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Post by borntexan on May 1, 2018 19:15:28 GMT
Celeste I hope you can get your SS straightened out.That is just plain wrong when 2 people told you a different amount.I'm hoping the Synvisc One helps too.It said online it could take 4-7 weeks but I'm hoping it's sooner than that.
Connie I've been seeing the Sprengle plan on Facebook and it's more or less the same thing as the Wendie plan was on Points Plus.I really don't think I could lose that way.
Celeste I was posting before I saw your comment on the Wendie plan.I haven't seen that a lot of people have had much success on either of those plans.
Welcome back traveling Suzanne.
Scooter is 4 yo today.I bought her a new squeaky toy and some Frosty Paws.She loves her new toy & will be in dog heaven tonight with PB frosty paws. LOL.
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Post by daleswife on May 1, 2018 19:17:25 GMT
Busy couple days
Achievement test last 2 mornings
Met with lawyer yesterday afternoon about selling land
Headed to tennis meet soon
Eating n steps 🤩
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Post by bighairtexan on May 1, 2018 19:34:41 GMT
BECKY I thought it sounded just like they Wendy/Wendie plan. And they had that WAY before points plus. When they first came out w/ plain old Points, they had that plan. I think you don't hear that much about it b/c I've never known anyone to lose a significant amount of weight AND stick to the plan. WW is time consuming ENOUGH IMHO. I don't need to spend MORE time adding and subtracting and figuring points allowance which is changing on a daily basis. My head would explode after about 2 weeks. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
SANDY who is playing tennis?
So SUZE I was quoted a SS amount by both Jessie and Mr. WhyIsn'tMurderLegalinTexas?
Then I get the letter saying "your monthly SS payment will be...." approx 504 LESS than they told me.
I called the main SS 800 number and after a 50 min wait, I got a live person who said that she had no idea why/what was quoted at the McKinney office. I asked who/how SS came up w/ the lower amount. She had no idea (figures) and said that figure came from the MAIN office in charge of payments. She offered to have them contact me "sometime this week" to discuss how they arrived at this figure.
I was just hanging up when I had a lightbulb moment. I asked if she could tell me how much I was paying for Medicare, AND my Income Related Adjustment Amount (aka PENALTY) for Medicare, AND my IRMAA for Medicare part D. (I also pay for an Aetna supplement as well as to AARP for my drugs supplement). So she gave me the figures that so far have been automatically deducted from my checking. LOW and behold it was ALMOST exactly the difference between the amounts quoted in the SS office and on my letter. A dime or so off. So I asked if this lower amount was AFTER they deducted all my medicare stuff and she said YES!!! I mean otherwise my monthly SS check would have been $350ish after medicare!! And I'd still have to pay Aetna and AARP.... WHAAAT? I went thru all that crap for months for THIS?
So I'm now OK (assuming her information is correct and I'll see that on my next check). I did tell her it MIGHT be nice, if... on the 4 page letter I just got, as well as the 10 page booklet that came w/ the letter... that SOMEWHERE they MIGHT tell you this is how things are computed. She was not impressed.
I HAVE A HEADACHE. LOL
Off to the bank and Kroger. YOu have NO IDEA how much I want an ice cold Bloody Mary... a HUGE one. But it would turn into 3 or 7 Bloody Mary's. LOL
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Post by suzeg on May 1, 2018 21:42:21 GMT
Howdy Cowgirls… it’s a gloomy day over here in ET. When I got home (12am) and opened the door that crazy LULU looked at me like “what are YOU doing here”. No more sleeping in the bed with that fun guy, lol.
I didn’t do well sticking to plan up north – but I didn’t go gonzo either, and did some strenuous workouts so I’ll just leave it to the Scale Goddess next week (didn’t WI today….didn’t even cross my groggy mind this am). I’ll continue on NoS, and now that I’m doing more reading in the book I see I need to tweak what I’m doing a bit. Regardless, eating less sugar/sweets in any form is a victory for me, and workouts are getting back to my normal. I never wanted to eat snacks when diets recommended it anyway so that’s no biggie, and I still need to tweak my portions at times. It’s easy to overload a bit and then pat yourself on the back for “not” having seconds, lol.
