View from the BirdCage

Oh CRAP! .... I'm 60!

2006-12-23T21:39:00.000-08:00

My hand still hurts too much to say much, but will share this photo from years ago, the first time Kevin made my birthday cake:

Wells Fargo's Treatment of Its Employees: Epic Incompetence

2006-08-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

So here's a summary, since I don't like to think about it, so don't want to write it a bunch of times:

Regular salary: Wells Fargo simply stopped paying me for the last month I was working (June). I went through multiple phone options, and multiple clueless people, and ended up with the WorkComp people, who said it was because they couldn't get it together what hours I'd worked (!). Finally, they deposited some pay on 7/14. The amount didn't look right, so I called WF's Payroll, and had my pay stubs sent to me. Sure enough, the 6/30 salary is missing. So I shall have to go back into the fray and fight for my last period's pay. I might add that Wells Fargo's employee procedures are horrendously fragmented -- each department only handles a tiny slice of the whole picture, and absolutely no one has any idea what else is going on or what status it's in. It's not unusual to be passed through 5 or 6 people.

Short Term Disability pay: After a lot of stonewalling, I just got a letter saying my STD was rejected because Wells Fargo told them that they would have accomodated my reduced hours. This is a bald-faced lie. Either the STD folk are lying about WF said to them, or Wells shamelessly lied to them. I have the dates, times, and participants of numerous occasions where I was told emphatically and clearly that there would be no accommodation on the "performance plan" including for the time I was out with neck surgery. This plan, mind you, is one that has all the able bodied team members working 14 hours a day. So that's been sent to my attorney.

Crocker annuity: I just got a cc'd on a letter from the handlers of Crocker's plan to Wells Fargo, saying that they can't begin my payments because Wells Fargo won't respond to their requests for verification of my work status. When I called Wells Fargo they answered only that they would send it today, with no explanation as to why they'd stonewalled it. This amount will be very tiny, but at this point we're talking groceries.

401K: Much as I don't want to chip into that, I'll clearly have to. WF sent me forms to fill out for disbursement of funds, and I filled them out, and mailed them in. I checked into them several weeks ago, to make sure all was in order, and the Wells Fargo agent wasn't sure (!). I couldn't understand why he wasn't sure, and he couldn't give me an explanation. But he figured it was "probably" all right. So I called again yesterday, and this time the agent searched around -- somewhere? -- and said no forms have been received. He had no explanation for that, but assured me he would send me a new set of forms in the mail. I wonder what will become of this new set when I send them in.

Insurance coverage: The one bright spot was that I'd signed up to pay for continuation of my health insurance, and it would be carried over seamlessly on 6/30. With the unresolved health issues, that was a load off my mind. Imagine my surprise when I got a letter from Kaiser dated 7/12 notifying me that my coverage had lapsed and was cancelled. I searched my online statement, and they had in fact deducted the insurance payment from my account, but -- not until July 5th!! And they had somehow managed to not get the payment to Kaiser by the 12th. When I called Wells Fargo (more phone pinball) they were quite uninterested, and felt sure that Kaiser would get the payment some time or other. They would not explain why the payment hadn't been deducted until the 5th (and weren't interested). I guess it's another incident of having just "forgot." Dealing with Wells Fargo is just a thrill a minute.

On the medical front: a whole lot of nothing continues to be done. The WC (WorkComp) doctor wants me to repeat the neck surgery I had in May, which was horrendously painful and cost a lot of money to get to, and gave no improvement. I couldn't understand why we'd repeat something useless, and he said maybe it will help this time. I've noted that he obviously has a very good relationship with the firm that does the surgery. Then the surgery folk left me a phone message to say they'd received authorization for the next one, and to call them for an appointment. So I called them, and they said, no, they hadn't received my authorization. I said they had, that it was their office that had called me to say so, but they insisted they didn't have it. I gave it a few days and called again, in hopes of getting someone else (think Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where the crusaders ask the hostile Frenchman "Is there someone else we can talk to?"], and this person said yes, they had the authorization. But she wanted me to make a post-op/pre-op appointment with the aide (another expensive trip) to review again the results of the last one. But when we started to make the appointment, she said there was a problem with the aide's schedule, and she'd call me back. She never did, of course, so I called back, and it turns out the aide has left their firm and she set me up with a new person for 8/9. I don't have fine use of my hands (hand writing, opening packages, etc.) at all now, a lot of the time, but the hand surgeon doesn't want to deal with that until the neck surgery/ies are dealt with.

