Half way there

I'm about to finish week six of my twelve weeks of student teaching. It's hard to believe that I've been making it this long on almost no sleep and almost no steady income. I'm up at 4:30 to go work a couple hours at my old job to make a few extra bucks and then off to school until 3:30pm. I then see my wife for about an hour for dinner before switching off the kids so she can go to work. It's then a mix of playing with the kids, doing homework, working online for a few more bucks, lifting weights, and getting the kids in bed before going to sleep myself between 10:30 and 11.

The strange thing about it is that I feel great. Oh, I'm so tired that the stuff I say doesn't make much sense half the time (maybe it never did), but all and all things are good. It's just an exhilarating feeling to staying this busy doing something that matters like teaching. I want to die every morning when my alarm goes off, but I get out of bed because I know that I'm accomplishing something each day that has a greater purpose.

Don't get me wrong, I'm counting down to the time when I can go back to a normal schedule and when I will actually get paid to do this, but I'm thankful that this whole thing has been easier than I thought it would be.

Why you pay so much for prescription drugs

Before automated phone services:

Receptionist: Thank you for calling Healthtrap. How may I direct your call?

Me: Hi, I'm calling from a pharmacy. I need a refill too soon override.

Receptionist: One moment while I transfer you to that department. Have a nice day.



After automated phone services:

Recorded Voice: Thank you for calling Healthtrap. If you are calling from a doctor's office press 1. If from a pharmacy press 2.

Me: (2)

Recorded Voice: You pressed #2 if this is correct press #1 if not press #2

Me: (1)

Recorded Voice: If you are calling about a prior auth request press #1. If about a claim rejection press #2. If you need an override press #3.

Me: (3)

Recorded Voice: You pressed #3 if this is correct press #1 if not press #2

Me: (1)

Recorded Voice: Please enter the patient's I.D. number.

Me: (555221234)

Recorded Voice: You entered 555221234 if this is correct press #1.

Me: (1)

Recorded Voice: According to our records the patient's last name is Smith, first name John, Date of Birth 01/01/25. If this is correct press #1.

Me: (1)

Recorded Voice: Please hold while we transfer your call to the next available representative.

Me: (Waiting for twenty minutes while listening to the worst music ever made by man.)

Representive: Thank you for calling Healthtrap. How can I help you.

Me: Hi, I'm calling from a pharmacy. I need a refill too soon override.

Representive: Can I have the member number?

Me: Uh, I gave it to the computer. It's 555221234

Representative: Can I have the member's date of birth?

Me: The computer figured that out from the number.

Representive: I'm sorry sir?

Me: It's 01/01/25.

Representative: Can I have the member's name.

Me: (sigh) It's John Smith.

Representative: Now, how can I help you?

Me: As I was saying, I need a refill too soon override.

Representative: You've called the wrong number. This line is for claim rejections only.

Me: But this is a claim reject. It's a refill too soon reject! Your automated voice thing even gave me the option for overrides, I pressed #3! I don't want to go through another list of options, I just want an override!

Representative: I'm sorry sir, but you need our clinical department. Don't worry though I'll directly transfer you.

Me: Oh good, thank you.

Representative: Just one moment while I connect you.

Me: (A few moments go by and I hear a "click")

Recorded Voice: Thank you for calling Healthtrap. If you are calling from a doctor's office press 1. If from a pharmacy press 2.

Sick, Sick, Sick

Everyone around me is getting sick! It started with Bekah getting a cold earlier this week. Then, Ethan started getting a fever and have insane bouts of diarrhea (I think it has to do with him cutting two teeth). Yesterday, Bekah started feeling a little warm and it eventually turned into a fever. Last, night Autumn came home and spent a good amount of the night puking her brains out.

I was wrestling with the idea of staying home today, but I'd already missed a bit of work this week (dental appointment and taking Autumn to get some lab work), so I decided to go ahead and go. When I got to Bekah's it was no surprise to me that she had decided to stay home today, I was actually impressed she made it through yesterday with as bad as she felt. When she asked me if Autumn would be home in case she needed the car to go to the doctor, I suddenly got picture in my mind of my son, my wife, and my friend all sick in the car together trying to get to the doctor's office, it was slightly amusing.

I decided that I should stay home. This way Bekah has her car if she needs it, I can take care of the kids for Autumn while she sleeps and if any of the three of them get really bad there will be one healthy person around to take them somewhere. Plus, I get some time to work on classwork.

For some strange reason, I barely ever get sick even when I'm around people who are all the time. I think it has something to do with being raised in such a horrible environment as a kid. My immune system got an extra boost in my early years. Either way, if I do happen to pick up something up, it'll be fine with me. I have over a week of paid time off and sleeping in doesn't sound all that bad.

