Healthcare, Re-reads and Peggle

For the last few days, I have had some sort of viral issue with my sinuses. According to the Urgent Care physician I saw, this happens and there isn't much that can be done. Apparently the test to determine if something can or can't be done is to tap or put pressure on your face (over the eyebrows, dead center between the eyebrows and on the cheek bones below the eyes). If it is uncomfortable/painful and you already are stuffy/drippy, etc. you might have an infection. Otherwise, stuffy/drippy stuff in your head that moves around when you lay on one side or the other may just be something viral that will have to just run it's course. Notice all of the ifs and maybes here? It seems like a lot of guess work.

It doesn't help that all of it just dehydrates you like a mad-man (or woman) and makes your eyes all scratchy so playing games/reading/looking at the world is not nearly as much fun. The doc prescribed a steroidal nasal spray to reduce the inflammation and said he would leave a note in my file that if I called with pain they would call in an antibiotic prescription without me needing to come back to the clinic. Now on to healthcare.

Working for a company that provides health insurance options, I have what is called a high deductible plan with a Health Savings Account (a pre-tax funded by your own money - or company contribution - account for healthcare related expenses). This means I pay every bit of the health costs until a meet a deductible ($3000 for the family) and then I pay 10% of costs until I reach out of pocket maximum ($4,500 I think). While paying all of the fees, I still get the insurance negotiated rate for any health services. Sounds normal, right? Guess what a 1 hour visit to Urgent Care (where I saw the doc for 5 minutes and most of the time was spent filling out my paperwork) and a 30 day supply of Nasonex from the pharmacy costs at "negotiated rates"? $308. A $167 for the office visit and $141 for the prescription.

It probably didn't help that right now is open enrollment for benefits at work and my annual premium for health insurance is going up $250 a year over last year. The max pay increase I am eligible for is 1.25%, so basically after taxes my raise will cover the health insurance increase. Yay!

So what does this have to do with re-reads and Peggle? When I am sick, I have more free time on my hands than usual because the family won't come within 15 yards of me (except the dog, but she is a kindly idiot). Unfortunately, I don't have much will to do anything. After trying to watch Eureka! on Netflix, continue to read Reamde and play ShadowRun Returns, I found myself mainly reading Twitter and playing Peggle. Twitter reminded me that Leigh Butler is still finishing her A Memory of Light (spoiler-filled) re-read over on Tor.com and when I popped over there I was instantly sucked in (again). I don't know if it's the fact that I have already read the books so that this is just refresher or the witty commentary, but in my unhappy state it is easy to follow and the posts can be read in 10 - 15 minutes (perfect amount of time between nose blows).

And that brings us to today's review of re-reads and Peggle - since I don't think you care about the best way to blow your nose without killing your family with germs review. Re-reads, and there are many of them on the internets - especially at Tor.com, are when someone summarizes what happens in a book and then comments on it. They tend to provide insight into how the story relates to other books or pick out foreshadowing and other easter eggs in the story you might have missed. Each post tends to cover one or more chapters of a book (there are also re-watches for TV shows and movies out there). I find that they are like being in a book club without a) having to have book club people to deal with and b) having to do any "homework" for the club. You get to read other people's opinion on the story, get some interesting insights that you might have missed when you read the story and the comments on the post are usually amusing as well. I highly recommend finding one based on one of your favorite books or series. Leigh Butler's Wheel of Time re-read is very good and nearly complete and I highly recommend it if you like Wheel of Time. I am even mulling over doing a re-read here on H. Beam Piper's Space Viking - so maybe watch for that (plus the book can be found for free so you could read along).

On to Peggle. If you have lived under a rock, don't play games or generally don't like fun - you might never have heard of Peggle. Peggle is a fun little game from PopCap Games (yeah those Plants vs. Zombies folks). It has been around for YEARS and is on just about every platform you can think of including mobile, PC and console. The gist of the game is a physics-based puzzle pinball/pachinko variant where you shot 10 balls at little lighted pegs trying to clear all of the orange pegs before you run out of balls. If you hit enough pegs on a shot, you can earn an extra ball. Or if your ball hits the moving bucket at the bottom of the screen you can also get an extra ball. I had a pachinko machine growing up, so this brings back fond memories.


To add a little variation to the game, on each level you are helped by a Peggle Master (a character with a special power up) who, once you hit one of the two special green pegs, will let you use their power for a turn or more. The power-ups might be spooky ball, where the ball falls off the bottom of the screen only to reappear at the top to drop through again and take out more pegs (very high scoring). Or the Fireball that shoots straight and wipes out any pegs in it path. Or Zen ball, that nudges your shot to a more favorable outcome before you fire.

This is a simple little puzzle game that rewards you for placing the ball trajectory just right. There are 50 main levels in the Adventure mode of the game and then many challenge levels to beat as well. There is also a sequel, Peggle Nights, if you beat everything the game has to offer. I also like that Ode to Joy is played when you beat a level - a great way to celebrate. Warning though, the levels go by quickly but you might just keep playing and playing. I have picked it up thinking to do one level only to look up and 45 minutes are gone.

There you have it. If you are sick, try finding a re-read to remind you of one of your favorite books or pick up Peggle, kick back and shoot some pegs. I give Peggle 5 Mick Happies. Until next time...