And the WC doctor continues to say that I can work 6 hours a day, another bald faced lie, a lie that prevents me from getting any assistance or voice software. All other doctors, including his own hand consultant, insist that I shouldn't be doing any keyboarding at all, certainly not more than an hour or two a day. I'm not sure what his motivation is for this falsehood, but it will look bad for him when the other doctors testify against him.

It seems ironic that after paying STD and LTD insurance fees all my life, for decades, thinking it was protection in case I ever need it -- the insurance was all a fraud and a scam, and here I am with zero income. After decades of busting my tail.

What is the world coming to?

Short story: Destiny

2006-07-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

I scanned each pen, trying to ignore the smell of pine disinfectant. I knew exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a cat to replace my beloved Rumpole. Rumpole had been a sociable lace-point, both loving and lovely. When I'd strolled through the pound all those years ago he'd literally reached out and snagged me. I was smitten. It didn't hurt that he was well formed and exotic looking, but the real clincher was his affectionate nature.

He'd been dead six months now, and I missed him, and I wanted that hole in my life to be filled. I was here to find another Rumpole.

For the fourth time, my feet dragged me unwillingly back to the cage of a scrawny, plain black kitten. Not even a kitten, really, he had to be five-six months old. And no personality whatsoever, unless you count raw fear as personality. I didn't.

"Yeah. What. So," I muttered, letting myself into his pen. Black kitty was clinging with all his might to a twine-covered cat pole in the center of the pen. Against my will, I stroked him. He clung tighter still, his eyes huge with terror. As if possessed by alien spirits, I cradled him and plucked his claws from the twine, bringing him to my chest. He clung there, frozen.

An attendant hurried by on some task but stopped in surprise when she saw me in his pen. I made some vague and foolish gesture at him, and she approached.

"This is his last day with us," she said. "He's been marked 'unplaceable.'"

I raised an eyebrow.

"People want younger kittens," she explained. "And most of all they want playful, loving kittens."

She's right about that, I thought.

"But this poor fellow... I guess we'll never know what all happened to him, but it's sure left its mark. A shame." She scanned my face.

"Rmglmph," I said. She left, on about her business. This was so-o-o not the cat I wanted.

I tried to dislodge him and put him back on his pole, but it was much harder to get him off of me than it had been to get him off the pole. I rolled my eyes. I made exasperated noises.

"Well, time for me to go find my cat," I told him heartily. "I wish you well. Really." I stared out at the other pens. "I'm sure you'll find somebody." He kept staring at me with those desperate gold eyes.

"Oh, hell!" I snapped, more at me than at him. I looked around for another attendant, to get a carrier box and get on with it. Though it wouldn't have seemed possible, he adhered even tighter to me.

My own fox pix -- finally

2006-07-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

At last, at last, I finally put up the first batches of my little orphans. You can see them at:
http://www.lehuanet.com/fish_and_bowl/

Definition of Pícaro

2006-06-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

I think of pícaro as "rascally" or "naughty," and my cat is both. I got big, big laughs to read the dictionary definition, which gives an even better description of him:

rogueish;
scheming, tricky;
low, vile;
mischievous

New fox acquaintance

2006-06-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Photos from Forest Fox

A few nights ago, I was visited by a fox kit that was clearly from a different litter than the gang I've been watching -- noticeably younger, still with the extra-enormous ears, and her markings not developed. She let me feed her for about 20 minutes which melted my heart into a puddle.

