Healthcare matters

I’ve mentioned before about how Monterey is laid back and the local government is not very high tech – everything being done by phone or snail mail.  The healthcare system, though, is a different matter.  Everyone’s connected, and prescriptions, lab orders, referrals, and the like whiz through cyberspace from your doctor’s office to the appropriate service providers.

Need a prescription…it’s not written on the little prescription pads of old. The doctor enters in into the computer and it winds up at your pharmacy. Same for any lab test, x-rays, or scans ordered. Referrals to other specialists are also entered in the system – and often the specialist’s office will call YOU to schedule an appointment when they get the order.

It’s actually a good system, I just wasn’t used to it when I went to my first doctor’s appointment.  When the doctor said “I’d like you to get a cholesterol test, what lab do you use?”  I didn’t have the slightest idea.  I’m used to that kind of thing being done in the doctor’s office, or being told somewhere specific to go. No problem,  they gave me a printed “open” order with no provider filled in, and a list of labs, and I picked one and it all worked out fine.

I recently had to call my doctor’s office on a Friday afternoon when a minor problem I’d been treated for previously seemed to be coming back.  In case it got worse over the weekend, I thought, “I’d better call now.” 

I described the symptoms to the nurse, and she said someone would call back. Within the hour, I got a return call. Doctor wants me to get some lab work and also ordered some meds. She asked what lab and pharmacy wanted to use (a question that would have thrown me for a loop if I wasn’t already used to the system). I liked the lab I went before, but momentarily drew a blank on the name.  “Mmmmm, you know, it’s on Cass Street . . .  in an office park with a lot of medical offices . . .”  She knew I meant Hunter Labs (it’s a small town, after all) and said she’d send an order as well as enter a prescription. 

So I jumped in the car for the 5-minute drive to Hunter Labs. No one in the waiting room – later Friday seems to be an excellent time to go. Anyway, I told the receptionist my doctor sent an order, she glanced at the fax machine, and sure enough, there it was sitting in the tray.  In-and-out, 5 minutes.  Then over to Rite Aid to pick up my prescription, and I was back home, medicated, and feeling better in well less than an hour. Awesome.

Check out the new page I’ve added a page to this site with more info about what I’ve learned so far about healthcare in this area.

healthcare in Monterey, doctor's office in Monterey, healthcare system in Monterey, getting medical care in Monterey

Cell phone surprise

Time to upgrade your cell phone? Think you've found a great deal on a discounted phone by renewing your plan for another two years? Well, be aware that in California, you will pay sales tax on the FULL RETAIL VALUE of the phone, not the discount price.

Even though the tax code states that sales tax is based on "the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail -- in other words, the amount the retailer received for the product -- Regulation 1585 says that when you get a discounted price by signing up for a service plan, then sales tax is based on the non-discounted price.

For heavens's sake, nobody walks in to the Verizon store and pays full price for a phone without getting a plan, and everyone knows it. The phones are priced accordingly.  Some people have even reported paying more in taxes than they did for the phone.

The state, however, argues thusly: if you were to go in and purchase a data plan without buying a phone, they would not discount the monthly rate for the plan, which "proves" that the plan does not subsidize the cost of the phone. But you pay tax on the plan as well, so this is totally bullshit. According to SFGate, the state rakes in over $181 million annually on this little gambit.

See also:  http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Beware-California-s-hidden-cell-phone-tax-2349249.php

How the heck can the state be going broke?

Finally! A garage door opener

I've had quite enough of opening and closing the garage door manually.  Heave the door up, back the car onto the driveway, get out, pull the door back down from the inside, slide the lock over, go out the side door and lock it behind, get back into the car, and finally on my way.  I'm too old for this.

We've been wanting to get an opener for some time, but with all the other projects around here, it always got pushed to the back burner. But no more.

It was all pretty easy. I ordered this "internet" garage door opener from Sears.  You can even order installation as part of the order (a bit pricey at $129 but I was willing to pay a little extra for the convenience). Just pick a date and add it to your cart.  Free shipping too.  The opener showed up just a few days later, and the day before the installation was scheduled, the installer called to let me know when he was coming.  He showed up right on time, took about an hour, and it was done.

So far it's been great.  Opens the door rather slowly, but super quiet. It's chain-drive, yet barely noticeable from inside the house.

The controller shows you the date and temperature in the garage, and a motion detector that turns the light on whenever you enter the garage. Though frankly, that's a bit of a tradeoff because it's handy at night if I need something in the garage, but during the day if I'm just going out and open the garage door, I don't really need the light to come on.

