Too long, but it’s always who you know…

[Spiky Bugger]

So, MrSue retired from an outfit with about 10,000 employees. Over time, he trained others and occasionally injured himself. And one night, on anOtHer board, a member posted something using an expression that I had heard from my husband and his coworkers a few hundred times, but never from anyone else. I PMd her. We discovered that Mr Sue was one of the guys who trained the other woman’s husband. We ladies became friends. The “trainee” did very well. MrSue retired 15 years ago. We have stayed in touch, especially when we’ve had sad “family issues.”

ONE of MrSue’s many on-duty injuries resulted in his needing hearing aids. It was EASILY a presumptive Work Comp thing and has only been a problem once before, circa 2005. But THIS TIME, getting his annual exam has been a nightmare, especially since he has post-silent-stroke reduction in problem solving skills, mostly patience. Back in March, the hearing aid place refused to treat him, saying that his Work Comp office (it’s self-funded, not part of the state system) hadn’t paid the entire bill from last visit. He called Work Comp, got ignored and gave up.

Meanwhile, I’m yelling and he’s saying things like “Huh?” and “You never said that!” and “What!” I lost my cool. Yelled at him. (Only so he could hear me, of course…lol). Called Work Comp, left a cranky message. And then I thought, “Hey! My friend’s husband still works there. Maybe he can get us a better phone number.” So I asked her. (And that’s all I asked for…a good phone number.)

Thing is, he has moved WAY up the organizational ladder. And, the Work Comp office is one of the many offices that is now under his direction. (We really had NO IDEA.) He didn’t give us a number to call. He apparently INQUIRED on MrSue’s behalf.

Phone won’t stop ringing. Everybody is very sorry. Two items were billed under the same procedure code and interpreted as Duplicate Billing. That’s been fixed. The Hearing Aid place is submitting the pre-auth today. She’s sorry, too. Then the supervisor of the first Work Comp lady called, just to make sure we were satisfied with the progress so far.

Within two weeks, he’ll have an appointment and maybe even NEW hearing aids…and these are EXPENSIVE items. And I won’t have to keep yelling and wondering if my sore throat is a COVID symptom.

I wish all our friends were that important. If you are one of my friends and also a big shot, please let me know. I might need your help some day!

 

[Larra]

I am your friend, but YOU are the big shot!

 

[JackieOnLine]

Within two weeks, he’ll have an appointment and maybe even NEW hearing aids…and these are EXPENSIVE items. And I won’t have to keep yelling and wondering if my sore throat is a COVID symptom.

YAY!

I need a big shot. I only know little shots.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I am your friend, but YOU are the big shot!

Uhm…no. You got that bass-ackwards!

 

[k9ophile]

I've been known to write a member of Congress and to contact the Inspector General. I hated that it came to that, but I hate people trying to fuck me over money. Especially when I had so little at the time. Ms. Sue, it should come as no surprise to you that both problems were related to my military experience.

Good on you.

 

[Munchkin]

Good for you! It never hurts to have friends in high places. But I am not one of them.

 

[hilary1617]

I'm so glad for the resolution and hearing aids coming your husband's way! Reminds me of two songs: (1) "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold" and (2) "I've got friends in low places where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away". Friends in either low or high places are wonderful to have and keep!

 

[Spiky Bugger]

YAY!

I need a big shot. I only know little shots.

We really didn’t know he had gone THAT far up the “corporate ladder.”

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I'm soglad for the resolution and hearing aids coming your husband's way! Reminds me of two songs (1) "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold" and (2) "I've got friends in low places where the whiskey where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away". Friends is either low or high places are wonderful to have and keep!

Yes! A Camp Song!

 

[hilary1617]

Yes! A Camp Song!

I lip-synched my way through girl scout camp (first Bonnie Brae and then, Sandy Brook) back in the day... Maybe in part due to that tune, I'm still in touch with two out of three of my tentmates even after so many years have passed.

Apologies for the typos, which I've corrected. I may need to get iron tests - typos and repeated text are my early warning signs.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I've been known to write a member of Congress and to contact the Inspector General. I hated that it came to that, but I hate people trying to fuck me over money. Especially when I had so little at the time. Ms. Sue, it should come as no surprise to you that both problems were related to my military experience.

Good on you.

Ah, memories.

So MrSue & I were approved for concurrent assignments (for you civilians, in Army talk, that means same location/same time…more or less.)

Silly us! We felt that one of us in Europe and the other in Asia did not meet OUR understanding of that term. Normal Chain of Command stuff wasn’t working. My congressman was having a meet & greet that started with his waxing eloquent over something stupid. Then, in front of all his gathered constituents, he went out of his way to thank me…I was, of course, in uniform…for being such a hero or patriot or something. Then he made the mistake of asking me how things were going.

I said that except for the several thousands of miles between us on our pending concurrent assignments, it was all great. Well, he directed his whatever-he-was to get my info and look into it first thing Monday morning and he actually did. Our PCSs were put on hold, then cancelled and later he was assigned to Europe and I was in the care of the Maternity Clinic, and on the short track to a DD214.

 

[k9ophile]

When I PCSed from NH to CO, I knew I was over the weight limit by a little bit. I get to CO and wait weeks for my possessions. I filed a claim, but alas it couldn't be found. Then I got notice that something drastic would happen if I didn't pay the overage. I kindly explained I was prepared, yet it didn't seem right to pay for a shipment I never got. I was told tough luck. That's when I went to the IG. Turns out my name was misspelled on the bill of lading. When it finally was delivered, I was told I should be grateful not to be charged for the two months it was in storage.

The other incident was when I transferred from one college to another one. (It's a long story I'm not inclined to attempt telling.) My GI Bill payments stopped coming. Going to the VA Administration didn’t help. Again, I was treated rather nastily. That's when I contacted a CO House of Representatives. I wasn't in Pat Shroeder's district but she was on some military committee in Congress. When the dust settled, my check was sent to the bursar of the new college because the check was made out to me AND the college. The bursar told me I had no right as it was made out to the college. Even after I pointed out that my name was also on the check. Got that settled, too.

Funny thing about getting married and requesting a transfer to CO. First, I go to change my name and told not to sign any papers with my new name until it was approved. I replied that it wasn't a problem, I'd just use my maiden name. Then I was told I couldn't use that because I had relinquished it when I submitted the change. Naturally, I asked how I should sign. The brilliant answer was not to sign anything at all for six weeks.

My joint of spouse assignment was approved pending a letter or form approving my request from Mr. K9 that he approved. That one actually made sense in the military way of SNAFU. There had been too many divorces where one spouse got transferred and the bitter spouse requested a transfer to the same base. The first party lied about why they wanted the transfer, then all the domestic brouhaha started when they were stationed together.

I realize this says more about me than I would like to admit. All this shit happened about close to fifty years ago, and it still pisses me off. Nor have I realized that moment when these will be funny years from now. I'm not laughing.