But yesterday I met yet another very young one. He came waltzing around an hour before sunset! He, too, seems to have started to understand the Food Woman legend. But I'm not sure whether he's a sibling. He seems smaller than the other one, yet is developing clear markings. He has the lovely black stockings, and the white tip on his tail, though his redness has not developed yet. Mysteries. I love it.
[Note, 20:12 -- Rika, who lives just south of me and overlooks the "fish and bowl" where the foxes play, saw today one group with a mother and four babies, and a separate group of two little ones. Looks like two litters in all.]

I found a nice site about foxes:
http://www.foxforest.com/
One of the best features of this site is Voices Carry, which gives you actual recorded sounds of foxes vocalizing.

The first time I met a fox up close was about 3-4 years ago. Pícaro was out for the night, as was his wont in those days, and at 2 a.m. I heard the worst imaginable sound. I leaped out of the loft, instantly awake, and raced to the seaward door. I was sure that Píc was being disemboweled by a coyote. In fact, he was in a nose to nose standoff with a fox, and the fox was the one making the horrible noise. You can hear almost exactly what I heard if you listen to "Fox in distress." " Squabble" is also quite similar.

The "Territorial response," by the way, is something that frequently goes on all night. In real life, it sounds like a human child is being tortured. Most unsettling.

Just like her Auntie

2006-06-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

Gina with friend. This is a girl after my own heart.

Origami: O good golly!

2006-06-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd seen the most fantabulous origami, but this stuff is amazing. Check out CONTEMPORARY ORIGAMI by HOJYO Takashi for more amazing creations.

[Contributed by Malia]

Gorky: Pleasure vs. Slavery

2006-06-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

When work is a pleasure, life is a joy! When work is a duty, life is slavery.

-- Maxim Gorky, author (1868-1936)

Nostomania

2006-06-12T22:36:00.000-07:00

From WordSmith:

Nostomania (nos-tuh-MAY-nee-uh, -mayn-yuh) noun

An overwhelming desire to return home or to go back to familiar places.

[From Greek nostos (a return home) + -mania (excessive enthusiasm or madness).]

You can consider nostomania to be an extreme form of nostalgia (literally, pain for home).

Honokohau Harbour, photo by Lehua ©2002

Garrison Keillor: Republicans

2006-06-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

It's time to take away the old man's checkbook:

http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/dailystar/132613.php

A brief description of avoidant disorder

2006-06-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis1/p21-pe08.html

Practicing having time: Who sucks?

2006-06-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

Diddling on Google in a way I never have time to do, I wondered whether the "Wells Fargo Sucks" site was still alive and well. I wasn't able to get the answer because I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of sites.

I entered "Wells Fargo sucks" into Google and got....

153,000 entries!

153,000 web pages out there with that specific phrase.

I love it. Yes, it's time to go.

Wonderfulness: Festival Luminis at Eilean Donan Castle

2006-05-31T17:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite places near Plockton is Eilean Donan castle. Festival Luminis recently chose the castle for a light-show extravaganza, and the photos are marvelous. Check it out on BBC News, and don't forget to poke the slide show (ILLUMINATING EXPERIENCE / Eilean Donan Castle lights up night sky with artist's help / In pictures)

You'll also be amazed at the gallery of photographs on the Festival Luminis site.

Post-op Visit 5/31

2006-05-31T17:24:00.000-07:00

Back to the scene of the crime. No significant improvement, but I'm not worse than I was. But if there will be beneficial effects, it can take some time, so I go back in 4 weeks for another check. I asked about other options and the picture's not good. He says that there's a surgery, but that I'm not a good candidate for that. He says that an artificial/repaired disc can work for discrete damage, where the surrounding discs are good, but that when they are bad (as is the case for me, for a total of 6 discs), then it can create stress on the remaining discs and cause a domino weakening effect. Arrgh. So it looks like, for me, the remedies are constrained to meds and injections. Tomorrow I see the pain doc for a checkup, to determine when I can be up/out/around.

