For those into HP, the new movie comes out tomorrow! finally!

Well, I am going to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince tonight at 11:59pm at the Regal theater on Niagara Falls Blvd (right off the 190, Home Depot lot). In case anyone is itching to go and does not have to be up super early, please join! (e:pyrcedgrrl) and I will be there with our wands and long trailing Hogwarts scarves.

"Not!"

(I'm a fan, but not that much a fan!)

I would normally see it at the IMAX, but I believe it isn't going to be there for a couple of more weeks? yes, I know, what is waiting a little while longer after waiting TWO years to see this FINALLY come to the theater? Nothing..

but I want to see it NOW! and I rarely get to the theater..

so, tonight 11:59 :)

hehe

I read the books, and as the characters and story becomes more mature and involved, I am glad to see the movies going along with it. From the few trailers I have seen, this movie should not disappoint. Looks creepy :)

The Body Worlds exhibit will be hosted at the Buffalo Museum of Science. It begins July 9th. The exhibit will be available for 13 weeks- through September, early October

Buffalo Museum of Science
1020 Humboldt Pky
Buffalo, New York 14211
Monday - Saturday     9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday     11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

I believe it is $22.00, however, there are $3.00 coupons available at Wilson Farms (just ask cashier) and in Artvoice, both online and in the paper.

There are deep discounts for Students (with ID) and Seniors 62+
Also, children rates.

Anyone planning on going? You should, it looks amazing!

It is 'Body Worlds 3 and The Story of the Heart'


for an idea of what it is about..




Real bodies!
Preserved with "plastination"

Plastination is a technique used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts. The water and fat are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not smell or decay, and even retain most properties of the original sample

Pics snagged from Google images:




For anyone thinking about going, there is a discount for groups of 15 or more.
following text boxes contain information taken from the Buffalo Museum of Science website:
[box]
Groups of 15 or more are welcome to purchase tickets to BODY WORLDS at the group rate if purchased in advance. BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart are "timed tickets," valid only for a specified admission date and time.It takes an average of 1-2 hours to go through the exhibit; therefore the last ticket will be sold an hour and a half before the exhibit closes. Visitors are encouraged to arrive 15 - 30 minutes prior to the time printed on their ticket, particularly on weekends.Minimum group size of 15 is required to be eligible for group rates.
Adult (Ages 19+)     $17.50
BODY WORLDS HOURS BEGINNING JULY 9
Monday - Saturday     9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday     11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

PLEASE NOTE: The last BODY WORLDS ticket is sold from the BMS Box Office an hour and a half before the exhibit closes for the day. Due to anticipated crowds, we highly recommend that tickets are purchased online in advance. Visitors are encouraged to arrive 30 minutes prior to the time printed on their ticket.[/box]

About Dr. Gunther von Hagens- inventor of Plastination and creator of Body Worlds:
[box]
Gunther von Hagens' life reads like an archetypal scientist's resume-distinguished by early precocity, scholarship, discovery, experimentation, and invention. It is also the profile of a man shaped by extraordinary events, and marked by defiance and daring.

Von Hagens' two year imprisonment by East German authorities for political reasons, his release after a $20,000 payment by the West German government, his pioneering invention that halts decomposition of the body after death and preserves it for didactic eternity, his collaboration with donors including his best friend, who willed and entrusted their bodies to him for dissection and public display, and his role as a teacher carrying on the tradition of Renaissance anatomists, make his a remarkable life in science.

Anatomist, inventor of Plastination, and creator of BODY WORLDS-The Original Exhibitions of Real Human Bodies-von Hagens (christened Gunther Gerhard Liebchen) was born in 1945, in Alt-Skalden, Posen, Poland-then part of Germany. To escape the imminent and eventual Russian occupation of their homeland, his parents placed the five-day-old infant in a laundry basket and began a six-month trek west by horse wagon. The family lived briefly in Berlin and its vicinity, before finally settling in Greiz, a small town where von Hagens remained until the age of 19.

