When Dessert Doesn't Sound Good I Know I'm Sick!

You may be aware that Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is tomorrow. The day before Ash Wednesday is known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday (in any culture, a a day noted for its emphasis on excess).

I love celebrating Mardi Gras, but this year not much is going to happen. Even after four days of antibiotics for a diagnosed bacterial pneumonia, little has changed. Google tells me that for healthy people the symptoms usually improve within 48 hours of starting treatment, but I guess I was too optimistic.

I did not get out the large bag of beads, and did not dress the table with the traditional purple, green, and gold. Dinner will be leftovers of the lovely red beans and rice that Hubby Tony cooked on Sunday. He will include cornbread and dessert with his meal. I will not.

Five years ago today: A Very Red Sign Of Spring

Indisposed

Earlier in the week I reported that my health was problematic during my recent vacation. I went to the gym for a Pilates class on Wednesday, but my cough started ramping up and I cancelled the Aqua Zumba class on Thursday. Yesterday I Zoomed into my standing meeting so I wouldn't distract other people. The weather was lovely, so Hubby Tony and I went to a nearby park (so I could social distance myself) and walked. At the end of the 45 minutes I was beat, which usually doesn't happen. For the rest of the day I drank warm water, herbal tea, and tea with honey and lemon. I gargled with saltwater, and steamed my sinuses. Nothing offered more than temporary relief. Last night was almost constant coughing.

When I woke up today I thought maybe things were better, but after breakfast I was researching urgent care centers. There, I was surprised to find out I had a fever, but was COVID- and influenza-free. However, I had a bacterial infection.

I came home with prescriptions for two types of antibiotics and a cough suppressant, and directions to stay home for at least 48 hours or until my fever goes away. Today the living room couch and bed have been my best friends, and probably will be tomorrow too.

If you don't see me for a while at least you'll know why.

Five years ago today: Comments Made In 1957

Insurance Issues

Shortly after the beginning of the year an official-looking envelope from my health insurance company showed up in the mailbox. When I opened it there was a letter that said that as far as Medicare was concerned I may have had a gap in prescription drug coverage for several months in 2024.

I knew that wasn't correct. Hubby Tony has good retiree insurance (which includes drug coverage). Each time I picked up a prescription all I had to pay was a small co-pay.

The letter said “If you did have prescription drug coverage you may be able to avoid the penalty by returning the enclosed form”. I filled out the form and took it to the post office the next day. Before I put the envelope in the slot I took a date and time stamped photo so I had proof.

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A month later I received a second letter that was identical to the first except for the deadline, which had been pushed back two weeks. As I had already mailed the information, I called the number listed on the form for guidance. I was told by an associate that there was no need to send it again.

This week I was quite upset to receive a third letter. It said that Medicare had determined that because they hadn't heard from me they were imposing a Part D (prescription) late enrollment penalty.

WTF!

I don't know if the insurance company or Medicare dropped the ball, but either way the outcome was unacceptable.

After spending some time yelling and screaming, I got busy proving them wrong. I filled out the Part D Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP) Reconsideration Request Form. Tony went to the health insurance website and downloaded a copy of the IRS document 1095-B which showed I was covered for the entire year. I also downloaded the details of my 2024 prescription claims and included that spreadsheet.

The documentation was to be sent to a third-party compliance company. I doubt that the person who opened the mail there would care about my predicament, but I also wrote a cover letter that included the details about the first two communications.

This morning I walked up to the post office, where I paid for a Priority envelope so I would have proof that it was delivered. Now I get to wait and see if they try to give me the runaround.

Five years ago today: If You Can't Find It New, Make It From Old

Aloha And More

The summer temperatures had barely cooled off last fall when Hubby Tony and I were invited to join Son Brian's family for a midwinter break trip to Hawaii again this year. It didn't take us long to accept.

Last year we visited Son Tony in the Central Valley before flying with them to Oahu, then did some couple's activities after saying goodbye to Brian's family.

This year Tony and I scheduled time on Oahu before Brian's family arrived. We explored the city, toured Pearl Harbor, bought multi-day passes to a hop on, hop off trolley and rode several of the routes. We ate our way around town-Hawaiian dishes, seafood, udon, ramen, as well as sandwiches, burgers, and pizza.

