what are you doing right now?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I went to a little local craft fair and got salted cashew brittle for my dad for Christmas.

I made the mistake of trying some. I had to go back for another bag so I wouldn't end up eating dad's present.

I'm usually not a fan of brittle it's like eating glass shards. But this is really light and airy more like seafoam candy.

I had to hide it because now DH wants to eat it too.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

DH & just spent six hours on Christmas yard decorating. Except for the tropical set, these are from the porch because I’ve already taken off my shoes. 😆

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Dec 14, 2024 10:45:33 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Dec 14, 2024 0:41:21 GMT -5 chen35 said:

I am so bad at doing Christmas cards but got yours today and loved it!
I’m sorry to be part of the problem

Really puts my life in perspective when lacking in Christmas cards is my thing. lol.

You might have missed my post asking for friends here to PM their addresses to send cards. I love sending cards. I don’t expect anyone to send me one back, so please pretty please share your info with me if you’re comfortable doing so.

[mention]clhen18 [/mention] , you too, and don’t worry about sending me one 😜

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Dec 13, 2024 20:21:03 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Shit has gotten really real with Mister. Because while I am willing to acknowledge that I’m not perfect and willing to own my shit, I am no longer willing to play along with his bullshit.

It’s not a competition in my mind, about who is the better person, it’s just me being persistent about us both acknowledging our individual flaws and how they contributed to our relationship being wrecked. 

I know that many relationships end without “closure “ and I am willing to accept that truth too. 

I am just standing firm on him not trying to keep playing with me even while we try to sort things out to dissolve the relationship and go our separate ways. 

We can try to sort that out peacefully, or he can be an asshole which I may or may not react to, by wrecking his life like he’s done to mine. Me wrecking his life will be due to facts I can prove, him wrecking my life is just emotional shit.

I don’t really want to wreck his life, I just want him to do right by me, even if that just means letting me go and helping me get a new life away from him. 

But I WILL play dirty and use what I have to wreck his life and his income, if he is not willing to help me get away from him because he and I both know that he doesn’t mean me any good. 

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

Dec 14, 2024 12:00:24 GMT -5 cooper88 said:

My grandmother was like that. In her 80s, she was running around helping the old people around town, her words. I also popped by unannounced one time (she lived about a two hour drive away) and found her on a ladder painting the outside of her house when she was about 88. She lived to 103. A damn UTI took her out.

My great grandmother was the same. A very no-nonsense lady. She was very much into photography when it was new technology, developed her own film, did a lot of experimenting. She was well into her 80s up on a ladder changing her own storm windows twice a year. She would jump rope on her birthday the number of years she was. She went into a rapid decline when she had to have back surgery in her 80s. 😞

She had the most amazing peony bush in her front yard. To this day I think of her when I see and smell peonies. I planted two in my new landscaping as a nod to her. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Dec 14, 2024 0:47:41 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I just got my Christmas cards prepped tonight. I still need to seal but the hard part is done. I can add another one to stack if you pm address.

I ran out of my “regular” set of cards and am into the spares. The spares don’t have peel-and-stick envelopes. 😖

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Dec 13, 2024 16:23:42 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Dec 13, 2024 16:00:14 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

If I had a larger freezer, the haul would have been even bigger.  They had stuffed duck too, both shrimp gumbo and chicken and sausage gumbo, crawfish etoufee, crawfish tails, stuffed beef roasts, alligator meat.  They even had boudin made with cauliflower rice for the low-carbers.  I hate to be an enabler but they do ship hebertsspecialtymeats.com/

Larger freezers raise suspicion. It’s why we share the large freezer. 🤫

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Dec 13, 2024 15:41:39 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

I have never been organized enough to send christmas cards, although I admire this quality in other people.

I also don’t want to a. whine about the bits that are going less well or b. brag about the things that are.

This is the first year in a long time I’ve included the “update” part. I tried to not be too braggy. However, I completely left out the part about having such a bout of depression that I stayed home for four months. 🤨
I’ll probably go another few years before I do another update and just send pretty cards.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Dec 13, 2024 12:55:30 GMT -5 gs11rmb said:

Dec 13, 2024 12:14:18 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

A little pity party....I've only gotten 2 Christmas cards so far. I can see a 3rd is coming today. I don't know if "everyone" slipped them this year, or are running late (mine just went out this week so I'm not judging). It's just weird.