As a child, he was diagnosed with a rare bleeding disorder that restricted his activities and required long bouts of hospitalization that he says, fostered in him a sense of alienation and nonconformity. At age 6, von Hagens nearly died and was in intensive care for many months. His daily encounters there with doctors and nurses left an indelible impression on him, and ignited in him a desire to become a physician. He also showed an interest in science from an early age, reportedly "freaking out" at the age of twelve during the Russian launch of Sputnik into space. "I was the school authority and archivist on Sputnik," he said.

In 1965, von Hagens entered medical school at the University of Jena, south of Leipzig, and the birthplace of writers Schiller and Goethe. His unorthodox methods and flamboyant personality were remarkable enough to be noted on academic reports from the university. "Gunther Liebchen is a personality who does not approach tasks systematically. This characteristic and his imaginativeness, that sometimes let him forget about reality, occasionally led to the development of very willful and unusual ways of working-but never in a manner that would have harmed the collective of his seminary group. On the contrary, his ways often encouraged his fellow students to critically review their own work."

While at the university, von Hagens began to question Communism and Socialism, and widened his knowledge of politics by gathering information from Western news sources. He later participated in student protests against the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops. In January, 1969, in the guise of a vacationing student, von Hagens made his way across Bulgaria and Hungary, and on January 7th, attempted to cross the Czechoslovakian border into Austria and freedom. He failed, but made a second attempt the very next day, at another location along the border. This time the authorities detained him. "While I was in detention, a sympathetic guard left a window open for me so that I could escape. I hesitated and couldn't make up my mind, and that decision cost me a great deal," he says. Gunther von Hagens was arrested, extradited to East Germany, and imprisoned for two years. Only 23 years old at the time, the iconoclastic von Hagens was viewed as a threat to the socialist way of life, and therefore in need of rehabilitation and citizenship education. According to the prison records for Gunther Liebchen, "The prisoner is to be trained to develop an appropriate class consciousness so that in his future life, he will follow the standards and regulations of our society. The prisoner is to be made aware of the dangerousness of his way of behaving, and in doing so, the prisoner's conclusions of his future behavior as a citizen of the social state need to be established."

Thirty-six years after his incarceration, Gunther von Hagens finds meaning and even redemption in his lost years. "The deep friendships I formed there with other prisoners, and the terrible aspects of captivity that I was forced to overcome through my fantasy life, helped shape my sense of solidarity with others, my reliance on my own mind and body when denied freedom, and my capacity for endurance. All that I learned in prison helped me later in my life as a scientist."

In 1970, after West Germany's purchase of his freedom, von Hagens enrolled at the University of Lubeck to complete his medical studies. Upon graduation in 1973, he took up residency at a hospital on Heligoland-a duty free island where the access to cheap liquor resulted in a substantial population of alcoholics. A year later, after obtaining his medical degree, he joined the Department of Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine at Heidelberg University, where he came to a realization that his pensive mind was unsuitable for the tedious routines demanded of an anesthesiologist. In June 1975, he married Dr. Cornelia von Hagens, a former classmate, and adopted her last name. The couple had three children, Rurik, Bera, and Tona.

In 1975, while serving as a resident and lecturer-the start of an eighteen year career at the university's Institute of Pathology and Anatomy-von Hagens invented Plastination, his groundbreaking technology for preserving anatomical specimens with the use of reactive polymers. "I was looking at a collection of specimens embedded in plastic. It was the most advanced preservation technique then, where the specimens rested deep inside a transparent plastic block. I wondered why the plastic was poured and then cured around the specimens rather than pushed into the cells, which would stabilize the specimens from within and literally allow you to grasp it."

He patented the method and over the next six years, von Hagens spent all his energies refining his invention. In Plastination, the first step is to halt decomposition. "The deceased body is embalmed with a formalin injection to the arteries, while smaller specimens are immersed in formalin. After dissection, all bodily fluids and soluble fat in the specimens are then extracted and replaced through vacuum-forced impregnation with reactive resins and elastomers such as silicon rubber and epoxy," he says. After posing of the specimens for optimal teaching value, they are cured with light, heat, or certain gases. The resulting specimens or plastinates assume rigidity and permanence. "I am still developing my invention further, even today, as it is not yet perfect," he says.