I agree with the author of the NoS diet; diet accounting is never going to be normal for me, so I strive to change my eating habits. And I’ll keep at it! And continue on the goals I’ve been doing.
SANDY good to hear that Dale has agreed to a few changes. Baby steps. And that tree quote is one of my F.A.V.O.R.I.T.E.S.
What is a Stanford achievement test? For little kids?
Have to tell you, Bro grilled the BEST steaks bought from Costco. My gosh, they were delicious. And something called Brat Burgers (?) yummy. The steaks were thick and he cut them in thirds they were so large. Just flavored with seasonings (no marinate) and char. YUMMO.
Oh man, JT, that is a total bummer on your wrist! So this must mean the cast stays on longer, right? I hope that it heals without affecting the use in the long run.
CELESTE good for you on WI – and increasing your steps by 500! Wow that’s quite a penalty for having more than two children in China. Wonder if many do it anyway?
Hmmm I’m not sure I understand all that about SS, Medicare deductions, penalty…. OMG I do NOT look forward to all that, but at least you’ve figured it out.
And I need to look at my appraisal…word on the street is that my county increased taxes for many, significantly. I hope that rumor is wrong, but I know they are playing catch up anyway in my case based on some improvements and new housing across the street.
ANGIE wow..like the menu at the B&B *wink*.
I vote to maintain S.M.A.R.T goals for May.
CONNIE – good for you on the April loss! Yeah, ouch on that quote. Double ouch.
Waving to STEPH ~ ~
BECKY good luck with the shots…I hope you get some relief.
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Post by suzeg on May 1, 2018 21:53:00 GMT
My trip was excellent. Bean encouraged me to get with girlfriends and visit with friends and family; we had time together, but she worked a little more than normal during my visit. It worked out well. I spent time with my Aunt Susie (83 yo, Mom’s sister) which I’ve been trying to do more of, and many more people. It’s the first visit since Mom & Dad passed that has been a non-working visit I think.
And CELESTE you’ll get a kick out of this, my aunt asked me to make a trip over and look through her will and trust, to make sure it looked ok, LOL. The only thing she did not have was a DNR/advanced directive, so she is going to go get one this week. They are easy. Even though her son is her medical advocate, it’s a good idea (imo) to have that paper somewhere easily accessible at home in case paramedics are called, and a copy to take with her to a hospital that specifically states her wishes.
So we cleaned out her files and organized them a bit, I reiterated what each document said/did. She offered to pay me! OMG I told her that Mom would find a way to smack me from the grave if I even thought about that. LOL
I’m tired, but having dinner tonight with the girls (Italian). And I’m hungry. I came in a little late today, so Lu got a long walk this morning.
Ok almost time to wrap it up.
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Post by borntexan on May 2, 2018 0:26:46 GMT
Celeste It's the pits SS couldn't have told you what was being taken out of your check.I only have regular Medicare coming out of my SS but with the penalty that's almost $200.I have United drafted out of our checking account.
Suze I'm sure Lulu was happy to see you.I'm glad you had a fun time on your trip.It's always nice to see family and friends.I never plan enough food for each meal to get in enough points not to have snacks so it's not a doable plan for me.I don't have snacks just to be eating though.I have to be hungry to eat a snack.Thanks.I know I won't get immediate relief but at least it's something to look forward with less pain.I want to get a DNR done as well.
I'm not going to even try to get 10,000 steps over the next few days.I lowered my step goal for the next few days not knowing how the injections will affect my knees getting them both in the same day.
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Post by bighairtexan on May 2, 2018 0:32:08 GMT
What's weird for me SUZE is that my house I live in went up a reasonable amount. My little one was off the hook. Same appraisal district so how was the % increase so different? If my rental went up by the same % as my home, I'd zip it and pay. I shall never understand any government agency. And yeah if your house has new improved construction near it as well as all your upgrades, repairs and refurbs? YIPES. OTOH they don't go INTO your house so other than pulled permits, they can't really tell. And who pulls permits to put in a counter or paint or moldings etc? NOT THIS COOKIE.
ROFLMAO @ your Aunt asking you to help w/ her will. You are a magnet for elder advocacy!! LOL. In fact I've said before you need to make this into a side job. You probably know as much as MANY MANY attorneys when it comes to wills, trusts and deeds. And bless her heart for wanting to pay you. At least she realizes the value of your work and didn't take it for granted.
