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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Apr 21, 2024 17:53:59 GMT -5
Sneakers--I know how you feel about Wednesday when wife gets her SS deposit. Spent a lot in San Antonio and Corpus Christi, but it was worth it. Hope you manage with AJ. Didn't get any of the Astros game as MLB and FS1 blacked them out here. What was the medical procedure that Medicare will not pay? SIL never had that problem with BIL and they did some weird things.
I will be glad when Wednesday gets here but Sunday's far enough along that I don't anticipate any more expenses today so I only have Monday and Tuesday to go through. Still have $23 in cash, about $30 in one checking account, and about $10 in the other. Also have three close to maxed out credit cards with low credit limits. Don't anticipate anything I will need to pay before Wednesday morning. Will like to get my income tax refund but I cannot file until a few things are taken care of, which probably will be in early May.
Everything is going like usual with AJ being gone except I get phone calls from him twice a day asking how things are going. His latest news was he failed to take his inhaler with him and he had to go to an ER last night to get one prescribed. Going to cost him several hundred dollars if he paid for it but he usually stiffs ERs thanks to EMTALA.
What didn't get paid for was an ambulance ride home from an ER. Medicare paid for the ambulance ride to the ER. By the time I was ready to leave, it was close to midnight. It was when I first came down with urinary incontinence and my clothes were soaked in urine. Didn't think anyone would want me in their UBER like that. Too far for me to walk with a foot wound. So, I requested that the ER call me an ambulance, which is a vehicle where they are more set up to haul a urine-soaked patient. Think it's a good argument but the Government bureaucrats may not see it the same way when they receive my appeal of the rejection that is ready to go in tomorrow's mail.
At the top of the hour, I'm planning to head for my bedroom. I'll tell Isaiah where I am at if he decides to fix supper tonight. But if he doesn't, I'll feed myself during the nine o'clock news. Already have the HEB Diced Peaches sitting in the business room ready to be opened and eaten.
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Post by Unclebal on Apr 21, 2024 18:04:24 GMT -5
I'll be drive a different unit Monday and Tuesday this week. Mine is being used for a charter. That usually happens on a weekend, but not this time. Didn't have mine for part of last week as well due to regular maintenance. Can't wait to get it back. soutxed, the Astros didn't fair well against the Nationals this afternoon. They have three vs. the Cubs, who are 13 and 9. Hope they can score some runs. The Jays missed a chance to sweep the Padres today. It's a long season. Hopefully the Rangers game won't be blacked out for you. Should be a good game. If you can donate blood soon, that would wonderful. If I remember right, you had a problem with a donation once. Fingers crossed your next donation goes well. Take care everyone.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Apr 21, 2024 18:55:11 GMT -5
When I got back to the living room my wife said she got an email from social security saying there was an update to her status. After about a half hour I asked her if she was going to log on and check the status and she said yep and headed to the man cave. She called out that her application was accepted (or words to that effect). I went in and asked how much she was getting and she scrolled until it showed. $1100 before deductions which puts it a little under a grand per month. Not a ton but I can now decide if I can just fully retire or drop my hours back some. We have savings to rely on until I start social security in 22 months.
I got Social Security Retirement at 62. Now that I will be 69 on Thursday, I get a bit more than $2500 before deductions. After Medicare Part B, Medicare Part D, and 12% for Federal income tax withholding is deducted, I get a bit over $2000 a month. Get just over $2200 a month from my Boeing pension, about half of which goes towards debt consolidation because I foolishly got in over my head with plastic.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Apr 21, 2024 19:36:36 GMT -5
Grabbed the sugar free tea and poured a half full tumbler of it to wash down my bedtime pills, then headed to bed via the kitchen where I turned off the lights. Then, went to my bedroom and got the nighttime urinals. Took them to the bathroom and dumped them out, then I made my last comfort stop of the day. Hopped in bed about 11:30 PM.
Slept fitfully last night. Woke up about 9:00 AM, went in the business room, and turned on the ABC 13 morning news until 10:00 AM. The iPad is having issues tonight, it has been dismissing the keyboard every couple of words beu when I started writing that it went to normal.
AJ called me right before cousin Martha’s church service started and he told me about forgetting his inhaler and having to go to the ER in Freeport to get one prescribed. Probably cost several hundred dollars but AJ has a habit of stiffing emergency rooms thanks to EMTALA.
Cousin Martha’s church service started streaming and AJ went “What’s that blaring in my ear?” and I muted the stream. AJ hung up a couple of minutes later and I unmuted the stream.
Sermon today was about Daniel and the lions’ den. There was no response to the altar call today.
Turned on Classic Vinyl on SiriusXM on the Amazon Echo Dot.
