To-do list and then some

Another night with fewer trips to the loo. Spook did not stay on the bed very long. Easy to see why - when the lights came on my blanket was 3/4 off the bed and backwards.

8:22 am - phone call from a local medicare plan "advisor" offering to help me choose a plan and enroll. Nice lady, but no, I don't need an extra level between me and the plan company.

After and during apple and PNB with apple juice breakfast I completed the open enrollment for one of AARP's United Healthcare/Walgreens special needs plans. It was a tough choice between the diabetes only plan, which pays 100% of insulin, and the heart conditions plan, which costs $35 per insulin prescription. Maybe. One thing for sure is all the drug costs are way lower in 2022 ($4k) than 2021 ($14k).  And I joined AARP, which I had avoided until now because they were responsible for the stupid Plan D medicare no drug coverage. But this year they have flipped over to the Bernie Sanders position that Medicare must negotiate for reasonable prices with Big Pharma. And they dropped the annual subscription price.

Next to-do took a lot out of me. Moved the car so the hatchback was lined up with the porch ramp, hauled two big bags - one of mostly shirts with a couple of shorts, the other with bedding. Then carried the 55" TV down the ramp and it fit pretty easily with the back seats folded down. Drove to Goodwill and was the only one in line at the drive-thru. Had to extract the TV stand from the bags of clothing, but two of us got it out easily. And the bags too. Next trip will be the LPs. Not real soon though.

From there to Albertson's, spent $100 sticking to my list, but buying more than planned because 2-fer and 3-fer sales.

Home, no mail stop because mailperson was still stuffing side 1 (my box is on side 2).

Exhausted, after I parked the insulated bags in the kitchen & on the washer, put on slippers, poured some soda over ice with pina colada syrup, realized it was lunchtime so I took out one of the fruit bowls from the shopping trip and watched some TV.

Rested, I put all the groceries away, checked in online, confirmed two doctor appointments, and bought a ticket to tomorrow's Renn Faire. Checked Google maps to see where the parking was - had to use the satellite image because the parking lots were not on the street view. I expect there will be signs, and parking will cost $$.

Email from Mom's Meals that my Humana-covered meals will be delivered on the 19th. But then email from UPS that they are coming tomorrow. Hmm.

Made a bigger than usual salad because I had a red onion, capers and marinated artichoke hearts from the shopping trip. And switched from spring greens to chopped salad mix (iceberg, red cabbage, carrot slivers, etc.).  After salad was a Lean Cuisine beef & garlic noodles meal.

Edit add:
Paused PTI after they lambasted the way the Giants-Dodgers game was ended, but said they thought the Giants were doomed anyway. On to the next to-dos:
moved all the things off the livingroom rug (this is a full room Karastan) and vacuumed it. The new-ish Bissell 22543 Clean view Swivel Rewind Pet Vacuum And Carpet Cleaner, Purple at the closest to the ground setting did a great job with the cat fur, dropped food and whatever else was on there. None of the robot vacs I've had could do that. Next to-do was move the floor fan and all the cat toys out of the way, mix up some rug shampoo and go over the corner where the cats' toy basket had been used as a litterbox. Every time I turned on the fan, cat pee smell would drift across the room. My BISSELL Turboclean Powerbrush Pet Upright Carpet Cleaner Machine and Carpet Shampooer, 2085 needed several passes but eventually got the smell out.

Put the fan back and left the toys scattered away from that patch. Put the sheepskin rug back on the rug in front of the TV - it needs cleaning. Time to order a dry cleaning kit.

Nothing on Tivo after PTI, so I tuned in to ESPN and watched the Chicago Sky beating the crap out of Phoenix's WNBA team until 8 pm when Tivo kicked me off because four shows were about to record. I watched the first 1/3 of Gold Rush as it was recording, the second 2/3 was about the first miner they had on the show, who is coming back soon. I don't know why I watch that show except the personalities are bizarre. By then the other shows were done recording so I watched Shark Tank. One custom song writing company gave up 40% equity to get 4 sharks.

Spook has been showing more interest in Jade's room, but would not go in when I opened the gate for her. Jade has been downright weird, sometimes rubbing her head against my hand, sometimes running away when she looks into my eyes. I tried sitting on the floor but she hid on the other side of her tree. I think I'll make a vet appointment for her.

Tomorrow:
Renn Faire - photo ops, hope a calendar pic or two comes of it.
If the meals are delivered, put them away
Graham Norton
Penn & Teller

Renn FAIL

The Renn Faire was from 10 am to 10 pm today, so I figured I could sleep in and get there around 11, but the water was turned off in the neighborhood without warning, so no shower and it set me back a bit.

Banana and PNB breakfast, but I had to open a new jar of PNB and stir it up. Easier with the handy tool, but it still takes time.

My GPS did not know where the largest park in Las Vegas was, and entering its address gave a route somewhere in Arizona. I knew it was on Sunset, so I headed for the big Sunset Station casino hotel, but in the wrong direction. A U-turn fixed that. It's a long drive but I've been by it a few times. It took 10 minutes at a 3-cars-only left turn light to get into the park, but the long winding drive through showed that there was no parking available, and droves of people were walking in from blocks away so when I got to the exit I just drove home. I thought about trying again later, but no photo ops after dark, so I'll try again tomorrow, early.

Only junk mail in the mailbox - was expecting something from Humana pharmacy**.

FB and Twitter, then on Tivo the 6 am channel 3 news had a lot on Tom Hawley, who had become my favorite local broadcaster. He passed away two days ago. Read all about it here. They also had a segment on the 5.9% cost of living Social Security increase for 2022, but mentioned they expect Medicare to raise its monthly fee, that announcement will be in a few weeks. So my $130 increase may be less. 

Fedex made an early delivery of some medical supplies, UPS messaged that they won't be delivering Mom's Meals because all they had was the pre-order, not the actual package. Which is supposed to be delivered on the 19th.

Spook was right outside the gate, looking in, and the light was on which meant Jade was oot and aboot, so I let Spook in. She nosed around quietly, at one point spotted Jade on the tree, but just moved along - Jade did not seem to notice though she must have. After a few minutes Spook left the room on her own.

I went online and made a vet appointment for Jade for early November. Need something to semi-sedate her, and get her nails trimmed.

Watched the 90 Day The Other Way teaser, all the couples they showed have dealt with their various crises, for now. Penn & Teller had some excellent acts -a 16-year-old girl fooled them with a combination of fast hands and tech. Channel surfing got me a beautifully shot but very disturbing show on overfishing. I've known about factory ships since covering one in Astoria in 1973.

Weekend, so no PTI.  I caught the final kneel-down as some LA team beat the UW. Vegas hockey team lost big-time, Seattle Kraken lost by 1 in OT.

**USPS delivered the Humana package to my door, my PCP sent me an Accu-check meter and accessories, which was not the plan. The plan was to get One Touch test strips. I tried the new meter, the pro is its test strip is easier to apply a sample to, the con is the phone app is kind of stupid. But at least it has one. One Touch says they will help pay for their test strips, but the web site says not if you have medicare. Boo, Hiss.

Tomorrow:
Get out of bed on time, head for the Renn Faire early.