grrrr....

Oh, how I hate Irwin Army Health Center...with a passion.

I have had nothing but crap from there since we have been here...with only ONE notable exception (when I had my hysterectomy - they took care of everything in the OB/GYN clinic, which made my life easier).

Appointments? Never had such a hard time getting one as I do here. I don't make routine appointments...or rarely do. My kids don't get sick on command, you know. So when they ARE sick, I want them to be seen. Mind you, I'm not one to take my kid in at the first sign of a sniffle or cough or a bit of a temperature. But when it's been a few days of fever, I'm going to want to see a doctor. Used to be, you called in right at "opening" and were able to get a same day appointment. Any more, you have to practically be emergency room material before they'll grant you the privilege of seeing the "same day doc". And while I'm sure the appointment line people are only doing their jobs, I don't know when it became their job to "triage" patients. I know, I'm picking on people who do what they are told...and they probably have a list of "have and have not" symptoms. High fever for 3 days? not enough. Runny nose with cough and green mucous for a week? We can try to get you an appointment in a week or so.

What gives the SCHEDULER the right to triage? When did THAT become acceptable? Honestly, I know too many people are calling in with petty needs...those gangrenous toes won't fall off today, so PLEASE let me transfer you to the standard appointment line.....

That's been one of my big pet peeves...it took me close to 6 months of TRYING to get a routine appointment to finally get in. And believe me, I made sure that EVERY complaint I had was managed at that one appointment, even though there's a notice posted everywhere that says "please limit complaints to three problems per visit"...SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!

And though Tricare (the insurance/provider) allows for "well child" appointments for kids up to age 6, IACH has altered their policy and will only do these types of appointments for children up to 2. Of course, at age 4, many kids need immunizations...but since they don't DO "well child" appointments, these immunizations often get overlooked, as was the case with Scotty.

But today. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

On Friday, Scotty had an appointment (made back in late June) for his preschool physical. I knew he would need a few immunizations (see above) and I was SURE he needed the chicken pox booster (it's required by KS schools, anyway). So, we got there for his physical. They were actually quite efficient with the school physical thing. They had a solid routine down, as they have a lot of new kids (and again, KS law requires a school physical for all kids entering a KS school for the first time, including pre-schools that are operated by the school system). Our paperwork was screened, and sure enough, Scotty needed a few vaccines. We were seen almost immediately...had the weight and height screening (39 lbs - 75th percentile, 40 inches - 50th percentile...oh so typical of my kids, lol), had the physical with a doctor (perfectly fine), had his vision checked (20/20 both eyes), and we got to immunizations. We had to be somewhere and we knew that if we did shots we'd be too late, so we opted to come back. I asked if this would be okay. They told me it wasn't a problem. They told me to just come back on Monday and go to the Immunization clinic.

So that is what we did today. We went back. And were told that all immunizations are done by appointment only. With the exception of kids under 2. No exception for school physicals/school requirements. I explained that this was NOT what I was told at the Primary Care clinics. Too bad, that's how it works; I'm sorry. I explained that I'd driven all the way from Manhattan (15 miles!) and that it was not cost effective for me to keep driving back and forth. No dice, no sympathy. I asked if there was ANY way we could be seen today. "Well, I can take you back, but I can guarantee you that you will NOT be seen today...they're just SO busy"...(there was one family in the waiting room, another was doing the "mandatory 20 minute wait" after shots, and NO ONE in the two (possibly three) rooms used for immunizations.

I am so totally over this clinic. We are treated like chattel here. There aren't enough doctors...my PCM (primary care manager) changes more frequently than the weather. I get letters every few weeks telling me the name of my new doctor. I've been through at least 4 without actually seeing any of them, as they change before I ever need an appointment.