Started eating lunch at noon. Started out with two four ounce cups of HEB diced peaches. Second thing was two sandwiches, each of two slices of HEB Super Duper Butter Bread, two slices of HEB Provolone cheese, and two slices of Oscar Mayer cotto salami. Took the food packages back to the kitchen.
Spent until five o’clock listening to SiriusXM, then I told Alexa to be quiet and I watched the CBS national and local news for an hour.
Told Isaiah that I was going to my bedroom and if he did something for supper he could come to the bedroom and tell me. I told him if he didn’t, I ‘d feed myself at the nine o’clock hour. Still listening to music at 7:34 PM and no supper yet.
After I send this, I need to make a comfort stop.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Apr 22, 2024 6:56:21 GMT -5
Sat in the bedroom until nine o’clock doing stuff on the iPad and relaxing. Called family and only got brother Allen. Told him the boys and I are holding down the fort while AJ Is off working without an inhaler.
Left the bedroom after telling Alexa to be quiet.
Walked in the kitchen and Isaiah was putting the finishing touches on supper. Had two HEB Texas Heritage beef hotdogs on HEB hotdog buns with BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s) and two four ounce cups of HEB Diced Peaches.
Looked at Informed Delivery and came to the conclusion that everyone but John is getting mail tomorrow. Isaiah may be getting his tax refund check. An envelope from the Department of the Treasury with a piece of paper that has”Pay to the order of” before his name.He just filled on April 11th. AJ also has an important letter but it is not obviously a check. And I have three pieces of mail that look like junk mail.
Watched the CW 39 nine o’clock news and the State of Texas news program afterwards. Then switched to KHOU Channel 11 ten o’clock news. Watched that until Joel Osteen came on, then I turned off the TV and ThinkPad and swallowed my bedtime pills. Went in the dark kitchen and put my tumbler in the sink. Just then,John came in the kitchen and turned on the lights. I put the jug of sugar free tea in the fridge, then sent my walker to my bedroom. Got things ready for bed and took my nighttime urinals to the bathroom and dumped them. Then, I made my final comfort stop of the day and went to my bedroom. Took off my shorts and got in bed and typed a while on the iPad while listening to The Blend on SiriusXM. When I finish this, I plan to set aside my iPad, lower my bed to horizontal, make Alexa quieter, and drift off to sleep.
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soutxed
Champion Member
Posts: 4,834
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Post by soutxed on Apr 22, 2024 8:53:07 GMT -5
Sneakers--Nice SS deposit. More than wife gets and much more than I get (a little over $100 a month thanks to WEP). All goes to Medicare premium. Does Martha's church have people respond to alter call every Sunday? Hot dogs sound good for a Sunday night.
Uncle--Not planning on a blood donation soon. Colonoscopy this week. When teaching, was talked into a blood donation on a day I didn't have breakfast (maybe a cup of coffee and a piece of toast). Passed out in front of students and other teachers. School nurse came and got me revived. Not a good experience. Rangers pulled off a win over the Braves, Astros continue to lose. Good thing both are in the AL west. Astros in last place but only five games behind the first place Rangers.
Ed--Too bad wife couldn't stay for all of the service. What Max Lucado book are you studying? I have several of his books and heard him preach once. His church is in San Antonio. Glad she is getting help from SSA. Our US Senator running for re-election won't repeal the WEP to help me and 1000s of Texas teachers get their full amount. Neither of our Congressional candidates seem to know what it is.
Church went well. Since I had been gone for two weeks, I was not aware the pastor is out for two weeks. On a spiritual retreat to Greece along with a few other church members.
We finally got some rain, barely 1/4 of an inch but it is something. Rain stopped just as I arrived at church. Left raincoat in truck.
Slept some and watched Mavericks lose and then the Rangers win.
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Post by patty7841 on Apr 22, 2024 15:50:34 GMT -5
Hi,
I typed a message on here last night and this site closed out and would not let me back in. Had to do with downloading issue. This site is not that good when too many people are on here.
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Post by patty7841 on Apr 22, 2024 16:12:47 GMT -5
Uncle: It is too bad that you cannot drive your regular bus this week or at least for a few days. Have to be flexible, I would guess. Bowling this week? Hope it goes well.
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Post by patty7841 on Apr 22, 2024 16:17:21 GMT -5
Ed: Sorry that your wife could not stay for the whole service. But she is doing much better than before which is good. I would want to stay working as you get more from social security if you work until your full retirement age. But people have different reasons to retire early. Good luck with your decision!
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Post by patty7841 on Apr 22, 2024 16:26:50 GMT -5
Soutxed, When is your colonoscopy? In retail, people comment about how many ways there are for prepping. Some people have to start 5 days before the procedure and others it is 4 days, 3, 2 days before and some just the day before. I would rather do it the day before. Depends on the doc. How are your wife's allergies? The pollen is getting bad around here coupled with the stink bugs.