During this time, von Hagens started his own company, BIODUR Products, to distribute the special polymers, equipment, and technology used for Plastination to medical institutions around the globe. Currently, more than 400 institutions in 40 countries worldwide use Gunther von Hagens' invention to preserve anatomical specimens for medical instruction. In 1983, Catholic Church figures asked Dr. von Hagens to plastinate the heel bone of St. Hildegard of Bingen, (1090-1179), a beatified mystic, theologian, and writer revered in Germany. His later offer to perform Plastination on Pope John Paul II foundered before serious discussions.

In 1992, von Hagens married Dr. Angelina Whalley, a physician who serves as his Business Manager as well as the designer of the BODY WORLDS exhibitions. A year later, Dr. von Hagens founded the Heidelberg-based Institute for Plastination, which offers plastinated specimens for educational use and for BODY WORLDS, which premiered in Japan in 1995. To date, the exhibitions have been viewed by more than 27 million people, in cities countries across Europe, Asia, and North America. His continued efforts to present the exhibitions, even in the face of opposition and often blistering attacks are, he says, the burden he must bear as a public anatomist and teacher. "The anatomist alone is assigned a specific role-he is forced in his daily work to reject the taboos and convictions that people have about death and the dead. I myself am not controversial, but my exhibitions are, because I am asking viewers to transcend their fundamental beliefs and convictions about our joint and inescapable fate." Apparently determined to exhaust the limits of living in freedom, Dr. von Hagens has made a concerted effort to travel and propagate his interests around the globe. He accepted a visiting professorship at Dalian Medical University in China in 1996, and became director of the Plastination research center at the State Medical Academy in Bishkek/Kyrgyzstan. In 2001, he founded a private company, the Von Hagens Dalian Plastination Ltd., in Dalian, China, which currently employs a staff of 250. In 2004, Dr. von Hagens began a visiting professorship at the New York University College of Dentistry. He is currently in the process of designing the first anatomy curriculum in the United States that will use plastinated specimens in lieu of dissection.

Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS exhibitions are currently showing in North America. "The human body is the last remaining nature in a man made environment," he says. "I hope for the exhibitions to be places of enlightenment and contemplation, even of philosophical and religious self recognition, and open to interpretation regardless of the background and philosophy of life of the viewer." [/box]

I've been intrigued for some time, and it is exciting that Body Worlds is here. Some people find it controversial and disturbing. I'm simply curious..

you?

Just thinking over some summer plans.. such as which events, activities, foods, drinks, and so on that I feel more motivated to pursue. My schedule has changed a bit, and I feel like I am reacquainting myself among the living. Over nights.. sucked (for lack of better word). Anyway, it is now July and the time can slow way down.

Speaking of down.. I'm down for some sushi.

almost anywhere..

but have any of you been to Ichiban?

It is on Sheridan, I believe.

I rarely remember the name as it is supposed to be said as I usually call it, "itchy bum" whenever I hear it.

I was there once, sort of recently. (e:pyrcedgrrl) took me there at the conclusion of a long thought out decision. 'Sushi Therapy'' is always a welcome gesture. Of course, I would like to go back under more relaxed conditions.

I used to go to Kunis (of course) and some others whose names allude me. Oh, and Koi, at the Casino (good friends, good times, damn, so much time has passed). Havent been there in a few years though.

Last several months had left me grabbing food when and where I could. Not a whole lot of dining out at interesting and yummy places. Overall, I prefer to cook or cook with someone, or have someone have me over for dinner.. but finding somewhere to eat is always welcome too.

ok, enough about food!

So summer stuff planned so far:

• I've got a camp out that I am attending at the end of the month at a friends country property. I need to double check my camping supplies!

