Rambling Thoughts and Loose Ends

I don't post here very often anymore. Perhaps it's because I don't have a lot to say about anything...at least nothing that anyone would find interesting.

Sure, I could post photos of every loaf of bread I bake or the the King Cake and jambalaya from Tuesday's dinner or the stuffed peppers and stuffed eggplant that I made two weeks ago or pics of Benni, the Dog doing dog things.

Our Mardi Gras was not as Elegant at Russ' and MP's

A View of Cochiti Lake

We took a day trip to Los Alamos (it's only 17 miles from Cochiti if you're a crow, but it's 68 miles (1 hour, 15 minutes) via Santa Fe or 110 miles (2 hour,s 20 minutes via Jemez Springs). The old route via an unimproved and slightly scary Dome Road, was 36 miles but took about 1 hour and 30  minutes).

In other words you can't get there from here (easily).

We stopped at the nearby Valles Caldera - the remnant of an ancient volcano. At over 11,000 feet it has it's own climate.

Moisture on the windshield caused the effect

In Los Alamos Smith's (Kroger's) Supermarket is on steroids. Competing with WalMart, but classier. It has a Pub with Beer on Tap if you aren't interested in shopping with the hubby.

And a whole section for clothing

Back in Santa Fe, near the Frank Ortiz Dog Park is a plaque commemorating those Japanese Americans who were interred in a camp there during World War II. Not many people know that Japanese-Americans were transported to this Santa Fe location and imprisoned for being of Japanese ancestry out of the fear and bigotry that grew out of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Italian class was going well, so long as we were focused on conversation...I did live in Rome for nine months when I was a Junior in college, a lifetime ago, so started this class with a little knowledge...but when we started to conjugate verbs I got so confused.

I can use the same verbs in various tenses in conversation, but when asked to just conjugate them out of context...that is an exercise in frustration. I'll have one more class next week and then I'll be on my own...unless there will be another "more advanced" class.

Had my annual physical recently and as usual it involved some referrals for updated bloodwork (my bad cholesterol is good and my good cholesterol isn't so good and my triglycerides are high which is status quo for me).

Also got a referral for a ultrasound of my bladder and prostrate (because I mentioned frequent bathroom trips at night).

One of the "nice things about getting older" is I am getting to visit the various medical facilities and clinics in Santa Fe!

Well, the "prep" involved drinking 32 ounces of water 1 hour before the test, which I did. I drove into town and walked into the testing facility unable to hold it any longer. I told the receptionist that I HAD to use the restroom.
"OK," she said, "but just go a little."
"Impossible," I said.

When I was done she gave me two more glasses of water and by the time I was called in for the ultrasound I was at the bursting point again.

Thankfully the "full bladder" test was over within minutes; After a a restroom break I got the "empty bladder" exam. (all the tests came back OK).

But what I got in the mail this week was enlightening. A bill/statement.

Amount charged $ 389.00
Adjustment           $ 342.30
Insurance Paid    $   26.17
Patient Balance     $   20.53

So this is with a Medicare Advantage Plan. The "adjustment" is what the plan has brokered with the provider to just deduct from the bill. So does the provider just eat the $342 or is the charge just an arbitrary, inflated number to make it look like I'm getting a bargain?

If the charge is legit, the service provider is losing a lot of money. People with no insurance presumably pay the full price...and they are subsidizing Medicare/Medicare Advantage.

And just an added level of complexity, there are maybe 10 different Medicare "Supplement" plans offered by each private insurance company that come with a monthly premium that is NOT cheap.

Just saying..."Medicare for All" may not be what it promises to be.

Living High On Social Security

I don't shop often and almost never at Kohl's Department Store - except when they send me a coupon for $10. They do this with no strings attached, about 3 or 4 times each year. Then I usually go there and browse the clearance rack to find something to spend my ten dollars on.

Recently my 20 year old Swiss Army Victorinox watch stopped running and I had some batteries that I bought last time my watch went dead. I guess either the batteries are no good or the watch is no good. And, well, it could be expensive either way.

But today I got lucky. Kohl's had watches on sale. I looked at the Timex models but man have they gone up in price. I found a nice looking off-brand watch that laughably says "Diamond" on the face. The regular price: $19.99. Right in my price range. At the checkout it rang up for the sale price of $12.99. After applying my $10 coupon and state sales tax I paid a whopping $3.18. Probably less than a battery. Hope it lasts at least a year.

And later, at Costco, where we went for lunch (Leon had the $1.49 hot dog and soda combo, I splurged for the $2.49 sausage with pepper and onion on a roll) I saw a watch I didn't buy:

I think mine is prettier.

And then I saw the other watch I didn't buy:

Mine is also stainless steel, but has a faux leather wrist band instead of the pretty expandable. And it has Roman numerals and no pretty dials showing the day and month and whatever. My phone does that.

So the way I figure it, I saved $3,196.48. I wish I could do that every day. I just don't know what I'm going to do with all that extra cash.