I love sending Christmas cards. If anyone wants to get one - pm me. [img src="https://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff155/JiminiChristmas/ymamsmiles/smile.gif" class="smile" alt="" src="//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png"]

I think timing is an issue.  I usually order photocards of the girls on Black Friday.  But with Thanksgiving so late in the calendar there just wasn't time.  I'm hoping to get mine in the mail this afternoon (just old-fashioned greeting cards).

Also, I admit that I am petty.  More than one family member has announced that they will no longer send cards but make a donation instead.  They no longer receive one from me! 

Make a donation?
That’s dumb. Not the actual donation.
The concept that that can be done in lieu of sending cards. If ya don’t wanna send ‘em, don’t send ‘em.
But don’t get all self righteous and say “I made a donation instead.”
I send them because I like to and because I like to let people know I’m thinking of them. A donation doesn’t replace that.
<chloe steps off soap box.>

[daisylu]

Landed on SVU on ION at the start of the William Lewis storyline. That's what I'm doing for the rest of the night. 

[chiver78]

Dec 14, 2024 17:45:47 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Landed on SVU on ION at the start of the William Lewis storyline. That's what I'm doing for the rest of the night. 

bless you. I can't watch that stretch anymore. seeing that in the tv guide actually brings me to seek out other background noise for the duration. whoo.. 

speaking of, I think I'm going to jump back in on Desperate Housewives tonihgt. I left off in the final season 

[raeoflyte]

I just do pictures on my cards. Silent highlights I guess. I like all Christmas cards, but the picture cards I like seeing what was important to people. Kids, pets, couples, jokes, etc. It's fun. A friend of my mom would always send us a hand written card and I must have tossed them. After she passed away I wanted to put the older ones up and couldn't find them. I don't know why I would have done that. They were so pretty and so sweet.

[tallguy]

Dec 14, 2024 16:34:59 GMT -5 Works4me said:

Dec 13, 2024 20:25:23 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

As I have said here before, at my medical clinic, in order to quality for off-label use of Ozempic, Wegozy, or a similar product for weight loss, a patient must present with weight-related medical issues and first participate in the clinic's weight loss program for a minimum of six months.  This includes maintaining a detailed food and exercise diary, attending nutrition and cooking classes, and having bi-weekly or monthly check-in visits.  Only then, if the doctor is convinced the patient needs assistance in meeting their health goals, can he/she present the patient to a committee for review and approval. At this time, I think the approval is only good for 6-9 months at a time and the patient must continue with their food and exercise diary and class attendance.  Basically, the burden is on the patient to prove they can't lose weight without medication and the bar is set pretty high.  

I don't know what the protocol at the clinic is to prescribe this drug class solely for lowering a1c but I'm sure it's different than prescription solely for weight loss.

The idea that everyone just walks in and grabs a shot of these drugs whenever and wherever they want it is ludicrous.  

For many/most of us, the problem is not obtaining a prescription. It is insurance coverage. Insurance companies are refusing to cover Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, etc for weight loss. 

I generally do not involve myself in these types of questions, but....

Isn't it true that Ozempic is not approved for weight loss?  Isn't it primarily used to treat diabetes patients, with weight loss being an associated effect?  I recall reading a while ago that not only is it very expensive, but that there were shortages produced because so many people were getting it for the off-label purpose of weight loss that the diabetic patients who actually needed it could not get it.  I am at a loss to understand why insurance companies SHOULD cover it for weight loss if it is not approved for that.  If we were to assume that production were to increase exponentially so that everybody who wanted it could get it, what would the cost be?  If insurance companies were forced to cover it for any person and any purpose, how many patients would that be?  If people are screaming now about paying $600-800 per month for insurance coverage, how much would they scream when those premiums doubled?  You know the insurance companies are not going to just roll over and eat many millions of dollars in losses.  

[daisylu]

Dec 14, 2024 17:49:11 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Dec 14, 2024 17:45:47 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Landed on SVU on ION at the start of the William Lewis storyline. That's what I'm doing for the rest of the night. 

bless you. I can't watch that stretch anymore. seeing that in the tv guide actually brings me to seek out other background noise for the duration. whoo.. 

speaking of, I think I'm going to jump back in on Desperate Housewives tonihgt. I left off in the final season 

It is rough but I love, and sadly can relate to, Benson in this storyline and the followup with her in therapy. Olivia has always been a bad ass IMO, but this storyline sent her over the top.

Also, Finn is the man. I get the Stabler connection but Finn is her person IMO.