And the worst part is that I don't have the option to go elsewhere. The MTF (military treatment facility) makes the decision as to whether I can go "off post" or not...it it subject to their rules and regulations, not Tricare's, though Tricare DOES have the option of doctors in the community. The MTF here (IACH) doesn't regularly allow you to use civilian care. If you choose to do so, you must switch from Tricare Prime (which is the best possible coverage) to Standard (which is a Point of Service plan, including deductibles, co-pays, etc). That's not what we pay for. And yes, we DO pay. Medical care for military members may be "free" but for the family, it comes out of the soldier's paycheck.

I have already filed my complaint with IACH, though it will do little good. The last time I filed my complaint (regarding the fact that it took me 6 months to get an appointment), I requested a reply....I'm still waiting.

oh for the love of PETE!!!!

If, by chance, you have over-indulged your child to the point that she, at age 3 or 4, is obese (with calves the size of MINE)...

And...if, by chance, you have over-indulged your child to the point that she, at age 3 or 4, does not know what the word NO means....

And...if, by chance, you decide that you need to go shopping with your entire brood of 5 or 6 kids in tow....

And...if, by chance, you have your mother (or mother-in-law) with you....

THEN IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS PEACEFUL...

PLEASE....

take your screaming kid OUT of the store, because she's been over-indulged and never told "no" and now, she's having a bloody melting temper tantrum in the middle of the world's WORST store to be in just before school (and Christmas)...WALMART...

Because when the people around you have to YELL at the others in their parties so as to be heard over the incessantly, pathetically obnoxious screaming, whining "I NEEEEEEEEED IT, I NEEEEEEEED IT, I NEEEEEEEEED IT, I NEEEEEEEED ( okay, I think my readers get the point)"...that has gone on for over 20 minutes NON-STOP.

Well...it's just NOT OKAY.

It's not okay for you to ignore her as you shop with your other kids and mother (MIL)...it's not okay for you to grab her arm so hard she changes her plea from "I NEEEEEEEEED IT" to "DON'T SQUEEEEEEEEZE SO HARD, IT HURRRRRRRRTS" (and then back to the need thing).

It's not okay for you to just ignore all the people around you who are either yelling at people with them (so as to be heard), or ignore the staff that asks you to PLEASE either quiet your daughter, or remove her from the store, thankyouverymuch.



******************

It was hell, pure and simple. We started hearing the screaming while we were in the toddler department (poor little Scotty, doesn't have legs long enough for a regular 4 yet!)...we went to get some underwear in the boys' department, and that's where we discovered the screaming banshee was. So we headed to girls', but it was still so overwhelmingly atrocious that we headed to toys to get some gifts. Yes...we could STILL hear the plea of 'need' back there, but it was a bit more tolerable, what with the blaring of 5 different tv stations and 2 movies, as well as all the radios in the electronics department. That certainly was much more pleasant.

We dawdled in toys for too long (discovering NEW fairies in the Disney line)...and then headed back to get Hannah's new school clothes. Blessings...the screamer was gone. But her brother shortly took over the position, screaming about being squeezed too hard (apparently, Mom's got a tight grip, because that was TWO kids complaining about it).

We checked out and headed to Target to get the last of the missing school supplies (Must we REALLY buy Pink Pearl erasers, or can't we just get the no-name colorful ones? SHEESH...because honestly, I have NO need for 12 Pink Pearls, and apparently, everyone else thinks the same, as that is all that was left). As we were checking out, what comes in the door, but the screaming banshee and her family. SERIOUSLY.

I suppose it can't be helped, when all you have for options are Walmart, K-mart and Target for school shopping. I was never SO HAPPY to be LEAVING a store as I was then.

You could tell the child was either just getting over the fit, or was gearing up for round 2 (or who knows WHAT round she might have actually been at!)...her face was blotchy, eyes red...it was just UGLY.

Seriously...if your child is not happy, do NOT force him/her to stay in a store where they are bothering EVERYONE else.

Good grief...

I don't know what is WRONG with the lovely city of Manhattan.

There are THREE pools in this city...CiCo (stands for City/County for those wondering, and it's pronounced SEE-Koh), City Pool and Northview.

