RELIEF

February 22nd: Yesterday while we had been in Longview, we had stopped by Red Canoe to take care of a banking snafu there … and were forced to close that account, and open a new one. This is becoming a habit with this banking company, We were not happy, but we really had no other choice. My woodworker's beneficiary pension is handled through that branch - which meant that I had to contact MetLife and get that straightened out this morning :-(

So, with Bleu sprawled on the floor at my feet, I called the phone number given me for a MetLife Rep, and talked to a MetLife fella about the woodworker's pension plan widow benefits, and had to refile with MetLife because the woodworker's pension plans had been shifted to them … and they didn't know who I was, and was more interested in legally covering their monetary asses, than they were in continuing with my widow benefits, gifted to me by my late husband, who had thoughtfully provided for me so I wouldn't have to struggle when he was no longer in my life.

I was struggling trying to understand why MetLife was being difficult given that they already had all the pertinent information they needed to process what belongs to me.

UGH

Anyway; before the fella (and he really was very nice while doing a difficult job keeping his boss happy) disconnected, he told me that I had to finish the refiling online: which frustrated me - and Holland just sat by quietly, praying me through the online filing struggle … and occasionally offering words of encouragement, "You can do this, Baby", "Take a deep breath, and start again", "When you get this done - and you will; we'll go for a relaxing drive", "You did it!" And then adding, "What just happened is a real miracle, Baby. Normally things like this take hours on the phone - and weeks to complete: God wrapped this whole thing up for you in a little under an hour. A true miracle."

That was around 10:30 AM.

Around 11 AM, we were both sitting around the house; relaxing and surfing the internet, and drinking morning coffee - when Holland decided to call the referred knee doctor's office to make an appointment for Monday, and the receptionist said there was a 2:50 opening this afternoon, and she could pencil him in if he was interested.

(((YES!)))

Second miracle of the Day :-)

So, we quickly left the driveway for Longview. We were both rejoicing that Holland would finally get relief from the agonizing knee pain he has been suffering. He could hardly walk without grinding his teeth - that would end with the cortisone shots :-)

We arrived in Longview ahead of schedule, so we found a parking spot close to the clinic, and sat talking for a few minutes … until Bleu kept interrupting us with his territorial guardship attitude concerning me (Holland is actually encouraging this); Holland wants Bleu to primarily be my guard dog, but I want Bleu to be as equally protective towards Holland given the current society under the current DC madness, that is quickly spiraling out of control.

Bleu considers me his personal property - I insist Holland gets equal attention so Bleu doesn't get 'territorial'.

We hadn't been parked long in the clinic's parking lot, when Holland's phone rang: the X-ray results were in … arthritis and age-related degeneration (the breakdown of 'soft tissue' leads to pain and inflammation); shortly after that phone call was ended, Holland went into the clinic to get the patient forms filled out.