What are you doing?

[Aunt Bea]

I'm officially old - or pretty close to it. I logged onto the Medicare website and applied for my Medicare card. At least my health insurance costs will be a lot lower when I'm done having to get insurance through the Health Connector site - less than half of what I'm paying now. Nice!

I'm glad to hear that!

My portion of the premium for The Affordable Care Act is now over $660.00/month and last month I received a notice that my insurance carrier has requested a 20% premium increase in 2017. Obamacare has been a big help to me and even with the new increase it will be cheaper than what I was paying on my own.

The good news is that I finally started collecting my SS, now all I have to do is write checks no more deposits!

 

[Dawgluver]

I meandered around the perimeter of one of the raised bed flower gardens, and thought, " I didn't plant those." It was a huge crop of 3 foot high sneezeweed. I yanked them up.

Cheryl and AB, DH is closing in on 65. We get at least 6 calls a day from some medical providers. I let it go to our "spam" phone account (home line). We also get offered a free cruise to the Bahamas every day.

 

[Cheryl J]

Dawg....multiple calls a day?!? Holy cow. I guess that's what I get to look forward to as I quickly approach 'that age'.

I've also gotten a few calls here and there saying I won a free cruise to the Bahamas. I'll meet up with ya there.

 

[larnold]

Dawg....multiple calls a day?!? Holy cow. I guess that's what I get to look forward to as I quickly approach 'that age'.

I've also gotten a few calls here and there saying I won a free cruise to the Bahamas. I'll meet up with ya there.

Haha

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I'm glad to hear that!

My portion of the premium for The Affordable Care Act is now over $660.00/month and last month I received a notice that my insurance carrier has requested a 20% premium increase in 2017. Obamacare has been a big help to me and even with the new increase it will be cheaper than what I was paying on my own.

The good news is that I finally started collecting my SS, now all I have to do is write checks no more deposits!

Last year, my ACA premium was just under $580/month. Pretty much the same we paid for one person when we were carrying COBRA, so it really wasn't a savings from what we had paid but probably less than I would have paid under a personal plan. This year, strangely, my premium dropped almost $50! By estimates, my Medicare plus Supplementals should be just under $200. Can't beat that with a stick.

About phone calls? We killed our land line about three years ago, so we don't get any spam calls...not even political ones! Not getting cruise offers is worth it. However, since the first of the year, insurers who offer supplemental policies have been slamming my snail mail mailbox. Once I started to get the 5th and 6th mailing from a particular carrier, I dumped the new mail. Still, here is a picture of the pile I've saved. Somewhere, a Momma tree cries for her baby tree that was killed for all of this junk mail...

 

[Aunt Bea]

About phone calls? We killed our land line about three years ago, so we don't get any spam calls...not even political ones! Not getting cruise offers is worth it...

I dumped my land line and made the mistake of keeping my old telephone number, now I get spam calls everywhere I go!!!

 

[Andy M.]

At least on your smart phone you can block phone numbers so they can't call again. Unfortunately, they have more numbers to use than you can block.

 

[Addie]

I bought a kit that has batteries separate from the tubes where the vaping happens and that part is refillable. I bought several different flavours (and a couple of different nicotine strengths) to see what I like. Mostly I got flavours that taste like a cigarette. Maybe, once pot is legal here, they will start selling "e-juice" with pot in it.

Yeah, they just passed really strict laws about smoking here and all of them apply equally to vaping. Okay, maybe the non-smokers shouldn't have to be exposed to vaping, but this is absurd. No smoking on the terrasse of a bar or resto. No smoking within 9 metres (~30') of a door or window that can open. Technically, I can't smoke or vape in my tiny backyard, because by the time I'm 9 metres from my patio door, I'm outside my yard. Sheesh.

We have a rule as an addendum to our leash, that we can't smoke within 25 feet of the property. Well, the sidewalk abuts the property and to smoke a cigarette, you have to smoke in the middle of the street. So one day to show just how foolish the rule is, I knew the members of the Board were due to arrive for their monthly meeting. I deliberately stood in the middle of the street smoking my cigarette. I refuse to move so they could pull into the parking lot. One of the drivers asked me what I was doing. I told them plain and simple. Following the rules. Not smoking adjacent to the property. They can just wait until I finish with my cigarette. The rule was changed at the meeting after they patiently waited for me to finish.