• There are some TAT concerts I'd like to go to, along with ones at Art Park and Molsen Canal Series (is that the name?), that is now in Lockport. I think Our Lady Peace is this Friday. I need to write this stuff down.

• There are a few movies.. not a fan of going to the theater, but heading to the drive-in once or twice will be fun, along with a couple if IMAX flicks (Harry Potter- finally!) (NOT Transformers!) I have an Ice Age movie ticket that I hope to use soon.

• Dali &, Bodyworld.. and getting reacquainted with area museums and galleries. Especially free ones :)

• swimming, hiking, biking, long walks, the usual active fare- preferably a few planned outings with friends, but I often head out solo due to my spontaneous & adventurous nature.

• photography jaunts

• chilled out good times with friends, old and new.

• camping again.. but somewhere such as Green Lake out in Syracuse (and maybe Allegany, Letchworth, or Stoney Brook come late summer, early fall- love camping in the fall, but lets not think that far ahead!).

• visit my families country home in Esopus then head to the city home for a couple of days. Need some H&H bagels!

• maybe a spontaneous jaunt for bagels (or whatever-i'm not bagel obsessed, just fun to go some distance for something kind of random- doesn't have to be food, either. mmm) before then. I enjoy destination-less drives more than a pre determined one, but I am open to anything.

• might have a garage sale.. but only one day, two at the most. I keep saying this, but it is not something I am enthusiastic to organize.

What else should be on my list?

der.. (e:ladycroft) and (e:rory) shindig! WOOOO can't wait!

Ed McMahon 6-23-09

Farrah Fawcet 6-25-09

Michael Jackson 6-25-09

isn't is nice?!!


My garden/yard is a mess, having been fully neglected last year..

My aim is to keep it simple, otherwise it can become a huge project. Although I love gardening, landscaping and getting all sorts of dirty, I'm just way behind and don't want to start all that now. Just clean up the area of weeds, do some edging, trim the bushes and fuss a little with my porch planter box, and that is about it. Create a little nice spot to relax-read-eat-drinks-have friends over- in the evening. Time can slow way down now..

Since I had to/have to/want to do something, I finally got my tomatoes, green peppers, basil, mint and parsley planted. Basil smells so insanely good to me. I put them all in containers. That is a very small fraction of what I originally wanted to plant, but at least I will have that, right? I entered this season rather disorganized, with so many changes that have taken place over the past few months. I suppose it wouldn't take much to get everything I want, even if not how I want (I had some grand over enthusiastic planting plans) and just spend some time getting up to speed, so to speak. Either way, I hope everything takes- being a little behind on planting and all.

I usually have dill regrowth each year, I have to poke through the weeds to see if there are any stragglers. Hope so.. if not, maybe I can still find some to plant, if it isn't too late to do so?

Where can I still find some big/fat headed marigolds?


I poked my head into Lowes and Home Depot, but didn't see any. I just want a simple low maintenance flower for my porch window box this year. And as low on the desirable totem pole these flowers tend to be, I love them. And I love how easy they are to reseed and start new growth.

I aim to use the mint in some fabulous drink I concoct. I don't know what it will be yet, but it needs to be something I can make a pitcher of and enjoy immensely during these hot days. Maybe something with green tea? add some lavender syrup? I don't know! any ideas?
As always, much of the mint will be used at some point for mojitos- mMmmmmm. I planted catnip too, hopefully I wont mistakenly use that again, haha. woops!

and if anyone is desiring some spearmint, I have a jungle of it. Seriously, the stuff is insane. I HIGHLY recommend growing it in a container, to keep it, well.. contained.


