Trials and Tribulations of an Old Poz Queen

[aztecan]

When I moved into my house, the old man who lived here (we're talking 98) must have been having trouble seeing.

Some of the bulbs were just 100 watts. Most, though, were at least 200 watts.

I still have a couple of them. I won't get rid of a bulb till it burns out. So, I have a 200 watt bulb in my laundry room.

I can spot stains I didn't even know existed.

I am replacing them with the curly lights, or the equivalent thereof. There are some out that look like regular incandescent but are really flourescent.

Ah, the wave of the future.

HUGS,

Mark

[rondrond]

Those curly light bulbs didnt work out for us. They kept blowing out. No clue why.

We got our electric bill the other day. They changed our energy charge from $0.15885 per killowat hours to $0.24616.
Our bill was an absurd $515.25.

Billy said they can kiss his ass he wont pay it. LOL

I'm certain he will be getting us a new service provider. I have never in my life had an electric bill for more than 200 bucks. 

Katie pays the utilities and is on SSI, which...ain't much. In spite of other offers we have remained on TXU Electric and our bill only gets above 200.00 when it gets to be 100 degrees for two months in a row. When that happens, I have to shuffle money into her account to help pay the bill, but it's not often.

We have noticed a HUGE difference for the good , with the fans.

[rondrond]

 and don't forget the free cokes.  They were always having promotions, fill it up and get a free six pack of cokes.

That's why I got the fans without the lights.  Over the last couple of years I've put in 5 ceiling fans, replacing the overhead lights.  Just fans.  No lights.  I just didn't want to spend my time farting around trying to replace those friggin' blulbs.  I figure the table lamps emit enough lights for what I need.

robert

Yup, free cokes in a glass bottle and they were frosty cold. Also there were those free glasses with a fillup. The last set I remember looked like high ball glasses and had a plastic coaster that snapped onto the bottom at the EXXON stations. My vile, evil first step father would go in and buy them by the case. Apparently he and the station owner were drinking buddies. 

I was going to do table lamps, but then Katie backed her chair up and snagged the floor lamp which is against the wall and partially behind the computer desk and dang if she still didn't get it. So. I figured the safest route was up off the floor thinking she couldn't snag anything up on the ceiling.

Then, just as I thought I had won....she was having a moment with her reacher, and up it went and plowed into the fan blades.

[rondrond]

When I moved into my house, the old man who lived here (we're talking 98) must have been having trouble seeing.

Some of the bulbs were just 100 watts. Most, though, were at least 200 watts.

I still have a couple of them. I won't get rid of a bulb till it burns out. So, I have a 200 watt bulb in my laundry room.

I can spot stains I didn't even know existed.

I am replacing them with the curly lights, or the equivalent thereof. There are some out that look like regular incandescent but are really flourescent.

Ah, the wave of the future.

HUGS,

Mark

I would not be my Moms child if I threw something out before it's time. I have bulbs in the laundry room that were in a lamp that was in the basement for years, and finally got rid of, but..."upupup."..and I snag the bulb..

Those 100-200 watters really do bring things to light.  and it's not necessarily good things.. "turn out that light!"

[Winiroo]

Oh and I failed to mention they the electric company thinks we used 852 more kilowatt hours than last month and is going to charge us $6 to come reread the meter if we are right.
If they are right they said they wouldn't charge the 6 bucks.

Piracy I say! LOL

[Jeff G]

My electric bill has not been over $80 since I moved into my new place , I'm not looking forward to winter when I will have to heat this place with propane .

[Winiroo]

When i was living alone I had a house that did not have central air conditioning.
The bill durring the winter was like 60 bucks but durring the summer it was at the least 120 usually.
This house has central air and its 300 sq feet larger. But there is no way we used that much electricity. We keep the thermostat at 78 or higher durring the day and right now aside from this computer the only thing running is clocks and the fridge.

This house does have a pool though. But still, no way.

[Jeff G]

I have been running my central air for months now . I was concerned because it seemed to be running all the time , but the bill is low ...for now . This place is small maybe like 1200 sq ft .

[Winiroo]

I think ours is 1200 too.

Sorry for hijacking your thread Ronnie 

[denb45]

I have been running my central air for months now . I was concerned because it seemed to be running all the time , but the bill is low ...for now . This place is small maybe like 1200 sq ft .

