what are you doing right now?

[weltz]

Oct 20, 2023 17:23:26 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Got up at 5:30 to load up on a county bus for a 2 hour drive to see some of the painted churches around Schulenberg, a Czech and German community in Texas settled back in the 1800's.  The churches are pretty cool as each small town tried to outdo the other with windows, chandeliers, imported altars, and statues.  And then lunch outside on a beautiful day at a wonderful cafe where we started with charred Brussels sprouts, I moved to on to a lamb burger with goat cheese, and finished with cheesecake.  I slept most of the 2 hours back home as did most of the 30 participants.  Supper is not in our future.  

And my old man author FINALLY surfaced so I can take him the last of the autobiography Monday morning.  He has written a short story he wants me to type-he thinks it's one of his best pieces ever.  

I googled the painted churches and was disappointed to see they were all white on the outside.
Aren't all churches painted on the inside?

[lurkyloo]

Kid is at a playdate at someone else’s house.  
I am torn between proud, confused about what to do with myself, and chewing off my fingernails hoping he is being halfway appropriate/polite.
Also annoyed with myself bc I sent the Switch over with him and the new Mario game arrived while I was dropping him off and now i have to wait to try it out     Poor planning, self!

[NastyWoman]

Oct 20, 2023 14:30:26 GMT -5 bean29 said:

Oct 20, 2023 13:29:02 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

No, because I order as soon as I can.  So I usually have a stash.  This is how I avoided jumping through hoops about getting a vacation override for the world cruise.  When I left, I had 9 months of meds and took 6 months with me.  I ordered this batch sometime in June when we got back, but didn’t start then until Sept.  

The other thing I discovered on the ship was that I had a 90 day supply of each (x2) but ran out of BP meds first.  Those I KNOW I took daily, which means that I think I got shortchanged on those since we were on the ship 178 days.  

Do you see an Endocrinologist? Maybe you could call and explain that you suspect you either your prescriptions were filled incorrectly, or you unknowingly took the wrong medication.  It might be good for the Endocrinologist to be involved in getting your meds back to the correct level in your system.  

I take Synthroid, and I am off the record admitting to taking different doses of my pills based on how I feel, not necessarily how it was prescribed.  So I am supposed to take 88 mcg 5 days a week and 100 mcg 2 days a week.  I have been taking the 100 mcg maybe 3 days a week now, and I am almost out, but I have a lot of the 88mcg meds left.  My Endocrinologist wants me to take it exactly as prescribed so she can calculate out what I should be taking.  I am forgetful, so some days I don't take my meds and then the next day I take a bit extra.  I also intentionally take less or none if my IBS-d is acting up b/c I think (and Dr.'s have admitted it is true) the Synthroid can make diarrhea worse.  I had a large stash of Meds from the Pandemic too b/c they wanted everyone to have an extra large supply of meds.  I do have a 90 day supply of 75 mcg Synthroid from before she adjusted my meds the last time.  I guess I will take my own advice and message her and ask her to fill an extra prescription of my 100 mcg meds.

And that is the second reason I use that weekly pill box. It is rectangular and, unless there is a little one at my house or I am travelling, the box sits on top of my water glass that hold my toothpaste and brush.  Makes it harder to ignore those pills, though fair is fair, I have been known to take it of the glass, set it aside and promptly forget to take the pills. Still I am reasonably good about it.

[andi9899]

Oct 20, 2023 15:59:56 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I can no longer tell if grandma was just stubbornly obtuse or did it all on purpose to screw my dad over.

The funeral policy is not irrevocable so that has to be changed otherwise the money counts as an asset.

Then to take another step into the 8th circle of hell she did not pay for it upfront like she told my dad.

She took out a life insurance policy. That is more than she can have.

We may not be able to file in time.

The Medicaid lady is handling it all. She told the funeral home no.I will not be driving all over they will deal with her to ensure this is done right.

Same message went to the home about grandma's income.

My only job next week is to get the premiums and hopefully the new 2024 ones show up in the next couple days.

Other than that don't touch anything wait till she gets back to me.

Pretty sure I heard my dad's head explode from my work desk when I told him.

