what are you doing right now?

[raeoflyte]

May 8, 2023 18:48:23 GMT -5 MarionTh230 said:

Kiddo went to a birthday party with an outdoor inflatable water slide on Saturday. After getting home from school today she is running fever, although not feeling bad. Mood, appetite, and activity level are all normal. Problem is she keeps saying she feels like she has to urinate all the time. She even camped out in the bathroom with her tablet for 20 minutes. No pain or burning or excessive thirst or anything else that would be obvious for a UTI.

On top of that, she is 6yo. Which means she is moody, and sometimes exaggerates. No way to know how serious it is by talking to her - we have to rely on symptoms. This is also one of those things where we already know the Urgent Care can't really do anything. If medical care is truly needed it is straight to the ER at the local Children’s hospital. Not exactly something either DH or I are interested in unless it is serious. 

Thankfully DH is home tonight and not at work. We are currently waiting it out to try and see how serious it really is. Some days parenting is just so freaking hard. 

Huge and unlikely long shot, but ds only symptom was frequent urination before being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. In hindsight there were other things, but that was what made us take him in. Doctor did a UA and even though they really didn't see bacteria they were going to send us on our way with antibiotics for a uti. Dh asked them to send it to a lab which found it was high in sugar, they called us in for a finger stick and end result was t1d.

No reason to rush kiddo in, but t1d is frequently missed until kids are sick enough to be hospitalized that I like to throw it out there when I hear of possible symptoms to check with a doctor about if it continues and you take them in.

[Pink Cashmere]

May 8, 2023 18:06:42 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

I'm terrified of car prices. I hate our sedan, but no way am I replacing it.

Current car prices are why I’m glad I still like my lil old Honda.

I look at Mister crazy when he says he wants to upgrade the Tahoe to a new one. Actually I look at him crazy a lot, because he wants a new Tahoe, a pickup truck and a sports car. Ummmm…. No, no, and NO! They all cost too much.

That’s funny coming from me, because I like cars and my old Honda is the first car I’ve ever kept long enough to actually pay it off…… 15 years ago lol.

We have 5 vehicles that work for different needs (and wants), except for a sports car. My feeling on that is that my old Honda V6 coupe has more torque than his newer Honda V6 sedan, and she’ll get it if you ask her to, so just drive my coupe and pretend it’s a sports car lol.

I combat the pickup truck want with the fact that the Tahoe can haul pretty much anything. Whatever won’t fit inside of it, it’s cheaper to buy a trailer to haul stuff with, than to buy a pickup truck. And there’s nothing wrong with the Tahoe, that means we need a newer one. I actually like the one we have more than the new ones anyway.

Idk how long I will be able to keep him from buying another vehicle, but my arguments are pretty sound Imo.

[Pink Cashmere]

May 8, 2023 18:09:08 GMT -5 susana1954 said:

I had a post, which some of you may have read.  But when I did a little quick research, I discovered that Alabama is one of two states where Medicaid does not cover assisted living.  That explains why I had only heard of people private paying initially.  

I don't know what state is the other one.

ETA:  Actually, there appears to be four states that do not allow Medicaid to pay for assisted living--Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania.  And no state allows for Medicaid to pay for room-and-board.  This is a pretty good article and was written in 2023.  It says to expect to have to pay $36k for that portion even if Medicaid picks up the rest.

assisted living help

I looked into that when my Mom was driving me crazy. I don’t remember everything I read, but IIRC, Medicare doesn’t pay for assisted living, period. And my Mom swore she didn’t qualify for Medicaid because of her income, but I still can’t say for sure that she actually applied. But if she’s telling the truth, Mister’s Dad most definitely wouldn’t qualify, because his income is more than hers.

I have a coworker that was taking care of his Mom daily and eventually got her approved for Medicaid. It paid for people to come to her home and help her, until she got to the point that she needed to be in a nursing home. And he still visited her every morning before he went to work, and every evening after he got off work. When he went out of town on vacation with his wife, he made sure somebody would visit his Mom every day while he was gone.

