Birthdays, Books, and Bureaucracy

Soundtrack of the moment: Colors of Love, an AMAZING 1999 album by Chanticleer

First things first: today is the birthday of three people I love a lot; one of them lives in FL, and the other two reside in the Elven paradise of Valinor but were formerly residents of Middle Earth. Happy, happy 3rd(!) birthday to Tobi, and many happy returns! You must be getting so big! I miss you, honey. And happy birthday to two of the best hobbits in the literary world, Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. I'm really looking forward to spending time with both of you, particularly my dear Frodo, over the next few weeks as I dive into The Lord of the Rings!

Speaking of which, today is the day: the journey through the Lord of the Rings trilogy begins for me the same day that Frodo sets out on his epic quest. It is time to go to A Long Expected Party. I'm really looking forward to re-reading the Trilogy. Please join me on the Road if you can, whether you just want to walk a while or you're willing to go all the way to Mordor like Sam. Hooray for hobbits! Happy reading to you and me. :-)

So, today I went to the U of IL health center to get some prescriptions refilled. Several hours, a couple a hundred bucks, three visits to the health center, and two visits to another building on the other side of campus LATER, I finally had my presciptions and was on my way home. My husband and I thought we had health insurance for me figured out. We purchased a plan for me, the same one he has as a student. Or so we thought. Turns out that THAT plan only covers major stuff like hospitalization. In order to be able to see doctors for routine visits and get prescriptions, you ALSO have to pay a spousal fee at the health center, get a special ID card (on the other side of campus from the health center), and fill out lots of papers. And in NO WAY does the U of IL website make any of this clear. It's really quite fortunate that I had to get a prescription refilled at this moment in time because the last day to pay the spousal fee was TODAY. Ack! I was lucky.

I have to take a moment to thank Brian at the health center for being exceptionally nice and patient with me. He assured me that LOTS of people find this stuff confusing (hint hint: website writer, maybe you could stop slacking on the job and write a few pages that actually make sense!), and he explained it all to me in a very methodical, non-patronizing way. I'm so glad he was there, because his colleague, who's name I did not get, seemed quite irritated that I did not understand why I could not get my prescriptions refilled, and could not be bothered to take the time to explain to me how to change that situation. Chances are that when someone comes in and clearly doesn't have a clue (thanks to a website that is clear as mud), they will not have to come back and bother you repeatedly if you actually tell them what they need to know! Grrrrrrrr. But all's well that end's well, and I have my meds. I also got LOTS of exercise today, which was nice, actually.

This weekend is another busy one, but it doesn't quite qualify as a non-weekend. I have three rehearsals: one I am singing in, one I am conducting, and the other, the first Youth Orchestra rehearsal, I am managing/librarian-ing. Tomorrow morning I'm attending my first rehearsal of a choir in town that does mostly Baroque music. I'm looking forward to singing some good stuff...we're preparing Charpentier's Messe de Minuit and Bach's St. John Passion!!! On Sunday morning, I'll conduct in my second service with my church choir. Things are going well at the church so far. I'm enjoying my choir members a lot, and they are being quite tolerant of my quirks as we get used to one another. It's nice to be conducting again!

Hope all of you are able to find some time to relax this weekend. I recommend enjoying some autumn sunshine (if the weather cooperates) with a leisurely walk or a bike ride. Take a few minutes to let fall envelope your senses...crunching leaves under your feet, crisp, clean air filling you, squirrels busy with nut-stashing preparations, cool air making your skin prinkle. I love it all. What a season! I also suggest spending some time on your couch with a good book...it's important to let go of our own lives for a bit now and then to give our brains a break from ourselves! If you are looking for a book suggestion, how 'bout Lord of the Rings? ;-)

Happy Friday!