 

[Addie]

The anti-smoking laws seem to be more about punishing smokers than about a reasonable way to protect non-smokers.

You are so right. I do try to be a considerate smoker. At the hospital I go to for some of my appointments, they have No Smoking signs all over the place. Except for the sidewalk. That leaves quite a mess for the city to clean up at the end of the day where all the smokers to. But I have seen folks smoking right under a No Smoking sign. Not once have I seen someone say something to them.

 

[Chef Munky]

Waiting To Mug The Mailman

After trying almost every brand of ear plugs on the market with little to no success for a good nights sleep. My husband found these for me to try.

https://hush.technology/?gclid=CICb4umelM0CFYqPfgodcNoABw

Hopefully they will do the trick. When you've been sleep deprived for so long as I have, desperation sets in. Seriously all I want is a full night's uninterrupted nights sleep.

The name reminds me of that tune "Hush hush sweet Charlotte"
That has to be a good thing.

They should be here today. Tonight we'll find out.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Phoebe family or no, I have to get outside and wash off the front porch. We have a nest of babies atop the cornice, and I have been stalling with hosing down the siding. Baby birds or no, I have to get most of it done. My downstairs front screens on that side of the house need to be put in.

Keep your fingers crossed that no dive-bombing birds peck me to death!

 

[Chef Munky]

Keep your fingers crossed that no dive-bombing birds peck me to death!

Fingers crossed.
Sorry can't help but laugh. We once had Sparrows that nested every year right in the corner of our front door entry way.

We all had to be at a school event one night. Got all dressed up, hair done, yadda yadda...I turned on the porch light as we were leaving. While I was just stepping out the Mother Sparrow dropped a few BOMBS right on my head!!!

Hubby and the kids were howling with laughter. Not me.
Needless to say we were late and my hair looked like crap! Literally!

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Munky, I survived unscathed! Momma and Poppa were flitting from tree to porch rail and back again, chirping the entire time. I did see one little head pop up during the entire time, but I don't know if it is an only child or not. I still have part of the porch to wash down, but I'll wait until the nest is empty.

I did get a photo, not very good, but you can see "bird". Not sure if it's Mom or Dad.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Eating Curry at work, by the next check round I should be sweating curry...

 

[skilletlicker]

I placed an order late Saturday night with Jet. Two day delivery. I forgot that it was a holiday weekend. I got upset and sent them an inquiry to where was my order Monday afternoon. Within the hour, I had a reply. But while waiting to hear from them, it dawned on me regarding the long holiday. But they do have great customer service. They tracked my order down. It had been sent to the wrong distribution center by the shipper. No mention of the holiday. Apology sent and 20% off my next order. So it is now out for delivery. And no shipping costs. With any other company, considering it would have cost me even more in shipping costs to get it delivered by FedEx and that UPS doesn't make weekend deliveries, and this delivery service does, I am extremely happy. The fact that everything I ordered was tax free also. Amazon now collects Mass. sales tax. Everything I ordered was a taxable item here in Mass.

I am so happy with Jet. No complaints. Great customer service, fast delivery, free shipping, no sales tax. And discounts to add. Will be sending them a 'thank you' note later tonight.

I just got around to placing an order. Very impressive.

At first it seemed the selection was pretty narrow. Started off with 21 pages of stuff and ordered a dozen things from it. But, when I searched pasta though, it gave me 21 pages of pasta alone. A better selection than Amazon prime pantry, Wallmart online, or my local Kroger grocery store. Plus I bought 5 lbs. of dried tomatoes for less than half of what the same amount would have cost me in the grocery store packages. You don't have to buy big quantities if you don't want to. I bought one boxed brownie mix for instance.

No tax. 15% off my 1st three orders. Free 2-day delivery and no worries because Addie recommended them. Score!

