Bellyaches

Must live up to my name, Negative Nelly:

1. My brother has not sent more pictures of piglet yet. Doesn't he know it's all about me and I want to stare at his baby's face? And he had the nerve to cover piglet's hands in this morning's photos!! Frap and I are waiting to see fingers and toes. Mmm...baby toes.

2. Sadly, yesterday was not my first encounter with this--a pregnant woman on the Metro. She wasn't curiously pregnant as in "is she or isn't she?" She was obviously pregnant although not at the penguin waddling stage yet. Metro was full but not sardine-packed. This white guy who was dressed like an office dweeb was one of the people sitting in the priority seats by the door. He looked at me a few times so I know he wasn't immersed in a daydream or napping. PW was standing right in front of him with her round belly at his eye level. Not a flinch to get off his white-collar ass to let a pregger sit down. Finally a seat became available and I body blocked it so PW could have it. Some old white woman (60s) got huffy because I blocked it from her. Up yours, old bag. As I mentioned, this isn't the first time I've witnessed this. Once, I saw a penguin PW give up her seat TWICE--once to a frail and crusty-old woman and the second time to a handicapped woman. Train was full but not packed. When she got up the second time, I loudly said it's disgusting and appalling that a PW has to give up her seat. Nobody got up. Now, I know men can be self-centered pigs and chivalry went the way of dinosaurs, but there were tourists with a 10ish year-old son. This would have been the perfect opportunity to teach that kid decency, respect, and all those other old-fashioned values. Instead, everyone just looked up in response to my comment and did nothing.

3. My employer's open enrollment period for benefits began on Monday (11/12). My office got our benefits session on Tuesday, with one office getting theirs today, and another tomorrow (Friday). We are changing medical insurance providers. In order to ensure we receive our new ID cards in time, the provider needs enrollment forms by next Wednesday. Our open enrollment is supposed to go through December 5. Smell the incompetence and poor planning? The theme this year is "new provider, same rates! We are great!" The fine print that I deciphered by thinking (imagine that!) is we get downgraded from a PPO to a POS. In addition to that, our copays are increased from $10 for any doctor including specialists to $15 PCP/$25 specialist. Although our prescription copays remain the same, the drug formulary changes so that my allergy medications go from tier 2 (formulary) to tier 3 (non-formulary)--i.e. from $25 to $40. So, let's summarize my costs: allergy shots go from $10 to $25; medications go from $25 to $40. But wait!!! MY PREMIUMS STAY THE SAME! Isn't my employer wonderful for keeping premiums the same while most plans increased 10-15%??? So my monthly cost for allergies alone goes from $70 to $130. I wouldn't be as pissed if they didn't try to spin this crap as keeping our premiums the same. Having costed out benefits, I can say that the increase in premiums in exchange for lower copays isn't that much more. But then the idiots don't have bragging rights about keeping our premiums the same.

4. I found out this week that January 1, 2007 was the first time in the company's 35+ year history that New Year's Day was granted as a paid holiday. In prior years, employees had to use leave if they wanted the day off. The notion of paid holidays is also fairly new--about 3 years. Before then, there were no paid holidays. Period. I'm still trying to figure out how they got nominated (but didn't win, thank goodness) as a Washingtonian Best Places to Work. So, now we get 15 days paid time off (vacation/sick) and 6 holidays. Meanwhile there are excess baggage that get bonuses in the six-figures. They are delusional about this being a great place to work. The benefits suck.