I feel like it shouldn’t be so difficult to take care of our elders. We cooperate with the capitalistic idea that we have to work for decades before we can retire and relax, at best…… because some of us will never be able to retire and I guess will have to work until they die. So how are we supposed to have the time and money to take care of our elders when they need help, like the system seems set up to expect, when we aren’t wealthy nor are our elders and we still need to work to survive and try to take care of our future selves when we get to be “old” people ourselves?

I apologize for going off on a tangent in reply to your post. None of what I typed has anything to do with you, it’s just the kind of stuff that’s been on my mind a lot lately.

[NastyWoman]

While decluttering in my guest room I found a stash of yarn that I had totally forgotten I had. I like the yarn a lot. So now I am crocheting a lap throw I have zero use for as people keep giving me l throws as presents. But I want to crochet with this yarn so I will just donate a lap throw once it is done. Talk about absolutely useless work LOL...

[raeoflyte]

May 8, 2023 20:29:01 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

While decluttering in my guest room I found a stash of yarn that I had totally forgotten I had. I like the yarn a lot. So now I am crocheting a lap throw I have zero use for as people keep giving me l throws as presents. But I want to crochet with this yarn so I will just donate a lap throw once it is done. Talk about absolutely useless work LOL...

Creating something is never useless in my book.

[Deleted]

Tonight after our board meeting, one director showed me photos of the crochet he does.  Suffice it to say, it's not like anything I've ever seen in my life.  The yarn has this incredible sheen, the colors are rich and intense, and the patterns are beyond complex.  He showed me a large throw made of individual squares, what I used to call granny squares, each one of a kind, and it looked like a cross between a tile mural and a stained-glass window.  And nothing is flat, the individual flowers are upraised.  He said he is ADHD and only by working on something this complex can his mind let go of a million and one thoughts at the same time.  He also crochets furniture scaled to size for his cats and uses it in elaborate photo shoots.  

I first met him about 5 years ago when we both participated in an industrial accident re-enactment for first responder training.  We were badly injured victims in a unlit and smoke-filled warehouse, covered with fake wounds and calling desperately for help.  IRL he's a registered nurse.  

[chiver78]

ahh.....I've missed the water pressure in my shower and my super comfy bed. I finally rinsed out ALL of the shampoo and conditioner that's been lingering the past 2w, and I'm about to put this.phone down for a solid night's sleep.

sleep well, kids!

[toomuchreality]

May 8, 2023 13:28:51 GMT -5 Opti said:

I could use some prayers as well. They assigned the same tow company I had the morning of the tow failure to do the pickup where the car was left to another body shop.

I just want it to go well and have the car arrive in the same condition it arrived in the AAA accredited body shop.

The good news is if I do use a body shop, auto body repairs with whatever is found. That shop is closer to me than where it is being towed today. Might get to find out who owns the car with the funky paint job that I see parked there sometimes.

So if you have mojo to send, I'd like the car to arrive in its current shape and be delivered sometime before the new body shop closes for the day.

Oh, my! I hope it went well. And I hope you get your car back repaired, soon!
Good luck!

[NastyWoman]

I have crafted a lot through the years but somehow it fell completely by the wayside in all those 10+ hour workdays during the last couple of decades. My plan wad to pick it up again once I retired and it "only" took me 17 months to start again. Most of my work was done in the tropics for charity Xmas bazaars. I crocheted 100s of stuffies, xstitched similar numbers of ornaments, etc., etc.,etc. I even xstitched a few nativity sets while living in Bangkok. But only one of those sets was special order. I had committed to make three sets (and I did) but one lady fell in love with them and requested that I made one more for her. She was African American and wanted a set that had the skin color of her family. So I dragged all the relevant colors over ine day and we matched her family's colors. It turned out very nice and somewhere in this world there is now a custom nativity set stitched by yours truly.

