Layout:
Home > I'm evolving

I'm evolving

March 1st, 2015 at 10:37 pm

After entering the 21st century with my new LED TV and Roku stick, I wound up buying an Android smartphone which at first I was going to return because I was overwhelmed by how much I had to learn to use it and no true user's manual, but now I think I'm going to keep.

It was $130, has the dual selfie/outward-facing camera, Google voice recognition when you're doing a search for something which I LOVE, no contract, just pay as you go with TracFone and triple minutes for as long as I own the phone. It's got a 4.5-inch screen, which is pretty big. It even has a built-in flashlight.

At least I can make a phone call now and I set the weather to my town. I can get online but it's a royal pain trying to type in my email password because I happen to have an underscore (_) in it and I can't seem to get voice recognition for my password to work. I also have no idea how to delete an email message. Sigh. I haven't even begun to explore apps.

When I first started working at the bank I was having major withdrawal pains from not being able to check my personal email from the office. Truth be told, after 1.5 years, it's not such a big deal anymore and since I'm not doing much freelance writing, there's really nothing urgent coming along via email that can't wait til I get home.

It can do so much more than my EXTREMELY basic cellphone with the teeny buttons. Now I'm practicing my touch and swish and slide technique. Smile

I bought a shoe stretcher on Amazon and wanted to use it on a good pair of leather shoes that aren't wide enough. I wound up ripping out some of the shoe stitching by putting it in. Now I'll have to bring it to a shoe repair place because I like these shoes (I have them in 2 colors) and have had them forever. Just a basic loafer with a 1.5 inch heel.

I read online that using 2 cups of OxiClean with hot water is a good way to clean soap scum off shower tiles, but it failed to achieve the desired results. I want the tiles to shine and they are very dull.

The state of CT is preventing me from filing my tax returns because they issued me an incorrect 1095A form, which I need to show how much money I received in subsidies for health insurance for the 1st 4 months of 2014; they had me down as getting the subsidies for 11 months of the year, which would mean I would have to pay back nearly $4,000 instead of the $1400 I know I owe! As if simple failure to notify them I didn't want the insurance anymore is justification to penalize the policyholder.

I KNEW I hadn't told them I was cancelling but this was at a time when I was still focused on doing well at my new job and the health insurance company's hours were exactly the same as my bank's, meaning I couldn't call after hours. There's no privacy in my cube for that kind of call and I did once or twice go in the stairwell to call but there were always long wait times. I scribbled "Cancel" on one premium notice and mailed it back to them but apparently that didn't register. It wasn't til November that I finally got someone on the phone and that's why the 1095 form they issued me indicated I cancelled in November, when in fact I'd stopped paying for the insurance 8 months earlier.

Since getting the 1095 A form in early February, I got bounced around to different phone numbers and then either got a consistent busy signal or got a phone that rang and rang and rang. I did talk to one guy, apparently the right guy, 2 weeks ago and he argued that because I didn't effectively cancel the insurance when I went on another plan that I would be considered still on their plan, even though I 1. stopped paying the premiums after April, 2. Filed no claims after April and 3. Was paying for insurance via agency that hired me as a contract worker. At the time of our conversation he said he would call Healthy CT, which is the health plan I had been. Well, I haven't been able to talk to him since but I did leave a phone message telling him I found at home a letter Healthy CT sent me in July which proves I wasn't a policyholder through November. In the letter they basically said we see you haven't paid your premiums since April and if we don't get those back premiums due, we'll cancel your insurance as of May 31. I told him I could scan and email that letter to him.

But I still haven't heard back and can't get thru on the phone. It's extremely trying becus I REALLY want to get my taxes behind me and I can't, and I feel completely helpless to do anything about it. They simply don't answer their phones and their customer services is non-existent.

