More on work

My Linkedin connections have ratcheted up their activity level since the start of the new year. At last count, my associates collectively posted more than 750 status updates. Most of the activity is the result of people making new connections.
When one person shows a lot of new connections, it's often an indicator that the person has or is about to lose a job. When there's a squall like this, from people at different companies, something else is going on. I suspect, but can't confirm yet, that this is a good sign. People who have jobs are looking for better jobs or at least are thinking about it. They're wondering who among their connections is doing what.
People aren't finding the kinds of steady jobs of old. Those jobs and the expectations for same ended probably 20 years ago. Tom Peters predicted it in the 80s and has ridden the wave of New Work for a pretty good career. He used to say that your career was your Rolodex (back when folks knew what one was), that you always needed to be thinking about how you'd be assembling a job based on your personal connections. Companies, too, would be developing virtual, ad hoc teams that would come together for quick projects and dissemble with no hard feelings.

Of course, lots of people have made a living with all kinds for a long time. Recently, a guy has received a lot of attention for admitting that he wrote college papers for pay. (These folks have an, um, interesting name for their company in this line of business.) Some 40 years ago, I did the same. I didn't write many and probably made only a few hundred bucks. I did  guarantee a B. My big advantage was that I could type, making it easier for the customer who didn't have to recopy the text into his (it was all guys) handwriting. It might be the only typewritten paper that the student ever handed in, but in a big school, no one noticed.
Funny thing. I was bombing out of my own courses even as I wrote B papers in sociology, English, and history. Karma generally finds you, eh?

Rocco

We picked up Rocco^[1] from his foster family in Manchester NH yesterday afternoon. His family generously offered many tips about his habits and likes. Even at age nine, he's interested in playing, tugging on a rope toy being one of his favorites.
On the ride home, he settled quietly in the wayback, rising to look around only as we slowed or took corners.
He was understandably curious and nervous about his new home. The back yard is snow-covered, so he explored only as much as the paths would let him. This morning, I need to bring down more firewood. We'll be out for some time and he might wander some more.
After our getting to know when he wants to play, we tossed and tugged at toys through the evening. His foster family had given us his bed, which we put in our bedroom. He settled in nicely and, although he can snore loudly, he seemed to have a good night.
The folks at NEARR ask that we provide regular photos and updates for the first year. We'll start a separate blog for him this weekend.
He's doing fine and we're doing great. Thanks to all of the voices of cheer from family, friends, and denizens of Blogotopia.

^[1]His given name had been spelled Rocko. We've opted for the Italian spelling with a nice tie-in to Saint Rocco. 

More on school closings

The high point of any kid's school year, whether that kid is six or 60, is, of course, those days when school is called off because of snow. It seems odd that college students would feel the same way. After all, notes one professor, education seems to be one of those things that you buy and want less for your money. But, there you have it.
From the static-filled, pre-dawn local AM broadcasts to the crawl of announcements along the bottom of the screen on the television to the various web and text messaging services, kids will find a way to find out.
Two of our grandchildren attend a Catholic high school in Worcester. Occasionally, we'll drive them to school in the morning. Because this school is new for us, we're still figuring things out. For example, it's not always clear if the closing of Worcester schools means parochial as well as public schools. Checking with Google on this, I didn't find an answer, but did learn that, according to Yahoo!, schools were closed one day three years ago.

At this writing, the wed site for the Worcester schools is off the air, so I can't confirm just yet. I expect, though, that they'll get another day off.
One school administrator, however, might have do well to come to work and practice typing.

Happy 15th Birthday, Krista

It's a story often told, how Krista was born on a night of a very big storm. Her brothers, ages six, four, and two, jumped up and down at the news. "It's a girl," they shouted.
Skipping ahead some years, we have a tradition of taking our grandchildren to see Blue Man Group in celebration of their 13th birthdays. Two years ago, a Blue Man got to meet Krista.

Caremark keeps medication costs low by not sending you any

It's a good thing that Holden has three national pharmacy chains. I still have a choice after I stop doing business with CVS.
In mid-December, my doctor and I agreed that I could make a change to one of my medications, reducing the daily dosage by 25%. Because of the way that the med is packaged, I needed a new prescription.
Believing that I could save some money by receiving the medication by mail, I asked my doctor for a prescription for a three-month supply. He wrote the prescription. I went home and mailed the new prescription with the mail-order form to Caremark, the mail-order and online service of CVS.
I mailed the prescription on December 16. Caremark received the order on December 17 and duly created an online order.
On December 25, I received an email from Caremark.


There was no indication that I needed to do anything other than wait. I still had some of the medication at the old dosage and, what with the end of the year hooptedoodle, I didn't around to checking on the order status until last week.

After wiping the coffee off my keyboard and screen, I clicked the View link to learn about the details.

Fully confused, I called their customer service number.

Amid my sputtering, I managed to articulate my extreme concern that my order for an important med had been in a queue for than two weeks and that it was now canceled. The customer service representative, probably a good person just trying to doing an impossible job, explained that a change in dosage was the same as a new medication and that, therefore, I would need Prior Authorization to obtain the medicine. 

Prior Authorization, for those of you who are healthy or who take can take generic medications for generic conditions, is an exquisite little inconvenience wherein:

1. The doctor determines that a patient needs a medication.
2. The doctor writes the prescription and gives the slip to the patient.
3. The patient tries to have the prescription filled.
4. The pharmacy learns from the insurance company that the prescription isn't good enough. The doctor must tell the insurance company that the patients really needs this medication.
5. After the doctor tells the insurance company what it wants to hear, the insurance company authorizes the pharmacy to fill the prescription.

This extra step can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 15 days.

Caremark had not been able to reach my doctor and therefore canceled my prescription.

I realized that part of my quarrel is with my insurance company and I was able to take care of that with a quick call. 

My complaint with Caremark, and the one that will keep me from using their service or CVS, is that, aside from their note on Christmas Day, they failed to let me know that there was an issue, let alone a serious one. They had my email address. They had my phone number. 

When I've run into similar situations with other pharmacies, Rite-Aid, notably, they've given me a supply of the medication while the insurance business gets worked out. Instead, Caremark wrote me a letter. It was dated December 28 and arrived on January 6, about six hours after I called them about the cancellation. 

In the letter, they noted that the business of prior authorization. They also suggested, ominously, that, even if we got through the prior authorization brier patch, we might not be done.

Once we get the information that we need from your doctor, the prescription will be reviewed. If it is approved, we will send you the prescription.

Thanks, but I think I'll get my medications from someone who wants to care.