1800 sq ft. here, but NO CENTRAL AIR    Swamp cooler instead  and when it get pass 80 or 90 outside for-get-about-it, feels like it's blowing out HOT AIR.........and my Gas & Electric bill runs aound $100 bucks in the summer to about $200 in the winter........problem is, when i get my bill it seems to go up, and then go down...I wonder if them Idiots at PNM can even read a metter correctly......I have caught them at it so many times, that's why when I see something that's not right or more than it should be, I always call them to get them out to read my metter AGAIN!  after I do that, my bills mysteriously GO's way Down  now isn't that interesting to say the least 

[Jeff G]

I think ours is 1200 too.

Sorry for hijacking your thread Ronnie 

I don't think Ronnie will mind Wendy . We have pictures of his whole house , its kinda like we are just stopping by his house and I bet he doesn't mind if we chat while we are here .

[denb45]

I don't think Ronnie will mind Wendy . We have pictures of his whole house , its kinda like we are just stopping by his house and I bet he doesn't mind if we chat while we are here .

Oh Ronnie's a big ole sweetheart  I don't think he would mind  I do like to read his post tho, a lotta times I just lurk-around here, and see if I want to post, most of the times I do 

[Jeff G]

I really get a kick out of his thread and yes he is a sweetheart , he always has a kind word or two .

[Winiroo]

I don't think Ronnie will mind Wendy . We have pictures of his whole house , its kinda like we are just stopping by his house and I bet he doesn't mind if we chat while we are here .

LOL I like that

[rondrond]

Oh and I failed to mention they the electric company thinks we used 852 more kilowatt hours than last month and is going to charge us $6 to come reread the meter if we are right.
If they are right they said they wouldn't charge the 6 bucks.

Piracy I say! LOL

Buncha bull. they don't even have to get out of their vehicles here anymore. They have some kind of laser/radar/rifle scope  gun that they supposedly point at the meter and get a reading.?? weird. I don't see how that works....but, I would rather see them walking the streets in their cute uniforms with the BIG white letters METER READER on them. 

Katie always checks the graphs on previous years usage and if she sees something out of whack, she's on the phone. One time, we had a HUGE bill that they admitted that they guesstimated ?? Which, apparently, they have stated they have always done, and the next bill after the guesstimation is adjusted.?? even weirder....

[rondrond]

Well, I slept right through Sit and be fit.  Guess I'll have to do a make up class.   And the universe, once again osmosed that I needed some kind of exercise through Charlotte. She came to me thinking something was wrong with the remote to Katie's ceiling fan as the lights would not come on.

So, as is what usually happens when I stick my head in the sand, I'm am now having to deal with 'light needed here' and take the heavy shade off and unscrew the dang curly fry bulbs that the fan has now made known:  it don't like 'em..

I now have to put regular light bulbs back on the house inventory and proceed to take the regular light bulbs that are over her sink and in her shower. The curly bulbs are blown, as I was warned by Wendy had happened to her. So I had to get new ones down and put in over the sink and in the shower and now there is light and this room should be done for another year.



Then Charlotte couldn't find the cover to the battery compartment on the remote. So, after an exhaustive search, she concluded it must be under the front of the bed. So, after climbing over oxygen tanks, and the potty chair, it's determined that the front of the bed has to come up. It is a hospital bed and Charlotte grabs the remote and retrieves the missing part.

I would have been able to think of the remote for the bed, instead of all that scrabbling, but my meds were kicking in, and I am also suffering from my college degree not being as fresh as Charlotte's education.

 It took me 20 years to get my college degree. I started out with a full head of steam, but after discovering 'drugs, sex, and rock and roll',  I dropped out so I could work full time to make money to support these three habits that took a prominent position in my young life.

When I did return to college, (in my forties) after having burned myself out on drugs and rock and roll....who ever gets enough sex?...I was in a more serious frame of mind for learning and studying and actually wanting to get my degree.

For years, Mom would always sneak it into our conversations.....when are you going to finish that degree?..She firmly believed that one could not get anywhere without one (she had two)..and so was extremely pleased when I did get down to it.

It was 1993 and I had just been diagnosed. I was on Crixivan/Epivir/Zerit, Zoloft, and hydrocodone for a back injury. I had been working for the Texas Department of Mental Health and Retardation for 7 years and suddenly lost my job when our facility was closed.

So, I went to the Texas Rehabilitation Center, where after an assessment of my job skills, it was discovered that I only needed two years to complete my degree, of which one year could be knocked off due to 'experience'  and my age 

They agreed to pay my tuition for the degree. So, here I was, a Full Time student, HIV+, and still wondering what the heck I was going to do with myself as I had been on workers comp for three years due to the back injury and that was now over. So, I had to go to work.

