I shouldn't have been so optimistic.

The COBRA management company claims that Otter is listed as eligible for COBRA because he was terminated, not deceased. This is causing bloody hell with me trying to elect COBRA.

Furthermore, there will be a new COBRA management company as of next week. I had called them on Monday to ask if it made more sense for me to wait to elect COBRA until they are the company or if I should do it now and the person I spoke to seemed rather flustered and said I should definitely elect it before it got to them and let the system pull things over.

Current COBRA management company has '3-5 business days' for their resolution of issues.

*headdesk**headdesk**headdesk*

Today, I:

Today, I:

• Called COBRA Management company, to get my account details since I had misplaced the piece of paper I had written them on. I was told that the only record of me in the system was as his dependent, that he is listed as 'terminated' and not 'deceased', and this is incorrect and must be dealt with. I took a case number, and left them to deal.
  
• Emailed Otter's HR to tell them of this, and that something is very confused.
  
• Was told by R what the details of the account were, and successfully got into the COBRA management company's benefits account to continue to elect COBRA for my health insurance. Only to find that, having listed Spouse&Child as needing insurance, I *must* include the Primary Plan Participant in the insurance, and that doing so has the wrong number of people being insured. Apparently because Otter is NOT listed as deceased, things are SERIOUSLY upgefukt.
  
• Called COBRA management company again and confirmed that yes, this is the reason it is all upgefukt, and they need to talk to Otter's employer and get things straightened out, and that it will take 3-5 business days, as it always does. Oh, and that another company will be the COBRA management company on April 2nd. Yes, I know, I called them 2 days ago and they said to complete the coverage with you folks.
  
• Screamed for about 2 minutes straight, and then took many deep breaths.
  
• Spent time trying to figure out who has our tax info from the cryptic note left by Otter on his computer for me. Even accounting for his atrocious spelling, I can't find anyone with any name anything like the names he wrote down that has ever heard of him, or our 6+ years of unfiled taxes.
  
• Spoke with R about the various research projects I'd given her: our food spending is consistent on a monthly basis so we can work on that number as our budget; the post card from our local mazda dealer talking about a recall doesn't have one that is dangerous that we seem to be affected by; the insurance company that was dealing with the tree that came down on our roof had gotten back to her about when the check was cashed, cleared, and other identifying information, and that information was not found in our records.
  
• So I Called up his bank and asked if they could find that information for us, to confirm that it was cashed by him. They said yes, but we'd have to come in person to talk about it.
  
• Went to Otter's bank (where I now have a couple of accounts) and talked to them, and yes, indeed, that check was deposited into his account. Yay. So much for that 2k.
  
• Did some Ingressing while driving around.
  
• Went to BJs with R, doing some price comparing and picking up some pens that I love that are really inconsistent as to where I can find them, and these were 10packs of the matching pen and pencils. In addition to the groceries.
  
• Had pizza for my 4pm food next to Stop & Shop.
  
• Sat in the car while R went into Stop & Shop, because she wasn't going to be long enough for me to get in any cruising for interesting things, and she doesn't like the scent of lilies.
  
• Came home and Called the lawyer in Florida who's taking care of my father's sister's estate. Talked to a person this time!!! But not the lawyer. He's out. But now he's it!
  
• pored over the TIAACREF pension beneficiary form, and grepped through papers failing to find the information for the new IRA for me.
  
• Got called into the kitchen to help R butcher a chicken. (I'd given verbal directions before, but this was eyes on while she wielded the knife.)
  
• Found another set of papers with the account number of the new IRA for me, and used that to fill out the TIAACREF paperwork.
  
• Called TIAACREF help line to figure out some confusing back-and-forthing in the form to fill out. (Mostly my confusion, less their writing, and making sure I understood that really, I didn't have to write anything on 4 pages of this.) (I wrote "DO NOT NEED" on them just to be clear.)
  
• Proudly signed it only to realize that I should not have signed it because it needs a notary and I'm supposed to sign in front of the notary. Fuck.
  
• Put it down to deal with tomorrow because I've been up for 19 hours and I'm done.
  

Not including the other stuff. Done.