Modern life is rubbish

My desire to use that title supercedes my actual opinion, although there are some areas where it applies. For instance, I purchased a ticket to see Spoon in concert in a couple weeks. I was ecstatic to discover that the ticket's face value is five dollars. The service and convenience fees came to $5.85, though. That's right. The secondary charges are more than the ticket itself. Ticketmaster, you've finally outdone yourselves. In the end, $10.85 is a deal, but this goes to show how out of whack the system is.

Speaking of other things that don't make the most sense, human resources informed me that I needed to pick a new health insurance plan. I was upfront--probably to the point of snippiness--with the HR employee. I have no idea what any of the stuff on the insurance plan charts means or what my current but soon-to-be previous plan prior is. Worse, I don't care. (I didn't say this out loud, but I certainly thought it.)

Obviously I do care. I want health insurance, but as someone who hasn't really used it, the entire process seems completely absurd and needlessly complicated. I can't simply say, "I would like this plan" and leave it at that. Oh no. I have to fill out forms and go to a local bank--not mine, by the way--and establish the health savings account there.

If I don't want the bank to charge me a monthly fee, something which would eat up eight and a third percent of my employer's contribution to the account, then I need to open a direct deposit checking account with them. So now I have to go to this bank to find out what obligations I would have to accept to get the fee waived. Thus the title of today's entry.

This makes three knitting-free days in a row for me. I can't say I'm pleased about that, but there's no rest for the wicked. Instead, there will be photographs.

This overhead view of the hat was produced by slipping it over a bundle of DVDs in my office. I'd like to get a proper shot of it, but that may have to wait until I give it to my brother.

As I'm coming to realize, the colors in the photos I take indoors should be assumed to be darker and richer than they appear. Here's some Malabrigo yarn I bought in preparation for travel knitting.

The picture doesn't do the colors justice. That's what fluorescent lights give you, I guess.

I suppose it's good to get some of the bile out of my system since next week is the time for being thankful.