"Optional" Health Screening--seriously?

So...found out about 1-2 months ago that all Avera employees would have to participate in a health screening, health risk assessment, and health advising session to avoid health insurance costs to go up by $50/month.

WTF?

So I went in and did this "optional" (optional if you don't want to pay an extra $600/year) health screening. The outside company that came in and did the process was like a well oiled machine. You went from station to station, very effecient, everyone very polite. I understand that checking blood pressure, cholesterol, ht/wt/BMI is a good idea (I though that is why I have a primary physician I see each year for my annual check-up and a psychiatrist that checks blood pressure & weight at each appointment too) but is it just me that feels this is overstepping boundaries? I'm not feeling all big brother, infringement of rights/privacy about this, but it just felt really weird, bordering on creepy. Who the hell are these people? Who is this lady "advising" me on my health. I didn't see any identification other than the company name & the employee's name. I understand that anyone can be educated on what cholesterol & blood pressure measurements mean to a person, but for all I know that lady graduated with a degree in communications or business and as a pharmacist I got a fair amount of college learnin' on these basic health assessments.

So what did I learn that I didn't already know. Nothing related to my health. All of my cholesterol levels were good except my HDL (which is because I smoke, I eat like a college student/toddler, and I don't really exercise) which I already knew because I've had it checked in a clinic & evaluated by a doctor. My blood pressure was labeled as "prehypertenson". Really? 120/79? Probably because I smoked a cigarette right before going in and I was in a room with like 50 people moving around and didn't know what the hell was going on. I also get my blood pressure checked regularly at appointments and it is evaluated by an RN or a physician. My weight? I am well aware that I am above my goal BMI, I do own a scale. Thanks for the newsflash.

For some people this might be beneficial, for example, people who don't have health insurance and are not familiar with the health risks they were measuring, but all the people they were screening have insurance! We were all doing this so our premium didn't go up! If people choose not to use the health insurance they are paying for by not going to a physician once or twice a year, I doubt they are going have an awakening in this screening conference room and decide to turn their lives around. If they cared about their heath, they would probably see a doctor! What a waste of time & money by Avera. They should have set this up down at Falls Community Health for all the people that really need it and could benefit from it.

Oh Avera, you require me to do this crap, but you won't cover birth control in my prescription insurance or not charge for condiments in the cafeteria. (I actually submitted a "Bright Idea" for this ridiculousness and was told it's because at fast food chains condiments are already factored into the price of what you get. I'm pretty sure that for the family of someone in the hospital, charging them for an f-ing ketchup packet isn't helping things. It might be a good idea to consider priorities...and FYI, in one of the parking ramp elevators, there was some gross stain that looked like jelly in the carpet for over a week and the elevator looked like it was used for filming an episode of CSI.

Okay, I'm done. At least I know that I'm likely not going to keel over today from health problems.

NC trip #3 recap

What I did during my stay in the great state of North Carolina:

- built lego sets (and rebuilt, and rebuilt...) made a jail with a sweet trap door for the prisoners to escape. The best part was Benson play talking with his "guys" and telling them all about the trap door. I also made a sweet pyramid out of duplos, it was just 2D, I'm thinking about going for the 3D next trip. It had some sweet base structuring around it too, and according to Benson was "perfect".
- got caught up on my disney channel with "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", "Curious George", "Phinneus & Pherb", and of course Benson's new favorite "Octonauts"
- marching around the kitchen table with Benson singing the new smash hit "Chicken & Rice" to the tune of the "Creature Report" song on "Octonauts" the night that we ordered Chinese food for supper
- my brother getting me hooked on the show "Sherlock"--which I'm not even sure I will get on TV since it is a BBC show, but at least I'm all caught up to the 3rd season
- the joys of EST and 0700 being 0600 in Sioux Falls--but it being great laying in bed in jammies with my mom & nephew hearing about the "Robot Cats" and playing with legos that aren't particularly sturdy on a bed surface (refer to the first item listed of "and rebuilt, and rebuilt") "Robot Cats" are the imperial walkers in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back by the way. He loves that movie now, he truly is my brother's son
- Benson being able to say the real names of all his airplanes--seriously, this kid knows what all their names are...
- building a Lowe's racecar at "Build & Grow" at the Lowe's store in Mooresville. This is such a cool thing, it's free for kids and they do it every 2 weeks. Look into it if you have kids. The projects are all pretty simple and the kids get to take them home.
- harvesting corn on my "Farm Story" game, it was pretty funny when he woke up from one of his naps and one of the first things he said was, "your corn is ready?"
- reading books, especially Sunday night when I read my favorite with him "Pokey Little Puppy", which really has no real plot or valuable lesson but it is the cutest thing ever when he says "Pokey Little Puppy", also cute as crap when he reads "Bears on Wheels"..."One on one again." :)
- enjoying the awesomeness of the Keurig coffee maker--I'm going to stick with the Wal-Mart special Mr. Coffee coffee pot I have right now, but Keurigs are pretty sweet
- Me laying down the beat while Benson showed us his dancing skills

There was so much more, but the best part was being able to spend some quality time with my brother, sister-in-law, nephew, & my mom. I am so blessed to have the great family I do and being able to go visit them. I love my famly!!!

Benson creations

I miss him already.

NC Bound...Delta Delta Delta can I help ya help ya help ya

I am at this moment in a plane headed to Charlotte, NC. It's kind of exciting to be typing on a computer in mid-air (it's actually a tablet, but same deal). I got my Mom sitting next to me playing on her Kindle Fire. She was not at all thrilled about the picture taking either, but that's too bad, haha.

