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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 25, 2024 13:17:35 GMT -5
Sneakers--Glad you got a working scooter. Wish we could get SIL to use one when shopping, but says she is not smart enough to use one. Hard for her to walk around with cane. Doesn't want to use walker either.
Exactly how much "smarts" are required to use a scooter? I'd say she's just stubborn and lazy.
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soutxed
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Post by soutxed on Mar 26, 2024 7:56:30 GMT -5
Sneakers--Not lazy, but stubborn. She hates change. Took her two months to learn the Keurig coffee pot. Never learned the washing machine here. But she can understand how to complete the government forms to get help.
Baltimore bridge collapse reminds me of the Padre Island bridge collapse. Hit by tugboat and vehicles went into the water. Some rescued but others died. Hurt the economy of SPI for months. Sadly, Federal law limited liability of the boat company to $10 million, which all went to the state to rebuild the bridge. Businesses hurt got nothing.
Doctor's visit went well. Another three months on the C-Pact machine. Listened to my cough and felt that I can continue to take OTC medications. Went to Wal Mart to get more meds with me OTC card from Cigna. Used up this quarters money.
Wife has doctor visit today.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 26, 2024 13:11:39 GMT -5
Sneakers--Not lazy, but stubborn. She hates change. Took her two months to learn the Keurig coffee pot. Never learned the washing machine here. But she can understand how to complete the government forms to get help. Two months to learn a Keurig coffee pot? I watched AJ use his Hamilton Beach Keurig clone once and understood how to do it.
Doctor's visit went well. Another three months on the C-Pact machine. Listened to my cough and felt that I can continue to take OTC medications. Went to Wal Mart to get more meds with me OTC card from Cigna. Used up this quarters money. I need to find where my mask nosepiece went to. Crazy Friendswood nursing home threw it away, but I ordered another one. Still haven't found it. It came when I was in the hospital. I found some mail for me dating back to November on the dining room table. The only important thing was my county property tax bill. Don't know why they bother mailing it out because I have no tax due. I had previously checked it online.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 26, 2024 17:45:05 GMT -5
Got two things in the snail mail today.
First was an offer for a fee-harvesting credit card (where they charge you $100 a year just to have the card with an $400 credit limit). That rapidly went in the shredder.
Second was a letter from Humana that the price of my Medicare Supplement went from $210.06 a month to $238.97 a month. The last four months of 2023 had me hit the jackpot on my Medicare Supplement insurance.
The holiday-shortened stock trading week is now half over. Tuesday, my account went down 0.34% on the day. Seven stocks up, seven down. Keurig Dr Pepper was up the most and Boeing was down the most.
Lunch today was two bagel sandwiches with bologna and Kraft "Double Cheddar" sliced cheese.
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soutxed
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Post by soutxed on Mar 27, 2024 8:18:54 GMT -5
Sneakers--SIL kept saying her coffee pot at home was simpler. Wife showed her the Keurig coffee pot was simple because we don't have to clean it daily. Thought at one point she was bringing hers. Informed delivery said I was getting the ink cartridges Monday, but they didn't come until yesterday. But a home covid test came Monday which informed delivery had no delivery date. USPS in your area is better. Once they held a shipment of medications in McAllen for a week before I went to the USPS here to complain.
Wife's visit to doctor went well. The x-ray showed something, so they prescribed an inhaler for her. Also, some kind of machine for her to use when she has trouble breathing.
Baseball season starts Thursday. Rangers game on ESPN but have Maundy Thursday service that night. No streaming as it will be a play of the last supper and there is a copyright prohibition to live streaming.
Started income tax yesterday. Hopefully can finish it today, but we may have visitors today.
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Post by edindetroit on Mar 27, 2024 19:15:24 GMT -5
Second was a letter from Humana that the price of my Medicare Supplement went from $210.06 a month to $238.97 a month. The last four months of 2023 had me hit the jackpot on my Medicare Supplement insurance.
Just signed up for plan G through AARP United Health Care $120 and change per month. Don't take a bunch of pills so signed up for a $0 monthly premium with a $540 deductible. We'll see how it goes. I can change it in a year if I don't like it.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 27, 2024 21:00:31 GMT -5
Second was a letter from Humana that the price of my Medicare Supplement went from $210.06 a month to $238.97 a month. The last four months of 2023 had me hit the jackpot on my Medicare Supplement insurance.
Just signed up for plan G through AARP United Health Care $120 and change per month. Don't take a bunch of pills so signed up for a $0 monthly premium with a $540 deductible. We'll see how it goes. I can change it in a year if I don't like it.
