AIMCO Reimbursement - Round 3

THE INDUSTRIAL PLASTIC THAT KEPT ME SEPARATED FROM MY KITCHEN, DINING ROOM, CLOSET FROM 11.13.2007 THROUGH 10.31. 2007. (15 days)

Apparently, yesterday, Monday, in the middle of the afternoon while I was busy with something else, I received an email from Mariner's Coves Management.

Then at 9:30 this morning, I received a phone call, "had I gotten the email?" Well, I had seen it there in my inbox, but had not really read it. So, I read the email.

It would seem that the AIMCO people had 'talked it over' and agreed to 'cut me a check for $500; Please let them know as soon as possible...”

I gave the offer serious thought, a 'bird in the hand' and all that. BUT this is about HALF of what I spent out of pocket and what the damaged furniture will cost to replace. (Not to mention any consideration for what I went through.) AND, the money is not only already gone from my pocket, but it seems AIMCO is not willing to stand up and do the right thing, which would be to reimburse me immediately, especially as I have supplied all documentation and receipts.

Not to mention that after ALL I have been through, (without even a SLAM, BANG, THANK YOU MAAM from AIMCO or Mariner’s Coves management!) I may now be suffering with the “I am mad as hell and I am not gonna take it anymore" syndrome!

But I really did think it through, what it would take for me to file a claim against AIMCO in Small Claims Court, the time, energy, the costs.

I emailed them back that I would take no less than 991.00, which are my actual costs. Other than that, I would be filing in California Small Claims Court in December. Though they were HURRY, HURRY yesterday, I have not yet had a reply. And I don’t really expect one...

If I do not hear from them by the end of this week, I will (again), track down still one more (higher up) AIMCO executive, and email copies of all.

Otherwise, it looks like, at age 61, I am going to experience the California Small Claims Court-San Diego, for the first time in my life. (I am sooo very glad I documented, got receipts, took many pictures, had lots of ‘witnesses’, etc) But, even if I don't 'win' anything, at least I will have the satisfaction of knowing that AIMCO management, will actually have to experience some 'real life' for themselves!

BTW, what would I have done differently if I had it to do over again? I would not have spent one penny of what little I have. I would have called Red Cross and seen if The Girls and I qualified for Emergency Housing! (Mariner’s Coves offered a hotel ROOM – no kitchenette for my insulin/diabetes! No up front expense funds for $9.00 round trip disabled transit to/from any hotel as I needed it, no food chits, no boarding for the Sisters – nadda, just a paid for hotel room. Boy would I have been in a MESS if I had gone THAT route!)

Stop smoking then kill yourself, or someone else?

Chantix - I have been 'told' about this drug for about the past year, by two of my own docs, and by folks all over the net on various forums and boards who find out I am a smoker (and unlike so many others, I do not lie or hide my smoking).

When I first heard about Chantix, I did my net research. Right off the bat, with my first reading of the drug's literature, I knew it probably was not for me because it mentioned sleep and/or dreaming changes as one of the side effects.

I have bi-polar disorder, narrowed more specifically, Seasonal Affective Disorder (Severe). In fact, I took Lithium for many years, until solid research was done on ‘Light Therapy’. I tried it and found that light/dark therapy worked just as well for me as a means of mood control as medications had. I was then slowly weaned off Lithium.

The correlation: Sleep (how many hours per night), and the types of dreams I have are my earliest ‘clues’ to mood changes, and therefore treatment needs with either light or dark.

It has taken me a LOT of years to be able to self-manage SAD; I do not need a drug that would mess with that, perhaps throwing me into a depression or hypomania (during which, I would probably start smoking again anyway!).

So, I find the newest FDA info on Chantix interesting. “The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has informed healthcare professionals about reports of suicidal thoughts as well as some aggressive and erratic behavior in patients who have taken varenicline (Chantix, Pfizer), a smoking-cessation product.”

I cannot help but wonder if they are looking in the ‘wrong’ direction regarding this new drug and mood and/or behavior changes. I have personally known two males who committed suicide within two years of smoking cessation, years before Chantix was developed. Both were on long term anti-depressants, and seemed ‘stable’.

Perhaps these new Chantix findings is as simple as Nicotine somehow ‘helps’ those with depression (including anger and aggression), and suicidal tendencies? Perhaps these people are ‘self-medicating’ with Nicotine, and the ‘lack’ of it allows ‘mood disorders’ to emerge full force...

Remember, you heard it HERE first!

Door Stops

Out at my trash bin today, I found two matching square plastic boxes. They were pinkish, with a smooth 'fake' marble finish.

I could find no way to 'open' them. So I decided they were 'decorative' in nature. They make great door stops. As luck would have it, I have needed two door stops for years!

Thanksgiving 2007

A nice quiet, peaceful day. I didn't seek anyone out, and no one called me or came to my door.