So I get to see my little buddy today!!!!! (aka my nephew Benson). I can't wait to give him a big hug and for the next 5 days to give him a hug whenever--although my mom has commented on how he has become more "sassy" recently so maybe he won't be as willing to give hugs and kisses. That's ok, I am just so excited to be able to see him, listen to him talk & tell me about things, read him a story before bed, play with legos, and watch some Disney channel. I'm not sure if he is still as into Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & Jake & the Neverland Pirates & Special Agent Oso as much as last time I was there, but I'm sure I will find out pretty quick.

Oh, and by the way it's apparently around 63 degrees F in Charlotee when we took off from Minneapolis. I didn't bring any shorts, hopefully I won't regret that decision.

I already miss my baby kittens (They aren't actually baby kittens but that is what they are often called by me). I know Sarah and the girls will take good care of them though. Poor Arthur was just sitting in the front window with that sad look when my ride came to pick me up.

Well I think I am going to take a nap now, considering in the last 48 hrs I have gotten about 8 hrs of sleep total and for those of you familiar with my sleeping patterns, if I'm able to I will usually get more than 8 hrs in one night...and then take a nap in the afternoon, haha.

...and the title? We are flying Delta & that line has just been playing in my head over and over. But the flight attendants don't seem to be that willing to help, or smile, or not look like creepy robot people.

...and I love to do draw-rings!

I got a new app today from the Amazon app store (hooray for the daily free app). I had quite a bit of time today to sit on my butt and play with it since I am getting over what yesterday I thought was surely dysentary, but tday I'm pretty sure it is just a 24 hr flu or food poisoning (don't eat the turkey tetrazini from the Avera McKennan cafeteria, although I have no basis of this causing my illness, but better safe than sorry, it's just not worth it). So I'm sure there will be many more awesome creations to follow, but for today I was wondering when shark week is so logically my mind went to Jaws.
It brings me back a little to when I would make pictures with "Paint" at my dad's house. I am still pretty easy to entertain.
P.S. If you didn't catch the SNL Mike Myers' character "Simon" reference in the title, you suck.

Loneliness, faith, & a dog

So last week was a fairly down week for me even though I was off of work. Last Friday (1/27) I had the most awful dream. Every once in awhile (maybe once a month at the most) I will have a "drunk" dream. Usually they consist of me taking a sip of alcohol and then feeling horrible that I broke my sobriety. Sometimes they are worse where I will get super drunk, but this was the first time I woke up physically sickened from it & stayed in bed a good portion of the day. The details aren't so important, but it felt so real while I was dreaming it. Thinking about it now, what happened in the dream was pretty ridiculous, but it seemed so real! The worst part about it was that I physically felt the same feelings I did from when I was drinking, especially the "incomprehensible demoralization" and just curl-up-in-a-ball-icky feeling I would always have the next day after a blackout. What did I do? In the dream, one of the things I remember is watching a video of myself the next day trying to do some kind of line dance while shit-faced and falling all over the place. If anything, it reminded me of what I NEVER want to feel again. My life is better now and it's not any better "out there".
I think part of why my week went the way it did is because I was lonely. Considering I live alone in a large house & don't really have a social life (most of my human interaction is at work or at meetings) I rarely get sad-down-in-the-dumps lonely. For some reason recently I have been reminded that I am 26 years old and that when I was younger I would have been sure I'd be married with kids by now. I let myself sit on my pity pot for a little while...I am a good person, I'm not ugly, I have a good career, I own a house--why won't someone date me? wah wah! BUT, then I realize that along with the numerous things in my life that have changed in my life since I took my last drink, so has my taste in men & what I will put up with in a relationship. I think the biggest difference between now and a few years ago is that now I am genuinely happy and content without a romantic relationship. I definately think a healthy relationship would add to my happiness, but I am OK without it. Before, I was hoping that getting into a romantic relationship would make me happy and content--that I never could be truly happy without a family of my own.
My faith has definately helped me when I get to thinking of what I want and think that I deserve it. I know what I want, but God knows what I need. I would love to be married and have 2 or 3 little kids running around, changing diapers, helping with art & science projects, and God knows I would love this too. But I know that if I put my faith in God and every day try to do his will and not mine, my life will be more fulfilling no matter what happens. And for goodness sakes I'm only 26. Not everyone marries his soulmate at 23 like one of my brothers.
Oh, and about the dog thing. I've been thinking about getting a dog ever since I moved into my house. I asked my family about it last week when I was home and got an overwhelming NO. Still just thinking about it, but I think it would be good for me.

Heartburn Hump Day

It's day 4 today of my 7 days on & my second week on with my new schedule times. Since July I had been working 1:30 pm - midnight and now my shift has changed to 4 pm - 2:30 am. I feel a smidge less zombie-like than last time, but last night was pretty rough. I guess it will take some getting used to for my brain to perform high level functions after 1 o'clock in the morning.

For some reason I only seem to get heartburn when I'm at work. Is this a sign of stress? I'm not sure, but it feels like a made a peanut butter sandwich with way too much peanut butter and it is slowly moving down my esophagus and occasionally getting stuck on the sides...not pleasant. I seriously only get it when I'm at work. I did purchase some TUMS awhile back, and you would think since it's only a problem at work that I would just bring the whole bottle to work...well that would be the logical thing to do. But there it sits in my cupboard at home. The other day my co-worker was kind enough to give me some pepcid, gotta love pharmacists. We carry the most random stuff. Goal for tomorrow: Bring TUMS to work. I think this will be achievable.