Once Brian's family arrived we packed up our things and moved to a resort complex where we spent a lot of time waterside-both at the pool and the beach. Unfortunately, I picked up some bug which kept me company off and on the rest of the trip. I spent time by myself resting, then rejoined the family as my body would allow.

We flew back to San Jose with Brian's family, then got a rental car and drove to Son Tony's house to hang out with his family. There we went to the park, got invited to an informal family party, and went to church with them. All too soon it was time to pack the car back up and head to the airport for the flight home.

Five years ago today: They Don't Call It Fat Tuesday For Nothing

Notes To Myself

I may or may not have needed all of these reminders in the past month 🤣

• Stop spending more money on things to get free shipping.

• Your coffee is still in the microwave.

•  Don't throw the box with the directions away until the assembly is 100% done.

•  Your glasses are on top of your head.

• Your phone is in your back pocket.

• Wearing headphones does not make your farts silent.

• Just because it pops into your head doesn't mean it needs to come out of your mouth.

• Don't use your phone as a flashlight to look for your phone.

• You're never going to remember to do that thing later. Do it now and cross it off the list.

Animal Trivia

How many of these did you know?

• Birds do not urinate.

• The bat is the only mammal capable of flight. Its leg bones are so thin that it cannot walk.

• Despite their fluffy white fur, Polar Bears actually have black skin.

• The average housefly lives only 2 to 3 weeks.

• Alligators and sharks can live for up to 100 years.

• A honeybee has two stomachs: one for honey and one for food.

• A blue whale’s heart is the size of a car.

• A cockroach can survive for about a week without its head before dying of starvation.

• When a dolphin is sick or injured, its cries of distress prompt other dolphins to assist, helping it surface to breathe.

• A snail can sleep for up to 3 years.

• A cow produces nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.

• The average outdoor cat lives only 3 years, while indoor-only cats can live 16 years or longer.

• A mosquito’s proboscis has 47 sharp edges to help it cut through skin and even protective clothing.

• Flamingos are not born pink. They hatch with white or gray feathers and develop their pink color over time as they eat certain foods

• Koalas have fingerprints that are nearly identical to humans.

• Crocodiles can gallop like horses

• Otters “hold hands” while sleeping, so they don’t float away from each other.

• The smell of a skunk is powerful enough for a human to smell it up to 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away.

Five years ago today: What's The Secret Word?

I Wonder What Was Going Through His Head?

The last time I was watching the show Big Cats 24/7 Foster Cat Pimento was sleeping on my lap. All of a sudden one of the cat's vocalizings caught his attention. He jumped down, stalked across the room, and raised himself up on two legs to see what was going on.

 He stayed there for about 30 seconds before he dropped back down and sauntered away.

Just What I Needed To Read Today

A Facebook friend posted this on her wall, and the thoughts resonated with me.

I have a big-tent understanding of God, so feel free to substitute your own name for him/her - YHWH, Allah, Universal Energy, or something else.

Five years ago: Really, Mom?

The Value Of A Smile

This was written by Frank Irving Fletcher, a prominent advertising writer, and in the 1936 book How to Win Friends & Influence People Dale Carnegie included it in the chapter on "A Simple Way to Make a Good First Impression."

The Value of a Smile

 

A smile costs nothing, but gives much.

It enriches those who receive,

without making poorer those who give.

It takes but a moment,

but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. 

 

None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it.

and none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it.

A smile creates happiness in the home,

fosters good will in business,

and is the countersign of friendship.

It brings rest to the weary,

cheer to the discouraged,

sunshine to the sad,

and is nature’s best antidote for trouble. 

 

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen,

for it is something that is of no value to anyone

until it is given away.

some people are too tired to give you a smile.

Give them one of yours,

as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

Five years ago today: Real? Or Not?

Stand Up Straight!

It sounds crazy, but did you know that if you sit and stand with good posture you can be happier and healthier?

Your brain is constantly receiving messages from your body, and even simple things like how you move can make a difference. As people get older they tend to slouch, which tells your brain that something is wrong, and it's harder to have positive thoughts. Good posture (a straight back, shoulders back,and the head directly over the shoulders) boosts your confidence and reduces stress and fatigue

Five years ago today: Doing It Right