Thursday, October 17, 2024

Paying a Bill

 Earlier this year, the medical system our doctors belong to was purchased by someone else, and they took over just as the former owner (Ascension) was the target of a ransomware attack.  Apparently, an employee clicked on a malicious link. The result was, to put it mildly, a mess.

I won't bore you with the details from the patients' standpoint.  But it was a while before we were even told it was a ransomware attack.  We had to depend on rumors, which turned out to be true.

The recovery has come a long way and, as patients, my spouse and I had to set up accounts in the new owner's patient portals. We just received our first bill.

Electronically.

Because we had automatically been opted into electronic billing and didn't know it.

We were given 10 days (!) to pay the bill.

We didn't realize we weren't getting a paper bill (something the old owner always sent) until today, day nine, when I was checking the portal for some lab results and found the bill.  Turns out our only notification was a text, which spouse ignored because he thought we'd be getting a paper bill.

I spent part of the morning today trying to pay the bill by phone.

Several times we input information and the automated system hung up on us. Or, it rang busy.  Finally, I tried the option to talk to a representative "with a question".

I was told there was a 17 minute wait.

With the old owner, the pay by phone option was seamless and you spoke to a real person.

Did I mention that the new owner's phone calls are marked spam by our phone provider?

I've had other difficulties in the preceding months (much of it due from understaffing, which is a nationwide issue), and I am so disappointed.

We were told the new owners (Guthrie, and yes, I am calling you out by name) were going to be so much better than the old owners. The old owner had issues, lots of them, but I have a feeling we have been pulled (to use a cliche) from the frying pan into the fire.

There are only two health systems in our area.

The next few months are going to be interesting.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Scarecrow Festival Dog Walker and Bee #WordlessWednesday

More photos from the annual Otsiningo Park Scarecrow Festival.

Would you trust this dogwalker?   (one of the few entries that isn't a non-profit).

Would you trust this bee?  (SUNY Broome, our local community college).

Finally, a Public Service Announcement.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for #WordlessWednesday.

Note, I may be a little late getting back to your comments and website, and I appreciate your patience.

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day October 2024

October in my zone 6a Southern Tier of New York garden has arrived, and it's time for the 15th of each month Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Where did summer and early fall go?

Another growing season is getting ready to conclude, as winter closes in.  We will most probably have our first frost Thursday morning.  Outlying areas have already had theirs.

This week so far has been rainy and cold, and for that reason, I cheated a little and took some of these pictures Saturday.

First, the outdoor flowers.  For the last time this year I have so many that I won't show all of them to you.

Japanese anemones are in full bloom.

Nothing says fall like mums.  I got this inexpensive plant at our area Aldi a few weeks back with buds just starting to open and it is now blooming its little mum heart out.

My dahlia is finally blooming.  It gave a disappointing performance this year.

Not so the lantana, which had a great year, perhaps the best ever in all the years I've grown them.

The last three years I've grown cuphea, a flower that hummingbirds love.  The flowers (at least, what is sold here) are normally red and yellow, but last year I found a cultivar with white flowers.  The hummingbirds didn't like it but, about three or four weeks ago, I found some growing in a crack between two pavers in my yard.  These volunteers were a pleasant surprise. 

My impatiens are not looking good.  I took five cuttings after I took this picture to (hopefully) root in water.  I keep them alive all winter and they will bloom later in the winter.
Sedum.

My fall blooming heuchera.  The leaves you see are not heuchera leaves.  The flowers were all leaning at angles and I got neighboring plants.

Variegated geraniums, before I took some cuttings.  These I will root in soil with rootone, a power rooting hormone.  Mine dates from the pandemic (my local nursery didn't have it in stock) so I hope it still works.   

This is the hard part of outdoor gardening, when it is time to say goodbye.

Before I go, some indoor flower pictures.  Here are two African violets.   I got these at my local nursery on a special sale.   This one is loaded with blooms.  I hope it doesn't meet the fate of my previous African violets, all of which died this summer.  I suspect overwatering was the cause.  

This African violet had sunburn on the leaves but I decided to buy it anyway. Its chances of seeing the sun this winter aren't that great. 

