Cold, Cooking, and Cool News

Rumors were rampant around here that we were in for extremely low temperatures over the weekend beginning with a possibility of snow showers on Friday evening. It was gray and windy all day and certainly felt like snow all day. It didn't.

With all this in mind I stocked up on groceries and supplies enabling me to hibernate for the weekend. So glad I did. It was 2 degrees when I woke this morning and it’s only up to 8 as I write this. There's the possibility of getting into the double-digits by the afternoon, before plunging again tonight.

I have no plans to leave the place until I head to work on Monday. I’ve already cooked a huge batch of BBQ ribs, and am now enjoying the smell of a chicken and veggie soup simmering in the Crockpot. Then there’s the 2 pounds of ground turkey that I’ve mixed with diced onions, parsley, sweet basil, Lea & Perrins, and black & white pepper. In a few hours it will be ready to shape into burgers and individually frozen for quick lunches or light suppers. If I am not ‘all cooked out’ after this, I may make a chili, too. I love hot chili in the winter. With the exception of the turkey burgers, everything can be taken for lunch at work, or evening meals after long days.

I was on the receiving end of some very good news yesterday. A call from the hospital letting me know that they had reduced the ER charges from November because I qualified for a state program for folks without insurance. I was mystified. I didn’t know of such a program. It’s not an insurance plan, but it seems they’ve found that the uninsured are more willing to pay for services at a lower rate rather than skipping out on the responsibility altogether. Sixty percent of the bill was knocked off and they set up a monthly payment plan that will be a tight squeeze, but doable. It will take a year to pay it off, but it’s better than what I would have had to deal with otherwise.

A phone message from my doctor’s office was waiting for me when I got in yesterday; when I returned the call I was informed that my doctor is in association with the hospital’s plan and that 60% would be lopped off my future office visits. It’s still hard to believe, and it’s likely that it won’t really sink in until I get the membership cards in the mail next week.

Now if I can find another part time job, 2009 will be looking a hell of a lot better than the previous two years. It’s like crawling out of a very deep hole – to see a glimmer of light – and that’s a good thing.

And so it goes.

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