January 2023 chitchat

[agate]

Yes, Howie would have known what to do. You probably can be glad you didn't have to witness this.

I'm on my way back to the audiologist today. She had to redo my right hearing aid because it kept falling out. Then the remolded aid was too painful to wear. So today I'll finally get that hearing aid back, and I'm hoping it will have been fixed so I can finally wear it. In the meantime I've been making do with temporary fix but it falls out quite often.

And bright and early Monday morning this building is having another inspection. They just had one 2 weeks ago, and this one is just as important as the other one. They don't usually have inspections so close together but it is what it is.

Not so good for me as the books and bookcase I just dealt with are still sitting here in my apartment, looking like clutter,, and they won't be out of here by then. Maybe I can offer an explanation about how I'm in the process of getting rid of them. At least the books are in 3 shopping bags in a corner where they're not very conspicuous.

[Virginia]

two in that length of time is kind of ridiculous in my opinion. Do they not think the residents have anything else to do other than get ready for them. I know they want to keep them up, but lets not go over board

I went to the grocery store today and tonight I feel like I am coming down with a cold. It was cold outside. I was charged about $11.00 too much. I will keep my receipt and take it back next week and see if they will do something about it. I am not good about checking receipts, but I think this will cure that.

It is very late. I am going to eat a small orange for the vitamin C and go to bed. Will see y'all tomorrow.

[Virginia]

So Howie, where are you hiding these days?

[Howie]

I've been sleeping most of the day. I'll be staying up most of the night, watching my old Sci-Fi shows. What a life!

[agate]

Well, Howie, I've been watching the very first series of Star Trek--just interested in what it was that people liked so much (and still do like).

At least two of the episodes so far have involved duplicates of Captain Kirk. Maybe people just love Kirk, and two of him seem better than one.

I do know what I want as a gift if anyone ever wants to know what I'd like. I'd like to have one of those transporter things they use on Star Trek. There's a puff of glitter or something, and suddenly you're wherever you want to be.

I wouldn't have to call for rides or wait for them. It would be neat.

[Howie]

Here's some serious news from Howie's World. I use a debit card to pay my bills, most are on Auto Pay. Well, someone has stolen my card number, and has been taking a little bit out each month. It's a long, twisted story. Tomorrow, my sister is coming down, and go with me inside the bank, and get this straightened out.

I will be getting a temporary card to use and order a new debit card.

Why me?

[agate]

That's really too bad, Howie. I've had this kind of thing happen, and it's a big nuisance--but the bank was usually pretty good about making sure I got a new card speedily.

I didn't go to any bank personally. It was done over the phone and by mail. Sometimes a card was sent to me by next-day-air.

[Virginia]

Howie, I am so sorry this happened to you. I have recently been the victim of identity theft. If I have not been on as much that is why. I had someone actually get into my checking account, which I can't figure out unless they got in my computer. Anyway, they had a scheduled payment of $4,250.00 going out. I was the one that caught it. I happened to go in and see it. I then got a call from Discover card, which I don't have and the lady told me someone was trying to open a card in my name. She said they had all my information. Then I got a letter from Mastercard, again I don't have that and they were trying to open a credit card there. My bank and Discover have both sent me a list of things to do. It is easier said than done. I am having to change all passwords and they want me to call the Internal Revenue Service and report that I am a victim of a non tax related identity theft. I couldn't begin to tell you all that I have been going through trying to do everything that I have been told to do, also setting up a couple of safeguards for the future. There have been two different attempts to have my Amazon account hacked. Amazon notified me each time. I also need to try and find out how to secure my house. I don't want someone borrowing money on my home. It goes on and on.

I feel that with your sister's help you will be able to get this straightened out with your debit card. I wish the bank would give you the money that has been taken out. On a debit card I doubt that they would, but try to find out how someone got your passcode for your debit card. I know how they got everything about me. I have it in my computer and that is the only way anyone could have gotten it. Hard lesson learned. From now on I will keep all my IDs and passwords on paper with nothing in my computer. I would strongly suggest that you do this also.

My bank gave me a complementary one year subscription to idnotify. They are to monitor my accounts. However, when I got around to them today it looks as though they are going to do exactly what I have already done by calling the 3 credit bureaus and putting a fraud alert on my accounts.

It is a headache and I am sorry you have to deal with any of this. I am just glad it is not worse for you.

Hope everyone is doing well.