I've also been obsessed with the color orange. Ever obsess over a color? I used to be that way with purple, many years ago but have gotten away from it a lot. Red (blue based- like cranberry) is a constant. I think this orange obsession is fairly new. Maybe orange is the new red? I don't know what it is, but I am very attracted to it lately- like I have to have it. Does that make sense?
It doesn't seem to matter what it is --not clothing, though- at least not yet. Or hair. Or make up. Or fake tans. haha. No..more like in other little ways. A recent pedicure nail color selection lead me to orange-y toes. I'm actively looking for a perfect bright orange bag/purse- seen a couple that I have liked, but don't want to lay down much money on one as I tend to get bored of my bags very very quickly. And flowers.. I had seen a gorgeous selection of orange dahlias at Niagara Produce a month ago or so, and I was tempted to buy some- but didn't as I was spending my money on Moms day flowers and such. I still think about them, and might need to see where I can find some again.

see? so pretty!




Now it is time for a walk! enjoy the evening, peeps! :)


(all pics snagged from google images)

I had read yesterday about the dermatologist (Edmund Klein) who was "paid" in drawings by his patient, surrealist artist, Salvadore Dali. Klein passed ten years ago, and recently his wife has allowed these drawings to emerge. They have been well taken care of- been housed in a downtown safe. It is hard not to be intrigued by Dalis work and the artist himself. I'm really excited about this. How cool that the drawings will be viewable by the public come the end of this month?! This is a nice thing for Buffalo, a pleasant surprise to say the least. Benjamins Art Gallery on Elmwood had the honor of framing the pieces. wow!

From the Buffalo News:

A darkened bank vault is no place for Salvador Dali's exuberant, surreal art. So art lovers were happy last August when 15 sketches by the celebrated Spanish artist were brought to light by the widow of Dr. Edmund Klein after they had been locked away in downtown safe deposit boxes for more than 30 years.

But they've remained out of the public eye.

Now, after framing at Benjaman's Art Gallery on Elmwood Avenue, the drawings are being readied for their first showing, from June 27 to Aug. 27 in the University at Buffalo's Anderson Gallery, along with four other Dali works owned by Martha Klein - two lithographs, a watercolor and a silver statuette.

All were given to Klein's late husband, a renowned Buffalo dermatologist, in return for his treatment of Dali's skin cancer over nearly a decade, starting in 1972.

Klein, whose patients also included actors John Wayne and Zero Mostel, got along famously with the highly imaginative artist and hesitated to bill him for the visits to his winter residence in a New York City hotel or homes in France and Spain.

So Dali "gave him a drawing each time," Martha Klein recalled in the Williamsville home of her daughter, Rene Rubino, as a team from UB Galleries boxed the collection for the trip to Anderson Gallery on Martha Jackson Place in University Heights.

The largest pieces - the lithographs and watercolor, also gifts from the artist - were hung in the Kleins' home, but there was no room for the drawings, so they went into deposit boxes for safekeeping.

Avoiding exposure to sunlight in a temperature-controlled room for all those years wasn't the worst fate for the delicate drawings - including several angels - executed in Dali books, sketch pads and a photography catalog and dedicated to "mon ami Klein" or "mon Angel le Doctor Klein," said Paul Chimera, a Dali specialist from Amherst and the family's consultant on the collection.

On balance, the vault is "probably a pretty good place for them," Chimera said.

The Klein collection will be exhibited with two Dali paintings owned by UB and four from Niagara University's Castellani Art Museum.

Martha Klein, whose husband died 10 years ago, a decade after Dali, hopes the exhibition will attract a buyer or buyers. Though the family's collection has not been appraised, she is confident it would fetch at least enough to pay for the education of her nine grandchildren.

She would prefer to sell the set intact, she said, because breaking it up "would spoil the story."

The when and where of it all:
[box]Salvador Dali Exhibition Slated for UB's Anderson Gallery, June-August

Release Date: June 18, 2009

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- "Salvador Dali," an exhibition of works by the Spanish surrealist that coincides with the 20th anniversary of his death, will be presented June 27 to Aug. 27 by the University at Buffalo Anderson Gallery.

It will feature 15 original drawings, two lithographs, a poster and a silver sculpture from the Edmund Klein Collection; two paintings from the UB Collection, and a sculpture and several drypoint etchings from the collection of Niagara University's Castellani Art Museum.

