soon as it came, but it probably wouldn't be for at least another month.
At the end of December I still hadn't received anything from the BMV so I left a message on the purchasers phone as I felt it was the least I could do to keep them updated with as much as I knew.
Its now the end of January 2007 and 9 months since the car was sold. The young man who purchased the car phoned me and said that he had spoken to the BMV and they told him that the title had been sent to the bank on January 4th. I said I hadn't gotten anything in the mail from the bank nor the BMV and I would contact the bank.
I called the bank the next day and they said that the they received the duplicate title on January 5th and mailed it out right away. I said we had not gotten anything in the mail. She said it was mailed to my son at our address. My son has moved about 2 more times since then so with all the change of addresses he's put in at the post office who knows where it might be floating around. The bank said there wasn't anything they could do and that we'd probably have to go to the BMV and apply for a duplicate title again. That was not the answer I wanted to hear. After a little more discussion the bank said they could give me a lien release that would enable the purchaser to go to the BMV and apply for a title. I wanted these poor people to be able to get the title they needed and I didn't want to be in the middle of this anymore so I asked the bank to send the lien release to the branch I normally bank at and I would pick it up on Saturday.
Chaos continued when I stopped at the bank branch to pick up the lien release this past Saturday morning. When I arrived at the bank both the manager and the customer service rep were busy with customers so I sat patiently waiting. Only a few minutes had passed when the branch manager came over and introduced herself and asked how what she could do for me. I explained why I was there and she invited me into her office. Her desk looked like a tornado had just whipped through it before I got there. She said she recalled seeing an email that I would be in and she was frantically going through her in-box looking for the form. She couldnt find it so she dimissed herself to look elsewhere for it. A few minutes later she was back but had no form. She continued to look around the 'cycloned' desk and was on the phone with the main office. Not long after that she was off to look in other areas of the branch but was back in just a few minutes, still with no form. She then apologised for not being able to locate it and said she could just type something up for me. I said that was fine as long as it was good enough for the BMV. She assured me it was and completed it, signed it and sent me on my way.
I went home after that and hadn't been there for more than 10 minutes when the phone rang. It was the customer service representative from the bank branch that I had just left. She advised that the form had been her desk all along and she wasn't sure why the manager hadn't checked with her for it. The customer service rep wanted to know if I could come back and get before they closed at 12:30pm. It was already 12:10 and I said I didn't think it would be possible. She advised that the person who purchased the car could come get it instead if that would work better for me but I needed to give her his full name. Unfortnuately I didn't know his full name. I knew his phone number and first name but that was it. She said that would be ok as long as he brought the purchase agreement that we had signed when they bought the car with him when he came to pick up the lien release.
I called the young man and of course I got his voice mail. Perfect. I was just getting ready to call the bank back and tell them I couldn't reach him when he called me back. I got his last name and told him that he needed to take the agreement we signed with him to pick up the information and called the bank back. The customer service person apologised over and over for the confusion and thanked me for getting the purchasers information.
I'm worn out just typing this whole ordeal. I can't imagine how worn out the people who bought the car must have felt. Out of courtesy and concern I called the young man today to ensure he'd gotten the lien release on Monday and was on his way with getting the title, but of course I got his voice mail. I'd like to say that once again I've washed my hands of this ordeal but I don't think I'll be comfortable in saying that until I get a call back from him saying that he's applied for a title and then I'll know that the case is closed.
Because I was co-signer on the loan for my son, the title was in both of our names. When the car was sold I went to the bank and paid the loan and the teller advised that the title would be mailed out within a couple of weeks to my son. During that period my son moved out and changed his address.
I had assumed that the title was forwarded to my son's new address and had pretty much put the entire transaction out of my mind. About a month later the mother of the young man who purchased the car called our house and said they still hadn't received the title to the car. I contacted my son and told him that he'd probably have to go to the BMV and apply for a duplicate title. He advised he would so I again assumed things were taken care of and moved on.
Probably around September we had another message on our home phone from the mother pleading for us to do something about getting the title work completed but she didn't leave a phone number so we had no way to contact her. I called my son to see if he knew how to contact her and asked what the deal was with the title. He had no explanation. I asked him once again to please go apply for the duplicate title and considered myself, once again, done with the ordeal.