Does it have cash value? I assume so since they're considering it a liquid asset. Does it make sense to surrender the policy, or can you assign it to the funeral home in lieu of payment since she didn't prepay the funeral home like she said she did?

[soupandstew]

Oct 19, 2023 21:04:27 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Oct 19, 2023 16:34:25 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Can you explain "underwriters" and "producers" for me?  I always think undertakers when I first see your posts, but that's just my sick mind 

Producers are the money makers. They go out and network and bring the business in. We decide together which markets to approach based on underwriting guidelines/rates.

It's then handed off to me to market and negotiate with underwriters who represent the insurance carriers. Sometimes I can go directly to the carrier, sometimes I have to go through a broker to get there. I negotiate the best coverages/rates and come back to the producer and together we present to the insured.

Once the insured accepts the terms I make it happen. I make sure everything happens on time and that everyone is compliant. Once coverage is bound I then book everything and deal with accounting/CSRs/certificate reps etc to get things finalized. All that to say that basically I herd cats all day.

So producers are supposed to bring financially healthy, insurable companies to you to present them to underwriters who decide if (A) they want the client and (B) how much they will charge them.  Then, if a deal can be struck, you make it happen unless the producer brings a dud like the guy who couldn't make the down payment.  So a bad producer is a waste of your time and credibility if his client prospects are losers.  Well, that's a fun way to make a living.  I seem to recall a good story from last year when the policy clearly stated no drivers over 70 and the insured had a driver over 70 who had an accident.  Lord have mercy, you deal with a lot of stupid some days, don't you?

[chiver78]

today's been an expensive and busy day. I snagged a flatbed pickup truck rental from Home Depot around 9am, and hit the road to meet my parents to pick up that snowblower. this truck was taller than my car, an automatic, and the side mirrors were split with two different angles.

as soon as I met my parents, I gave my dad the keys. 😳 we got back home, offloaded the snowblower, returned the truck with minutes to spare on my 4h rental lol... and then I got a lesson on how to start and drive the thing. I'm now all set for this winter that will probably be a dud now that I have a snowblower and know how to use it. lol...

so, for those keeping score, I've now spent $1100 on a once-used $1800 snowblower,and I have all of the purchase paperwork and full manuals (not that I couldn't find them online..) I'll call this one a win!

[soupandstew]

Oct 20, 2023 17:53:18 GMT -5 weltz said:

Oct 20, 2023 17:23:26 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Got up at 5:30 to load up on a county bus for a 2 hour drive to see some of the painted churches around Schulenberg, a Czech and German community in Texas settled back in the 1800's.  The churches are pretty cool as each small town tried to outdo the other with windows, chandeliers, imported altars, and statues.  And then lunch outside on a beautiful day at a wonderful cafe where we started with charred Brussels sprouts, I moved to on to a lamb burger with goat cheese, and finished with cheesecake.  I slept most of the 2 hours back home as did most of the 30 participants.  Supper is not in our future.  

And my old man author FINALLY surfaced so I can take him the last of the autobiography Monday morning.  He has written a short story he wants me to type-he thinks it's one of his best pieces ever.  

I googled the painted churches and was disappointed to see they were all white on the outside.
Aren't all churches painted on the inside?