[Virginia]

When I posted the above I forgot to add that I have been going through my usual first of the year drug hassel trying to get Rebif. I have thought on several occasions that it was all straight only to a few hours or a day later find that it was not. FINALLY, yesterday afternoon I received another call saying that they really did have all the information from the Doctor's office and they Fedexed a shipment yesterday afternoon which I received today. I didn't have any left after Monday night so now I will be able to keep on schedule and give a shot tonight. Every year it seems I go through this. You would think I would get use to it but I never do. Another little nerve- wracking thing. Two things at once are too much for me to handle.

[agate]

I agree about two things at once!

Glad you got the Rebif as needed but what a stressful time it can be, just trying to get these details ironed out.

And if we're expected to take these MS drugs while still coping with MS (since they're not promising a cure), and since the importance of not interrupting the dosage schedule is stressed, why can't it be possible for us not to have to worry about missing doses just because of some insurance glitch, or pharmacy goofup?

I ran into another type of problem with my Glatopa (= Copaxone) recently. The pharmacy where my rx's are has been making a lot of mistakes recently, and this last one meant that I had to wait 3 weeks for them to straighten things out, before I could get a couple of rx's for pills that I've been getting routinely for years. Luckily for me, I had a stockpile of both of them and so didn't miss a dose--and I could have safely missed some doses of those two drugs. But I don't want to miss any of the Glatopa shots.

So I looked into a couple of pharmacies that send rx's by mail--PillPack, which is part of Amazon, and OptumRx. which my insurance plan (United Health Care) is offering. Yes, they could handle all my rx's, and I had gone through the process of entering most of the information--but then they wanted my credit card information so they could bill me automatically.

Usually I pay 0 dollars for any rx but sometimes there's a little copay, about $4 per rx. But what if PillPack couldn't get its payment in a timely way from the insurance people and just helped themselves to that credit card of mine, since it was there for that purpose? Suppose the rx was Glatopa? Each month it costs thousands of dollars. I could easily see a credit card charge of several thousand dollars just because the pharmacy could do that. It would be entirely legal.

I would probably be reimbursed eventually but it might take many months before all of the paperwork got processed. It's a chance I realize I can't take. I asked the PillPack people if they would consider letting someone enter the credit card information each time, on a one-time-only basis, but nothing doing.

Often a business will let you do that, and I always choose that option. I don't like letting anyone have easy access to my credit or debit card.

[Virginia]

Howie, did you get your debit card straightened out? I am still working on my identity theft case. It is wearing me out. I have another 2 or 3 calls that need to be made. I have tried already on these calls but was not able to get any help yet.

I read a book at night to get my mind off all this. Yesterday evening I went out to eat with my family. There were 10 of us there, this includes. the youngest 18month old. After we parted, it was dark but I still drove to the grocery store I like, bought my groceries, came home and got them inside. It was a little after 9PM before I got to sit down and read for a while.

Hope everyone is doing well. It is 12 midnight and I have to get ready for bed.

[agate]

Virginia, you probably know this but I'll pass it along anyway: When dealing with organizations (like banks and many other places) that claim to be available 24/7, I've found that I have much better luck getting useful help if I call during business hours on weekdays. I hope you weren't trying to make your calls this weekend. Even with an urgent matter like identity theft, if you can possibly let the call wait till a weekday, you might have less of a run-around, less waiting on hold, less being referred to someone else.

Sounds like quite a family gathering, with 10 of you! I hope the food was good and the people were having a good time. What did you have? Was there dessert?

[Snuggles]

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted here since before Christmas so I'll tell you what has been going on in my little corner of the world.

My youngest son came home from out of town about a week before Christmas. We were having a good time cooking, baking and shopping, We made homemade pierogi (first and probably the last time) and baked 4 different types of cookies. My hubby and son made a nut roll that was a tradition at Christmas in my hubby's family. We went to a birthday party for my granddaughter the Saturday before Christmas.

On Christmas eve we went to my middle son's house who has the grandkids. My oldest son came in from out of town so all of my sons were there. We opened gifts, had a wonderful dinner and spent some good family time together. After we left around 9 PM my hubby mentioned he felt like he was coming down with a cold. My youngest son said he also felt that way. SO when we got home they went right to bed. My hubby slept in a spare bedroom so he would not spread the germs to me. The next morning (Christmas) I got up and started to prepare breakfast. We usually have a big breakfast for Christmas. I made the bacon, fried the hash browns, set the table, got ready to cook the french toast. Only my oldest son was up. My youngest son and hubby were still sleeping. So my oldest son and I ate breakfast. My hubby came down later to eat and after eating went back to bed. My youngest stayed in bed. My oldest son headed home after breakfast since he didn't want to get sick. So I spent Christmas day by myself. I did some laundry and relaxed. We had soup for dinner. My hubby and son stayed in bed until Tuesday when my youngest son left to return home. They both tested negative for Covid during this time.

