health plans

Here at work, we all just got our health benefit packets for 2008, so we can decide if we want to change or upgrade anything. Apparently they also offer complete benefits for domestic partners (as in, if you have a homosexual lover, he or she can be covered by your health plan depending on certain things). My boss says that this happened when the firm opened an office in San Fransisco -- it was pretty much required. It made me smile. I wonder how many big companies in the US have a similar policy.
I wasn't planning on changing anything until I realized that I only have the basic dental plan, not the plus -- and with Adam's bad teeth, we definitely need the plus. He's listed as my dependant spouse on medical, dental, and vision (the insurance at his job only covers calamities). So tomorrow, when we start the enrollment process, I can go online and withdraw myself from the basic dental plan, save, then enroll in the plus dental plan. Then after saving, I can add my spouse to the new plan. Click save, and that's it.
I'm just very glad my company offers such good insurance. My prescription and doctor visit copays are extremely affordable, and I believe I can also have acupuncture covered.

Speaking of health, I'm getting yet another migraine. I really hate when they come in waves like this. It's causing fibro flare-ups in my shoulders, which is just exacerbating the pain. I am going to take pills for that now.

Halloween at the office (and in general)

Lawyers and staff members alike are walking around in costume or at least parts of costumes. Apparently, a bunch of people transformed one of the larger case rooms into a "Haunted Hallway" so people can be "delightfully terrified." The email that was sent around promoting it also came with a warning: "If you are prone to seizures, stay away. Seriously."
I don't like haunted anythings anyway, but the seizure warning was the clincher. Luckily the door will be closed unless people are entering or exiting. And it's only for a half hour, twice this afternoon. However, this is the most I've seen the office do for a holiday thing. Usually for Halloween there are costume competitions. And they really really get into Christmas.
Last night, Adam carved out two pumpkins: a cat arching behind a fence, and a mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion. The man understands scary. It's the rituals themselves that really matter, he says. We don't do costumes anymore, but we do set out scarecrows and decorations, intricately carved jack o'lanterns, among some other particular things. Adam is his own very personal kind of eclectic pagan, and he tends to work with some of the oldest magical rituals known. He's taught me a few, particularly blood rituals. I'm waiting for my new amber pentacle pendant to arrive in the mail before I do any work like that. The full moon of Samhain has technically happened already, but the veil is still thin enough of course. I love the tinglies I get whenever it's really thin.
Migraine's still here, yes. Not surprised.

ritual

Appropriately enough, the amber pentacle pendant was waiting in the mail when I got home tonight.
Adam had come home early, and when I got home Charlotte greeted me at the door. She and I discussed new personal rituals I could do with my new pendant, and I opted for a very personalized, private ritual that turned out to work perfectly due to the circumstances. There is a huge amount of power in this pendant now. I love feeling the edge of the veil so close, and I hope to keep it with me once the night is over.

We've already had several kids come trick-or-treating, but Adam has taken care of them so far. I'm not really up for it right now. We made spaghetti with browned beef, mushrooms, and marinara, and after dinner I may just take a shower and get ready for bed.

Tired.