OK so on this No S. I saw these in house baked chocolate iced donuts and thought OMG on Saturday I can stack those puppies up on a plate and eat them for bkfst... all 12 of them. NO LIE. I haven't had a donut in FOREVER and I was getting giddy. But I do NOT ever want ONE donut so uhnless I eat at LEAST 6 of them... what's the point? Work hard all week then eat a platter (notice it went from plate to platter in my mind) of DONUTS.
But... for dinner I wanted brats (I rarely eat them as in never). So I was picking up all these lower calorie turkey brats and i was thinking "I don't really LOVE turkey brats". So I saw some Cheddar Brats (not turkey) and I BOUGHT THEM and had TWO and it was super satisfying both for taste and general satiety. But it was HARD to buy cheddar brats, esp thinking OMG 9 points for 1!!! But he said do NOT do any other kind of diet w/ No S.
Also he was saying how we have an inherent reluctance to be total PIGS when we do the 1 plate thing. That even if not at first, eventually you'll monitor the size of the plate w/o weighing or measuring??? So I REALLY wanted 3 brats (and man I could have happily eaten them) but it just seemed so "Bestial" as he put it. LOL
And is it me, but while not calling WW out by name, he seems very critical of it. I mean "counting points diets" being punishing... well isn't that...DUH!! But all his criticisms are ones I've expressed or thought.
SOOOO when you go out for Italian you ENJOY what you really want to eat. But stay away from the bread basket unless it fits on your main plate. Just say "YES MOTHER."
And BECKY your ears must buzz. I've referred to your penalty many times when discussing MEDICARE and cautioning people NOT to wait too long. B/c I think your lifetime penalty is just plain MEAN. I mean what's the point? You've had your hand slapped but do you need it slapped every single damn month? OH I know... Medicare and SS have NEVER made a mistake in their existence. coughBScough.
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jtchip
Transcendent Member
Posts: 1,351 
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Post by jtchip on May 2, 2018 1:02:07 GMT
Hey all. Hope everyone is well. Had a decent day here in CT. Cold this morning @40 and then sunny and @ 75 this afternoon. Supposed to be @85 tomorrow. No spring again this year.
Suze, not sure if I will have to have the cast on longer or not. Time will tell. The doctor says I shouldn't lose any function, but the wrist will be crooked. He can't guarantee that surgery will hold the bone in place and says he would choose to let it heal crooked. He could only guarantee that I would have a scar and then may have to have the plate removed if it doesn't hold. I am choosing to let it heal crooked.
Celeste, sounds like you figured out the SS dilemma. Why do you have a penalty? Didn't you apply for medicare on time? Okay, get crackalackin on your appraisal now! You're on a roll.
Okay, waving to all. Have a good Wednesday.
JT
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Post by mom2teacher on May 2, 2018 1:34:13 GMT
What a day! Counseled 3 students all BEFORE 10:30 AM. We are a ticking time bomb right now with emotions running high. Haven't been able to fill y'all in. I'm just exhausted physically & mentally by the time I get home and barely have enough to be mom & wife (poor DH gets very little attention these days). By the end of my 4th period class, 12:15, I took a student to the nurse w/ a bruise on the corner of her mouth. She said she needed an ice pack. Asked her how she got it. She wouldn't say. Walking in the hallway with no one around and I stopped her and said "No one, and I mean, NO ONE, has the right to put their hands on you to leave a mark." She says her mom got mad and popped. So, had to make a report, as did the nurse. Told the Officer and she checked in. We're thinking the mom was disciplining the child and the police say the parent has the right to discipline. I'll watch for other signs in the next few weeks to see if anything more is there. All that, plus I had to teach my classes and get paperwork signed for summer training. Oh, and mentor my mentee b/c she's the reason I had to counsel w/ the 1st student.
Update on my brother....he text this morning saying he was pulled over at 4AM, two blocks from his house b/c he did NOT put on his turn signal 100 feet from the stop sign. He has two opinions...1) his wife had some pot stashed b/c her therapist suggested she use it for medicinal purposes. Unaware that he threw it away, he thinks she called the cops to report him. 2) If he's not be paranoid, he said it could possible be ICE looking for people. He said he couldn't be sure. It has gotten ugly at their house. He's moving out b/c she's volatile. I feel for him, but he said once he gets past all this in a few months (he's in therapy & will continue for awhile), he'll actually be better off even though he loves her. She's so depressed, she's making his life miserable.
