Smile, Halloween Is Here!

I’m having trouble with my internet connection again, so I’m forced to entertain myself.  (Today’s self-entertainment is brought to you by Verizon Sucks, a frequent theme on my blog.) And today, I’m lost in random thoughts about Walgreens, America’s legal drug dealer…

Walgreens caters to our addictions, whether we need vitamins, other-the-counter medications, sugar/salt, alcohol, make-up, caffeine, cigarettes, or those requiring a doctor’s approval. (CVS is the same; just without the cigarettes, but with the nicotine patch.)

When I required drugs which needed a doctor’s approval, I had health insurance to help me find the care I was seeking. While it’s true that medical services offered on a cash-only basis can sometimes be suspect, there are plenty of doctors who no longer take any insurance — and not because there’s something shady about them. But there’s also plenty of scammers pretending to be doctors — and more often than not, they’re cash-only businesses. I would think most doctors practice above board, but even with the fountain of information on the internet, you won’t know if a doctor is right for you until you see her face-to-face. Unfortunately, you have to pay for that privilege, at least in the U.S.  But I guess patients everywhere would complain about their lack of access to the doctors they would choose to see.

I’m not sure I can say the same for pharmacies which only accept cash, but that’s only because I lack experience with that issue. I’ve used various pharmacies over the years, but the majority of that time, I was a monthly customer (with an insurance card) at the Walgreens pharmacy counter.

Now I just visit pharmacy counters to pick up my Claritin-D, which I have to do every 10 days, because… the drug war. At least I don’t have to pay a doctor to get treatment and relief for my allergies, but I know many people do.

The Walgreens pharmacy counter lost a good customer when I stopped taking prescription medications. But the loss of one customer is nothing to Walgreens. It’s not even a drop in the bucket. Maybe I’m more like a speck of dirt… just one customer out of millions.

But fear not for Walgreens, because the store also carries Russell Stover’s chocolates, one of my addictions. Not the kind of candy you can get every day, but all of my holiday favorites. The season goes like this: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter. Then there’s a HUGE amount of time when there is no holiday candy whatsoever, and you have to wait for Halloween again.

And my first sign of Halloween candy at Walgreens happened this week!  (See featured photo.)

I know, it’s exciting!  (Try to control yourself.)  I have little money for luxuries, although this chocolate is more of a necessity. I’ll (try to) follow the same rules I use every season: you’re allowed any product that has dark chocolate; do your best to stay away from the nuts, they just get stuck in your teeth and make your jaw hurt; not too much caramel, it’s bad for your jaw too; and you’re allowed to try any new flavor, even if it’s covered in milk chocolate, has a lot of caramel, and maybe even a nut or two.

It just occurred to me that I may like making rules because I like to break them. 🙂

Can you smell the chocolate?