The coolest part is that it comes with a gateway so you can control it remotely from a laptop or smartphone. If you're not sure you closed the door, you can always check. You could also let someone in to the garage, for instance, to drop someone off.  Log in is required each time to use the app, so if someone steals your phone they don't necessarily get access to your house. You can even set up alerts to notify you every time the door is opened. (I guess if burglars break in though the window then open the garage door from inside so they can load up your stuff, you'd know. And you know if your spouse has gotten home before you.)

When we first bought the house, we didn't live in it full time, but would come down for long weekends, roughing it with just a few kitchen supplies and a futon while we worked on some of the major remodeling. Even after we moved in, we worked little by little on the various projects, so it still didn't feel quite permanent. Funny, but it's the garage door opener that makes it feel "real" to me now.

Best household tip ever!

I was just holding a can of Minwax wood stain when I knelt down and accidentally banged my knee, which caused me to slip and slosh dark walnut stain onto the carpet. I thought it was done for--no way wood stain will come out of carpet once it has penetrated the fibers.

In desperation I turned to my trusty friend The Internet and found this clip on YouTube.  It works! Hallelujah! It works! WD-40, who'd have thought....

Outdoor seating coming to Cafe Trieste

Cafe Trieste will soon have an outdoor seating area, using the two parking spots right in front. This is a pilot project as part of the downtown Monterey revitalization plan. Awesome idea. We have the weather for it, so why not take advantage? Looks like they are just about ready to go.

The little chocolate-toffee cookies are yummy -- don't think about the calories.

What's happening in downtown Monterey?

The City of Monterey has released a new video describing the new development that is getting underway. Pretty exciting, downtown needs a little revitalizing.

When we arrived here last year, a large section of Alvarado Street was blocked by a large fence with a painted mural. We wondered what happened, but didn't think too much more about it. A few weeks letter we happened to be reminiscing about a restaurant we used to like, and we realized it used to be right there. Turns out there was a big fire in 2006 and the entire building burned down. Then the recession hit, and it was tough to rebuild.

Finally some new development is getting underway, as well as some other projects in downtown. One of the most interesting parts of the downtown plan is that they are going to add a bunch of residential units. Having people live in a downtown area really adds to its vitality, as well as attracting business. If something like that had been available when we moved here, we might very well have considered it. As we get older, maybe we still will. We've always liked living "downtown"...where the action is, with everything within walking distance.

Check it out.  There's also some interesting history on how downtown Monterey got to this point.

I laughed when they guy talks about people complaining about the Trader Joe's parking lot -- I complain about it all the time. It's a tradition -- Trader Joes' always have bad parking lots. I've never been to one that didn't.

Scenes from a bike ride

Scenes from a Saturday morning bike ride. 75 degrees here today with a light breeze. Perfect!

Inland is predicted to be very hot, so we'll probably have lots of tourists today.

From Lover's Point in Pacific Grove

Asilomar Beach in Pacific Grove

From 17-Mile Drive

Here's the route. 

A trip to the supermarket

What's it like to live in Monterey? Well here's what my weekly shopping trip to Safeway in Carmel looks like. 

The drive to Safeway in Carmel via Highway 1 

from Soledad & Munras (near Del Monte Shopping Center) in Monterey

If video does not appear, click here.

Easy peasy The only downside is that this is the only way in (without going about 10 miles out of the way). If traffic on Highway 1 is backed up--it happens--there's really no alternative. 

Heat wave

It's another scorcher today. 73 degrees. By Monterey standards, that's pretty hot. Yesterday's high was 72--that's 6 degrees above average. Like I said...heat wave. 

Getting the most out of your dishwasher

Unloading the dishwasher just now reminded me that it's time to do a vinegar rinse to get rid of the mineral buildup. The water is very hard here and the minerals that settle out of the water stain everything. I'm meticulous about the granite countertops--constantly wiping them to make sure there's no sitting water drops.  If I let water sit, pretty soon I've got a dull, crusty stain that's almost impossible to get rid of short of literally scraping it off with a razor blade.  

In addition to the hard water, there's another issue for automatic dishwashers. When we moved in, we bought a new dishwasher.  The first couple of times I ran it, the dishes came out filmy and not that clean. I discovered there are two problems: the hardness of the water, plus the fact that California has banned phosphates from detergents.  I suppose it's better for the environment and our health to eliminate that stuff, but it did work.  

Over time, I've discovered a few tricks to get the best possible performance out of the dishwasher...