[chiver78]

Dec 14, 2024 18:15:36 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Dec 14, 2024 17:49:11 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

bless you. I can't watch that stretch anymore. seeing that in the tv guide actually brings me to seek out other background noise for the duration. whoo.. 

speaking of, I think I'm going to jump back in on Desperate Housewives tonihgt. I left off in the final season 

It is rough but I love, and sadly can relate to, Benson in this storyline and the followup with her in therapy. Olivia has always been a bad ass IMO, but this storyline sent her over the top.

Also, Finn is the man. I get the Stabler connection but Finn is her person IMO.

YASS! and I love that this was expanded after Cragen was forced to retire. that said, I'm not a big fan of the more recent seasons. the camera angles and techniques, from S23ish? it's weird. also, there were a couple episodes where the SVU reach was questionable to start and the team just jumped from go. I know that's where society is now, but it's not SVU. 

[soupandstew]

Dec 14, 2024 18:13:23 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Dec 14, 2024 16:34:59 GMT -5 Works4me said:

For many/most of us, the problem is not obtaining a prescription. It is insurance coverage. Insurance companies are refusing to cover Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, etc for weight loss. 

I generally do not involve myself in these types of questions, but....

Isn't it true that Ozempic is not approved for weight loss?  Isn't it primarily used to treat diabetes patients, with weight loss being an associated effect?  I recall reading a while ago that not only is it very expensive, but that there were shortages produced because so many people were getting it for the off-label purpose of weight loss that the diabetic patients who actually needed it could not get it.  I am at a loss to understand why insurance companies SHOULD cover it for weight loss if it is not approved for that.  If we were to assume that production were to increase exponentially so that everybody who wanted it could get it, what would the cost be?  If insurance companies were forced to cover it for any person and any purpose, how many patients would that be?  If people are screaming now about paying $600-800 per month for insurance coverage, how much would they scream when those premiums doubled?  You know the insurance companies are not going to just roll over and eat many millions of dollars in losses.  

The rationale I have seen stated for insurance coverage, including Medicare and Medicaid, is that reduction of obesity in the general population would also result in reduction of obesity-related issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and more, thereby reducing the burden of treatment costs for insurers and clients.

[mollyanna58]

NomoreDramaQ1015 and bean29, I was at a rescue event today and was admiring a dog’s beaded leash. The owner told me about an Etsy seller called Accessorize Your Pug that sells all sorts of cool dog items.  

[empress of self-improvement]

Anyone know of a good digital candy thermometer? I have my mother's 15-20 year old one but I need one where I can actually see the damn line. Turns out getting old is hell on the eyes. I've already slightly burned 2 batches of candy so I'm getting a little annoyed with myself.

[jerseygirl]

Wegovy was approved for weight loss in 2021
Excellent as obesity has so many bad effects . A de
crease in obesity would be a big benefit and probably save lives and the money needed to treat all the medical issues associated with obesity
So many Americans including children are obese

www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-drug-treatment-chronic-weight-management-first-2014

www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity

[soupandstew]

Dec 14, 2024 18:57:00 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

Anyone know of a good digital candy thermometer? I have my mother's 15-20 year old one but I need one where I can actually see the damn line. Turns out getting old is hell on the eyes. I've already slightly burned 2 batches of candy so I'm getting a little annoyed with myself.

I haven't personally used a candy thermometer but I absolutely recommend checking out Thermoworks for their products.  I got one of their instant read thermometers 2 years ago and it's incredible.  I also have their forehead wand for checking fevers.  I've had many thermometers through the years and theirs outperform everything else.  www.thermoworks.com/

[anciana]

Dec 14, 2024 17:10:02 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

DH & just spent six hours on Christmas yard decorating. Except for the tropical set, these are from the porch because I’ve already taken off my shoes. 😆

Love, love, love the explosion of Christmas everything you have going on here <3

[Peace77]

Dec 14, 2024 17:10:02 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

DH & just spent six hours on Christmas yard decorating. Except for the tropical set, these are from the porch because I’ve already taken off my shoes. 😆

Santa in swin trunks and Santa in a palm tree hammock with his own cabana boy penguin is hilarious.

[Peace77]

The weight loss/diabetes medications are probably much cheaper than weight loss surgery.

[tallguy]

Dec 14, 2024 19:28:21 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

The weight loss/diabetes medications are probably much cheaper than weight loss surgery.