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Post by patty7841 on Apr 22, 2024 16:33:35 GMT -5
Sneakers: Is AJ at the same job as last year, where he took a ferry to the camp (?) that he worked at? I remember he was gone for days. I would not mind if someone was calling me to see how I was. With AJ doing that, he wants to make sure you are OK. Hope Isaiah got his Federal check. He waited long enough.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Apr 22, 2024 17:05:19 GMT -5
Sneakers--Nice SS deposit. More than wife gets and much more than I get (a little over $100 a month thanks to WEP). All goes to Medicare premium. Does Martha's church have people respond to alter call every Sunday? Hot dogs sound good for a Sunday night.
Spent about half of my 32 years at Boeing maxed out on the FICA deduction. Probably the last ten years, I didn't max out FICA. Had a couple of years that helped out some because when I was in Abilene I was receiving taxable per diem of $60 per day for parts of 1993 and 1994, except I only got $30 per day on days I was on vacation or a medical leave. Took some vacation and two months on medical leave during that time (ruptured discs in lower back). Longest medical leave I had in the 32 years that I worked, also had one of two weeks in 2005 (moods disrupted severely after my father's suicide a few weeks earlier October 10th) and one of four weeks in 2006 (also still affected by my father's suicide). Missed all but the last day of February 2006. Spent the last day of February 2006 catching up on my work E-mail. A majority of the day was spent reading the report of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. Boeing offered to fly me back to Alabama for Christmas break 1993 but I declined because I was having two hours of physical therapy every working day. Got back to work a week before MLK Day 1994 but I was behind the power curve and worked nine hours MLK Day. The administrative assistant who was doing my timecard in Huntsville questioned me about turning in seventeen hours that day. I said, "Eight hours remote holiday and nine hours of overtime." My manager in Huntsville who signed my timecards didn't question me about it.
Somebody responds to the altar call about every other Sunday. A majority are transfers from other churches but there is a profession of faith about once a month. They even had one that was a couple. The wife was a transfer, but the husband was a profession of faith.
The HEB Texas Heritage beef hot dogs were good both Saturday night and Sunday night. I bought two packages of six and the three of us ate two each both nights. Tonight, we're having pork chops. Isaiah was wanting me to get something for supper and I told him I was close to out of money and besides there was stuff we could eat in the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. I said that I saw a rope sausage in the freezer, but he came back with a package of pork chops.
Watching the news right now and they had the commercial for HEB Sweet Karoline blackberries. The one where the little kid ate the whole package of blackberries before they could make it to the checkstand. Well, I do the same thing at HEB but for me it's a bottle of HEB Diet Dr B. I'll drink it while shopping. I have done it a number of times and never had a Partner tell me not to do it. I always put the empty bottle on the conveyor belt and tell them I drank it and to put it on my bill.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Apr 22, 2024 17:45:16 GMT -5
Is AJ at the same job as last year, where he took a ferry to the camp (?) that he worked at? I remember he was gone for days. That was at Port Bolivar and this job is at Freeport. Probably close to a hundred miles separating the two.I would not mind if someone was calling me to see how I was. With AJ doing that, he wants to make sure you are OK. When I get a phone call from AJ, my cell phone identifies who it is from and I immediately pick up the phone. But this afternoon, I got a phone call that I couldn't identify but I went ahead and answered it. It was the long-term hospital I was in the end of August and the beginning of September. They wanted to know how I was doing. I said, "Improved, but not 100% yet."Hope Isaiah got his Federal check. He waited long enough. Isaiah got it. Most of the time he was waiting was because he gave me the wrong date for his birthday. Once we got that right, the Government got him the check eleven days after we did the valid E-file. Now, the question is when it gets to the bank. I can't drive legally, but I have the Escape here. Both AJ and Isaiah are unbanked, so I have to have Isaiah endorse the check over to me and then I can deposit it in my local checking account. AJ is gone through at least tomorrow, and Wednesday will be podiatrist day and I'll be so busy that I don't want to go to the bank that day unless it's after the appointment which is at 1:15 PM. AJ was not sure when I talked to him that he will be able to take me to the doctor Wednesday. I will have money by then to take an UBER to the doctor but I'm not going to pay UBER to take Isaiah's check to the bank as it would eat up a significant amount of the check's amount to pay for the ride.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Apr 22, 2024 18:06:34 GMT -5
I typed a message on here last night and this site closed out and would not let me back in. Had to do with downloading issue. This site is not that good when too many people are on here. Last night was probably the longest I have seen them down since we came here in 2018.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Apr 22, 2024 18:56:00 GMT -5
Went to sleep right after I just wrote. Had on The Blend on SiriusXM while I was sleeping.