On Tuesday morning I came down with the nasty cold. I stayed in bed until Friday. It took almost 2 weeks for us to feel normal and then....

My hubby went to a funeral home for the husband of a former coworker. He didn't wear his mask. He did say he spent most of the time outside talking with people. Three days later he said he felt like he was getting sick again. He tested for Covid several days later and bingo it was positive. Fortunately he had still been sleeping in a spare room but we had eaten together and watched TV together. Immediately after he tested positive I said he needed to move to the spare bedroom on the first floor and use the bathroom on that level. Our bedroom is on the second floor and we have a bathroom on that floor. We donned our KN95 masks and I disinfected the lightswitches, doorknobs, etc. in the common areas. I shut the spare bedroom door to the room that he had been using which was across the hall from our bedroom. He isolated in the bedroom/bathroom on the first floor and I isolated on the second floor. I was only on the first floor to prepare and deliver meals. I delivered a food tray to his door for lunch and dinner. When he was finished eating he would place the tray in the hallway for me to pick up. I teased that it was like doordash (food delivery service) to his room.

Fortunately he was vaxed with 2 boosters and his doctor prescribed Paxlovid. He did have fever for a day but his main symptoms were congestion and a nasty, deep cough. Two weeks later and a negative covid test and he still has the lingering cough. He is still staying in the spare bedroom and taking his meals in that room. He has been up and around doing his laundry, paying bills, etc. while wearing a mask.

I am shocked that so far I haven't caught it. I don't think he is contagious now. I am hoping all of his symptoms will go away soon and we can get back to some sense of normalcy. I haven't walked or been out of the house (except to the doctors and grocery store). My eating has been out of control and I don't want to get on the scale!

So the lesson is to wear your masks when inside in a group of people. Covid isn't done with us yet!

Stay healthy!

[Virginia]

Hi Snuggles, so sorry everything didn't go quite as you planned for your Christmas Holidays. However, it does sound as though everyone had a good time until Christmas Day. So glad your hubby is doing alright now and everyone is on the mend, including you. Wish I could have been there for Christmas breakfast. It sounds scrumptious. I have been craving an egg biscuit and a cup of coffee. I don't keep eggs anymore due to my high cholesterol and I stopped drinking coffee years ago. Back in December before Christmas I was having a new kitchen floor installed and couldn't get to my refrigerator. My brother brought me an egg biscuit and a cup of coffee and that was the best food I have had in a long time.

I don't have a coffee maker anymore. I am thinking of buying another one. My problem is that I have to have cream (or milk) and sugar in my coffee. I am afraid I will start to gain some weight if I start back drinking it. I don't like artificial sweeteners of any kind in coffee. If I get a small coffee maker what kind should I get? Howie, you might have a suggestion about this.

Agate, I have been calling these places on weekdays, but they are government agencies and it is hard to get anyone even then. I have two more that need to be contacted. It is a bad feeling to know there is someone out there who has as much information about me as I have. The books I have been reading at night have saved my sanity.

It's good to have Snuggles back.

[agate]

Snuggles! I was just wondering about you this very morning. I'm so glad you've survived the holidays without overdoing to the point of exhaustion though it sounds as if you've been mighty busy fixing meals and tending to the sick people in the household and disinfecting. It's the time of year when people pass germs around, and it's really too bad that it's exactly the time of year when families and friends like to gather together.You seem to have managed to have some good moments during the season in spite of the germs. Pierogi are really special--were they difficult to make? I've never tried making them.

Thank you for speaking up for masks and for being careful. I still wear a mask when I'm apt to be in contact with anyone. Stay healthy, and I hope your husband is on his way to a complete recovery!

Virginia, about coffeemakers: I don't have one any more. I don't drink it and had a small one only in case someone else wanted some, but dealing with hot liquids just isn't a good idea for me. I've been noticing a lot of talk about a Keurig coffeemaker, as if it's very special. I'm not sure why it is so special but people seem to talk about it in hushed tones as if it's above and beyond all other coffeemakers. Maybe it just costs a lot more?

I found this about them:
Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

Howie would know far more about coffeemakers. We know he has one because there was a photo of Sam on top of one.