Catching up with everyone, slowly (sorry).
JT, hope your hand/wrist heals without too much of a bother to you. It makes since not to do surgery if your bones are brittle. My MIL has osteoporosis.
Suze, so glad you enjoyed your trip. I finally bit the bullet and will be going home in June, taking A with me. She thinks we're going to a 3rd world country....we're only going to MS (close).
Becky, are you driving into RR for your knee injections? Hopefully, those will make you feel better.
Waves to all. Need to do 1 thing before I call it a night.
Night all!
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Post by borntexan on May 2, 2018 2:06:48 GMT
Celeste That's the thing with Medicare.I didn't know I was even eligible for it at the time.I did have to wait 2 years b/c I'm on SS Disability but to say I should have signed up for it on Kenneth's last day of work I think is wrong.We both had to do Cobra until I was eligible for Medicare.Even though I wasn't eligible for it for 2 years I was still supposed to know I should have applied for it even if I don't get it for 2 yrs???
Okay I'm getting tired of NCIS killing off people when they leave the show.I knew Abby was leaving but in the last scene tonight she was shot.So next week they are showing her in the hospital.Geez what happened to showing people leaving for another job or something.
Steph I agree that parents have the right to discipline their kids but nothing makes me more upset than a parent who slaps a child.I feel for your brother.Kenneth is driving me to RR tomorrow.My appointment is at 11:00.We had planned to eat at Kerbey Lane Cafe after but after looking at their website and their prices I couldn't find anything on the menu I wanted to pay that much for.Hopefully there is somewhere else close by to eat.I hope the rest of the week goes better for you.How many weeks till the end of the year?
JT It only got up to 79 here today but our low was much warmer than yours.I hope you get that cast off soon.
No food or exercise goals for me at least thru the end of the week.I lowered my step goal for a few days and if I don't get those walking in the house until I can do some actual exercise then I don't get them.I walked twice today and I forgot about the incline coming back home since I went a different way on the 2nd walk and my legs have been stiff.I got in plenty of steps today.
Celeste except for the no sugar or snacks No S reminds me somewhat of Intuitive Eating by eating what you like.I am beginning to think tracking points can be bad because if I don't have enough points in especially on freestyle I'm thinking I'm not eating enough.It doesn't bother me near as much on SP I guess since I'm tracking food on ITB instead of the WW app where I'm trying to eat in my healthy eating zone(blue dot on WW).There is no set amount of points I feel like I need to have on SP b/c I'm tracking all but fruit & non starchy veggies.I have heard from the Return to 30 group that if you eat less than 30 you can slow down your metabolism but when I was doing SP before I rarely ate 30 points.I may end up just getting a journal and write down what I'm eating instead of trying to plan ahead.I have noticed the last 2 days I haven't eaten as many snacks b/c I haven't been as hungry after dinner but I know I will still have my snacks when I'm hungry.Regardless to popular opinion my hunger is fatal. LOL.
Night ladies
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Post by daleswife on May 2, 2018 2:17:16 GMT
Dgd playing tennis
Stanford is an achievement test to see what grade level and test a base level of knowledge
I know Katy is learning but I just wanted to see
She thinks it’s funny that I have to read word for word from manual
Excellent work reading n math
Science n social studies no so great but passing
Will finish with listening skills tomorrow then mail for test to be scanned n scores returned
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Post by daleswife on May 2, 2018 2:17:28 GMT
Dgd playing tennis
Stanford is an achievement test to see what grade level and test a base level of knowledge
I know Katy is learning but I just wanted to see
She thinks it’s funny that I have to read word for word from manual
Excellent work reading n math
Science n social studies no so great but passing
Will finish with listening skills tomorrow then mail for test to be scanned n scores returned
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Post by bighairtexan on May 2, 2018 2:45:47 GMT
JT, no I filed on time. I call it a PENALTY but SS/Medicare calls it an "Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount" (IRMAA). Depending on your income for the 2 previous years, you are "assessed an ADJUSTMENT AMOUNT". There are various brackets and they access your previous 2 years of taxes to determine your income. You can pay an extra IRMAA on your part B which can be over $420 as well as another on your Part D which can be an additional $75 PLUS your plan premium. This is IN ADDITION to costs for any supplements (aetna in my case) as well as the cost of Part D (AARP/United Health in my care). This is IMHO a PENALTY for earning what SS decides is too much. Right now it's a real SORE point w/ me. Can ya TELL? LOL
AND I can't believe it's in the 70's. I thought you'd never crack the 45 degree mark. So no SPRing. RIght into SPRummer for you.