The exhibition will take place in the second floor gallery of the Anderson, 1 Martha Jackson Place (off Englewood Avenue between Main Street and Kenmore Avenue).

It will be free of charge and open to the public. Gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, 1-5 p.m. Further information and directions can be obtained from the gallery at (716) 829-3754.

The 15 sketches and the silver sculpture in the Klein Collection belong to the family of the late Edmund Klein, M.D., a world-renowned skin cancer researcher who was a research professor in UB's School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and who served as chief of dermatology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

For nearly a decade, beginning in 1972, the year he won the coveted Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research for his outstanding contributions to the treatment of skin cancer, Klein treated Dali for skin cancer in New York City, France and on Spain's Costa Brava.

Paul Chimera, a spokesperson for the Klein family and a Dali aficionado, says that over the years, the doctor and the artist became close friends and that Dali paid Klein unconventionally for his medical treatment by executing, personalizing and dedicating to Klein, the original drawings to be shown in the UB exhibit.

"The drawings were sequestered for more than 30 years in a bank vault in downtown Buffalo," says Chimera, resident of Amherst, "and have never before been exhibited."

According to Chimera, the drawings were executed on the frontispieces or other blank pages of certain Dali books, on sketchpads, a photography catalogue and the back of a technical paper written by Klein.

Another piece is included as well: a poster of a Dali watercolor featuring the U.S. Capitol building topped by the Winged Victory of Samothrace, dedicated to Klein from Mary Lasker.

A catalog of the Klein Collection will be available at the exhibition.

Sandra Olsen, director of the UB Galleries, says the exhibition also will feature two Dali paintings from the UB Collection: Portrait of Katharine Cornell (oil and mixed media); and Labyrinth (oil on panel), as well as several works of art on loan from Niagara University's Castellani Art Museum.

The Niagara University holdings include a suite of five drypoint etchings with stencil, including King David, King Solomon, Noah's Ark and Joseph, from the 1975 Dali portfolio, "Our Historical Heritage;" The Curse Overthrown, a 1974 drypoint etching with stencil from the series "After 50 Years of Surrealism," and Crucifixion (not dated), a marble sculpture with gold details and inlaid gemstones.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.[/box]

Dali and his wife, Gala, just fascinate me.





wiki on Dali:

wiki on his wife, Gala:

I would enjoy a conversation with either of them.

See some Dali at "virtual Dali":

a few examples of work that likely look familiar to you, snagged from google images:

I totally want to watch some Rugby games this summer & fall.

Some of you do too, right? :)

between all the men and women's games going on, we should all be able to find something fun to watch!

whose in?

I'm checking the schedule and seeing what is going on and where.

It will be fun!*nods*

I'm currently obsessed with Gmaps Pedometer.



I don't know why I haven't used this before! I'm slowing down on catching on for some things, I guess. Becoming less of an 'early adopter' and more of a 'when i get around to it' sort of mentality. Seriously? I still use MapQuest.

So, I'm not a big fan of using an actual pedometer. I have them, but they collect dust. I don't really care how many steps I have taken, just the time and miles. Besides, I don't trust that it (or me) gauges my stride correctly. I generally know how far I have gone, and for how long, but I am curious for more specific distance-data on the various paths I take, or veer off of, or whatever.

Sure I know that if I am walking a decent pace, that in 15 minutes I should have covered a mile. Some days, however, 45 minutes may have passed, feeling like I covered three miles, but my dragging feet barely covered two.

or I stopped and smelled the lilacs.

or scratched a dog under their chin.

or took in the view for an extra minute or two.

So, I need to know. really know.

obviously this can be generalized to other forms of transportation/bodily movement.

Anyone else use this or have another neat way to gauge miles?

don't mess with a girls quest for books.
or she might just hack your ass in half!


the saga begins with one guys search for an 'over processed hair-public transportation cutie', a concerned (but sketchy?) online "friend" who says, "beware of axe murderers", and a voice from the shadows telling this sordid tale.