One problem with going to school FULL TIME is that it is full time and there is no time for anything else...not if you want that degree with a Grade point average to match. And then, believe it or not, the formal education I had already accumulated through the years, is now obsolete! I was floored. What with computers and archaeology and 'new and improved' brains and ways of thinking, I found that I had to 're-learn' that which I had already learned...getting dizzy here...

So, I spent a lot of time in the library doing research as I was not even computer literate as 'back then', even if you did happen to be able to AFFORD one, you weren't allowed to use it, as it was considered to be a form of cheating. (not even a calculator could be used on math tests...(that's cheating). Math was not my forte. Don't get me wrong, I knew addition, subtraction and multiplying...and have found that for the basics in my life (most importantly, keeping that checkbook balanced)..those three forms of math were all that was needed.

I had absolutely no use for an isosceles triangle, or the square root of the hypotenuse of a hippopotamuseses butt, in a right angle to the sun casting a shadow on the ground on a windy day, with the wind going east, but a front coming west on a train with smoke billowing out its stack, going south and it stops three times to take on litres (what's wrong with gallons?) of H2O that makes steam under pressure at six hundred degrees centigrade (what's wrong with Fahrenheit?) which makes holes in the atmosphere..that are so many centimeters (what's wrong with inches?)..well, anyway, it was all gibberish to me.

So, I also find out that employers at these companies that are willing to pay you enough to make it worth your while are not interested in your past achievements, but what do you know about the PRESENT?..i.e. ..they check the date on your degree..(apparently it can expire)...I'm seeing some kind of racket going on here..and I'm thinking that if RAP gets involved, I am definitely not going to be able to present myself in a favorable light as I will turn RAP off the minute it starts. But, I make adjustments and pay attention and 'fake it till I make it' and with a lot of 'sheer dumb luck' get my degree.
   Now, unfortunately, you still have to have some kind of income while racking your brains, and most jobs that say part time....aren't.

Oh, they will sit and emote with you and agree that your education is more important than anything, but just try getting off work for an exam, or to study for the exam, or even to do research at the library (which you cannot put a time limit on)...

well, how much time do you need to go to the library?..well, I need you to be here, and do overtime, and someone did not show up and I need you here and suddenly, education is in the way of your work, and you have to decide to quit and starve on the street or work and study on maybe 3 hours sleep a day. sigh....

So, I discover Pizza Hut. And, it's part time, as during the day, the only rush is lunchtime and then dinners(plural) rushes, as people eat whenever the urge hits after five.

The daytime was scheduled with hardcore drivers who had been there forever and did not want any competition, so I did not have to worry about being called in during the day, which kept my 'school' schedule safe.

You had to learn the streets in your area and where they were. AND, you had to have NIGHT VISION. Geez, there are some streets in this world where they seem to never have working bulbs in the street lights or front porches.

I had to really 'hunt' some addresses, (not all houses are 'marked' ..but after you have been there a while, you learn. Mostly, it's the same people who order all the time and soon you can get to their homes in your sleep.

At the Ridglea Country Club Estates, where you can drive up the driveway for five minutes and just as you think...is there a house at the end of this?..there it is. We had one house, that if the order ticket had 'JAPS'(jalapenos) on the side, it was a red flag that 'Daddy' was home and he tipped at least ten dollars...woohoo..

.if it didn't say 'JAPS', you would either get the maid...no tip...or the wife...maybe a dollar or two.

There was a medical school in this area, Osteopathic Hospital, and an area on 7th Street, which was VERY nice homes with garage apts. they let out to students.

Apparently, medical students are under a lot of stress, and pizza and beer are stress relievers as they would usually order every night. Sometimes I would go to a house with vibrating doors and windows, and they were all in a 'festive' mood.

My uniform was a blue shirt and shorts and I had some nice legs (if I do say so myself) and these very drunk women would answer the door and ..oohlala,,aren't you cute?.(and,..I was)..and look at those legs, and bring the pizza in and set it over there...over there was deep into the interior of the house.

We weren't allowed to enter houses, as anything could happen when the door closed, (it was a rule).. so I usually had a hard time staying put on the porch, and then they would MAKE everyone empty pockets for a tip for the CUTE PIZZA BOY at the door.(there is money to be made delivering pizza)....I really had a good time delivering pizza.