I prepared my, by now, typical Diabetic Thanksgiving Meal. I baked some chicken, made boxed cornbread dressing, opened a can of chicken gravy, and a can of green beans. I 'browned' some dinner rolls. Sliced my Pumpkin Pie and topped it with gobs of non-fat whipped topping.

I ate too much. Crocheted, watched TV and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Even the burning and aching in my leg seemed to be at a 'lesser' level.

I did (briefly) toy with the idea of calling my Son in Indiana or my Daughter here. But then I re-thought that; hey, they know where I am and what my phone number is...

Poke & Peek

Had a 6 month follow up Cystoscopy today. Actually between Dr. Salem changing the appointment once, and me having to change it once, it has been almost 8 months since the last one.

The great news was that it was NEGATIVE!

Even though I've had to go for 'biopsies' each of the last two years, each time I get a 'NEGATIVE' is like being granted still another reprieve...

This was the first time I have seen Dr. Salem in her 'new digs', that is, since she left UCSD to go into private practice. So I was just a touch nervous, new place, new personnel, etc.

But it went smoothly; I was made comfortable with both the people and the place.

I am GLAD she has gone into private practice and has moved to Scripps Mercy Hospital! One less doc for me to deal with at UCSD Medical Center! (I'm now down to two; both of them Endo's.)

Plaquinil Dose Change

Saw Dr. Nguyen today. She dropped Plaquinil from 300 mg day, back to 200 mg day, due to some unpleasant 'side effects' that have developed in the last 6 weeks. Just hope there isn't an increase in pain and fatigue.

AIMCO Reimbursement - Round 2

WORK BEHIND THE PLASTIC ONCE DRYING EQUIPMENT WAS REMOVED

Suprisingly quick, late yesterday, I received this via email from AIMCO firt line management:

"Aimco has agreed to only reimburse the food expense and loss during the apartment flood repairs."

On to Round 2! I obviouly need to take this one level higher at AIMCO. Some research is in order now...

AIMCO Reimbursement

HOW THE INDUSTRIAL PLASTIC WAS AFFIXED TO FLOOR

Yesterday I emailed to AIMCO (they own/manage Mariners Coves) in Irvine, CA.

I sent a detailed expense report, a detailed log of the events caused by the leak of the water pipe in the apartment wall, some sample pics (I have 94 - dated & timed), a list of damaged furniture, a list of witnesses, a brief statement, and an invoice (noting that electricity billing was not yet included).

So far ALL I've been reimbursed on 11.1.2007, is $186 TOWARDS the meals I had to have delivered.

I bet THIS is going to be as messy as my apartment was! I am not just going to 'absorb' the financial cost THIS TIME (this was my third leak in this apartment!).

Not to mention that I actually have dreams about this mess, and when wide awake, sit around listening to the walls for the sound of water leaking!

I will be awaiting a response. Bet it won't be anytime soon...

Apartment Repairs Done!

The FINAL repair was completed today; the stove hood was changed out. The old one had rusted in areas from the moisture.

That does NOT mean the final 'unpacking' and putting stuff back where it belongs is done. Not by a long shot! I still have to 'look' for something, find it in an odd place and return it to where it 'lives'. This is still happening several times a day!

This entire catastrophe has taken a total of THIRTY-SIX days! And I am sad to say, though the water pipes in the wall have been repaired, I don't think it's the end of it...

Another Water Leak!

THE SECOND LEAK-THE WATER SEEPING INTO HALL CARPET FROM BATHROOM

I could NOT believe it!

Just one day after all the water damage repairs to my apartment were completed, when I got up this morning, the first thing I saw was a small puddle of water on the bathroom floor, seeping into the carpeting in the hall!

Since the ‘office’ would not be open for several minutes, and I didn’t want to go through the answering service, AND I knew that some of the maintenance people were already out and about on the property (they start work a couple of hours before the office opens), I threw on a jacket and went looking for one.

It did not take long. I hailed Saul, who was going by in one of the ‘carts’. He almost could not believe his ears, “Another leak? In the bathroom?” He went to get Carlos, and they were almost back to my apartment by the time I got to my front door.

Sure enough, Carlos checked out the walls in the bathroom, and THIS was a NEW leak, in the wall between my bathroom and linen closet!

It only took an hour or so for the leak to be ‘found & fixed’, wet carpet removed, the NEW molding removed, and for MORE drying equipment to be installed.

I was almost in hysterics...

Off My Hook - Petghans

I've finished my first two Petghans!

I worked these with two strands of 4ply (ww) acrylic in half double crochet stitch and a N hook. Then I edged them with 2 rows of single strand with single crochet. They are about 18" x 24".

One for each of the Sisters, of course. And they love them! Guess I will be making many more of these for my friends and their pets!

It is amazing how much I had forgotten about Crochet; these are good 'first projects'.