And now what did you do TODAY?

[swt61]

The pharmacist had to find a spot between type to mark my covid booster, since my card was full. But I'm boosted again and ready to thumb my nose at the flu as well.

[Grahame]

19 minutes ago, swt61 said:

The pharmacist had to find a spot between type to mark my covid booster, since my card was full. But I'm boosted again and ready to thumb my nose at the flu as well.

Good on you Steve.

Do you known Was it a repeat dose of last  years "bivalent" vaccine, or the "updated" formula targeting XBB.1.5?

[Fitz]

Came home to find out my brake lights were stuck on. Apparently there's a little rubber disc that goes on the brake pedal arm that pushes the switch to shut off the brake lights when the pedal is up, and it disintegrated. Found the pieces of it on the floormat when I went to check the switch. Luckily I found a bolt laying around whose head was almost the exact thickness of the disc, so I just shoved that in the hole and now the brake lights work normally again.

There wasn't room to get a nut on the back side (the side of the bolt is right against metal), but the pedal has to be pushed way down to even get it in or out, and it's relatively snug in there, so I guess this will be the permanent fix.

[swt61]

3 hours ago, Grahame said:

Good on you Steve.

Do you known Was it a repeat dose of last  years "bivalent" vaccine, or the "updated" formula targeting XBB.1.5?

The pharmacist told me that the updated XXB.1.5 wouldn't be available until late September/early October. So this was the bivalent Moderna. 

I will get the newer booster when available, though the pharmacist didn't tell me how long I should wait before getting another booster.

Even though I asked.

1 hour ago, Fitz said:

Came home to find out my brake lights were stuck on. Apparently there's a little rubber disc that goes on the brake pedal arm that pushes the switch to shut off the brake lights when the pedal is up, and it disintegrated. Found the pieces of it on the floormat when I went to check the switch. Luckily I found a bolt laying around whose head was almost the exact thickness of the disc, so I just shoved that in the hole and now the brake lights work normally again.

There wasn't room to get a nut on the back side (the side of the bolt is right against metal), but the pedal has to be pushed way down to even get it in or out, and it's relatively snug in there, so I guess this will be the permanent fix.

Once again, shoving something in a hole is not only satisfying, but is also repairative.

[Fitz]

The key is that the thing being shoved into the hole is not too big, nor too small.

[Knuckledragger]

While Tice was boosting his health, I was endangering mine(!)  Not so Cool Story Bro: Tonight I had some vegetarian quiche, which was good but kind of bland.  I added some Tapatio hot sauce to make it more interesting.  I took a bite that was bigger than perhaps it should have been.  A bit went down the wrong pipe.  A bit soaked in hot sauce went down the wrong pipe.  I felt instant irritation and blockage.  I spat out what I had been trying to chew (gross, but this was an emergency.)  I stood up, I began coughing frantically and pounding myself on the chest.  I stumbled toward the sink while my (sainted, octogenarian) mother watched on in horror.  To her credit, she did not panic. 

There is nothing quite as scary as the feeling of "I need to take a breath now" followed by "I can't." 

I sort-of knew I was going to be alright, as I wasn't genuinely choking so much as having a reaction to my attempts at breathing hot sauce.  Eventually (mere seconds, but it felt like time dilation at light speed) I got a few haggard breaths in.  I hacked up "I'm okay" and kept coughing for a bit longer.  Eventually I managed to drink some water and in time even finish my dinner.  I'm "fine" now, but my throat feels like something mean got at it.  It's been quite an evening.

[Dusty Chalk]

Take your time and baby your throat.  It's now all irritated and doesn't trust food, air, liquid, etc.  Make sure to take slow inhales and fast but not damaging exhales, and let your mucus do it's work (bringing up the last bits out of your lungs).

I wish you feel completely better with no side effects soon.

[swt61]

On 8/23/2023 at 8:27 PM, Dusty Chalk said:

Take your time and baby your throat.  

Said me to a twink NEVER! 😘

[swt61]

On 8/17/2023 at 6:37 PM, swt61 said:

This will be a long drawn out post. Just a fair warning for those with better ways to spend 15 minutes or so.

I hadn't posted about this here, but the last couple of months have been extremely difficult for my Mother. As it happens her husband stopped making the payments on the motor home (unbenounced to her) that they lived in. To make matters worse, it was close to being paid off. She had 3 days notice of repossession (they're both in their 80's).

Couldn't find a way to stop that from here. But I was able to find a used 40' bumper pull trailer in great shape, very close to her. She was able to make that purchase, and the trailer was supposed to be delivered in 3 days time. So just a short hotel stay.

That turned out to actually take over 3 weeks and a $2000 hotel stay. She's on a very fixed income. 

Then, after locking up her old motor home and actually cutting the water and electric hook ups, the bank decided that the motor home wasn't worth repossessing. The giant slide-out had rusted frozen after nearly 20 years in the South Texas beach weather. Also with my Mother and her husband both being legally blind, they had no idea that they were living in a roach infested, mold infested, horrible environment. They had a pretty bad roof leak. My Mom has COPD, and could barely walk from one end of the 32' motorhome, to the other.

So, this frozen up motor home that wouldn't start, and was going to cost almost $4000 to be removed from the RV park they live in, the bank decided to abandon at the RV park, leaving my Mother on the hook for removal. Mind you, the bank held the title, left the motorhome locked and unusable (no hook ups). After talking to several businesses, my Mother discovered that no one would even consider moving it without a title.

Long story longer, the bank wasn't able to get away with their despicable activities. I fully understand that the mortgage was behind some eight thousand dollars ( however, even though he had missed 8 payments, he had made 6 payments after that. Payments that the bank had accepted). And again, they were literally a few payments away from being payed off, minus the 8 back payments.