Yes, most of the painted churches are white wood on the outside, although we saw one that was solid brick.  What makes the painted churches unique is that they substituted elaborate painting, hand-done, for other ornamental details such as marble or carved wood.  While other churches might have carved stone pillars supporting the roof, these have wooden pillars painted to mimic marble, often so realistic you have to touch it to be sure.  The soaring, arched ceilings are covered in intricate designs, either stenciled or painted freehand, sometimes directly on a wooden or plaster base and sometimes on a canvas applied to the ceiling.  One we saw today has 3000 24-carat gold stars hand stenciled on a shaded blue, arched ceiling.  Another appeared to have carved or possibly steam-bent beams supporting the arched ceiling, but it was an optical illusion created by shaded paint-there are no beams.  Amazingly, these are all active Roman Catholic churches today with masses and weddings and funerals with burials in the adjacent cemeteries.  Fires and hurricanes had totally destroyed two of the three we saw, but they were restored to their original state based on old photos and older memories of the congregants.  The first church we saw had literally been painted totally beige by some well-meaning folks but an altar boy, now a grown man, remembered seeing the cool images on the walls when he was young.  He led a restoration effort which uncovered the original images that were painstakingly restored by him and other volunteers.   Most of the interior decoration is based on a recreation of the churches frequented by the people back in their homelands.  One group traveled from Germany to Galveston, Texas and then overland in an attempt to reach Iowa.  In December.  A sleet storm hit them and they took shelter under the oaks in the Schulenberg area and were advised by the few locals that Iowa in December wasn't a feasible journey.  So they stayed in Texas and after early failed attempts to raise sheep and various crops, found that cattle and cotton were best suited to their new homeland.  To this day, almost every business bears a Czech or German name, but they have embraced the numerous outsiders willing to bring their $$$$ to have a country home in the gently rolling, tree-covered area.  You can still get some of the most authentic Czech/German food in Texas, but the "outsiders" have brought new-fangled stuff like Brussels sprouts and lamb burgers.  Sitting out in the gentle sun with a breeze with old and new friends was a very good thing for me.  

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Oct 20, 2023 18:04:08 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Oct 20, 2023 15:59:56 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I can no longer tell if grandma was just stubbornly obtuse or did it all on purpose to screw my dad over.

The funeral policy is not irrevocable so that has to be changed otherwise the money counts as an asset.

Then to take another step into the 8th circle of hell she did not pay for it upfront like she told my dad.

She took out a life insurance policy. That is more than she can have.

We may not be able to file in time.

The Medicaid lady is handling it all. She told the funeral home no.I will not be driving all over they will deal with her to ensure this is done right.

Same message went to the home about grandma's income.

My only job next week is to get the premiums and hopefully the new 2024 ones show up in the next couple days.

Other than that don't touch anything wait till she gets back to me.

Pretty sure I heard my dad's head explode from my work desk when I told him.

Does it have cash value? I assume so since they're considering it a liquid asset. Does it make sense to surrender the policy, or can you assign it to the funeral home in lieu of payment since she didn't prepay the funeral home like she said she did?

That appears to be what the plan will be. The lady at the funeral home doesn't seem like the brightest bulb in the box based on her answers but the Medicaid lady is steering the process. I trust her to do it right.

Man my dad is livid. Never heard him call grandma a cheap old bat before.

He apologized to me again. I told him yeah you screwed up but you wouldn't have been in a position to do so if grandma and GU had actually taken to seconds to think about some other than themselves. The blame for all this lies with them.

Their whole plan centered around denial and banking on my dad. It backfired bigly.

[toomuchreality]

Oct 20, 2023 7:58:37 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Pleased to share that I have a new DGD, born 6 weeks early.  We knew she'd be early, a planned C section was scheduled for next week but she decided not to wait around.  She's small but healthy so far. 

Also happy to share that last night I babysat for my DGS, who has disabilities arising from his very premature birth.  DS and DDIL have not been out together without him since he came home from the NICU 2+ years ago.  It was a great success, we had a wonderful time, and he was full of smiles.  I'm encouraging them to do this more often, just the two of them alone. 

I'm so happy for you ! Congrats!
I'm glad things went well, while you were staying with your DGS. They will probably feel more reassured about leaving him now that they've done it once and it went well.
I hope your new DGD will continue to grow and be healthy. Best wishes to you all. ♡

[giramomma]

I do not know what to watch tv tonight.

We'll keep apple tv likely through the end of the year.

I still want to watch the morning show. I'll wait until DH can watch it with me.

[chiver78]

Oct 20, 2023 19:30:04 GMT -5 giramomma said:

I do not know what to watch tv tonight.

We'll keep apple tv likely through the end of the year.

I still want to watch the morning show. I'll wait until DH can watch it with me.

I've been told I would LOVE Lessons in Chemistry. I'd agree, from the teasers I've seen. I think you would as well.