"Everything is red she is hearing death metal in her head, and not even the bands she likes."


the drama continues as the mysterious "concerned friend" rises from her icy tomb and is hungry... hungry for cheap groceries, "the perfect book" and revenge for anyone who dares takes her books away.

This means YOU,book nazi.
"No book for you!"

ah, and no last word for you but the shriek of your limbs being hacked off with a special Japanese axe.

see (e:theli), (e:tinypliny) and (e:metalpeter) unravel the full story (and comments and ensuing silliness) at:

(e:theli,48665)

---

(e:metalpeter), i don't know what to say. I want to write a comment but I can't even begin to do so right now, but I will. I was just laughing so damn hard that I woke my sleeping bf, and disturbed my lounging cats. I need to reread the whole thread and your brilliant additions to the "(e:) true-story" haha

cracked me up, thank you thank you thank you

oh my!

as part of a new patient examination, my new doc had me go for a ton of blood work for baseline health, etc. I use Quest for all that blood sucking stuff. This was back in October.







My insurance always takes care of lab fees, but I received a bill from Quest rather recently. I forwarded it on to my insurance (through snail mail), but somehow they didn't get it. Then I tried faxing it to them daily for a week, different locations, different times, always busy. Called, tried new fax numbers with same result. They have all this communication documented, as I kept calling them to explain my inability to get the bill to them. I was told to re send through the mail (different addy than originally sent) and that seemed to work.

In the mean time, I got a call from a collection agency!

I guess Quest sent it off to collections pretty quickly although this is the first I heard of even having an outstanding 'bill'.

So back and forth I go with the collections agency. I called them once I received a letter- I wanted to find out what date this happened, etc. (why so quick?) Of course they launched into payment options..

them: "send us money"

me: "no"

them: "if you can't pay it all, we can put you on a payment plan"

me: "no. this isn't my bill, I do not owe you anything- it is currently being handled by my insurance company"

them; "send us money and your insurance will reimburse you"

me: "uhhhh no. I will not assume what you say is true. I need direct communication from insurance company before making any decision. I'll call back"
(really now! and hell no I'm not sending money! - later call to insurance company laughed at the collections brazen attempt to say what the insurance company would/wouldnt do- and no, it is not up to me to pay the bill in any capacity, as it is covered)

I would/should send them a "Spider Drawing As Payment", like this:



so daily calls from collections ensued. i felt like one of those people that avoid the phone expressly for this reason. I just didn't want to have the same conversation until I knew more.

I then received word back from my insurance- in writing and a phone call, that the bill was an oversight on Quests part and that they indeed should not have billed me for anything and that the bill was indeed paid in full by the insurance company. It will fall upon Quest to contact collections and state that this account should not be there. The bill was paid! There is no actual "bill". Argh!

I made a call to collections to inform them of this update, to tell them to stop calling me, and that any interaction I have with anyone on this matter will be with Quest and/or my insurance. Yeh, they are doing their 'job', but enough already!

As a last ditch effort, the collections person actually said for me to call my insurance and to let them know that they can pay the bill with a debit or credit card, and here's the reference #, phone # and contact person, etc. imagine that? And I did call my insurance people just to see if there was anything else I needed to do (and to document my self initiated follow up).

Feeling empathy for dealing with collections, the gentleman I spoke to said that he would call them on my behalf as a favor, but they wouldn't deal with them financially, just reiterate what I said- as the bill being in collections isn't appropriate and that it was a mistake on Quest. So the letter sent to Quest pertaining to this matter was copied to me and they have X amount of days to resolve this billing error and to take me out of collections.

In the mean time, I will see if anything changes on my credit report updates.

and I will wait a little longer before answering my phone again!

although- I'm now on top of my Fair Debt Collections Practices Act..
wiki article:


actual fun-tastic PDF document of Fair Debt Collections Practices Act blah blah blah:

and a super quick "ehow" to get them off my ass:


but still waiting for this next



written by this guy


looked for "smiling happy collection agents" in google images, but nothing turned up in search results. just "request impossible"