It's more expensive than that in Texas. You also have to realize that I will be 69 by the time that premium change takes place and most Medicare Supplement insurance goes up as you age.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 27, 2024 22:33:07 GMT -5
Today was Social Security Retirement payday.
Got up about nine o'clock in the morning. Paid my electric bill and put $1000 towards my HEB Signature VISA bill.
Ate lunch about 11:15 AM because I had a doctor appointment at 1:15 PM. I was running late, but what does AJ do but stop at a C-store on the route and grab a bottle of Sprite? Couldn't he have gotten me to the doctor's office and get his Sprite ten minutes later?
Walked in the doctor's office and they had no record of me having an appointment today. I whipped the appointment card out of my wallet, showed it to the staff, and said "Today is definitely the 27th, I got my Social Security!" They worked me in.
Podiatrist said my skin graft was progressing, but he wants to see me again next Wednesday. He did tell me not to walk around the house in bare feet, dog hair otherwise collects on my bandage.
I asked him if any doctor ever talked to him about me needing to be in hospice. He said there is no way that I ever needed to be in hospice. I told him that a doctor certified me to need hospice. He thought I was kidding until I said "they've spent the past two months coming out to give me a shower three times a week." As if I couldn't do it myself.
Now, Medicare is all messed up. They won't pay to cure me but they will pay for me to have a nurse come out and give me a shower three times a week. Even though I rejected hospice a while back. I decided it was better for me not to talk because I have had a day that has not made me a happy camper.
After I got done at the podiatrist's office, AJ let me out at HEB. He came in and found me and reminded me of some stuff we needed. Then, he decided to go out to the Escape and smoke. HEB needs to pay attention to their cashier partners. The one that I had added a "Change for Charity" to my purchase without my knowledge or authorization. When I found it when I got home, I most definitely told HEB that their largess in giving away customer funds is not appreciated. I want to give to the charities I support, not the ones that HEB picked out.
Got a phone call from the home health equipment supplier. They want back their hospital bed. I said that if I gave it back I would have nowhere to sleep. So, I rented it for $251.14 for a month. AJ was stupid enough to throw out my mattress because i leaked urine on it. I'm tempted to ask him to pay for the hospital bed rental because he left me no alternative. AJ must really be dense to think somebody with urinary incontinence won't leak. Diapers are not perfect, and the first couple of times I leaked I wasn't wearing a diaper in the first place.
At least today was a good day for the stock market. My portfoilio was up 1.23% today. Ten stocks were up and only two were down. Best was NUCOR and worst was Keurig Dr Pepper, despite me having bought four fridge packs of Dr Pepper (two regular flavor, two cherry flavor) at HEB.
I watched the end of the KPRC Channel 2 early evening news (joined it in progress).
When the news was over, I vented to my brother Bruce and my nephew Christopher by E-mail. I complained about how everything was really screwed up and none of it was my fault.
Medicare is likely to get an earful tomorrow. They won't pay for a doctor to cure my problem, but they will pay for a nurse to come out and give me a shower three times a week for two months. Even though I rejected hospice a while back. I am also going to make a fraud, waste, and abuse complaint about the quack doctor that signed me up for hospice, undoubtedly for lots of funds for himself. He never talked to me. He never talked to my podiatrist. I am also tempted to complain to the State of Texas about his total lack of medical ethics.
Isaiah at least made a frozen pizza tonight, so I didn't have to feed myself. I also had some fruit because I had been to HEB today.
John is tasked by his father to keep the kitchen clean. The kitchen sink was full of dirty dishes. Fortunately, John walked in the kitchen when I was rolling out of the business room. I said that he really needed to do the dishes because the sink was full of dirty dishes. I don't think I would have been have been that polite had I made it to the end of the hall to complain to AJ. AJ would have probably been told to go make his lazy son get off his tablet computer eighteen hours a day and do the dishes.
Watched the nine o'clock CW 39 news and am watching the KPRC Channel 2 ten o'clock news. Will probably watch part of "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Need to stay up to about 11:00 PM for a pill that needs to be taken every twelve hours. Only two of them left.
