Visit with some new-ish friends =)

Charles, Mike, and I went to the home of one of Charles's co-workers yesterday for Memorial Day. I had a great time. After lunch and swimming, we decided to stay for dinner too! Then we had some trouble finding our way around a traffic jam on the freeway, so we didn't get home until like 11:00pm! It was all good though. =) The couple who had us over have lived in numerous states before ending up in our area. It sounds almost exciting, going to new places and such. Then I thought, however, about how silly it would be for Charles and I to move around. Obviously, the place to be is here if that's where people settle in the end!

Visit from an oooold friend

There are very few people I still speak to today that I've known longer than my friend Andy. He and I met back in the day on a mud, and he is an exceptional person! Throughout many years, he's always been a great friend.

I had planned to go to Minnesota to meet him in person for his college graduation, but I wasn't able to make the trip in the end. However, he and a friend of his (my new friend Matt) came to California this week and dropped by yesterday to meet me and my husband Charles. So of course, I took them to Disneyland!

I had a great time, and they say they did too! =) I hope the rest of their trip goes very well, and that it won't be the only time we meet!

Pictures are at the usual place. Not as many of them as I normally take on Disneyland trips, but enough to remember the day by!

So about medical care...

I'd just like to point something out that annoyed me recently... When I was un-insured, I was charged $15 for a one-month supply of the generic thyroid medication I take. When we got new insurance, the pharmacy assumed I would want the brand name. It was about $26, less than my $35 co-pay at the time for brand name medication so I had to pay 100% and the insurance company paid nothing. Then we got another new insurance when Charles was switched from contractor to full time. Now the same brand name medication bears a sticker that says such: Amount: 14.49 You pay: 5.07 Ins pays: 9.42 Reminds me of when a Ford dealership quoted us $4,000 for a repair, and then after they learned it was covered by insurance the quote dropped to about $2,500. This ridiculous price gouging is infuriating! Because I had no insurance, they were charging me almost twice as much as what they tell the insurance company the medicine is worth! I was being charged an $11 un-insured tax! Not only that, but generic medicine out of pocket costs more than brand name to the insurance company??? Horrible. This is why people should shop around for products and services and consult experts when appropriate. For example, see a mechanic you trust before you let an oil-change-only place fix anything on your car other than your oil. (Not random, that's on my to do list for the near future.)

Disneyland again, again... or...?

So, my camera would have me believe that I went to Disneyland yesterday with Julio, Kassie, and Albert. However, the car would have me believe otherwise.

I suppooooosedly filled up the tank with gas in El Monte.
Drove 25.7 miles to Disneyland.
Drove Kassie home to El Monte. (27.5 miles)
Drove Albert to Circle K to be picked up by his mom. (1.6 miles)
Drove Julio to my mom's house where he had his car. (0.6 miles)
Drove home to North Hollywood. (30 miles)
Drove to school this morning. (3.9 miles)
Then back home (3.9 miles)
Drove to the doctor's office. (5.8 miles)
And back... (5.8 miles)

104 miles that my camera would have me believe I've driven since I filled up the tank yesterday, and I have this much gas:



Something's not adding up here!

If you want to examine the photographic "evidence" for yourself, click here. (On a side note, I have 1,197 pictures in my Yahoo pictures site now, go me! You can download the pictures full size or even have them sent to your house or to be picked up at your local Target!)

Disneyland w/ some old friends

Not old as in old, you know, but people I've known for nearly a decade. =)

I stayed at my mom's house on Wednesday night so we could get an earlier start out of El Monte. I picked up Stephanie, Billy, and Billy's brother Albert and we drove down to Disneyland. on Thursday morning We got there shortly before opening, and there wasn't any line for the first three of four things we went on. It was great. =) We actually saw almost everything we wanted to see!

On Sunday, I'm taking Julio and Kassie (who had to work on Thursday) and probably Albert again. Charles and I went both Saturday and Sunday last weekend (but not all day). I may have to keep a close eye on my magicalness consumption, four visits in two weeks may be dangerous! =P

Pictures at the usual place- here.