US Healthcare??????

I'm not sure what some people call healthcare, but I know that I wouldn't exactly call the insurance that I have "CARE".

I'll begin by saying that Oda Mae and I cannot afford to be on Oda Momma's insurance plan because it would cost us nearly $500.00 a month. Oda Momma actually has pretty good insurance, but her employer pays for it. Oda Mae and I are on a plan that I found through some some references.

In order to afford health insurance for myself and Oda Mae we have to have a very high deductible. Now, if something really bad were to happen and one of us ended up with thousands of dollars of medical bills, we'd be able to pay the $1500.00 deductible and the insurance company would pay the rest. That's fine, BUT what about our normal health care? I end up paying for all of Oda Mae's doctor visits which turns out to be at least $100.00 or more per visit. Fine. This week when Oda Mae was diagnosed with eczema, the doctor prescribed two different creams to take care of her. I take care of my kid, so I went to get her prescriptions filled as soon as I had a chance. Now, again, in order to make monthly insurance payments, our prescription deductible is $500.00. Take a guess at what the cost of those two tubes of cream were going to cost me. We're talking about tubes that are about the size of a travel toothpaste tube. Come on guess.....

$50.00


No way....

$100.00


Nope.....

They were going to charge me almost $265.00 for both tubes!!!!!!!!!!

You talk about a racket! Now, my Oda Mae is worth it, believe me, but $265.00 for a couple tubes of cream that will keep her from itching too bad? Come on. I ended up getting a portion of the prescription filled for a considerably less amount of money.

I'll get to my point now. The average "self-employed" person can't get any kind of health insurance that is worth a flying flip. My premiums are going up 18% in May in order "to reflect the rising cost of medical treatment". What medical treatment!!!!!! I can't get medical treatment because I can't afford my deductibles. I can't afford to lower my deductibles because then I couldn't afford the monthly premiums. So what do I do. I take care of my kid as best I can and hope that I don't fall off the roof in October when I'm putting up my Christmas lights!

All I'm saying is that maybe the system here in the US isn't as good as it could be.

"I need better healthcare!!!!"

"and insurance!!!!"

-OD

The One that Should've Got Away...

I recently went on a short tour with a group that I play with to a small town a couple hours west of where I live. We went last year to the same place and I didn't bring my camera last time. This year I knew better than to forget. I got some very interesting photographs. Take a look...


Just outside the "Motel" where we stayed last year.

This year we stayed at the home of a very hospitable couple who made us an unbelievable Tye dinner.


The diner where we ate lunch. Despite the name the food wasn't too bad.



A couple of "Good 'Ol Boys" moving the timpany to our concert site.



I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get "First Billing" on the town marquee



I actually had a good time. You just never know what you're going to see in a small town.

-OD

Doctor visit...

Today Oda Mae and I went to see the Oda Doctor. She is doing very well; 22.5 pounds. She got vaccinated today for polio and chicken pox. She only cried a little bit on the second shot. She has a skin disease called eczema. I asked the doctor about it and he says that it is genetic. I seem to have the same thing, but didn't know what it was. Now Oda Mae has to use cream on her little rough skin patches. Maybe I'll try it as well. Oda Mae did so well at the doctor today that she got a sticker, which seems to have been misplaced.

You all remember THIS picture from a few days ago right?

I know what every single one of you thought when you saw it! I know because I thought the same thing, "That child has quite the tongue! Kind of reminds me of...oh, wait, this is little Oda Mae....I can't say that...."


You know you thought the same thing!


You also thought..."Wouldn't it be just a little bit funny if somebody photoshopped...oh, no...you just can't do that to little Oda Mae"


But you thought about it, didn't you?


A daddy friend of mine over at Mr. Mom in Florida decided to go ahead and do it, with the Oda Daddy's permission of course.


Are you ready?





Mr. Mom in Florida said, "the eyes and tongue are hers... the eyes almost scared me off my seat."







Here it is...





Oh, first, turn on your speakers...






Got 'em turned on?








After some careful analysis. Oda Momma and I have come to the conclusion that Oda Mae has my tongue. I'm so proud!

-OD

One Year and One Day

Well, we made it. We all survived the birthday bash, and most importantly, we managed to keep Oda Mae around for a whole year without messing her up too bad. Oda Momma and I have learned a great deal this year. So much that it would be completely insane to try and make a list of everything. We are so lucky to have a beautiful little girl with such a wonderful disposition and a willingness to learn about the world around her. Moreover, Oda Momma and I have learned more about each other, what we really want out of life, and what we need to do to achieve our goals. It hasn't been easy, but it HAS been worth the effort.

If there is one thing that I can say that I have learned during the last year it would be this: There is NOTHING more important than the people around you who you care about. Your family has to take priority over all things. It doesn't matter what you do for a living. All the accomplishments in the world, no matter how great can never take the place of the ones you love.

I don't know what life has in store for me in regards to my career, my finances, or my social status, but I know that I will be just fine with Oda Mae and Oda Momma by my side. I'm just happy for the privilege to be married to the most wonderful woman in the world, and to have the responsibility of raising my daughter to be just like her.

A BIG ODA THANK YOU goes out to all of our family and friends who celebrated with us this weekend. Oda Mae got plenty of clothes and toys to last her for a good while. A very special thank you to those of you who contributed to her college fund. Tomorrow I'll mail a check for a total amount of $350.00 to the college fund people. That will pay for at least a couple of law or medical books in a few years!

A very special thanks goes to our very dear friends D & L who came and gave a CPR class to those of us who were able to stick around right after the party. Oda Mae is now in safer hands!