Going to have to have some pills delivered by HEB tomorrow. AJ doesn't want to drive if he can help it because he let the registrations on both vehicles expire. Sorry, I can't drive any more or I would do it.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 28, 2024 0:29:47 GMT -5
Went grocery shopping at HEB after my podiatrist appointment. AJ got halfway close to the front door and asked me if I was going to get out. Usually don't go in the side of the store with the produce department. I got on a scooter and set about the store shopping. AJ walked around the store until he saw me, then he reminded me of some things to get. He left me shopping and went out to the Escape to smoke. I went through the checkstand (the cashier unloaded the basket for me) and then I headed out the door to the Escape. I spent $110 for 34 items, namely: Two fridge packs of Dr Pepper Zero Sugar Cherry Two one-gallon jugs of Red Diamond Sugar-Free Tea (sweetened with Splenda) Two one-gallon jugs of HEB 2% milk Two Red Baron Classic Crust four-meat frozen pizzas Two fridge packs of Diet Dr Pepper original flavor Two loaves of HEB Super Duper Butter Bread One six-bagel bag of Aunt Millie's "Everything" bagels A 20-ounce bottle of HEB Diet Dr B (consumed while shopping) A ten-slice package of HEB Colby Jack cheese A 3# chub of ground chuck A ten-slice package of HEB Monterey Jack cheese A ten-slice package of HEB Provolone cheese Two seven-ounce tubs of HEB beef pastrami A ten-slice package of HEB Cheddar cheese A ten-slice package of HEB sliced Swiss cheese Two four-cup packages of HEB diced peaches Two packages of Lipton beefy onion dry soup mix Two four-cup packages of HEB mixed fruit cups A 23-ounce box of Kellogg's Froot Loops Two four-cup packages of HEB tropical fruit cups Two four-cup packages of HEB diced pears
Unfortunately, the cashier chose to add a "Change for Charity" donation to my order without my knowledge or permission. I only found out about it after I got home and looked at the register tape. I contacted HEB and gave them an earful about it. I contribute to the charities that I want to, not the ones that HEB picked out.
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soutxed
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Post by soutxed on Mar 28, 2024 8:28:21 GMT -5
Sneakers--A lot of businesses are asking if you want to round up and donate to some charity. After reading an article how the business gets a tax write off for those "donations" I generally stop contributing. Yesterday at Jersey Mike's my tab ending in 99 cents so I donated 1 cent. I am glad I am not the only person having issues with the federal government. At least with my Medicare Advantage, I complain to the insurance company who responds to the problem quickly to keep our business. When Medicare cut my mother many years ago when dad died because they though she died, I got nowhere with them, even taking her to the SS office. Contacted our congressman and he finally took care of it. I have stated here before when I found out how little I was getting for SS, I said I didn't want it, but man on phone said too late. Years later I did learn I could cancel it but would have to return all payments. I guess doctors in Houston have issues when they didn't have your appointment. Had that happen just before Covid. But my referral letter showed I had that appointment.
Ed--My plan G doesn't charge me extra. There was a Humana plan we looked at with a $50 a month extra, but didn't cover some of our doctors.
Just heard on the news that businesses hurt by the bridge collapse in Baltimore cannot sue for lost income. Same happened here when the causeway to Padre Island was knocked down by a tugboat. Liability was limited to the state to rebuild the causeway.
Went to gym and then took down the outdoor Christmas lights (finally). Weather was nice yesterday.
Pickup would not start. Looks like I will need to take (or have it towed) leaving wife and me with one car. She wants to go to her Holy Thursday service so I guess I can go with her or stay home and miss the one at my church, unless the truck can be fixed today.
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Post by edindetroit on Mar 28, 2024 17:54:24 GMT -5
Going to have to have some pills delivered by HEB tomorrow. AJ doesn't want to drive if he can help it because he let the registrations on both vehicles expire. Sorry, I can't drive any more or I would do it. I thought that was taken care of.
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Post by edindetroit on Mar 28, 2024 18:02:32 GMT -5
Unfortunately, the cashier chose to add a "Change for Charity" donation to my order without my knowledge or permission. I only found out about it after I got home and looked at the register tape. I contacted HEB and gave them an earful about it. I contribute to the charities that I want to, not the ones that HEB picked out.
And who gets the tax write off for donating that money? Here's a hint, not you.
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Post by edindetroit on Mar 28, 2024 18:11:45 GMT -5
Ed--My plan G doesn't charge me extra. There was a Humana plan we looked at with a $50 a month extra, but didn't cover some of our doctors.