GOOD GRIEF STEPH. That poor kid. It's sad that kids for any reason have someone so angry that they have to strike out physically (I guess emotional abuse can be almost as bad if not fatal). And oh gosh on the mentee being part of the problem (if I read that right).
And am I correct in assuming your brother isn't an ILLEGAL ALIEN? So does he have mental illness history? As in possible paranoid schizophrenia? Your bro and your DSIL do sound like a very volatile and unfortunate combo. Separation/divorce may benefit both of them before things get dire.
BECKY I can see how you had no idea you were supposed to file. I think the entire process is Machiavellian, labyrinthine and just downright confusing. I'm not an idiot and look at all the questions and crap I've had to muddle through. Add to that the people working there are of very little help. HOWEVER even if you'd blatantly deferred your filing, is a lifetime penalty really in order? Not IMHO. So if you were 2 years late... .a 2 year penalty. 6 month late? A 6 mo penalty. But from what I understand from my workshops... it's for freaking EVER which is unfair.
I knew Abby was leaving but LOL on don't people ever just leave jobs? nah... kill 'em off.
And BECKY back to that there being no perfect diet that is good for EVERYONE, I know WW was good for you. But you worked your little ass off and MOST people couldn't be as diligent as you are. Hats off to you, I lack that kind of commitment. LOL @ your hunger being fatal. SEE? We're all DIFFERENT hahaha
SANDY is this the old Stanford Benet or something newer?
Nothing after midnite last night: CHECK... this is HUGE for me. I now have a 1 day chain LOL
7500 steps today: CHECK... 7722 currently
No snacking: CHECK
No seconds: CHECK
No added sugar: CHECK
NO S CHAIN: 1 day
Off to shower. Night all.
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Angie
Transcendent Member
Posts: 1,244
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Post by Angie on May 2, 2018 3:14:06 GMT
Late check in....we are in MO...have about 1.5 hrs to go tomorrow to the Ozarks. Pretty drive....and so nice to see LEAVES and trees in bloom! Had dinner tonight at a great local BBQ place...we split a sampler platter....very good & it was more than enough for us to share.
Cara’s music program was impressive! This was only the “kinders”....and all of the songs they sang had dance moves, too. She also had one of the reading parts & was in one of the “dance crews”. She enjoys performing...very enthusiastic....fun to watch. All of the kids did a great job! So glad we were able to be there.
Need to read posts & catch up....but time to hit the hay.
Good night ladies 😴
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Post by borntexan on May 2, 2018 14:43:46 GMT
Celeste LOL on eating all those donuts Saturday.The thing about SSD is you must wait 2 years to get Medicare.I was not 65 and I'm still not so had no idea since I was on Cobra I had to apply the day Kenneth became disabled.The penalty is bad enough but for insurance I use the Medicare Advantage Plan which I pay for and can't even use regular Medicare which I'm paying almost $200/month for.I'm not eligible for a supplement b/c I'm not 65 but when I turn 65 I will be on the state's insurance which hopefully still be free but still paying for Medicare.Darned if I do & darned if I don't.
As far as WW I used it as a tool.I feel like I don't owe them anything b/c they never told me what to eat.I figured it out myself.So if I up and cancel I won't have any qualms because I know all the points by heart almost with the foods I eat.I know my hunger isn't really fatal but if I don't drink enough water it dang sure feels like it.Good luck on No S.If you have any leftover donuts email me a chocolate covered one.Actually we are going to RR today where the absolute best donuts in TX are made.I'm glad we are going to eat somewhere after the injections so I'm not tempted to go by there.
Have fun Angie.
The only reason I have to be so careful with what I eat is b/c I gain weight so easily.
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