A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
JUNE: I'm finally awarded the position I was planning to move into for nearly a year, but I'm told at the last minute that it's a lateral move, so I won't be getting a raise.

BEGINNING OF JULY: I'm offered an open enrollment period where I can make changes to my insurance plan if I want to. Seeing as how I'm not getting a raise, and also that there's no guarantee I'll get one in October, I decide to give myself a raise by switching insurance plans. I switch to the "dirt cheap but you're screwed if you have to go out-of-network" plan instead of the "you've got some out-of-network coverage but we're going to take more than double the amount out of your paycheck for it" plan.

END OF JULY: I submit the insurance-switching forms to HR. My new plan becomes effective 8/1.

TODAY: My t-doc informs me TODAY that she doesn't accept my insurance plan. That's right, she told me TODAY, the last day that I officially had any "out-of-network" coverage. Never mind the fact that I've been seeing her since MAY!! So it looks like I'm never going to see that t-doc again. Nice knowin' ya! :P

In my p-doc's office there are 2 almost-identical sculptures of a man sitting cross-legged with his head buried in his hands. That's exactly how I feel.

After I left the office I started walking downtown. I wandered into Barnes & Noble & wandered out with $100+ in books. And yes, I paid for it! I'm not a shoplifter! :)

One of the books I bought was a wedding present for my friend the computer geek. Back in December he told me he was getting married. Shortly before Christmas I showed up at his workplace (one of the office spaces where I work is 1 floor above him) and left a Christmas present on his desk (he wasn't there). I haven't spoken to him since.

I feel like shit for that. But let's face it, there's not going to be any room for me in his life once he gets married. He & I have been friends for 5 years. We met through an online personal ad, believe it or not. We never became romantically involved. He's not much of a talker or a listener, and I really need someone who can hold up his end of the conversation. So basically we became hang-out buddies who occasionally went to concerts together.

And when he started dating the woman who will now become his wife, he made sure to let me know that the chick was cool with him hanging out with me from time to time. And we did hang out. But you can't hang out with your single female friends once you're a MARRIED MAN!! It's just not right. And maybe things would have been ok if I could have become friends with the fiancee. But in the 3+ years they've been together I've only met her once. And although I've made efforts to bond with her, she's never taken any interest.

So I have to let him go. There's just no other way.
- posted by Pat @ 7:27 PM