And here I am making a very simple throw blanket. After all these years and projects it is the first time I am working with variegated yarn so it needs to stay simple. I must say I like that I have picked up a hook again 

[busymom]

May 8, 2023 19:52:15 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

May 8, 2023 18:09:08 GMT -5 susana1954 said:

I had a post, which some of you may have read.  But when I did a little quick research, I discovered that Alabama is one of two states where Medicaid does not cover assisted living.  That explains why I had only heard of people private paying initially.  

I don't know what state is the other one.

ETA:  Actually, there appears to be four states that do not allow Medicaid to pay for assisted living--Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania.  And no state allows for Medicaid to pay for room-and-board.  This is a pretty good article and was written in 2023.  It says to expect to have to pay $36k for that portion even if Medicaid picks up the rest.

assisted living help

I looked into that when my Mom was driving me crazy. I don’t remember everything I read, but IIRC, Medicare doesn’t pay for assisted living, period. And my Mom swore she didn’t qualify for Medicaid because of her income, but I still can’t say for sure that she actually applied. But if she’s telling the truth, Mister’s Dad most definitely wouldn’t qualify, because his income is more than hers.

I have a coworker that was taking care of his Mom daily and eventually got her approved for Medicaid. It paid for people to come to her home and help her, until she got to the point that she needed to be in a nursing home. And he still visited her every morning before he went to work, and every evening after he got off work. When he went out of town on vacation with his wife, he made sure somebody would visit his Mom every day while he was gone.

I feel like it shouldn’t be so difficult to take care of our elders. We cooperate with the capitalistic idea that we have to work for decades before we can retire and relax, at best…… because some of us will never be able to retire and I guess will have to work until they die. So how are we supposed to have the time and money to take care of our elders when they need help, like the system seems set up to expect, when we aren’t wealthy nor are our elders and we still need to work to survive and try to take care of our future selves when we get to be “old” people ourselves?

I apologize for going off on a tangent in reply to your post. None of what I typed has anything to do with you, it’s just the kind of stuff that’s been on my mind a lot lately.

    I agree.  The system is set up to bankrupt the elderly, and those who choose to take care of them, while the greed of the richest of the rich is insatiable.  Life is NOT "winner-take-all", but here in the good old USA we have too many in power who think that way.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

May 8, 2023 19:10:47 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

May 8, 2023 12:58:37 GMT -5 swamp said:

I have to travel for work Thursday and friday with an overnight on thursday.  DH was going to come with me.  He now has to work on Friday so he can't come.  Is it bad that I'm not exactly disappointed? 

I need some alone time.  Now that he's per diem and doesn't work that much, he is ALWAYS AT HOME.  

I was very worried and skeert about traveling to the annual seminar for my side gig by myself last fall. I had never traveled anywhere by myself. Even if it was just my children with me, I’d never traveled alone. Mister has gone with me every year to those seminars since we’ve been together, but between work and his parents, Mister couldn’t go with me this time.

Y’all cheered me on and told me that I could do it and I would enjoy it, so I did, and it was WONDERFUL!  I like road trips anyway, so the 5-6 hour drive was great, I could listen to whatever music I wanted to, as loud as I wanted to, and I didn’t have to talk to anybody unless I chose to call them. When I got there, I had a nice hotel room at a Loews hotel in downtown New Orleans, with a king size bed all to myself, that I wasn’t paying for. That by itself was awesome lol. I could do and go whatever I wanted, when I wanted to, without having to consider someone else or compromise. Well, besides the stuff I had to attend for the job.

I am now a fan of traveling alone, something I never thought I’d like, so I get it. No, it’s not bad that you aren’t exactly disappointed. Even when I was raising my children, because of my work schedule I had alone time in the mornings, and because of family that wanted to spend time with my children, I could get alone time on some weekends or even a week or 2 during the summer. I didn’t realize how valuable that was until I wasn’t getting it anymore. 

The feeling is incredible, isn’t it?  Not only that, it acts as some sort of release mechanism in that if you can do this once, you can do anything.  