[Pink Cashmere]

Mister just got back home from picking Kiddo up. “His” weekends with Kiddo have gotten off track, and now he just gets him as often as Kiddo’s Mom will let him, for more days, and whether it’s “his” weekend or not. 

For the last couple of years, she has been enrolling Kiddo in extracurricular activities, which imo, is good. Except that the history is that after a couple of weeks, she starts calling Mister to take Kiddo wherever, which Mister wouldn’t mind, if she gave him more than a couple hours notice. And then she bails completely.

So Monday around 4pm, she called Mister and told him she had enrolled Kiddo in a basketball program, and asked if he would come to his first practice, at 6pm that evening. Mister agreed to go, and I went with him. After all these years, that was the first time Kiddo’s Mom has been halfway cordial to me. She blatantly lied on me some years ago when I answered Mister’s phone when she was calling him, because he told me to answer the phone for him. Fortunately for me, we were in the car, right next to me, so he heard what I said for himself, and knew she was lying. He told me to answer the phone when it rang, because we were out of town and he was driving, trying to get us to a restaurant in a city neither of us were familiar with. So he knew, because he was right next to me, that all I said was “Hello” and “Hold on” when I handed him the phone after she said she needed to speak to him. And neither was in a nasty tone.

The next morning, she sent him a long text message talking about how rude I was to her and if I was ever that rude to her again, it would be my last time being rude to anybody, because she would do this, that and the other. And I was grateful that Mister was sitting right next to me, and knew for himself that I was not rude at all, because otherwise, her lies might have come between us, like she wanted them to. So he told her that he knew for a fact that I was not rude to her, and I could answer his phone whenever.

So when she came to pick Kiddo up from our house that she had bugged Mister about giving her a tour of, and had Kiddo showing her this and that around our home on video calls with him, while telling folks in the background that she could see herself living here, I greeted her in the driveway and she tried to ignore me. But I was persistent, and got louder with my greetings….  being petty myself, since she clearly wanted to ignore me…. until she finally threw her hand up with a halfhearted wave, to acknowledge that I was speaking to her.

And regarding the video calls with Kiddo getting him to show her our home, that Mister had witnessed himself, I told Mister that Kiddo’s video calls with his Mom had to either take place in Kiddo’s bedroom, or while we was seated on a sofa in the den. Because her getting him to show him whatever she wanted to see in my home on those video calls, was an invasion of my privacy. Mister agreed with that.

At Mister’s parents’ funerals this year, she has hovered around, waiting for me to not be close to him, so she could hug him and say whatever she had to say to him, GIRLLLL, I’m not interested in playing games at a time like that. If you are just expressing genuine concern and sympathy for Mister in those circumstances, I don’t care if you talk to him, since you knew his parents too, and I don’t care about you hugging him because of that.

Anyway, Monday I greeted her first again, and said “Hey, how are you”, and for the first time ever, she responded like a normal person. 

So now Mister has inflated all the basketballs so Kiddo can practice on our BB goal this weekend, if Kiddo is really interested in the latest sport that his Mom has enrolled him in. 

Personally, I think they should’ve kept him in karate, just because in my ignorance, I seem to recall that that practice teaches students discipline. And imo, Kiddo definitely needs to learn discipline and self control. But when Kiddo’s Mom bailed on getting him to karate practice, Mister’s work schedule was such that he couldn’t always get Kiddo there in time. Never mind that Kiddo’s Mom doesn’t work a job, and any time Mister has offered for me to get Kiddo where he needed to be, his Mom has said no, she would figure it out. Even if she didn’t actually figure it out. 

I’m done fussing about all of that now. At least for now.

[TheOtherMe]

Oct 20, 2023 18:44:17 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Oct 20, 2023 18:04:08 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Does it have cash value? I assume so since they're considering it a liquid asset. Does it make sense to surrender the policy, or can you assign it to the funeral home in lieu of payment since she didn't prepay the funeral home like she said she did?

That appears to be what the plan will be. The lady at the funeral home doesn't seem like the brightest bulb in the box based on her answers but the Medicaid lady is steering the process. I trust her to do it right.

Man my dad is livid. Never heard him call grandma a cheap old bat before.