All of the manikins above were saved from an untimely death.

-OD

Happy Birthday Oda Mae!

Today is my Oda Mae's 1st Birthday. Turn up your sound and enjoy some pictures from the last year.

-OD

Guess what today is?

It's ODA-EVE!!!!!!!

Under My Couch

This evening, as I was cleaning the livingroom getting ready for the big shindig on Saturday, I found a few things underneath my couch...

1 Binky
2 Coasters
The number 6
The letter F
and
The letter J

Tomorrow morning, I'm sure Oda Mae will wake up and say, "I've been looking all over for those!"


She'll be so happy.

-OD

Finally Finished...

Here is the before picture (pretty ugly to say the least)...

Mahly doesn't seem to mind it though...
Let's take everything out...
There's a lot more room, but it's still ugly...
There, that's better (sort of)...
Took me all day Friday to get that goop off the floor...
Put down some new ceramic tile...
And now I've got a new floor...

Put everything and everyone back in...
And things are back to normal...
Oda Momma and Oda Mae had a good time at the Quilt show on Friday. Go take a look. Now I have to clean the rest of the house before the big day...

-OD

Happy St. Patty's Day

Oda Mae, Oda Momma, and Oda Great Grandma are at the "Quilt Show" today. Oda Daddy is home puttin' in a new kitchen floor. Woo Hoo!

-OD

Gearing up for the BIG 01 in less than two weeks. Oda Mae is looking forward to seeing all her people, as I'm sure all of her people are looking forward to seeing her. As for gifts...not that you need to bring one, but if you do, we REALLY don't need toys. We do however need clothes (12 months might fit, but probably not.) We're looking at more 16-18 months now. Shoe size 4 will fit her right now. 5 will fit this summer. Diapers would also be nice (Pampers size 4 please) ALSO, don't forget that Oda Mae has a nice little college fund that is looking better all the time. She'll thank you for it in about 17 years!

Awe, it used to be 18 years....

She is growing up so fast!

Gigging...

Tonight I played with my regular quintet group. We go out and give 40 minute concerts to low income communities and nursing homes as part of a larger outreach program we work with. We gave two concerts this evening to some of our best crowds in a long time. They were both great audiences to play for. I received a wonderful compliment from one of the audience members tonight. When I get a web site set up for myself this will be one of the very first things you see. I'm going to put it on my business cards as well...

"...as good as Dizzy Gillespie!"
          -some old guy at a nursing home


Here is a pic of Oda taking a bath. She is soooo cute!


-OD

Beyond the boundaries...

Oda Mae and I had a pretty good day today. Like many full time SAHD's, I have a part time job that sometimes keeps me pretty busy. I'm a freelance trumpet player for those of you who don't know. The only problem with this "part time" job is that I have to practice every day or my chops just go down the toilet. I have several gigs coming up that I've really got to be prepared for, so I practice while Oda Mae is taking her naps. Sometimes, like the near future, I have to get more practice time in than Oda Mae naps. So what do I do? I bring her into my studio and let her play while I'm practicing. I am blessed that she doesn't start crying and/or screaming when I practice. I can even practice the loud stuff and it doesn't really seem to bother her. I have friends that basically stopped practicing at home until their kids started going to school. So you can see that I have a good thing going.

(Don't worry, I'm going somewhere with all of this...)

Today happened to be one of those days where Oda Mae was playing while I was practicing. I blocked off the stairs in the living room so that she would be able to play in the studio and the living room and not get into anything. Oda Mae started playing with our dogs, Abby and Fergus. They like to run in and out of the house through their dog door in the living room, and Oda Mae is watching very carefully. Anyway, I'm practicing and Oda Mae is playing just fine when I notice that she is looking out the dog door....


A few seconds later she starts playing with some toys and such for a while and I go back to practicing. A couple minutes later I hear "click, click, click...." "What was that?" I thought... "Uh, oh..." Sure enough I go to look for Oda Mae and she is nowhere to be found. I opened up the back door and there she was, on her way to off the back porch and running away from home. I think we're gonna have to watch her a bit more carefully from now on.

Since she wanted to go out side, I put her shoes on and we went into the front yard and played on her slide.

...and chewed on some sticks.

...and waited for Oda Momma to come home.

Yes, we had a good day.

-OD

P.S. I just noticed...I really need to clean the dog door! Man....

Being Thrifty!

Today, Oda Mae and I got to go do a little shopping. We went to our local Lowes and bought some wasp spray. When we went outside this morning, I noticed some "Paper Wasps" around the house. Anyone know how to get rid of these things for good? I know, I know they keep insects away and they don't sting unless they're provoked. I don't want them in my eves!!!!

Then we went to the local thrift store to see what we could find.

I hit the jackpot!

Right before Christmas I was telling Oda Momma that I wanted one of those jogging strollers. We happened to find one at a thrift store for $30.00. But...I wanted to wait until it went on the "blue tag and it's 50% off sale". I missed my chance. By the time the blue tag sale came, I wasn't able to be there when they opened and someone else got my bargain. TODAY, I wasn't going to miss out. I found an "Instep" jogger that was in great shape for $40.00. That's about 60% off what they cost new in the store. It was however missing one of the shoulder straps, so when I got it home I looked up the company and gave their warranty and parts department a call. They said that they would send me a strap for FREE!!! That rocks! The lady I talked to said that it was "a gesture of good will". Yeah for me and Oda Mae. We get to go running soon.

"Please, Daddy can we go running?"

"Yes, Oda Mae we can."

-OD