Kevin's latest movie hails Grantie

2006-05-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

Kevin's Cinematic Career

Choose "Rat Bird" and find out what happens to people who rat out other people's birthdays.

Doing better

2006-05-28T01:35:00.000-07:00

The docs warned me about significant pain after the megadrugs wore off, but since I came through it so well I knew that I'd be fine. Wronnnnnnnng. The pain came, the next day, and was much worse than I thought it would be. I did a lot of lying down, and I guess it did me good because I'm doing fine now. Post-implentation walk-through is on Wednesday.

My sleep is all askew, because of pain meds etc., but that has its perks. I stepped out a little while ago just as one of the new fox babies was strolling by. All by himself! He pitterpattered nonchalantly along the cliff-edge promenade, smelling this and that, and seemed completely unaware that I was there, so I got a great good look at him. What a darling.

Pìcaro figures all this loafing entitles him to 72 varieties of catfood rather than 35, to be refreshed/replaced at 30-minute intervals instead of 90 minutes, so he's having a high old time. He's been very protective, though, (bless his heart) and brought me many fine, fat gophers to eat.

Be assured I'm babying myself as well, and taking it real easy. And thanks to everyone, for everything so far.

Home safe and sound

2006-05-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

Did good. Ate pizza. Need chocolate. Nap time.

Surgery 5/24 Update

2006-05-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

Looks like it should be pretty minor, except for the anaesthesia. They say the whole shebang will be only about 2-1/2 hours. As it looks now, Candy will deliver me and "Dad" (Kevin's) will collect me.

The docs say that the worst pain usually comes around the 2nd or 3rd day, and that usually it gets very abruptly better after that. It doesn't help a lot of people, but it helps some, so I'm hoping. If it doesn't make a substantial improvement, then there'll be 2 more surgeries for each hand, and I don't know what the next step would be for the neck.

Candy has a key to my home as does Kevin's family, and I'll keep the portable phone up in the loft, so I should be fine if anything comes up.

No flowers, anybody. Hopefully, you won't feel the need to send anything, but if you must, then here's my preference:

Contribution to Donna's efforts on behalf of Avon's Walk for Breast Cancer:
Donna's Cancer Walk Page

Recommended: Dr. Seuss: You're Only Old Once

2006-05-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

[Contributed by Marnie Ellison:]

Recommended: Negotiating Like a Child

2006-05-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

[Contributed by Debbie:
"Look into the eyes of a child and you will find yourself face-to-face with one of the world’s greatest negotiators. Tongue in cheek yet eminently practical, this book explains how to implement child negotiation techniques to get what you want." Some sample chapters: "Pretend You Don’t Understand to Get the Other Side to Offer Something They Didn’t Plan on Conceding," "Give Yourself a Time-Out," "Solicit a Bribe," ...]

Unbeaten Drums

2006-05-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Some of the thoughts coming to me as I contemplate the good parts of what retirement could mean are reflected in this poem I wrote back in 2003:

Unbeaten Drums
Lehua ©2003

Once again an old year fades
Like a spinster pulls the shades
Seals the hope chest
Quits the life quest
Joins the row of sere old maids

Seasons lost without recall
Spring and summer crushed by fall
Now the autumn
Having fought them
Dies as winter conquers all

Chances that we never took
Would-be friends that we forsook
Love unspoken
Contracts broken
All without a backward look

Rumor is a new year comes
Even while the old one numbs
Hard believing
While still grieving
Dust upon unbeaten drums

©Lehua January, 2003

My beloved friend Lord Idehen: Moods

2006-05-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

Moods
and many other entrancing creations

http://www.myspace.com/apoeminbetweenpeople

Beloveds

2006-05-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

A ringin' phone -- I got happies from Sybil, then Kalena, then Wally, then David. What a wonderful day! Much love to all.

