Well, I was not convinced I was ready for the Vonage plunge, so I called Qwest to see if I could get better prices.

I was able to save $13 for Internet by choosing a two year agreement and getting a $26.99 plan for the exact same speed and service. I stopped the long distance plan which should cut about $10 - $25 or less in charges and taxes/fees. They also allowed existing DirecTV customers to bundle their service w/ them, so I added that too for another $5 bundle savings.

So, I am not sure if I have simplified things at all since I am just trading a Satellite bill for a long distance bill, but I think in the long run I am probably saving more since Internet is more expensive without a phone plan.

At the very least I will be saving about $25, but I won’t know exactly how much for a couple more months.

I have been looking over DelightfulDeliveries.com, America’s #1 Gift Basket Website, in preparation for a get together we have been invited to this holiday season. I don’t want to show up empty handed, but I don’t want to bring the same old, same old bottle of wine, or green bean casserole. Sometimes special people deserve special gifts; I would also like something unique and festive. Maybe something like a bouquet of Holiday Cookies, I mean how cute are these?

The other thing I liked about the Delightful Deliveries website is the many different search options. You can sort by occasion or holiday, or by price ranges, brand, types of items in the basket itself, recipient, or by dietary restrictions. With so many choices, you can go very simple, like a box of candies or a tin of gourmet popcorn, or you can go all out with bottles of wines, cheeses, crackers, candies, popcorn and chocolates all placed neatly into one handsome basket.

Delightful Deliveries also has Monthly clubs, for a gift that truly does keep on giving, or floral delivery. They also have corporate gifts which are a nice way to tell your customers that you appreciate their business. We have gotten several gifts when we have purchased a vehicle or our house, and it really does make us feel like they care about us.

I am having a hard time finding positive reviews of Vonage, the reviews are really mixed and about half report service unreliable and customer service poor. I signed up for consumer reports and their reviews are saying to keep a land line which kind of defeats the purpose of saving money by closing the phone account.

Instead I decided to change my long distance carrier to ECG, the company I had for years when we lived in Tx and Wa. They were not in Colorado when we moved here, so that is why we did not switch upon moving here, or maybe it was because we were on base and had no choice of long distance carriers, I don’t remember now, I am too tired. Anyways, by switching, my bill which was $10.84 for 117 minutes will be $2.96.

My favorite memory of Christmas was when my sister, who was probably about 15 made all my gifts by sewing me all the furniture and bedding for a Barbie doll sized house that was left at our home when we bought it. The house was unrepairable and she used scrap carpet, linoleum, wallpaper, and paint to fix it up and then made me furniture. I loved it, she is so crafty and still gives the most thoughtful gifts.

My mom also had some neat Snow Globes that had Dreamsicle babies in them, or other various snow scenes of couples holding hands etc. I also remember laying under the Christmas three and looking up at the ornaments and lights on the tree. My mom had these two ornaments I loved to take down and play with. One was a wooden Pinocchio doll, the other was a teddy bear old an old fashioned red tricycle, the ones with the huge front wheel and the little back wheels.

So I am seriously thinking of switching to Vonage. I am about 98% committed and will probably call tomorrow to join up after I talk to Qwest one more time about canceling my service. I am just so tired of overpaying for my phone bill, it is just ridiculous to pay almost $100 for Internet and phone.

When Bobby was in the Army, he worked 10-12 hour days and was away from home about 50-75% of the 8 years he was in. It seemed like he was never home. I also hated how when he would take vacation time if he was going to be gone Friday-Wednesday, the Army would make him use his time off for Saturday and Sunday, even though he normally did not work on the weekends.

Since the boys are off from school all this week, he decided to take a couple days off work so he could have 5 day weekend. Today he worked a half of the day and will go back on Monday. I have a feeling Friday is going to be a telecommute day and so he won’t be charged paid time off for that day.

He is also planning on taking the rest of his time off around Christmas, so he will have two weeks off because his employer has a one week shut down around Christmas-New Years. It really makes me wish it was not so expensive to fly around the holidays, I would love to fly up to Spokane for Christmas.

So, my doctor’s office called back this morning at 9:30 and she said they did submit the referral and to go ahead and make my appointment and that I did not need a referral or referral number with my insurance.

So I called my insurance company because I had talked to them in the past about infertility coverage and they said that I was right, I DO need a referral & a referral number to even make an appointment with this specialist. They looked again and confirmed they never got my referral and told me to call back the middle of next week to see if they have receieved and approved it yet.

I also asked them about the ER bill and they told me to just photocopy Austin’s insurance card and mail that to them; hopefully they will get the hint. She also said that the reason why this bill is so low is that the doctor bills separatly from the hospital, and the hospital bill was paid a long time ago.

So the new doctor hunt begins today, I am going to start calling around to get a feel for the different practices in town. I am SO GLAD the boys have such good doctors.

Hot Tamale, aka Veronique from payperpost is back from Vegas and feeling better than ever. I guess her mineral water, vacation to Vegas for the PayPerPost Wedding, and a brand spankin’ new HP Digital Camera has renewed her spirits. I bet they had a blast in Vegas, I know I would!

Hot Tamale seems like such a sweet girl, and as Dr. Phil would say, “she is just as cute as a speckled pup”. Her enthusiasm about her new camera is so nice, because I have felt that same way about my own Canon Digital Rebel XT. I LOVE that camera.

Anyways, check it out!

So, my doctor or nurse never called me back, surprise, surprise. Gahhh! They are running short on time (since I forgot they will be closed Thursday and they are never open on Friday).

I also got a bill in the mail that is REALLY making me mad. When Austin went to the ER for his concussion they somehow billed our old insurance, not the one I said was our insurance company, not the one they photocopied his card for, not the one I paid the copay for, or the one that they put in the computer. Where they pulled our old insurance information from a year ago from, I don’t know… being we have NEVER been to that hospital.

Here is the part that pisses me off though, his fall happened over 2 months ago, closer to three, and I have been calling the billing company once a week for 2 months leaving messages for them to call me back so they can get it straightened out. Not only have I NEVER gotten them to answer the phone, but they have never called me back no matter how many messages I leave. It’s also a long distance call, so I have phone bills out the ass from being on hold for up to an hour without a live person, just the message telling me to hold.

This is not the first billing problem I have had since switching insurance companies in July, I have had Matthew’s pediatrician, and Christopher’s neurologist send me a bill despite them photocopying my insurance card and collecting my copay… but that is not what bothers me. Both times it took a two minute phone call to clear it up and within a few weeks I get a statement from the insurance saying it is paid in full… no biggie!

I can guarantee if I blow off this ER bill, they will report me to collections and THEN I will get phone calls. Bobby thinks I should report them to the Better Business Bureau; something I would not have considered except for all this crap they are putting me through. So, I will be calling and leaving a message, and recording the time I call and if I do not hear back soon, I WILL be reporting them. I also plan on sending them a formal complaint letter.