A guy at our church has been telling us about the AARP/United Health Care and he said he has been very happy with it and said they pay for everything.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 28, 2024 20:35:38 GMT -5
Going to have to have some pills delivered by HEB tomorrow. AJ doesn't want to drive if he can help it because he let the registrations on both vehicles expire. Sorry, I can't drive any more or I would do it. I thought that was taken care of. I don't know which one of us is the worst procrastinator, AJ or myself. I did write a follow-up to UTMB Webster about the claim from the ER visit January 8th. They told me that the claim was not rejected. They lied. The claim was rejected January 17th. I have known about the rejection for over two months. They are too lazy to correct the claim. Of course, this should not be surprising given that UTMB staff are Government bean counter pukes.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 29, 2024 3:02:25 GMT -5
Last night, I wanted to stay up to 11:00 PM to take a clindamycin antibiotic pill. Ended up not going to bed until two in the morning.
Got up about nine in the morning and went in the business room. Turned on the tail end of the FOX 26 morning news. Fell asleep watching the news in the business room task chair and woke up about 10:30 AM.
Switched to CNBC until eleven o'clock.
Called HEB Pharmacy and had them deliver some pills to me. No charge for the pills with my Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan but a $7.95 delivery charge. They came about 5:00 PM and AJ answered the door and signed for them. I hadn't taken today's dose but it's a pill you should only take first thing in the morning.
Turned on ABC 13 and saw the eleven o'clock news and "Jeopardy!" Switched to KPRC Channel 2 at noon.
Really procrastinated about lunch. Didn't eat lunch until three o'clock in the afternoon after taking my morning pills about two o'clock. Had two four-ounce cups of HEB Diced Pears. Also had two sandwiches. HEB Super Duper Butter Bread and HEB Beef Pastrami with Kraft Expertly Paired Cheddar/Mozzarella cheese.
When I took my morning pills, I realized that I had only one 81 mg aspirin tablet left. Got on Amazon and ordered three bottles of 36 tablets. This is the stuff that gets called "baby aspirin" but it was only given to children in the Dark Ages. If you want to find "baby aspirin" now, you look in the old people's medicine section, The only thing it is used for now is cardiologists prescribe it to old people to keep their nasty platelets from clumping together and making a widowmaker clot.
Tuned the TV to the season opener Astros-Yankees game. At the end of the second inning, the score was 4-0 Astros. Was wondering why the Yankees bothered showing up. But the Yankees came back and won 5-4.
Got E-mail from brother Bruce, He said we don't see eye to eye on anything. He thinks I should sell the house and go into a nursing home. I say "Why? What Activity of Daily Living can I not do other than drive? No doctor would think I should be in a nursing home." My podiatrist, who knows what is wrong with me more than any other doctor, almost didn't believe me when I said I'd been put in hospice. I told him that I've had a nurse come out to shower me three times a week for the last two months. And now we have Medicare all confused. They won't pay to cure me but they will pay to have a nurse come scrub me three times a week and change my bandages. And even chaplain visits. I smell fraud, waste, and abuse but not have yet given Medicare an earful. I signed a form to reject hospice but it probably hasn't caught up with the system yet. If I call Medicare tomorrow, they will probably think Good Friday was Bad Friday.
Ended out the holiday-shortened stock trading week with my stock holdings up 0,05% today. Eight stocks were up and six were down. Big Carbonated, Flavored Sugar Water (PepsiCo) was up the most and Big Fruit (Apple) was down the most.
After the Astros game was over, I switched to the NBC Nightly News in progress, then I watched the six o'clock KPRC Channel 2 news.
At 6:30 PM, I turned off the TV and turned on SiriusXM on the Amazon Echo Dot. Listened to Classic Rewind for a while, then Classic Rock Top 1000.
My podiatrist wants me not to walk around in bare feet but I can't find any suitable footwear. I have a pair of sandals that painfully rub on my wound. I have a pair of slippers that are well named: they constantly want to slip off and I have to shuffle walk to keep them on. There's a third pair of shoes in the business room but I'm not going to wear them because they're the reason I do have a foot wound. Going to have to hobble around my bedroom to see if I can find anything that is still comfortable.
Called cousin Martha tonight, wanted to talk to cousin Sonja but she didn't answer. She's the one that probably has more experience dealing with medical red tape than I do.
AJ came limping in the business room and begged off fixing supper. I said, "When you feel better, you probably need to go through the freezer. I think there is stuff in there that has freezer burn and dates back to Chelsea."
I had supper. It was a lot like lunch except on one of the sandwiches I had two slices of bologna.
I got so frustrated with the slippers that I let them fall off and go around the house barefoot.
Took my bedtime pills. Washed them down with sugar-free tea.
I think tomorrow for me will be more like a weekday than a weekend day. Trash will be picked up. Snail mail will come. Most businesses will be open. My cardiologist and podiatrist won't be open,
Fell asleep in the task chair and woke up just before 3:00 AM Friday.
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