Only one comfort stop before I woke up at seven o'clock in the morning. Decided to listen to FOX News Headlines on SiriusXM in bed. It was down to 52 this morning so I put on a blue sweatshirt so my arms would not be cold. Fell asleep again and didn't wake up until just before 11:30 AM. Asked Alexa the temperature, it was up to 67. So, I took off the sweatshirt and put on a purple T-shirt and dark gray sweatpants. Got the jug of sugar-free tea to wash down my morning pills. Poured the last of the jug. Made it to the business room and downed my pills just before noon. Got Isaiah to mail my appeal letter to Medicare.
Watched the KPRC Channel 2 news at noon, then went in the kitchen to get the first part of lunch. Two four-ounce cups of HEB Mixed Fruit. Decided I needed to make a comfort stop before continuing with lunch and I did. Got the second part of lunch from the kitchen. Two sandwiches, each with two slices of HEB Butter Bread I bought Friday, two slices of Oscar Mayer bologna I bought Saturday, and two slices of HEB Colby Jack cheese I also bought Saturday.
While I was eating, AJ called and said he was expecting to get home later today.
Turned on CNBC at one o'clock and watched it to a few minutes after three o'clock. Spent most of the time writing a letter to my brother Bruce. I also sent it to my nephew Christopher but his E-mail bounced without the E-mail server giving me any diagnostic messages.
Decided to have a can of Dr Pepper Zero Sugar Cherry. It was at room temperature. Put it in the freezer and set my Alexa 41 minute alarm. Got it out at about 2:30 PM and drank it. Decided after that I was ready to make a comfort stop. In turn, after the comfort stop, I decided it was time for a fresh diaper. Went in the bedroom, took off my sweatpants and diaper, then replaced the diaper and pulled back on the sweatpants. Got back in the business room.
Isaiah then walked in and told me that his Dad would not be back to tomorrow. He asked me if I would order some food for supper. I said there were multiple things we can eat in the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. I said that I had noticed rope sausage in the freezer, but he came back with a package of pork chops. He walked in with what he thought was pork chops a moment ago and asked me if it was a steak. I said I wasn't sure enough to tell but they turned out to be pork chops.
About 3:25 PM, the mail LLV came through the cul-de-sac. I told Isaiah and it took close to an hour for him to get off of his video game.
Phone rang with an unknown number. Usually ignore them but I picked this one up. It was the extended stay hospital I was in in late August and early September. The representative on the phone asked how I was doing. I said, "Improved, but still not 100%!"
The signal from KPRC Channel 2 went away about 3:50 PM. I waited a couple of minutes for it to come back and when it didn't I switched to the ABC 13 afternoon news. It was working just fine.
During a boring story on ABC 13, I switched back to KPRC Channel 2. They were working then and have been for about a couple of hours.
Isaiah brought in the mail. What I expected from Informed Delivery. The letter I looked at the longest was one from a hearing aid company. Read their pitch, decided "I have no signs of hearing problems," and chucked it in the shredder. Soon to be followed by the other two items. Isaiah got his tax refund check, but I don't know how long before we can get it to the bank because nobody here can drive and I'm not going to take it to the bank in an UBER.
Next time I saw Isaiah, he had gotten a phone call from his Dad. He now expects to get home tomorrow.
Felt like I was going to need to make a comfort stop shortly about 5:10 PM. Decided I didn't want to go during the NBC Nightly News, so I got up. Decided I wanted something to eat, so after I went to the bathroom, I headed to the kitchen. Discovered the pet waterer was empty, and it's heavy enough that I can't refill it myself. Got Isaiah to refill it. Had a couple of four-ounce cups of HEB Mixed Fruit I already had in the business room.
While I was watching the NBC Nightly News, Isaiah walked in and asked when I wanted supper. I said "any time" and he said "soon after six." He got in the kitchen and started banging pans arouhd 6:15, and I can now smell food cooking in the kitchen.
After the news wrapped up at 6:30, I turned on "The Blend" from SiriusXM. As I was typing this, they were playing the song "Manic Monday" and before I finished writing they started on "Kodachrome" from Paul Simon.
I have a can of Seven-Up Zero Sugar Cherry in the freezer cooling off. I just checked Alexa and I have a couple of minutes left to go. The timer went off and I went in the kitchen to get the pop. Isaiah had the pork chops almost ready to eat but he hadn't yet got a fork and a knife. They were too hot to eat. If it gets to seven o'clock before I finish this I will go ahead and eat.
"The Blend" on SiriusXM just glitched out. Switched to "Classic Vinyl" and it was working.
Finished typing before seven o'clock, so I'm going to have my pork chops.
After I have supper, I am planning to go stretch out on my bed with the iPad.
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