Divine Mystery's blog: "Karen's thoughts......"

Sweet Baby James, James Taylor There is a young cowboy, he lives on the range. His horse and his cattle are his only companions. He works in the saddle and he sleeps in the canyons, waiting for summer, his pastures to change. And as the moon rises he sits by his fire, thinking about women and glasses of beer. And closing his eyes as the doggies retire, he sings out a song which is soft but it's clear as if maybe someone could hear: Goodnight you moon light ladies, rock-a-bye sweet baby James. Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose, won't you let me go down in my dreams? And rock-a-bye sweet baby James. Now the first of December was covered with snow and so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston. Though the Berkshires seemed dreamlike on account of that frosting, with ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go. There's a song that they sing when they take to the highway, a song that they sing when they take to the sea, a song that they sing of their home in the sky, maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep, but singing works just fine for me. So, goodnight you moon light ladies, rock-a-bye sweet baby James. Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose, won't you let me go down in my dreams? And rock-a-bye sweet baby James.

Hmmmm. Well, first off, some of you think I am beautiful and I thank you for that--there are so many truly beautiful women in this world, I do not compare. Until only months ago, did I ever do this myspace thing, I never realized the possibilities of people in this world liking me for who I am, and not something I have that's desirable. I've always considered myself unpretty, and very unphotogenic. For some reason, one of the most perfect men on this Earth ran into me when I was 21 and actually saw something in me and liked me. I've been married now for 13 years. Even though I had prepared myself in life, with 3 degrees, to be independent and confident; I am a pharmacist, and damn good at it. I am slightly burned out from the partying of age 17-21, and the 100 rock concerts I graced myself with right off the soundboards, the latter still for some reason magnetizes me for more. I am drawn, it will not go away. But, I also am drawn in another way as well. My friends tend to be guys, the inner bond makes a bond in itself for life; it's been this way through all my existence, I can not explain. Although, I am VERY select, there has to be something about them that I hold dear to my heart. Plus, my attention to them needs not to be stretched thin, as I would expect in return. I have few male friends. The protecting of one another from harm, being there when it means something, to share a cry, to share a laugh, to share an accomplishment, to share a downfall or drawback, to challenge each other in what we do in our lives, to drag out that ruler and compare MY fish to yours, there's something about it. All except my beautiful pet Mouth, who is reaching 12 inches now with a 3-4" headspan, raised from a newborn, my North American brown bullhead (hi Mouth. I'll tend to you in a minute :)) My parents raised me to be a truly feminine tom boy; I know ALOT about everything in this world, from every tree in these woods, to leaf, to flower, to mushroom, to fish, to animal. I am a survivalist. This is my life. I have a love for respecting life and God's creatures; I've just adopted another critter for my enterage, a large red slider turtle, from one of my customers at work, this makes a friend for Meaghan, my painted turtle, and this maybe brings my personal Gods' creatures to 15 or 20. There can never be a limit in my eyes. I also can pull myself out of the woods, in a split second 'lost feeling', and I can pull myself out of 'the stranded effect' in my vehicles, I know my cars. Except of course, if my lead foot pushes me over the line, and I meet my maker sooner than I desire. I've came close once. But this is why I drive only bad boy vehicles, no I am not a lesbian, although I've been encountered and questioned numerous times. My passion for cars in my birthdate era overwhelms me, esp. those Jaguars, Corvettes and Mustangs. I WILL own at least one, one day soon, in that order. For now, until I get my F250 or F350 Harley Davidson??!! crew cab, I'm cherishing my 2004 black F250 supercab off road pickup, and my black 2000 Lincoln towncar, both will always take me where I want to go, and fast. One of these days, I will hit a wall, and on the wall will be written, "What's up with this, do you think you're 17 again?" Go figure, hopefully I'll be alive to read it. This is what I need my friends for, to keep me in line, focused. But, as a last resort, this is why I drive what I drive; my vehicles will always be big and safe, with an occassional toy on the side, my sportscar. And maybe a motorcycle, when I finally get my license. I am so hard working, of course, when at work; hahahah, at home I have other priorities, someday I will find myself alone if I don't put my priorities in perspective. I love life and I love the people in my life, and I am open enough where the people in my life who mean the most to me, know who they are. I will always move mountains for them, in a heartbeat, no questions asked, no second thoughts. It's springtime, summer is upon us, my favorite time of year, relaxation outside with my dogs, in my gazebo, or a breeze next to that river, sitting in a patch of sun. When the rivers' get stocked, my glory days are abound. I also find myself in the middle of the river at times, alot, and in the middle of ponds catching turtles, I netted 9 last year, put them in my waterfall pond; they left me in one day!!! A reptile expert told me they KNOW where the river is. Funny thing is? My property is fenced. They dug under or climbed the fence I was told. I was devastated. To be able to see that "line of ducks" would've made my day, but then I would've said "you guys are going no where fast" hahahha. My husband is the most down to earth, open guy in the world (and handsome, sorry, I have to give him some credit here, since I'm pouring my life out to other people). He encourages me to have friends, he just has a problem with how I can have friends on the internet. He says it is not real. He does not understand. I try to explain, but unless you try it, there's no explanation. If I died tomorrow w/o delving into this WWW and finding out that there are good people like me out there, I'd be missing such a big part of life, and of me. He is very active, we own our own golf cart with headlights for those late nights; we live directly across the street from a golf course, in which he is a member, in 2 leagues and president of the cart committee. He intends to own it someday. I bid him good luck. He bowls two leagues, and has been playing cribbage in a league for 25 years. We own a 2-up seat SKI-DOO grand touring sled, and the snow is a part of our lives; Woodford, VT was a part of our lives until they decided WE need to pay for our own insurance at $200.00 a whack, good thing we belong to about 3-4 clubs, goodbye Woodford, you are replaceable; actually I'd rather make snow angels with the right friend hahahhah. No, what I am trying to say is never be hesitant? or distant with me; my life is an open book, I was brought up this way; lying is the devils' advocate and only brings you into a confessional. I am Catholic. Plus, I'm so good, I couldn't live with myself stealing a grape at Price Chopper hahahahh. I guess I am too honest in every way, but in the long run, it makes me feel better about myself. I will write again. Karen.