Some of the deliveries must have gotten ideas about driving nude through Jack, as they would answer the door in next to nothing and I would be a nervous wreck by the end of my shift after all the teasing I had been subjected to by women and MEN, who set my radars and alarms off all night...IWANTIWANTIWANT...

and then there were the prank calls, and you get to an address of a vacant lot, but the benefit was, well, there was an unwanted pizza, so I never went hungry.


The ugly side of pizza delivery was that you had to pay for our own gas. You also had to pay for the upkeep on your vehicle...(oil change, tires, etc.) (This could explain the shoddy cars I usually see delivering pizza) (I drove a Toyota Celica, with a sunroof...I would get, "is that your car?...pretty nice for delivering pizza)

Not all areas have Country Clubs, or very nice homes. All areas have a mixture, including 'THE HOOD", which if you weren't alert, you could wind up being robbed and possibly hurt.

If the lights were out and the grass is to your knees, I wouldn't stop. In fact, there were streets I REFUSED to go on, and yes, you can refuse to go to a place, if you are afraid for your life.

They would be calling and reporting that their pizza hadn't been delivered and I would be pulling up to the store, and they would say, go back or our fired. I took fired, except there was a regional supervisor there, who decided that he would go back with me, to show me how silly I was being.

As I am driving us 'back', he asks why I drove off.  So, I describe the unlit street, the vacant house with tall grass, not a light on anywhere, and about eight large 'hoods' standing in the dark, overgrown yard with their arms crossed. And sure enough, nothing has changed since my first visit, and he makes me stop, but I REFUSE to open my window and motion that he is to 'proceed to window number two please'....

and he is putting his body into the window as though he is climbing into the car after giving a fifty dollar bill (we're not allowed to take anything over twenty)..and this idiot is letting him attempt to climb in while rummaging through a money bag looking for change....and three others are starting to surround the car,and the guy makes a grab for the money bag, and the idiot freaks, and I hit the gas almost dragging this guy with us, but he manages to fall out, and I floor it and when we get back to the store, I quit.


  So, now instead of Pizza Hut on my shirt I have Domino's Pizza....well, I gotta survive this education thing...

And I graduated in 1995, with a BA in  Foreign Languages/Spanish. I also attended many funerals as my friends were dropping like flies. They were especially concerned for me as I was gaining weight, overnight. And I was active, going to school and delivering pizza. I also belonged to a gym, Bally's. I looked like a balloon, blown up. Can you guess which picture that was?



I was on Crixivan/Epivir/Zerit for eight years before I stopped taking them. I managed to lose the weight, but my face never looked the same, to me. Everyone else kept saying..you look just fine. ...I did not agree.  The left picture is before gaining weight.  The middle picture is after I lost the weight.

[rondrond]

Life....it doesn't leave you alone. Remember back on May 31st when I saw sparks in the trees? Guess who just showed up this morning?
The Electric Company and a tree cutting service. We are 'fixin' to lose power for about two hours.

My first thought was to inform him that I had just medicated and this was not a good time for me. 

Then I took him around back. Holy Crap!. look at all those trees and vines. 

Maybe it will be longer than two hours. 

No TV. 

No Computer....

No air conditioning..

Fortunately for me, I have a Velvet Hammer and will probably sleep through most of it. 

[denb45]

GRRRRRRRRRR! WOOOOOOOOOOF!  Ronnie  I like the photo with the beard.............you look very handsome with that facial hair........ 

[Winiroo]

Since you shared your drivers license picture I had to show you mine.
I got my renewal online so they reused my last photo. Well, my last photo when I got it they made me orange instead of my normal whitey white.

I wish I had the other license. I gave it to Billy and I think he put it in his wallet.
When the new one came in the mail I was no longer slightly orange, I was really orange.

At least now I know what I'd look like with a tan...LOL

[rondrond]

denb....thanks

Look at Wendy with bangs. 

Asplundh Tree Service really freaked out at the jungle that I was surrounded by. He had given me a guesstimate of two hours until I took him around to the back.

They didn't even tell 'neighbor' that they were cutting the power. I went and knocked on the door and advised them what was going on. Neighbor has a brindle greyhound and a teeny tiny feisty black..whatever... who always greet me at the gate. I just call them Brindle and Blackie. Anyway, I brought up that they needed to be put up so the cutting crew could take care of the tree branches hanging over the driveway.