He apologized to me again. I told him yeah you screwed up but you wouldn't have been in a position to do so if grandma and GU had actually taken to seconds to think about some other than themselves. The blame for all this lies with them.

Their whole plan centered around denial and banking on my dad. It backfired bigly.

When I was rep payee, by the time I got the cases, the life insurance had all had the funeral home as the beneficiary.  

I have a fully prepaid service and I life insurance policy that has the funeral home listed as the beneficiary.

[soupandstew]

Tomorrow is back to reality with cleaning and cooking.  I have to put on the pretty face again Sunday when "we" go to a mid-afternoon meal that I've always looked forward to with a dear friend.  It's a long-standing tradition that our friend conducts- amazing global food, and a diverse batch of people that changes from year to year with very honest and often challenging conversations about race and politics.  I think this year's conversations will be equally enlightening and troubling given our domestic and foreign politics. Like many things we participate in, the group has evolved due to Covid, age, and death, all of which ignore our skin color.  It will be a good thing, I think.

[giramomma]

Oct 20, 2023 19:37:20 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Oct 20, 2023 19:30:04 GMT -5 giramomma said:

I do not know what to watch tv tonight.

We'll keep apple tv likely through the end of the year.

I still want to watch the morning show. I'll wait until DH can watch it with me.

I've been told I would LOVE Lessons in Chemistry. I'd agree, from the teasers I've seen. I think you would as well.

I did tell DH this is supposed to be good.

There's quite a bit of highly rated programming on there.

We just got done watching shrinking. We are watching slow horses now. I have to pay attention too much to the series. It's good. And I don't want to have to sit and 100% pay attention to something.

[countrygirl2]

I think that is the way the funeral expenses are paid. My MIL had the same. An insurance policy that the money was invested in so it could grow. Hers was $1200 short in paying for her funeral so we had to pay that. I believe they do it that way so if the funeral home closes, they are not actually holding the money and you go to the insurance company for payment.

The way funeral expenses are going up there likely won't be extra money. And we just reported it, it was not counted as an asset, but this is Indiana. We are thinking of doing the same for DD.

We already have her gravesite and headstone but have not set aside money for her funeral and are thinking of doing so.

[countrygirl2]

Been busy today, met with the surgeon and he started to tell hubs the results of the scan. I told him I looked it up on the patient portal. I mean I was a bit perturbed by not hearing this for over a week and would have been a nervous wreck all that time.

Anyway, he went over what he is going to do, wanted to know if we had questions. I only had one, about why remove the lymph glands around there.He said with the cancer being so pervasive there wanted to go ahead and remove them and would not make any difference. He did want hubs to know some people have fluid collect there and if he did they would excise it with a needle.

Sounds like a catheter for 7 to 14 days, boy, I think that would be miserable, yuck. They are going to get him up the first day, normal, and he will stay overnight, no surprise there. They are going to have him do physical therapy, not sure when they start that, but will be doing kegel exercises, that should be interesting.
But the most difficult will be keeping him from doing much from 6 to 8 weeks, I dread that.

Son called with good news, he got his physical, all was good. His psa was 1, but the doc said was good he got it and now he can watch it as he ages as he has a baseline. Also all blood work was good and he said they are doing some scans or something and also he is to get a colonoscopy, he will love that one, LOL! He told her he would love to get his tonsils out and refer him if she can, she said its hard to get done. She examined him and asked him if they are always that big, he said yep and bigger when he gets sick and that is all the time. Was same with me. He also decided to keep his insurance this year as DIL is also going and has some issues. He is also going to see if he can go on a low dose of ozempic to help him control his eating. He said he asked about his stomach and she said some guys just carry fat there. It's up high and looks odd, I would not think that is good for his heart. He is not really fat anywhere else.

Sounds like DIL has fibroids and like he said could mean surgery, so decided not to change it. He said they also gave him about 7 shots and caught him up on a lot of those. I am so happy he went, they have not been taking care of themselves very well for awhile. I think hubs having issues kind of woke them up too.

So hubs was caught in time and son is doing well. What a relief that is. I want him to be around for his son, as he has noone but us that could step in to help. So things are looking good for our little family.

