Dear So and So

[channlluv]

{{{{snap}}}}

I know what you're going through. It's one year ago today that my grandfather passed away in a hospice facility. Peacefully, and with my grandmother by his side, holding his hand.

And a year ago November that I went to my father's house for his final transition, too. That took a week. He had at-home, round-the-clock hospice care. Those nurses were amazing.

You're absolutely right to take some time off. I will tell you, though, that there may be times that you really need to take a break -- a mental one -- from the bedside care. I did a lot of paper grading while I was at my dad's house and he was sleeping, then comatose, and the rest of us were just waiting for the inevitable. If you can do work at home, you might welcome the diversion.

You take your time and give yourself some space to grieve. And I think if you're financially set for retirement, go ahead and take it. Your boss has no right to expect you to focus on work when your family needs you like they'll need you these next few days.

Much, much love you to and your family.

Roxy

[OakLeaf]

Dear national chain pharmacy:

What in the world were your people thinking when you decided to package each of my prescriptions in a SEPARATE sealed plastic bag, printed with my name, address, telephone number, the name of my prescription plan, the plan price of the medication (which was certainly enough to raise a thief's interest, in one case) and the difference between the plan price and the retail price? (I think my DOB was on there too, but I don't remember for sure, I was so stunned.)

I realize that waste doesn't even enter into pharmacy calculations, when you already package 30 tiny pills in a 75 ml bottle. But did they stop for one second to think that plastic bags won't pass through a shredder?

Plastic is slippery and staticky. It was just about all I could do to cut each one of those panels into enough pieces that my identifying information was more or less obliterated. My dad has a tremor and there's no WAY he'd have been able to do that. My friend has arthritis in her hands, and she wouldn't have been able to do that, either. I'll bet you have a LOT of customers who are physically unable to prevent the identity theft you're inviting.

I'll be getting my next refills somewhere else, thank you, and I certainly hope my state's new anti-pharmacy-shopping law doesn't get in the way of my doing so.