The phone rings at the end of November. Mind you its now been 8 months since the car was sold, and its the purchasers asking for help because they still had no title for the car. By now I decided I had better intervene. I probably should have months before but I was trying to give the benefit of doubt that the problems would get resolved.
I went to the bank and explained how we had sold the car in May and never received a copy of the title and these poor people who had purchased it had been unable to plate the car for all of these months. The representative at the bank advised that when my son and I took out the loan with them they had never received a title from the dealership that the car was purchased. However, they never told us that after we had taken out the loan. They suggested that I go apply for a duplicate title at the BMV.
I felt so bad for these people who had bought the car so the next week I went to the BMV and explained what had happened. By now its the first of December. The BMV clerk advised that it would take 6 to 8 weeks for the title to come and that that was the best that could be expected. What could I do? I now had a phone number for the people who had bought the car and I called and let them know the title had been applied for and that I would let them know as soon as it came, but it probably wouldn't be for at least another month.
At the end of December I still hadn't received anything from the BMV so I left a message on the purchasers phone as I felt it was the least I could do to keep them updated with as much as I knew.
Its now the end of January 2007 and 9 months since the car was sold. The young man who purchased the car phoned me and said that he had spoken to the BMV and they told him that the title had been sent to the bank on January 4th. I said I hadn't gotten anything in the mail from the bank nor the BMV and I would contact the bank.
I called the bank the next day and they said that the they received the duplicate title on January 5th and mailed it out right away. I said we had not gotten anything in the mail. She said it was mailed to my son at our address. My son has moved about 2 more times since then so with all the change of addresses he's put in at the post office who knows where it might be floating around. The bank said there wasn't anything they could do and that we'd probably have to go to the BMV and apply for a duplicate title again. That was not the answer I wanted to hear. After a little more discussion the bank said they could give me a lien release that would enable the purchaser to go to the BMV and apply for a title. I wanted these poor people to be able to get the title they needed and I didn't want to be in the middle of this anymore so I asked the bank to send the lien release to the branch I normally bank at and I would pick it up on Saturday.
Chaos continued when I stopped at the bank branch to pick up the lien release this past Saturday morning. When I arrived at the bank both the manager and the customer service rep were busy with customers so I sat patiently waiting. Only a few minutes had passed when the branch manager came over and introduced herself and asked how what she could do for me. I explained why I was there and she invited me into her office. Her desk looked like a tornado had just whipped through it before I got there. She said she recalled seeing an email that I would be in and she was frantically going through her in-box looking for the form. She couldnt find it so she dimissed herself to look elsewhere for it. A few minutes later she was back but had no form. She continued to look around the 'cycloned' desk and was on the phone with the main office. Not long after that she was off to look in other areas of the branch but was back in just a few minutes, still with no form. She then apologised for not being able to locate it and said she could just type something up for me. I said that was fine as long as it was good enough for the BMV. She assured me it was and completed it, signed it and sent me on my way.
I went home after that and hadn't been there for more than 10 minutes when the phone rang. It was the customer service representative from the bank branch that I had just left. She advised that the form had been her desk all along and she wasn't sure why the manager hadn't checked with her for it. The customer service rep wanted to know if I could come back and get before they closed at 12:30pm. It was already 12:10 and I said I didn't think it would be possible. She advised that the person who purchased the car could come get it instead if that would work better for me but I needed to give her his full name. Unfortnuately I didn't know his full name. I knew his phone number and first name but that was it. She said that would be ok as long as he brought the purchase agreement that we had signed when they bought the car with him when he came to pick up the lien release.
I called the young man and of course I got his voice mail. Perfect. I was just getting ready to call the bank back and tell them I couldn't reach him when he called me back. I got his last name and told him that he needed to take the agreement we signed with him to pick up the information and called the bank back. The customer service person apologised over and over for the confusion and thanked me for getting the purchasers information.
I'm worn out just typing this whole ordeal. I can't imagine how worn out the people who bought the car must have felt. Out of courtesy and concern I called the young man today to ensure he'd gotten the lien release on Monday and was on his way with getting the title, but of course I got his voice mail. I'd like to say that once again I've washed my hands of this ordeal but I don't think I'll be comfortable in saying that until I get a call back from him saying that he's applied for a title and then I'll know that the case is closed.
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