[countrygirl2]

I really like this house and not far away from sons. Of course I have to be patient as we need to sell before we can buy. But what a lot to do yet before we can do anything, lot of work ahead of us if we move.

To me the front lawn is a bit much, would have to see it in person, but think I would thin some of that back. But it has a 3 car garage for hubs. And enough room for my things with a 4th bedroom, plus a nice size kitchen. Hubs said the lawn is big enough. And actually its in a subdivision just down the street from the elementary school. Grandson could walk there is needed. That is the kind of place that is most like our house now. Not as nice, but nice enough, I like it.


5924 Newport Ct SW,
Tumwater, WA 98512
$630,000
Est. $4,458/moGet pre-approved
4
Beds
2.5
Baths
2,071
Sq Ft

[weltz]

Oct 20, 2023 18:31:52 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Oct 20, 2023 17:53:18 GMT -5 weltz said:

I googled the painted churches and was disappointed to see they were all white on the outside.
Aren't all churches painted on the inside?

Yes, most of the painted churches are white wood on the outside, although we saw one that was solid brick.  What makes the painted churches unique is that they substituted elaborate painting, hand-done, for other ornamental details such as marble or carved wood.  While other churches might have carved stone pillars supporting the roof, these have wooden pillars painted to mimic marble, often so realistic you have to touch it to be sure.  The soaring, arched ceilings are covered in intricate designs, either stenciled or painted freehand, sometimes directly on a wooden or plaster base and sometimes on a canvas applied to the ceiling.  One we saw today has 3000 24-carat gold stars hand stenciled on a shaded blue, arched ceiling.  Another appeared to have carved or possibly steam-bent beams supporting the arched ceiling, but it was an optical illusion created by shaded paint-there are no beams.  Amazingly, these are all active Roman Catholic churches today with masses and weddings and funerals with burials in the adjacent cemeteries.  Fires and hurricanes had totally destroyed two of the three we saw, but they were restored to their original state based on old photos and older memories of the congregants.  The first church we saw had literally been painted totally beige by some well-meaning folks but an altar boy, now a grown man, remembered seeing the cool images on the walls when he was young.  He led a restoration effort which uncovered the original images that were painstakingly restored by him and other volunteers.   Most of the interior decoration is based on a recreation of the churches frequented by the people back in their homelands.  One group traveled from Germany to Galveston, Texas and then overland in an attempt to reach Iowa.  In December.  A sleet storm hit them and they took shelter under the oaks in the Schulenberg area and were advised by the few locals that Iowa in December wasn't a feasible journey.  So they stayed in Texas and after early failed attempts to raise sheep and various crops, found that cattle and cotton were best suited to their new homeland.  To this day, almost every business bears a Czech or German name, but they have embraced the numerous outsiders willing to bring their $$$$ to have a country home in the gently rolling, tree-covered area.  You can still get some of the most authentic Czech/German food in Texas, but the "outsiders" have brought new-fangled stuff like Brussels sprouts and lamb burgers.  Sitting out in the gentle sun with a breeze with old and new friends was a very good thing for me.  

Thank you for explaining it to me.   They sound lovely.

[finnime]

I'm very glad you had such a marvelous day, soupandstew. And that you're looking forward to an engrossing gathering.

[finnime]

Good morning, persistent invisipeeps, doggedly pursuing your goals. I hope your Saturday offers you relaxation and recreation and cake for dessert unless you're more of a pie person.

I invited my oldest nephew, ODB's son, to our brunch tomorrow. So we'll be 6 at the table. It's a very nice restaurant that just recently started offering Sunday brunch. They've always had dinner, of course, and lunch during the work week. ODB will be 68, and DH, 74. That's taking me a while to sink in. DH is just a bit more than 10 years older than me. Today I'll make a German chocolate birthday cake. Need to buy some coconut.

Today is supposed to be rainy. It should kick in before noon.

Yesterday's dawn was cloudy, so much so that the sun never quite emerged from the bank of clouds in the early morning.

[daisylu]

Did not want to be awake at 5am on a Saturday.