CiCo pool is on the west side of Manhattan, therefore, it's the most accessible and the one the kids are taking swim lessons at. Northview is on the northeast side...it's not necessarily a far drive...we've actually BEEN there a few times. It is not as crowded, but it is also not a very big pool.

City pool is in City Park...dead center of town. It is a big pool with a slide. Many of the summer daycamps use this as part of their programs (Little Apple Day Camp, Manhattan Boys & Girls Club, etc, etc). So it is VERY busy. One would think, since it's the most-used of all three, that it would be the one to get maintenance and be up to par.

Not so. Last year, they closed the pool three weeks early, due to cracks in the wall near the lighting systems (seriously...WHO needs lights in a city pool? They CLOSE before dark). So...the pool was closed...and the other two pools took up the slack. BUT...it was late in the season, school was about to start, so it REALLY wasn't that bad.

City Pool was drained...they did a lot of repair work. In the meantime, a bond issue was voted down by the public. This bond issue contained the money to repair or replace all three pools (replacing both City and Northview, and repairing CiCo)...but unfortunately, they packaged this money along with building some other stuff that no one wanted (including an indoor aquatics center). So, all the money needed for repairs/replacements was not approved.

Fast forward to now. City Pool was closed on Monday after engineers deemed that the pool had major structural issues...and more cracks. What does that mean?

Well, for the average person....it means nothing. But for a lot of kids, and PARENTS of kids, it means either schlepping kids to another pool further away, or finding something else to do with all that time. It means that all the lessons, lap swims, training for swim team, now has to take place elsewhere...in timeslots that are just NOT there. All three pools offer swim lessons in the same time slots. They are limited as to the amount of kids. So...does that mean that I'll be bumped (even though all my kids' lessons are PREPAID)? I surely hope not. I know that they're working to try and use K-State's Natatorium and the country club's private pool...so I'll pray for the best on THAT front.

For me, it means this: I paid $80 for a family pool pass, good at all three pools, though I would prefer to use it only at CiCo. Still wouldn't be an issue for me...except that NOW, the day camps and daycare centers are competing with the general public for the space. CiCo capacity is 450. On Tuesday, they were full by 2 p.m. They began using a one-out, one-in policy. This is not acceptable to families, mostly because they have a pool rule that no one under the age of 14 is allowed without someone 14 or older with them. (Gee, Sue, remember how young WE were going to the pool alone????). That means for me, that three people must leave the pool in order for us to get in. It also means that we would not be getting in at 1:00 p.m. - we have lessons from 11:15 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. Kids must be fed...so we have to dry them off, load them up, go home and eat. We'd have to rush thru a meal to get there by 1:00 p.m....and even then, the line would be massive. No thank you.

Luckily, the city will be offering a pro-rated refund. Don't really know what that means, but I'll take what I can get...and I'll be headed to Ft. Riley to buy a pool pass there. The pool there does NOT get crowded, and while I'll be burning gas to get there, I'd rather do that than not be able to take my kids swimming, or have to stand in line waiting (c'mon, just how long do you expect a 4 year old to stand in line, in the HOT sun, WAITING...it was NINETY-SIX degrees yesterday...I just don't see it happening).

Had the city not tried to make something HUGE out of simple repairs/replacements, we would have had a new pool for the kids to use. Now, we have a big mess.

Cell Phone Stupidity

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I do use my cellphone when driving...but it's RARE. I have it with me in case of emergency, and if a call comes in and I can EASILY access it (and put it on speaker phone), then I will. But I will not pick it up and use it as soon as I get into my car. Because of regulations, we are not allowed to use handheld cellphones on post anyway, so I will either pull over, park, or just not bother with my cellphone.

So what's my beef?

