The Missing Scenario

(this would be a Usability/User Experience related post. If this doesn't interest you :-) that's entirely fine)

The scenario:

Prescription refill needed. Patient has new health insurance. The medication in question is one that is not normally stocked at a retail pharmacy, and, on top of that, needs preauthorization.

Patient, knowing all these things, brings it by a week in advance for the refill.

5 days later, patient hears nothing, not from doctor's office, pharmacy, or health insurance.

Health insurance hasn't gotten a preauthorization request, which comes from the doctor's office

Doctor's office hasn't gotten the refill request, which comes from the pharmacy

The pharmacy is called. They have new software, which does not even kick off the refill request until the medication is in stock. And there we have it.

Or, in my case, might not have it until a few days later than desired...

It is going to be a very low energy weekend.

Pedaling around N Pdx with Cecil and Liz

Cecil said if it was raining, she wasn't riding. I'm still wondering who said that, and what she did with Cecil. Fortunately, it was NOT raining, so Bleriot, Little Pink Bear and I were at Cecil's at the appointed hour.

We headed north to Liz's place (about 5.4 miles), then over to NE 33rd and north to the Marine Drive bikepath.

We saw deer by the airport, cormorants and herons in the river, and a Cooper's hawk on the airport fence.



On the way to the turnaround there was a gent fixing a flat. He assured us he had everything, so we went on.



After faffing around at the turnaround, taking many pictures of flowers, and finally riding back, he was still there. He had patched the hole, but the tube would still not hold air. I found the OTHER hole, while Cecil swept the tube for sharp pointy things. Then we sat down to wait until it looked like he could proceed onward.

Back along the path, and onto NE33rd, where we found KRhea and Mrs. KRhea on one of their many tandems. KRhea was happy to see that I was not a ghost, as Portland Velo hasn't seen me since early May.

Then back to Liz's neighborhood where we embarked on a fruitless search for an open coffee shop (Labor Day. Chancy, that). Then back to Liz's for tea, cookies and more visiting.

Cecil and I then rode back the 5.4 miles to her house, where I ended up with zucchini bread (all you Facebook readers should be very envious :-) ) and a chunk of melon.

27.8 miles, at the blistering pace of 9.7 mph. I had fun. Longest ride since May, and a 42 mile weekend. Whoo!

Also, color decision made for the eventual new bike:



I suspect none of you are surprised.

Save Helvetia Ride

One of my very favorite local cycling areas is Helvetia, which is north of Hwy 26. Rolling, rural, beautiful... I've been riding there since the early 90's.



There is a movement afoot to expand our Urban Growth Boundary. They want to include Helvetia. Ack! House farms, industrial complexes... I figure there is enough land still within the UGB that they don't need to do that. Heck, downsize a few parking lots.

Save Helvetia organized a ride today, to tour the area. I selected the shorter, and less hilly route (I know all the roads. No way am I choosing to ride on Kaiser, Old Germantown, or Springville these days!)

We started at Team Estrogen, where owner Susan O. is a member of the BTA Board. Fitz also came along. Einar and Kevin were also riding; nice surprise!

We talked with some local residents, then headed out.

Of course, it was raining. Heavily :-)

We turned onto Groveland Rd - I've seen both ends of it, but never ridden it... not paved. Not that Bleriot's big fat tires cared.

First stop was Furrow Farm on West Union. I've ridden past there millions (only slight exaggeration) of times. They are very busy in late November and December, because about half their crop is Christmas trees (the whole Helvetia area sees a lot of cars with trees on top that time of year), but they also raise hazelnuts. We had samples of the chocolate-covered ones. Mmmmm.

Then west some more and north on Jackson Quarry Rd. At this point I assumed the position of Lanterne Rouge. Saw a subset of the Velo race team at the corner of Jackson Quarry and Helvetia Rd.

I made it about 1/3 of the way up the hill to the Helvetia Church, then the warp engines failed. Fortunately, we had a sag vehicle, driven by the delightful Brendan, who gave me a lift to the top of the hill. (Post ride analysis says 15% grade. What was I thinking?)

Then generally downhill, lots of rollers, past Roloff's farm, the Helvetia Tavern, and then onto Phillips Rd. More rollers. A left on Dick Rd to view the amazing railroad trestle, then headed back, continuing on Dick Rd to the Finquita del Buho CSA. It turns out I've met one of the owners; they are buddies with Pumpkin Ridge Gardens CSA (ours), and she sells starts and flowers with Polly at the Beaverton Farmers' Market.

We had a great tour of their 2-acre farm, from which they feed 65 subscribers! Lots of vegetables, pears, chickens (eggs), goats (milk, cheese, and meat), and pigs (meat). We munched on string beans (purple, haricots verts, and Blue Lakes), broccoli, cherry tomatos, and hot peppers (I declined...). Quality farmland like that is not an increasing commodity.

Then back to Team Estrogen, more chatting with Einar, and home to some hot chicken soup, with lots of our CSA corn in it...

no pics today, but visit these flickr sets for an idea of what we want to preserve:
Riding with Rickey
Verboort Populaire (in the general area, might be outside the boundary...)
West Side Ride (ditto, parts are in the boundary)

and from Cecil's pics:
Last Beautiful Day

Oh, yeah, details: 12.2 miles, 11 mph average

Feeling a Bit Better

The doctor finally agreed to prescribe EPO. I can walk up stairs and not be gasping at the top. I can sing. I don't want to fall asleep all the time.

For the record, it isn't instantaneous. It took just over a week for me to really notice an improvement. Not that I'm 100%. But certainly better.

But I GOT OUT FOR A BIKE RIDE! 15 miles around N Portland, including the Columbia Slough, the St Johns Farmer's Market (coffee and big cookie), and pink lemonade from a little girl selling at her mom's garage sale.









And then the next day, my sister-in-law and I absconded with our cousin's exchange student, took her to the Columbia Gorge and made her look at waterfalls and locks and fish for HOURS. I told her that they would check her camera upon leaving Multnomah Falls, and if she didn't have any pictures, they'd make her go back and take some.



There was climbing up and down to waterfalls, and after 3 waterfalls, I finally reached failure mode :-) Take me home now please.

More Columbia Gorge pics here

Dum-D-Dum-Dum DUM....D

The replacement plate arrived today. Somewhat better.

Smartass husband... "at least it wasn't DUMF"

We'll Have a Brief Pause

I've been practically non-existent in posting rides. Mostly because I have not been riding. Not by choice; let's be very clear on that.

I'm working my way through a health thing, for which I am getting treatment, and it is working, and I'm done at the end of October.

I plan to stage my stunning recovery in November.

That said, the treatment is such that I am very, very anemic. While I'm lobbying the doctor for some EPO, he hasn't gone for it yet. Hence no more riding. Well, ok, I did ride up through my neighborhood to drop something in the UPS drop box. It is annoying when 4% is that hard.

Perhaps it is time for a brief nap.

In the meantime, here's some pretty yarn pictures:




And my spindle. I was overcome by the desire to learn to spin...

Let's Have a Do-Over

I received my new Share the Road plates today. There was a small problem.



Husband: "I will NOT put those plates on your car". Friend: "OMG! That would be hilarious if it were not so completely distressing."

The DMV guy on the PHONE understood completely, and explained the exchange process and necessary form.

The two folks at the local office didn't see it at all, but the exchange still went through. Now, another wait for different plates.

I expect the next ones will be DUMB.