[Opti]

May 8, 2023 17:03:28 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

Bro updated that the title arrived at last and will send over with the death certificate.  I am hoping to get Dad’s car road-legal soon.  Also kind of blown away by car pricing.  Just reading on WaPo that new cars cost a median of 48K these days, but Dad’s four year old beemer with 30k miles looks to be worth only 25Kish. Having trouble making that make sense, since I assume the majority of cars are less elevated makes.

In other news, everyone try not to need a new car soon    hopefully prices come back down to earth at some point.

How did you evaluate the worth of the car? Kelley Blue Book online? Other?

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

May 8, 2023 21:47:27 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

I have crafted a lot through the years but somehow it fell completely by the wayside in all those 10+ hour workdays during the last couple of decades. My plan wad to pick it up again once I retired and it "only" took me 17 months to start again. Most of my work was done in the tropics for charity Xmas bazaars. I crocheted 100s of stuffies, xstitched similar numbers of ornaments, etc., etc.,etc. I even xstitched a few nativity sets while living in Bangkok. But only one of those sets was special order. I had committed to make three sets (and I did) but one lady fell in love with them and requested that I made one more for her. She was African American and wanted a set that had the skin color of her family. So I dragged all the relevant colors over ine day and we matched her family's colors. It turned out very nice and somewhere in this world there is now a custom nativity set stitched by yours truly.

And here I am making a very simple throw blanket. After all these years and projects it is the first time I am working with variegated yarn so it needs to stay simple. I must say I like that I have picked up a hook again 

I used to do everything.  I can knit, crochet, needlework of all sorts.  The only thing I never got into was sewing and quilting.  

Back in the dark ages, I used to be able to knock out a sweater in a couple weeks easy.  Then I moved to TX and it was just too flippin’ hot to do any of this.  My hands would sweat, the gauge of my stitches would be off, so I quit.  Instead, I moved to counted cross stitch.  I did a few birth announcements, and the one for my 24 year old niece (probably my most favorite pattern) was never completed.  I did 2 fabulous scenes for my mom, that almost drove me blind.  One of the scenes involved 12 different shades of peach (who’d a thunk there were so many?).  I want those back if SM still has them.  

For this trip, knowing we had a bunch of sea days, I brought yarn and knitting to do.  I have not touched it, as I have been so busy.  Hopefully, when we get home I’ll be able to start it.

[Opti]

May 8, 2023 21:44:03 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

May 8, 2023 13:28:51 GMT -5 Opti said:

I could use some prayers as well. They assigned the same tow company I had the morning of the tow failure to do the pickup where the car was left to another body shop.

I just want it to go well and have the car arrive in the same condition it arrived in the AAA accredited body shop.

The good news is if I do use a body shop, auto body repairs with whatever is found. That shop is closer to me than where it is being towed today. Might get to find out who owns the car with the funky paint job that I see parked there sometimes.

So if you have mojo to send, I'd like the car to arrive in its current shape and be delivered sometime before the new body shop closes for the day.

Oh, my! I hope it went well. And I hope you get your car back repaired, soon!
Good luck!

I may have gotten lucky on the tow. I did not get a call to put the over 5 mile tow on my CC. The tow company from the day of the tow accident was given the call to move the car. The charge would have been $95 plus $5 a mile after that. 

Got a few test pics and my badly shot video from that day to this shop and the AAA case person. Still need more working brain cells to finish the electronic doc and to zip everything up. Anyway, I figure the tow company has gotten all their info to AAA as they are a subcontractor. Since its just me at the moment, I am pulling up some reference photos from the past of the front and back of my vehicle. Not sure if I need them, but better to send and label them now I think.

Total time from calling both shops and AAA to the arrival of the vehicle was around 4 hours. Luckily I did not need to go with it, so I did the initial calls while making and eating lunch.

[Works4me]

I've always preferred edmunds.com for car values. I've always found them easier to use and more accurate to the way vehicle values are influenced by location.