She did end up having to make rent on two lots for one month, once the new trailer was finally delivered, and the old motor home was still in the old lot space.

So, to catch up...

They found a company to haul away the motor home with a giant wrecker. This company charged the bank (the legal owner) space rent, while they started refurbishing the motor home.

The bank settled with them for lot rent and removal fees. The bank also settled with the RV park for lot space rent (2 months) which the park gave to my Mother.

The RV sales company that turned a 3 day delivery into 3 weeks has agreed to reimburse my Mother for 80% of the hotel bill, and the hook ups that they were supposed to do and didn't, which my Mom had to pay someone else to do. Also the payment on the trailer was knocked down $130 a month. They told her that to qualify for the loan, she'd need an extended warranty. Turns out that was bullshit. And she had only financed $7000, and paid cash for the other $11,000.

People really like to fuck over Senior citizens!

Today I got the news that my Mother qualified for Medicaid. This also qualified her for a helper to come in 14 hrs. a week to clean, do laundry and all the shopping. My Mother and her husband can't drive anymore. He's almost fully blind, and she's loosing her sight pretty quickly ( both have macular degeneration).

The Dr. has told her that her COPD is vastly improved (no mold or roach poop for a few months now).

And finally, South Texas has no real transit help for Seniors or handicapped individuals. The bus they paid for to get to Dr. appointments is now also covered by Medicaid. That and they qualified for Meals on Wheels (more of a logistics challenge than a financial one).

So, what was a complete pain in the ass, and absolutely despicable behavior by the bank (at least in my opinion), has now turned into a bit of a rainbow after a bad storm.

I can't thank my Cousin enough, who spent hour after hour moving, boxing, cleaning and redelivering all of the roach infested clothing and belongings. Also pairing down a ton of crap that they just didn't need.

Happy ending!

Recent update.

My Mother has been in and out of the hospital lately because of her APhib, which also sets off her COPD.

My Brother and I have been trying hard to get her to go live with him and his wife. They have room and time, since they're both retired now. His wife loves my Mom and has been trying to talk her down that path.

My Mother can be stubborn, and is hell bent on paying off the portion she financed on her recent trailer purchase.

My Aunt (who lives nearby) has offered to store the trailer on her property. So finally my Mother has realized that life would not only be easier, but more enjoyable. Her husband has become verbally unkind. He's just turned into an irresponsible, grumpy old man. I believe he is at the begging stages of dementia. 

So my Brother and his wife are driving from Arizona to Texas to get her on the 17th. She won't go before that, because her husband's only Daughter (who he's never had much interaction with) can't get there until the 16th to take him back to Alaska to live with her, because of an already scheduled vacation. She's a really wonderful person, and I've filled her in on what to expect. She says she feels obligated, even though he's basically ignored her from age 5.

My Mother says that she'll tripple up her trailer payments, since she'll no longer have any bills to speak of. She wants to gift the trailer to me, once it's payed off. So I'll pick it up and use it upon retirement in a little over 4 years.

I'm thrilled that she will be in a house filled with love for whatever time she has left. And she'll only be seven hours away for weekend visits.

Edited September 8, 2023 by swt61

[skullguise]

Sounds like great progress, Steve, wishing her and you all an easy time of things!

[swt61]

My Brother and his wife have already set up her room with a new mattress and everything she'll want or need. He also had his Daughter set up a system to stream audio books for her. She can still read if she enlarges the font on her Kindle, but her eyes are deteriorating and won't improve. She's never had much interest in TV, but has always been a voracious reader. She hasn't been able to see well enough to safely cook for sometime now, so home cooked meals will be fully enjoyed by her. Just a great and happy situation for a Mother that would always step in front of my physically abusive Father, when he went way too far on his boys. She deserves this and way, way more. Even if she doesn't want to burden her children.

And I fully believe that a situation that will promote better mental health can only have a positive effect on her physical health.

Her Doctor thinks she has a matter of months left. That may or may not be true, but whatever time she has left absolutely needs to be happy time.

[shellylh]

We put Sophie down today.   She’s had congestive heart failure for over a year and had been doing ok with meds.  However,  she got really bad over the last few days - gained a lot of fluid weight, had several seizures, and was coughing much more than normal.  We went to the vet and they said she had less than two weeks.   We couldn’t let her suffer anymore.  I miss her so much.   She was the best dog ever. 

[mikeymad]

RIP Sophie... condolences Shelly... 

[Voltron]

Good girl who had the best life. Sorry Shel, it hurts like hell. 😢

[robm321]

RIP Sofie. Sorry for your loss 😪

[Dusty Chalk]

50 minutes ago, shellylh said:

We put Sophie down today.   She’s had congestive heart failure for over a year and had been doing ok with meds.  However,  she got really bad over the last few days - gained a lot of fluid weight, had several seizures, and was coughing much more than normal.  We went to the vet and they said she had less than two weeks.   We couldn’t let her suffer anymore.  I miss her so much.   She was the best dog ever. 

Aw, condolences. 

[TMoney]

So sad to hear. RIP Sophie.

[Grahame]

Condolences Shelly, Sorry for your loss. R.I.P. Sophie.

[jpelg]

So sorry to read about Sophie. She indeed was a cutie. Deepest condolences Shelly.

[morphsci]

RIP to beautiful Sophie. Condolences to you and Yumi, Shelly.

[guzziguy]

I'm so sorry, Shelly.  RIP Sophie.

[swt61]

R.I.P. Sophie.

[skullguise]

Such wonderful pictures!  RIP Sophie, condolences to you and Yumi.  Thank you for being such good humans for her!

[jose]

Is a bit late but my condolences Shelly 😞 

[Aimless1]

Those photos are great memories now.  Truly sorry for your and Yumi's loss.  Hope Sophie is chasing butterflies on the other side of the rainbow bridge.