Big Laugh for Mothers' Day, from Kevin

2006-05-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Kevin was pretty late getting his mothers' day movie together, so I got a call about an hour ago that it was ready to upload. I hadn't seen it until now, and when I ran it I laughed so hard I hurt myself. The backstory is that his mom lost all her hair during chemo,
and is just now growing it back.

Enjoy:
Kevin's Mothers' Day Movie

Retirement Now

2006-05-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I've done it. Sent the signed paper. After 6/30, I will be released to wholesome, positive environments.
Retirement Countdown

In Search of Sensitivity: a Short Story on Corporate "Life"

2006-05-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

In Search of Sensitivity, from The Happy Day Scenario

Retirement?????

2006-05-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

"The package" is allegedly on its way to me, ostensibly for review rather than actual action, but I feel quite prejudiced in favour of going for it. For purposes of benefit calculations, they required a straw-man retirement date, which I gave as 6/30. I might lose my home, live on the streets, starve to death, but... it could also give me a chance to live before I die. I go forth and ponder.

Needful Words

2006-05-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

My head is full of words that should be but aren't.

Here are a few:

Integritous

Possessing much integrity

Encrudulate

Become encrusted with crud, as in "my keyboard is encrudulated."
Adj.: Encrudulous

Boobonga

A substance similar to ZooDoo, but occuring naturally in the wild, and gathered from the ground at watering holes and wildlife crossings. It can contain droppings from rhinos, hippos, elephants, zebras, dikdiks, kudus, and other exotic animals. Boobonga is reknowned as ideal for slinging.

Cabriolando, Part 2

2006-05-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

So there I am, dusk after dusk, watching my precious flowers wiped out before my eyes. I was on the phone with Debbie when I made my decision to get a gun. There he was, again, this time taking both an alyssum and the new white daisies at the same time. Using serious dingle-dangle words, I threw rocks at him until my entire stash was gone.

"Hang on, Debbie ... I'm going after him." To reach the few feet from my lanai to the perp would require going through the house, up a flight of stairs, around to and down the clubhouse stairs, and over to my yard. Too much time. "I'm going over the rail, Deb."

So I rig a pair of rickety mini ladders, one up and one down, and Debbie's hollering at me to not do it because of the bad-ish fall I'd taken doing that very thing, and I tell her I'll keep talking so that she can call 911 if I go silent, and I go for him (pun pre-excused). He's ducked in, of course, but I stomp and pound and squash his little door into nonexistence. [more dingle-dangle words]

So I order a gun. Few know that I have a marksman ribbon for my dress uniform, from my old Coastie with the Mostie days. I order hunting BBs for it, specially designed for vermin. Five days, the arms dealer tells me. And each of those five days the slimeBag gopher's been coming out for his dusk dance of derision.

To be continued...

Cabriolando

2006-04-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

I've always liked the Spanish verb "cabriolar." Taken literally, it means to frolic around like a baby goat. Since my sister Malia spent years -- inexplicably -- raising goats, I've seen them, and they deserve a specific word for what they do.

But gophers -- gophers who are cabriolando are taking a great risk. They enrage me enough by eating all the precious Easter-egg flower babies that I've been waiting so impatiently for. (Easter eggs because I scattered mysterious seeds into the wind, and have no idea what will come up, or where)

Watching the seedlings appear, watching them take enough shape to be distinct from each other, cheering at each inch they gain... this has been the best part of my current life. And then that butthead comes and systematically devastates great swaths of them. Everything else shares -- the aphids, the slugs and snails, even the cutworms. But no, not the gopher. It's Scorched Earth Policy.

Then, then, he dances around and gloats!! Yes, he does, I swear. Shouting "nyah nyah!" in gopherese.