[Opti]

May 8, 2023 20:29:01 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

While decluttering in my guest room I found a stash of yarn that I had totally forgotten I had. I like the yarn a lot. So now I am crocheting a lap throw I have zero use for as people keep giving me l throws as presents. But I want to crochet with this yarn so I will just donate a lap throw once it is done. Talk about absolutely useless work LOL...

Do you ever donate your lap throws to a nearby assisted living facility or nursing home? They would probably be happy to have one to give to a resident.

[Opti]

May 9, 2023 2:15:48 GMT -5 Works4me said:

I've always preferred edmunds.com for car values. I've always found them easier to use and more accurate to the way vehicle values are influenced by location.

I usually look at both. What I don't like is Carvana who I believe low balls you especially if the car is old like mine. And for any car really that's not that old, you can try looking at dealer sites and see what they are selling a used car for that is similar to the one you need to price.

[finnime]

Good morning, ingenious invisipeeps and admirers of ingenuity, with your yarns and needlepoint and problems to resolve. Welcome to Tuesday. I hope your day brings good news to you and gives you a respite from all cares.

I'd love to see some of what you all are describing, crocheted creations and glorious yarns.

Tomorrow I leave very early to get on a train to Maryland, gateway to the south, to help DD celebrate her birthday. This is a woman who at birth--literally, 3 minutes after birth--turned herself over. I gasped to the doctor that I didn't think they could do that. He replied, most of them can't.

Today I'll again do all the things I should have done yesterday. I got waylaid by concerns about DD. I need to help her plot a path forward. She's sort of stuck right now.

Yesterday was a wash. We did go to a neighboring town to see the lighthouse. While we were there the sun was setting and put on a glorious show:

[NastyWoman]

Gorgeous picture finnime but this is really early even for you! Have a safe and fun trip to your DD

[toomuchreality]

It's almost 4AM. I am not sleepy but need to get some sleep. As usual, I will be dragging butt tomorrow.
I have plenty on my list of things to do tomorrow... one of which is coming up with Mother's Day gifts for my grown daughters.
They're very picky and need nothing. Maybe I'll buy them special cookies, from one of those specialty cookie stores. I can't think of the names.
Or maybe gift cards to Barnes and Noble.

I'm open to ideas, if anyone has one.

This is my least favorite holiday. It always has been. I remember trying to like it as a 4-5 yr old. Nope. It has always been awful, in my opinion.

[CCL]

I love that lighthouse photo! finnime

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

ARGH!

I didn’t mention this last night, but on the way back to the ship after Uber dropped us off, I missed a step and fell.  I mentioned it was pouring, which meant my dress pants got soaked.  I thought all was ok.

I got up, did a couple loads of laundry and went to breakfast.  Our new room was ready about 30 min early, so I packed up while TD hauled.  Even though we tossed a lot of crap, and sent home about 50 lbs of stuff, we still had a lot (like 8 bottles of wine, 4 of scotch, 7 jars of honey and a decent sized bag of spices along with clothes for the last several months).  In the process, my back seized up.  I think the fall wretched it last night and once I asked it to work, it was not happy.  What happens is that my pelvis shifts and seizes, which makes my normal 1/2” leg length difference more like 2”.  My back tolerates 1/2”, 2” not so much.  

So we are now fully moved over, stuff is put away and TD is now downstairs as my new card doesn’t open our door.  We have a free day until this evening, so if he wants to go into Greenwich I’m going to kick him out and let him roam, take a hot shower and a muscle relaxant to see if I can’t get things to straighten out.  It’s either this or massage.

LOL!  He just returned and now NEITHER of our cards work.  A lot od the staff turned over 4/30 and they are having a hard time getting up to speed.  I was going to get started on the hot shower, but as our room is still open, I’d kinda like to not have staff walk in on me!  Since I have been sitting here, the door’s opened twice.