Going to hit the farmers market to replenish sausage this morning. Then I need to hit the grocery store further into town - the one closest to me, same chain, has apparently stopped stocking fresh ginger, which I put in tea for health benefits.

And at some point I need to pick up my first ever prescription sunglasses. Didn't feel like running across town during rush hour last night.

[daisylu]

And finnime reminded me that we are out of ice cream.

[andi9899]

Oct 20, 2023 18:06:58 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Oct 19, 2023 21:04:27 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Producers are the money makers. They go out and network and bring the business in. We decide together which markets to approach based on underwriting guidelines/rates.

It's then handed off to me to market and negotiate with underwriters who represent the insurance carriers. Sometimes I can go directly to the carrier, sometimes I have to go through a broker to get there. I negotiate the best coverages/rates and come back to the producer and together we present to the insured.

Once the insured accepts the terms I make it happen. I make sure everything happens on time and that everyone is compliant. Once coverage is bound I then book everything and deal with accounting/CSRs/certificate reps etc to get things finalized. All that to say that basically I herd cats all day.

So producers are supposed to bring financially healthy, insurable companies to you to present them to underwriters who decide if (A) they want the client and (B) how much they will charge them.  Then, if a deal can be struck, you make it happen unless the producer brings a dud like the guy who couldn't make the down payment.  So a bad producer is a waste of your time and credibility if his client prospects are losers.  Well, that's a fun way to make a living.  I seem to recall a good story from last year when the policy clearly stated no drivers over 70 and the insured had a driver over 70 who had an accident.  Lord have mercy, you deal with a lot of stupid some days, don't you?

Ideally we'd get clients with a lot of money and perfect claims history. It doesn't really happen that way though. Especially with truckers.

The $700K client I was dealing with was gnarly. It was probably the roughest renewal I've ever done. I got declined everywhere I went! I was really doubting that I'd pull it off. The $20K account was a new venture, so no claims, but very little premium. At the end of the day I chase money. Everyone gets a dud account every now and then. It happens.

There's a saying that insurance companies would be very profitable if they could exclude stupid. It's true. I've taken claims that have me laughing and telling people about them. I've also read police reports that have made me cry. It's a very intense job that comes with a fair amount of pressure. You really have to have a good team that works well together to make it happen correctly and on time. I have a really good setup, but it does get crazy sometimes.

[andi9899]

I can't stand Jackson y'all. He's weird about animals on TV. He barks his head off at them. Someone on masked singer is dressed as a husky. I'm over him.

[andi9899]

Oct 20, 2023 18:44:17 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Oct 20, 2023 18:04:08 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Does it have cash value? I assume so since they're considering it a liquid asset. Does it make sense to surrender the policy, or can you assign it to the funeral home in lieu of payment since she didn't prepay the funeral home like she said she did?

That appears to be what the plan will be. The lady at the funeral home doesn't seem like the brightest bulb in the box based on her answers but the Medicaid lady is steering the process. I trust her to do it right.

Man my dad is livid. Never heard him call grandma a cheap old bat before.

He apologized to me again. I told him yeah you screwed up but you wouldn't have been in a position to do so if grandma and GU had actually taken to seconds to think about some other than themselves. The blame for all this lies with them.

Their whole plan centered around denial and banking on my dad. It backfired bigly.

I feel like you and your dad should do a hangover style trip to Vegas once this is over. We'll put together a go fund me for your bail.

[giramomma]

I'm pretty excited about the missy's little dollie quilt I am working on.

After DH took all that money out of our short term savings account, I thought perhaps I should not buy anymore stash and try to finish something instead.

[MarionTh230]

Getting ready to head out to a farm/pumpkin patch.  Since DH is home, we can actually go.  His schedule wasn't working out where he'd be available, but now....he has nowhere else to be.  Super excited!!!

[cooper88]

I'm going to pull weeds most of the morning. The excitement never ends around here.

[Happy prose]

Oct 20, 2023 19:30:04 GMT -5 giramomma said:

I do not know what to watch tv tonight.

We'll keep apple tv likely through the end of the year.

I still want to watch the morning show. I'll wait until DH can watch it with me.

We started watching The Morning Show this week. So far we like it.