entering the world of insurance claims

When someone crashes into you out there, on the road, assuming no one is hurt, your first thought is -- damn! This is going to suck up my time. Because even if it's 100% not your fault, it is going to suck up your time. And it will cost you. 

What?? How could that be? Insurance is mandatory in the state of Wisconsin. Their company pays! All you have to do is drive in, get a brand new door, maybe a fix here, a twitch there and you're good, right?

Ha. Ha. Ha.

Number of phone calls made so far, simply to figure out how I can proceed, after having a police officer give me a crash report number, following the accident on Friday? Ten. [To the police department: 3, to my insurance company: 3, to the claims department of my insurance company: 2, to the Subaru dealer for a drivability check: 2. To the guy's insurance company: 0 because the guy spoke no English and I got nothing out of him. Status of car? Banged up still. Tab thus far: $189 plus tax, just for an inspection of the mechanicals.] So where am I now? Messages left everywhere, nothing learned except that my insurance company (State Farm!) tells me I'm better off going to his company first because the "new rate schedule" has it that if I file a claim with State Farm, even one where it is 100% not my fault, my rates may go up, substantially! My response? That's reason enough to switch insurance companies. My sheepish agent -- I absolutely agree with you.

One morning devoted to this, with alignment tweaked but not much else accomplished, except that the car has been deemed drivable, which I already knew.

No matter. The day is cloudy, I needed a break from weeding. (This is what I tell myself as I sit at the Subaru dealer's service department waiting for my car report.)

 

During the earlier morning walk I spent some time poking around the flower beds. I noticed the bearded irises are ready to pop open. There was a time when I was really into the bearded irises and they've done well over the years, coming into a period of bloom right around mid May.

 

 

 

I still like them, but they get to be tall and wind and rain can knock them down if you dont stake the stems. So I have to keep an eye out on all of them.

Other flowers? The false indigo bushes. They're grand, even though I have never found a good way to photograph them so that you can fully appreciate their abundant beauty.

Okay, animals fed, breakfast served. 

And now comes my waiting time at the Subaru shop, phone in hand as I navigate the claims departments of various players in this "who is going to pay" game that is launched by a vehicle crash.

Back in the garden, I deliberate whether to water the tubs and newly planted veggie seeds. We keep getting a 40% chance of rain weather report. On the one hand, it makes you think that it'll be a wet day, may as well stay indoors, on the other hand 40% does mean that there likely will be no rain at all, or too little rain, which is just as bad, and your young babes will not germinate and it will be your fault!

So I throw some more seeds on the meadows, and I water. Veggies, meadows and tubs.

And that is how it gets to be time to pick up the girl at school.

We finish the third in a series of World War II books we've been reading and so I leave Snowdrop to fend for herself for a little while as I tidy things up a bit. And I have to smile at her choices -- still drawn to her little mice, and to her dolls. Still making up endless stories with them.

Sad will be the day when the grandkids move away from their favorite toys! Well, given the ages of the youngest, it wont be for a while before that happens, but still, it's on the horizon.

No rain tonight. Still, I stay indoors after Snowdrop leaves. Truth is, I am sleepy. Reheat leftovers and give it up for the day. Both Ed and I need to catch up on sleep.