[wvugurl26]

I'm in the office today for the first time in 3 weeks. Very grateful I grabbed a stand up desk from someone who left when we first returned last August. I sat in my desk chair yesterday for the first time in a week and that was a mistake. My back was all unhappy by 3pm.

[finnime]

toomuchreality, I'd go with the cookies. Or some See's candies, or a fruit arrangement from Edible Arrangements, and be done with it. It's really more for their own children to gift them anyway, if gifts are to be given.

I'm sorry to read about your backs, The Walk of the Penguin Mich and wvugurl26. May you heal quickly and well.

[daisylu]

After laying there for the last 2 hours listening to it pouring down rain, finally rolled out of bed to start the day.

I'm not impressed.

[Opti]

So sorry about the back problems Mich and Wvu. Mich I hope your key and back issues resolve soon.

I'm having some weird issues with my right side around my waist. Maybe you or other posters will have some ideas and also what I might be able to do. I used to go to a Chiropractor regularly, but its been too much of a drive for the state of my car, and my new hours make it hard to come up with an appointment time. 

My ankles, calves, and leg muscles have been seizing up off and on during this whole NJ Spring pollen season into NJ Summer. I also sleep on a very old mattress, Tempur-Pedic which has needed replacing for more than a few years. I sleep in some awkward positions to make it work, like slightly diagonal across the top. Really close to the edge on one side, etc. I tossed my pillow that I got at the same out sometime last year as the memory foam was kaput.

It seems to do with my ribs near my waist on the right side. I've tried twists to even it out, but everything hurts and my entire body is exhausted but moving cuz its just me. I do have a historical imbalance with my legs, but I have no idea how much. I would think less than Mich maybe .5 to 1 inch? And maybe its because I tense up on that side? IDK.

Good wishes to you both. Allergy season sucks and having back issues and problems walking always sucks.

[Opti]

May 9, 2023 6:17:28 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I'm in the office today for the first time in 3 weeks. Very grateful I grabbed a stand up desk from someone who left when we first returned last August. I sat in my desk chair yesterday for the first time in a week and that was a mistake. My back was all unhappy by 3pm.

Hope its better today.

[chiver78]

May 9, 2023 6:33:55 GMT -5 daisylu said:

After laying there for the last 2 hours listening to it pouring down rain, finally rolled out of bed to start the day.

I'm not impressed.

after hitting snooze for 45min, I need to get moving. the pups should be eating at a reasonable hour, and I need to log in to work. but I'm in a brain fog, and parts of me hurt. I must have hardly moved in my sleep last night, as expected.

[raeoflyte]

May 9, 2023 3:08:33 GMT -5 finnime said:

Good morning, ingenious invisipeeps and admirers of ingenuity, with your yarns and needlepoint and problems to resolve. Welcome to Tuesday. I hope your day brings good news to you and gives you a respite from all cares.

I'd love to see some of what you all are describing, crocheted creations and glorious yarns.

Tomorrow I leave very early to get on a train to Maryland, gateway to the south, to help DD celebrate her birthday. This is a woman who at birth--literally, 3 minutes after birth--turned herself over. I gasped to the doctor that I didn't think they could do that. He replied, most of them can't.

Today I'll again do all the things I should have done yesterday. I got waylaid by concerns about DD. I need to help her plot a path forward. She's sort of stuck right now.

Yesterday was a wash. We did go to a neighboring town to see the lighthouse. While we were there the sun was setting and put on a glorious show:

That's beautiful!

[giramomma]

May 8, 2023 20:29:01 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

While decluttering in my guest room I found a stash of yarn that I had totally forgotten I had. I like the yarn a lot. So now I am crocheting a lap throw I have zero use for as people keep giving me l throws as presents. But I want to crochet with this yarn so I will just donate a lap throw once it is done. Talk about absolutely useless work LOL...

It's not useless if you get something out of it.

I've been monitoring my resting heart rate. It's higher (65 or 66) if I don't craft. If I craft it gets down to 61/62.

That is something.