If I don't hear from him or get the darn revised 1095 form, I may write a long and detailed letter to Access Health president, the Commissioner of the CT Dept of Public Health, which oversees Access Health and possibly even appeal to my state representative to intervene on my behalf. Becus I really don't know what else I can do. I am hoping that just the threat of my doing so, if left on another phone message, may be enough to get the form. If he even listens to his messages.

Last night I tried the first pill of some free samples my gynocologist gave me for hot flashes. I've dealt with hot flashes for 5 years and I am pretty sick of them by now. The daytime once have eased up; i still feel all heated up maybe 4 or 5 times a day, but it's nothing like the once every hour routine I had when they started in 2010. Nighttime hot flashes are still a problem, though, and I feel I toss and turn all night, first I'm hot and throw off the covers and tear off my pajamas, then I'm cold, then I'm hot, etc.

But the pill caused digestive issues and a mild headache; can't deal with the former when I'm at work, even though the label said it was only in the 1st 4 weeks of use.

I researched some non-prescription, non-hormonal alternatives online and ordered I-cool from Amazon, so we'll see how that works.

Doctors are so quick to prescribe a med that's often got side effects as bad as what it's trying to fix.

5 Responses to “I'm evolving”

  1. snafu Says:
    1425253346

    Welcome to the Smart Phone era. It's a blessing and frustrating at the same time. Just when you you've mastered a few of the features, there are more, new ones you feel would be a benefit and the learning curve rears up yet again. Worse yet, they track every site you visit and as I understand it, will soon drown us in ads for products and services we don't want like commercials on TV. Understand they keep introducing new phones and harassing us to upgrade.

    Would you consider changing your e-mail password to make it easier to use on your Smart Phone? There is a symbol for trash, often a teeny trash can image, possibly at the bottom of the screen. You can go on-line and seek info on your specific unit.

    RX: It helps to check PDR Turtle wax to keep soap scum or hard water minerals at bay for years but don't get it on the tub or shower stall base as it results in a slippery surface.

    CT Ins: Can you get your mom or sis or someone to sit on the phone and get to a person to get a new form? Give them a script of what to say and answers to the obvious questions. Alternately, take some 'personal time' off and go to the local CT Healthy office in person with whatever documentation you can offer. Apparently not using their forms to notify of your change of status is serious and has expensive consequences. You might need to consult with a tax lawyer for how best to proceed.

    ...just random ideas

  2. snafu Says:
    1425253609

    for reasons I can't explain my Mac contracts some responses much to my frustration....

    RX: It helps to check PDR [Physicians Desk Reference] for all prescriptions before having them filled by the pharmacy. Your pharmacist can outline the pros and cons of all these drugs and how they fit with OTC or any other meds you take. Does your pharmacy give out the information sheets put out by the drug manufacturers for their specific products? They're a pain to read but offer the information you need to identify side effects. They need someone with your writing skills to make them customer friendly lol.

  3. CB in the City Says:
    1425304260

    I got my Android phone for Christmas last year, and I've learned quite a bit over the year. You don't have to learn it all it once. I'm glad you kept the phone; you will love it more and more.

  4. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    1425343425

    I am glad to hear you're learning to like your smartphone. Smile If I had an Android I'd try to help you figure out how to delete emails. On the iPhone you just swipe to the left and press delete.

  5. Tabs Says:
    1425418214

    Welcome to the smartphone era! Sorry to hear that it is so frustrating.

    Have you considered changing your password to make it easier for you to enter your password?

    I think voice recognition only works for regular words that it can recognize, but it should work if you have a password that uses regular words.

    If you are using Gmail, there should be a trash can icon that you press, and your message will be moved to the trash can. After something like a month, the email will be deleted off your phone for good.

    I'm at work so I don't have my phone with me, but I'll monitor this thread if you have anymore questions.

Leave a Reply

(Note: If you were logged in, we could automatically fill in these fields for you.)
*
Will not be published.
   

* Please spell out the number 4.  [ Why? ]

vB Code: You can use these tags: [b] [i] [u] [url] [email]