Last but not least, Plectranthus.  I've had this plant for years now - actually, three small plants. All are blooming. They bloom in October and November, on a northern window, too.

And that's my October collection of outdoor and indoor flowers.  Why not visit the link at the beginning of my post and find out what is blooming in other gardens from all over the world?

Monday, October 14, 2024

Memories of the Mid 70's #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Today I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers. We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post may be labeled "No Music".  

Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and, last but not least, me.

Every other week, we have a theme.  On alternate weeks, we can blog on any music theme we want. This week's theme is "You Pick".

I came up with this thought when I was starting to wake up the other day.  The years between 1974 and 1977 brought a lot of changes in my life - graduating college, marrying, moving hundreds of miles away, moving again (more than once) due to my spouse joining the military, and through it all, music was a constant.

So I've picked a playlist reflecting those years.  In no particular order:

 A top 10 song on June 1, 1974:  Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run 

Also from 1974, the artist is a man born Steven Demetre Georgiou, who is now known as Yusuf/Cat Stevens. and his song is Oh Very Young.

Just a little over a year later, 1975 was such a great music year.  First, Elton John and Someone Saved My Life Tonight.

1975- December 1963 (Oh What a Night) - Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.


 The end of 1975 and beginning of 1976 brought us a crossover hit, C. W. McCall and Convoy.  This song may puzzle my younger readers but CB radios were big about that time.

1976, and memories of a hot, hot summer the year we lived in Wichita Falls, Texas while my spouse attended tech school.  And, as far as I'm concerned, this song has just enough cowbell.  Here's Blue Oyster Cult and (Don't Fear) The Reaper.

 Meanwhile, in the Airman's Club and its live bands (all good!), I first became acquainted with this song.  Here's Wild Cherry and Play That Funky Music, another 1976 hit.

Finally, 1977 brought us a cover of Bruce Springsteen's debut single from 1973.  But it took Manfred Mann's Earth Band to bring it to #1.  Here's Blinded by the Light, a song I've had on my blog before and it well deserves extra play.  This was released in 1976 but made #1 in February of 1977, just in time for it to bring back particular memories.

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next Monday for another installment of Music Moves Me!

And, if flowers move you, join me again tomorrow for my 15th of the month Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post.

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Shadowy Scarecrows #ShadowshotSunday

Today, some shadowy pictures from the Otsiningo Park Scarecrow Contest.

The contest, explained.

West Corner Firefighters.

TV Weatherperson from a local station.  The space is so children can their picture taken with the scarecrow.

 

This is a picture which I wish I could identify, but I can't.  Anyone? 

I'll have more on Wednesday.

Joining Lisa at Lisa's Garden Adventures for her #ShadowshotSunday.

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Another Installment of Scarecrows

It's time for another installment of scarecrows from the ninth annual Scarecrow contest at Otsiningo Park in Binghamton, New York.

The contest, explained.

Note, I will not be online until sometime tonight, so any comments will not be published until then. 

Elliot and a Scare Crow, one of the few entries not from a non profit.

We Scare because We Care.

This Prime Care international display deserves a closer look.
The closer look.
Vote Here! (sorry, in person voting only this year).

More scarecrows (and their shadows) tomorrow.

Friday, October 11, 2024

Aurora Photos #SkywatchFriday

 Taken around 10:20 pm last night outside my home in the Southern Tier of New York with an iPhone 13 mini and, I'm assuming, night mode.

This didn't look anything like what I saw with my eyes which was just a  sort-ofpurplish glow in the sky.  I live in a neighborhood with a lot of light coming from houses and some street lights.  You can even see stars in this picture.
I don't often do night photography, and my iPhone 13 mini insisted on a three second timer.
So I don't know if that is technical "cheating" but wow, those colors.  These photos are not manipulated in any way other than the three second delay.

Some stars are visible here, too.

I think I can even see a small piece of green aurora in this picture. 

I thank the co worker who texted me just after 10pm and told me to look at the sky.  She lives up on a hill and I hope she had a better view. 

Timing is everything.  I went out again about 11pm and it was (surprise) cloudy.

How fortunate I was.

Joining Yogi and other sky watchers each Friday for #SkywatchFriday.