In other news, I might do a second post today. I have some great news about Mike, but my kids need tending to at the moment.

There's Crack in the Coffee!

I've gone over a week now with very little soda. Anyone who knows me knows that I can put away Pepsi like it's nobody's business, but things were getting a little out of hand so I decided to take a partial fast from soda for a little while. I've cut back to 16oz a day Friday through Sunday and none on the rest of the week. After a few more weeks I plan to move up to one can a day and stay there for a good while.

Anyway, today I decided I needed a little caffeine to get me going so I got a grande latte from Starbucks. As I said before I drink a lot of soda, so I can put the caffeine away like no one else, but there is something about Starbucks that is too much even for me. I think they put enough caffeine in those things to momentary wake the dead. Add this to the fact that I've been working off very little caffeine for the last week and a half and you have one jittery man on your hands.
I thought I was going to go nuts staying in my seat all day. My mind kept switching train of thoughts on me and I felt like I was talking slightly fast.

It's ten hours later and I'm starting to come down. Maybe I'll opt for decaf next time.

Another Week Down

Church went pretty well today. Here's the quick recap from this week:

1. My sermon still felt off today, not as bad as last week, but still off. A friend of mine that was visiting today said the message was just what he needed today, though, so I guess the lesson is that God still uses us even when we feel off.

2. Despite feeling off, I think a little of my passion is coming back for preaching. Maybe, my sermon was for me today too.

3. Jason went to Arizona this week to watch his Seahawks get beat. I'm really thankful that we have the ability to lose our worship leader for a Sunday and still have great music. I know of a lot of churches much bigger than us that are screwed whenever a couple members of their worship team go out of town.

4. Speaking of Bekah, her and Tyson have big news. Check out her blog for more details.

5. I got accepted to start a program to finish up getting my teaching credential. It will take me awhile to finish, but it feels good to be doing something that takes brain power again.

6. I bought a new printer, I think I'm going to pull an Office Space move on the old one. If you don't know what I mean, just go watch the movie.

7. My wife is hot.

8. I've lost my faith in the Kansas City Chiefs.

9. I'm hot.

10. I'm almost two months behind in my church reports.

11. I've got to get a sermon ready for next week then I get a week off.

12. I need to put together a bookcase.

13. I'm going to go watch TV now.

Trust Me I'm A Professional

The people at the pharmacy are going to have to manage without me today. I'm taking the day off to substitute teach. I'm not going back to it full-time, I think once or twice a month is enough, but I want to have a little bit of classroom time every once and awhile as I'm working on getting my teaching credential. I figure if I'm going to be bi-vocational for awhile, I might as well be doing something that feels worthwhile, not to mention pays more.

So, it's off to teach 45 fifth graders a thing or two, or at least keep them alive until their teacher gets back. I hope I still got it after all these months. I'll let you know how it goes.

On Not Working

I spent the whole day at work today trying to fix problems that just couldn't be fixed. They were the things I worked with all last week, things that are waiting for a doctor or an insurance to approve or for someone to pay. These are things I can't do anything with but keep checking on while waiting for someone else to handle the problem.

This doesn't make for fun days at work. I like to feel like I've accomplished something at the end of the day. I want to feel like I've made a difference by being there. I don't like the idea of walking away after nine hours with next to nothing to show for it.

It's the same way with things in life. I want to fix every problem I come across when I come across it. I want to be able to tell people what to do to make the church grow and see it happen the next Sunday. I want to be able to say the words that help people with what they are going through and have their lives' be better the next day. I want life to be like the sitcom problems that are solved in 30 minutes.

That's not how life works, though. Most of the time you just have to do everything you can do and then wait for the one with the ability to fix things to work. This means I have to be okay with just being there sometimes, even when I don't feel like I'm doing anything productive. I don't always like it, but when the problems finally do get fixed, it's awesome to have been there waiting for it.

What Did You Do Last Saturday?

Yesterday, was 7-7-07. This was the day that everyone wanted to get married. The MGM did 63 weddings and I lost 12 hours of my Saturday joining couples together in the joys of matrimony. What made it even stranger was that on the same floor I was performing weddings there was a martial arts convention going on. My day was filled with ninjas and bridesmaids.

By time my last wedding rolled around at 10 pm I was beat (not by the ninjas) and didn't want to think about weddings anymore. I have to say I'm done with weddings for awhile. I have a few more to do this year, but I'm being very selective about what ones I take from now on. This was nice as it will more than pay for my family vacation this year, but the time with my family and friends is a little more important to me right now than money.