For a one-time surgery compared to one year of medications?  Perhaps.  For a one-time surgery compared to two or three years of medications?  Perhaps not.  Both are far more expensive than traditional advice, so not sure a cost argument is the best choice here. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Dec 14, 2024 20:09:54 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Dec 14, 2024 19:28:21 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

The weight loss/diabetes medications are probably much cheaper than weight loss surgery.

For a one-time surgery compared to one year of medications?  Perhaps.  For a one-time surgery compared to two or three years of medications?  Perhaps not.  Both are far more expensive than traditional advice, so not sure a cost argument is the best choice here. 

My best guess for weight loss surgery would be well above $50k, probably around $75-100k.  

At $1k/mo, you are well above 4 years of med, and the basic action of the drug is better glycemic control…..which you don’t always get with weight loss surgery.

[daisylu]

Dec 14, 2024 19:28:21 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

The weight loss/diabetes medications are probably much cheaper than weight loss surgery.

The difference is that weight surgery is usually covered by insurance, so patient pays deductible. Most insurance companies do not cover weight loss drugs. 

[daisylu]

Dec 14, 2024 20:09:54 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Dec 14, 2024 19:28:21 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

The weight loss/diabetes medications are probably much cheaper than weight loss surgery.

For a one-time surgery compared to one year of medications?  Perhaps.  For a one-time surgery compared to two or three years of medications?  Perhaps not.  Both are far more expensive than traditional advice, so not sure a cost argument is the best choice here. 

See above. 

[tallguy]

Dec 14, 2024 20:16:42 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Dec 14, 2024 20:09:54 GMT -5 tallguy said:

For a one-time surgery compared to one year of medications?  Perhaps.  For a one-time surgery compared to two or three years of medications?  Perhaps not.  Both are far more expensive than traditional advice, so not sure a cost argument is the best choice here. 

My best guess for weight loss surgery would be well above $50k, probably around $75-100k.  

At $1k/mo, you are well above 4 years of med, and the basic action of the drug is better glycemic control…..which you don’t always get with weight loss surgery.

According to the search I did, you are about four times over.

[soupandstew]

I think a key factor in the surgery vs medication debate is the motivation of the patient.  In order to have long-term success, a patient electing weight-loss surgery must be motivated to follow significant dietary restrictions for the rest of their life.  Alternately, based on the reports of another poster, they are able to lose weight while continuing to enjoy their traditional food choices as the slowing of food passage through their digestive system reduces their desire to eat for hours at a time.  My husband's cousin had weight-loss surgery and was successful in maintaining her weight loss for many years prior to her accidental death.  I don't know anyone IRL who uses semaglutides.  

[giramomma]

It will be good when I can put in a full day and it will be enough.

The missy did a bang up job with getting ornaments on the tree. We got cut out cookies made, her birthday cake mostly made (she'll add some final touches tomorrow), part of her birthday lunch made, and I made.my breakfasts for the next few weeks.

Other than a nap dh and I have been hustling for 12 hours. And it's just not enough.

Dd1 wrapped presents and Dh was in charge of the scouting activities. He also drove dd1 to a babysitting job. Some of the roads are slick and she has 0 experience driving on it.

Maybe I can get our downstairs bath tarted up yet tonight. That would be one less thing for tomorrow.

I was going to volunteer on the 23rd since I'm taking the day off work and I will need a break from the kids. I was.pleasantly surprised that dd1 asked to come along. 

chen35 I batch make breakfast burritos. Its 10 whole wheat tortillas, a tube of seasoned ground turkey I think it is a lb, a small container of egg whites, a bunch of green onions and about a.cup of shredded cheese. You cook the onions and turkey in one pan and the.egg whites in another. Then mix them up and scoop on a tortilla. Sprinkle a little cheese on and then.wrap and freeze. I am in the office 3 days a week so it lasts 3 weeks. I just.stick one in my lunch.when I pack it the night before. I have coffee and Greek yogurt at about 6 and.then the burrito at about 9:30 and I'm pretty full until lunch.

raeoflyte I don't know how you have the patience for 12 dozen cookies. The missy and I did.2+ dozen -and no decorating and I was like that is enough. I really am in awe of that.

We haven't done cards in forever. Its ok too if people cut back. Stuff is getting expensive . I mean I spent our normal birthday budget on the missy and.she's getting a whopping four gifts. I used to be able to spend 100 and it looked like I spent a whole lot more. Now 100 looks pretty damn meager.