Well, we went to do some school supply shopping today. I can't believe that I have to buy stuff from a list - things like: box of CRAYOLA markers, classic colors, 3 PLAIN (no pictures or graphics please) folder with ONE pocket inside, 3 boxes CRAYOLA crayons, 24 count (no Roseart or Raymond Geddes or other no-name brand, please), etc, etc. Since when can a school dictate the TYPE of stuff I need to buy? And the fact that it is mostly all "community property" (which explains the branding requests). I want to buy my daughter really cute school supplies - she loves Tinkerbell, and I want to get her Tink notebooks, pens, papers, crayons. I want to buy the BRIGHT markers, the pipsqueaks (which are soo cute!)....I want to get FUN stuff. I totally understand the reasoning behind this, because if you are "have not" and can't afford to get all the "branded" stuff, then you're an outcast. But by the same token, there are a bunch of "help a kid to school" programs that provide all this great stuff absolutely free - and boxes at the registers for donations of school supplies. So why must I follow this list? Oops...I digressed a bit...off my school supply soapbox.

Back to the CELLPHONE story. So the kids and I head for WalMart, because they are most definitely the cheapest on the branded stuff we are required to get. We are walking through the parking lot, with me holding Scotty's hand and Hannah holding his other hand; we are trying to avoid all the puddles due to the rain. We arrive at the crosswalk; look both ways and begin to cross, as there is nothing coming. Hannah starts swinging slightly ahead of the line, now making me the last person in the walkway. And all of a sudden, there it happens.

The idiot, stupid woman, looking down, WHILE TURNING A CORNER, RIGHT INTO THE CROSSWALK where my children are slightly ahead of me. Why is she looking down while driving AND turning a corner? Of COURSE. She is dialing her cell phone. I SCREAM, at the same time YANKING the arms of my son. Bless him for having a tight grip on his sister, because the chain reaction brings her back as well...2 inches from the car's bumper.

And does the woman stop her car, get out, see if we are okay? NO. She looks...down...at her STUPID cell phone. I see her say something. Then LOOK AT ME. and she gives me THAT look...you know...the one that says - You are SO dumb lady...get out of my way. She gives me a little "signal", the "well, go ahead already" signal with her hands. And I stare at her, dumbfounded. Because she almost ran my daughter over...and my son...and me. And it's MY fault? Because *I* was in the crosswalk? And I had LOOKED both ways (because am I also supposed to look up the aisles too? OR is SHE supposed to STOP at the end? HUH?????). And then she mouths, "well, go on".

And I SCREAM at her (and everyone in the parking lot who had stopped when they heard my initial heart-rending scream before practically LAUGHS!), "WHY DON'T YOU JUST HANG UP THE DAMNED CELL PHONE AND DRIVE YOUR CAR INSTEAD OF TRYING TO KILL MY KIDS????" I was just SO mad...and SCARED. My heart beat way too fast. Did she bother to park and see if we were okay (I was in the beginnings of a panic attack)? Nope...just went on her merry way, probably kvetching about the "stupid woman who wasn't watching where she was going" to the person on the other end of the cell phone.

I am of a right mind to send a letter to the editor and rant about her. I can guarantee she would recognize herself in the letter. But the problem is that the local paper her requires a name AND address. While I don't ever go anonymous, I prefer not to have my address posted, because quite frankly, I am not fond of scraping eggs off my home, or having nasty-grams mailed to me. But I know that a lot of people would agree with me.

Cuz, c'mon...you JUST got in your car in a PARKING LOT at WALMART and are driving away (or you're looking for a parking space, but let's not get lost in minute details, 'k?). Is it of UTMOST EMERGENCY to make a phonecall RIGHT THAT MINUTE while you're leaving the parking space and have your head so far up your BUTT that you almost run over a 6, 3 and 29 year old (with 11 years' experience)? Really? IT IS that important? You must be the president of the world or something. NOTHING is so important that you must make a cellphone call immediately.

So - for those of you who are GUILT of doing this; please stop to think a minute. Can it wait till the car isn't moving (at a light, pulled over, etc)? Because it might be your wife, your sister, your sibling, your KIDS that pay the price for your self-importance.