....You come to my counter... I am on the phone with a drunk individual who wants the phone number to the grocery store down the road. After I instruct the drunk him/her (can't tell) the vitures of 411, you proclaim your doctor was to phone in a prescription for you to me. Your provider hasn't yet; however, you are unwilling to wait. Being me (helpful all the time), I call your doctors office to be put on hold ... for ~5 minutes. I'm then informed, by the receptionist that your Rx was actually called into another pharmacy across town. When I phone the pharmacy, to obtain your Rx, I am put on hold again before speaking to a clerk who realizes I need to speak to the pharmacist, put on hold again. Three minutes later, I speak to the pharmacist and transfer your Rx to me. My 2nd phone line begins to ring... and my third line begins to ring because the 2nd line was on hold the whole time. I return to the counter, where you are glaring at me while you fumble with your keys constantly, as if I don't know you are there. You proclaim, "I have never filled prescriptions here before but my cousin has." I reply, that's okay - I can get all the required info from you now , with a smile... The phone continues to ring...which I let continue .. while I get your age,address,phone,allergy history (which you state codeine), and insurance card ... "I don't have my insurance card with me...I think it's in my car.. I'll be right back." Ok, that's fine; I can answer one of the ringing phone lines... I answer the one medication question and take another Rx from a doctors office on the other. I just happen to see you in the magazine isle.. "Did you get a chance to find your insurance card?" I ask. You sigh followed by the shout "my prescription isn't ready?" ... you proceed toward me at the counter and spend the next 3 minutes looking through your personal belongings for your card and state you can't find it. I call the original pharmacy to see if maybe they have it on record.. once again, I am put on hold. My phone begins to ring .. again .. I finally get the info from the other pharmacy, put you into the computer system, and process your prescription for Vicodin; which comes back from the insurance as rejected and I notice a possible allergy issue (hydrocodone/codeine). A rude patient cuts infront of you at the counter and asks where she can find bread.. My phone begins to ring ... again... I point the patient to the "food" isle and inform you that the insurance on file is not working. Out of no where, you produce another insurance card, 2 seconds flat....hmmm looks like someone was trying to see if the zero copay insurance was still instated... I process with the new card, as I multi-task and answer the phone.. Your new insurance card states it's Nebraska Blue, but with the group you are enrolled in, claims are to be processed through Caremark, whose logo is nowhere on the card. My other phone line begins to ring ... again.... My proficient mind trouble shoots and works my computer system as another patient approaches me and wants to know why the cherry flavored antacid works better than the lemon cream flavored antacid. I state that they both have the same active ingredients and strength - so what may have happened is that he may have had a more mild case of heartburn when he took the cherry flavored product. He is unhappy and propells from his spitting mouth that he will not be satisfied until I confirm there is a difference between them - the cherry flavored brand is superior ... I maintain calm and tell him .. hey, if the cherry works - go with it! My phone continues to ring... I file the claim through Caremark, who rejects your claim stating you had a 30 day supply of the same medication, Vicodin, 15 days ago somewhere else... you swear to me on your mothers life ... my phone continues to ring ...you didn't fill it somewhere else. I call Caremark to see if they will tell me where so I can call them - maybe it was called in by another doctors office and never picked up. Finally I speak to an agent for Caremark and they confirm that one was processed somewhere else. You overhear the conversation and blurt out .. I got hydrocodone with tylenol, not Vicodin... I hang up with Caremark and inform you that they are the same...and my patients starts to drift away. The phone rings. It turns out that the doctor "verbally" informed you to take it more frequently than directed originally. I call the doctor to verify this and once again I find myself on hold... they confirm the change in frequency. I call Caremark to notify them that the day supply had actually been changed and should have been 15 not 30. They make the needed changes on their end and I get the override... my laser printer ..jams. My technician states she needs to take her lunch. As I fix the printer, your copay comes out for $.85 off the regular price of the prescription without insurance.... my phone rings. At the cash register you sign the acknowledgement that you received a copy of my HIPAA policy and that I offered the required OBRA counseling for the new RX. You remark that your last pharmacist told you that you shouldn't take over the counter Tylenol along with the Vicodin, and that the acetaminophen you're taking instead seems to be working pretty well. I break the news to you that Tylenol is a brand name for acetaminophen and you argue with me that they aren't the same. You become flustered and fumble around for 2 minutes looking for your checkbook and spend another 2 minutes making out the $4.67 check. You ask whey the tablets look different than those you received from the other pharmacy - I explain that they are a different manufacture. You storm off with an attitude after I hand you your drug.... Now, imagine this wasn't you. However, the person who dropped off 3 people ahead of you ... maybe some will begin to have an idea why it takes more than 10 minutes to fill a prescription. This is a drop in the bucket ... [Thank you Dr. Segreto, I credit you for this fine piece of work, and I promise to you what we talked about in work today :) that in exchange for me borrowing your blog, I'll send your way, any hot (and nice, of course) 'ladies' that pass by here, lol]~~till the next day, Ken, we work side by side, ciao, Karen.]