 

[GotGarlic]

I hope this doesn't come across as too political, but tonight is a historic occasion. Hillary Clinton has become the first woman nominated for president by a major party in the United States. I'm very happy and proud, especially since I am a former co-president of the League of Women Voters in my locality. I'm thrilled to witness this day.

 

[rodentraiser]

Munky, I survived unscathed! Momma and Poppa were flitting from tree to porch rail and back again, chirping the entire time. I did see one little head pop up during the entire time, but I don't know if it is an only child or not. I still have part of the porch to wash down, but I'll wait until the nest is empty.

I did get a photo, not very good, but you can see "bird". Not sure if it's Mom or Dad.

I'm on the third floor and I can see the seagulls nesting on the flat roof of the building across the street. Watching the seagulls learn to fly is hysterical. They get up in the air OK, but they come in for a landing, stop short, and tumble head over heels. It really only takes them a couple days to become proficient flyers, but during those couple days, a few babies get stuck on some other rooftop and all you can hear are baby sea gulls crying for mom (or dad) to come rescue them.

I hope this doesn't come across as too political, but tonight is a historic occasion. Hillary Clinton has become the first woman nominated for president by a major party in the United States. I'm very happy and proud, especially since I am a former co-president of the League of Women Voters in my locality. I'm thrilled to witness this day.

Not sure how I feel about Hillary. I mean, I think it's wonderful that I live in a time when a woman can get nominated but at the same time, Hillary wouldn't have been my choice. Well, I wouldn't pick Trump either. I think they should put the election off a year and make everyone start over.

Our heatwave here finally broke, so that means tomorrow my air conditioner will arrive.

I'm making up the grocery list for tomorrow. That will take me about an hour or so. Then I think I'll turn in early. I finally got the book "The Big Short" and I'm reading about a chapter or so a night before I go to sleep. I don't know anything about stocks and bonds, so I'm really having to concentrate on that book to understand it. A little of it goes a long way.

 

[Farmer Jon]

Its been hot as hell here so I decided its about time I get a screen door built for the chicken coop. I like to lock them in at night to keep them safe from preditors but they need air too.

 

[Addie]

I just got around to placing an order. Very impressive.

At first it seemed the selection was pretty narrow. Started off with 21 pages of stuff and ordered a dozen things from it. But, when I searched pasta though, it gave me 21 pages of pasta alone. A better selection than Amazon prime pantry, Wallmart online, or my local Kroger grocery store. Plus I bought 5 lbs. of dried tomatoes for less than half of what the same amount would have cost me in the grocery store packages. You don't have to buy big quantities if you don't want to. I bought one boxed brownie mix for instance.

No tax. 15% off my 1st three orders. Free 2-day delivery and no worries because Addie recommended them. Score!

I am glad you are happy. I order items that I would be taxed on here in Mass. I already have my next order ready to go. I will have the money available next week, and as soon as I am sure it is in my account I will hit "place order."

It is too easy to get carried away on that site. So I now limit myself to how much I can spend on each order.

Last order, I got in a hefty supply of paper dishes. Big ones. small ones for sandwiches, and small bowls. Pirate thinks it is so wasteful. Guess who reaches for them the most. Yeah, Pirate. When I called him on it, all I got was, "Yeah Ma, but I am the one who washes the dishes more than you do." Go ahead son. There is room for only one of us in the kitchen, so do all the cooking you want. Just don't cook for me. He uses too much seasoning, (pepper).

I haven't looked at the food items yet. I think I will take a look.

 

[LizStreithorst]

I'm taking an hour break from working in the fish room and listening to The Splendid Table. I already moved a 150 gallon shrimp holding container to outside the fish room, filled it with 60 gallons of aged tap and 90 gallons of dechlorinated tap from the hose. I caught and moved a ton of Pearl Goruamis divided among 3 tanks it it. Then I cleaned and squeezed 30 sponge filters and put them back.

My next job will not be fun. I need to kill a whole bunch of adult Angelfish that I have no market for. I hate it but I have to do it. I need the tank space.