I have a month before my next wedding and I think I need it. The brides and black belts will have to get along without me until then.

Mmmm... TPS Reports

I've been catching up on the episodes of The Office I don't remember or haven't seen. I'm going to finish season two tonight and watch season one sometime later this week. I also need to watch the movie Office Space again soon.

I have a new appreciation for office comedy since I started working in an office myself. It's kinda fun to think about how work throws you together for 40+ hours a week with people who you'd never be with normally. The characters on the office may be exaggerated, but if you've worked in an office, you know that it's not by too much.

I wonder what character I'm most like. As long as it isn't Dwight I think I'm alright.

Four Days

I've had the last four days off. I mean really off. I didn't go to work, I didn't have any weddings, and Jason preached this Sunday. The only things I did that could be counted as work was loading/unloading the truck, doing a little packing for our big move, and helping Tyson and Bekah hang vertical blinds and install kitchen lights (the former was a success, the latter not so much). The rest of the extended weekend was spent with my family or hanging out with my friends doing my favorite thing, nothing.

A little time off is a good thing. It keeps you from going insane and hurting someone who probably deserves it. I've got a couple busy weeks ahead of me, but then I'll be taking off another four days next month to go to California and see my friend the beach for a little while. I think my sanity can stay intact until then.

Meanwhile, I'm going to keep working on a plan to invent something that will enable me to retire at 30. Unfortunately, until I get the kinks worked out of the car that runs off coffee grinds, it looks like I'll have to settle for the four day weekends.

Teaching

I have been away from substitute teaching for a little over two weeks now an d it feels great. I needed a break from it, but to tell the truth, it isn't that bad of a job to have when planting a church. For those of you thinking about doing it, I'd like to help out with some advice.

Here are ten things elementary school principals never like to hear:

1. "I was supposed to have how many children?"
2. "I wasn't aware that smoking in the classroom was frowned upon."
3. "Are leather pants permitted on causal Fridays?"
4. "The good news is that the fire is out..."
5. "I had to use my belt."
6. "They were good, so I let them all go home early."
7. "I had to leave, so I asked my cousin Frank to take over for the rest of the day."
8. " Are you single?"
9. "I may have had one or two before work this morning."
10. " I told the kids about the time I was abducted by aliens."

New Job

Today I started my new job. If all goes to plan I'll be able to start turning down more weddings and just work 40 hours a week at the pharmacy and the church on Sundays.

It would be nice to be one of those guys that gets to make a full time salary in the first year of planting a church, but that doesn't worry me right now. I have to say right now everything is going really well in my life and I'm content with where I've been placed for right now. This may change at anytime, but for now I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Hope

I should be asleep right now, but I've been working on my sermon and the caffeine that I've been using for motivation hasn't worn off yet.

This was a tough week, everything in my life just seemed to hit me all at once starting on Monday. Nothing really had changed as far as life goes, it was just one of those times when you start wondering what God was thinking when He put you in a place like this. I swear, sometimes my problems look like giants and I feel like a dumb kid holding a stick and a few rocks.

Today God gave me hope. I found out that I got the job I'd applied for (more to come on that, I feel a list coming soon) and my message is starting to come together among other things. For right now life feels manageable, this is sure to change at anytime, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Anyway, I should get to bed. Tomorrow is going to be my last day of teaching for awhile.

Not Another Tuesday

I really dislike Tuesdays at work. Monday is fine because you have some energy from having the weekend off. Wednesday isn't that bad because at least you're half way through the week. Tuesday on the other hand has nothing to offer you but grief.

It's over now and the week is already starting to look up. It's just really sad knowing that there is another Tuesday out there waiting for me.

The Children are Killing Me

I'm five weeks into substitute teaching for a maternity leave that will last something like eleven weeks and it's killing me. I have sixteen first graders constantly calling my name to ask stupid questions. I like the kids and the school, but I still find myself counting down the days until I'm done with this assignment.

Maybe it's because I've done way to much first grade this year or it could be because I've been without soda for four days, but I think the real reason I'm having so much trouble in this job is because I know it will be over soon.

I've decided to go back to working a more normal steady job and if everything goes well this will be my last teaching assignment for awhile. This isn't a decision I made lightly, anyone who knows me knows I hate working anything normal, but planting a church is going to require that I have some steady income for a time and so I'm going back into the land of the regular paycheck for a time.

I guess it's just hard to commit to the teaching thing knowing I need to be somewhere else. This is how I've felt about every church I was at while I was waiting to plant. It's not that they were bad assignments it was just that I knew I needed to be somewhere else. I wonder what life is going to be like now I'm where I'm supposed to be.

Oh well, at least tomorrow is Friday.