There were 5 Hispanic laborers and they were all dressed in brightly colored T-Shirts and were climbing all up in the trees. I am going to have to say that I think that the tornado did a much better job on the trees than the hack job these guys did. This is the tree you see from the front over the driveway.



and they left vines growing on the bottom black wire?? weird

Here's the utility pole/with a light, that's been lost all these years: and another hacked tree



and here's a grand vista of one giant hack job:



more hacking:



OMG...people live back here: we have more neighbors: maybe we should let some of this grow back, I feel so exposed:



Then they had to chipper the wood in the wood chipper:



they brought new meaning to the term 'drag and drop'



After they filled curb, they started to fill up the front yard. I had never seen a wood chipper in action before and this guy started shoving a branch in and ...chonk...and it was gone...

It took them 6 hours. We were without power for 3 hours and I couldn't stop sweating. I'm just like a diesel engine, slow to warm up, but once I get warmed up, I just purr....Of course, it took the house forever to cool back down.

My foot and ankle were stinging like I had stepped in an ant bed from my neuropathy. I could hardly breathe from the humidity and heat. It was 97 degrees. My back was screaming and all I wanted to do was lie down, which I kept doing every 20 minutes or so, then getting up and then lying down.

After all my yardwork, I feel that I almost have to start again. There are thousands of pieces of ends of branches and debris from the back to the front. ..Goood cardio.....

I have my list for my Dr appointment tomorow morning.

#1 2nd opinion on this bruise. The skjn is smooth, like a scar. It has not gone away. looks exactly the same.

#2 sleeping all the time, day and night:

I am living in a strange world of chunks of time: wake up, do something and go back to sleep. Upon awakening, I have to look at the calendar to see what day it is and then determine if it's morning or night.

I will remember that I did Sit and be Fit, and that was at 530am, on Friday morning. ..and I took my 6am meds...then back to sleep. I let Charlotte in at 10am....re-look at the calendar to make sure what day it is, and...

 I have to make a list of what I want/need to do on that day. Today is Friday, Grocery Day. So, after Charlotte leaves, I will go to the store.

When the phone is for me, Katie is always saying "well, he's asleep right now, can I take a message?"

I am living in a strange world of chunks of time: wake up, do something and go back to sleep. Upon awakening, I have to look at the calendar to see what day it is and then determine if it's morning or night....oh wait..I already said that...

I will remember that I did Sit and be Fit, and that was at 530am, on Friday morning. ..and I took my 6am meds...then back to sleep. I let Charlotte in at 10am....re-look at the calendar to make sure what day it is, and...oh wait. I already said that..   I'm going to have to make a checklist...I've already done that, on this day, at this time...

 I have to make a list of what I want/need to do on that day. Today is Friday, Grocery Day. So, after Charlotte leaves, I will go to the store.


#3 ringing in ears:

Then there's this ringing in my ears. It "woke me up", but I still feel tired in the limbs and even in my face (if that makes sense). I was back asleep for the night about 3 1/2 hours later.

#4 Neuropathy

Geez, Louise,...I can hardly walk. Toes, legs, are numb and tingling like a beehive. My heels feel bruised, I may have to start sitting down to pee as standing still is not an option. My heels ache even while sitting.

Good news is that 'you're stepping on a nail in your heel' feeling comes and goes. My right foot and leg are so numb sometimes that I can't tell if my foot is on the floor sometimes without looking. The top of my foot feels there is an ice cube on top of it. ...weird.

[Robert]

good luck with the Dr.  I know what you mean about losing  track of the day of the week.  When I wake up in the morning I have to consciously think what day it is and then tell myself out loud.  It's also not uncommom anymore for me to wake up in the middle of the night and not having any idea where I am.  This is all new to me....in the last year.  Last summer I couldn't get through the day without a nap.  These days it seems I need a nap in the morning and another one in the afternoon. 

About the wood chucker.  That reminds me of the movie Fargo.  At the end there's a scene of bloodied snow and an arm sticking out of the chucker.  Great movie.

robert

[rondrond]

good luck with the Dr.  I know what you mean about losing  track of the day of the week.  When I wake up in the morning I have to consciously think what day it is and then tell myself out loud.  It's also not uncommom anymore for me to wake up in the middle of the night and not having any idea where I am.  This is all new to me....in the last year.  Last summer I couldn't get through the day without a nap.  These days it seems I need a nap in the morning and another one in the afternoon. 

About the wood chucker.  That reminds me of the movie Fargo.  At the end there's a scene of bloodied snow and an arm sticking out of the chucker.  Great movie.

robert

I had to google Fargo. It sounds like a movie I would enjoy, so will put it on the Wish List.

[rondrond]

Well, I had my Dr appointment this morning. I got to sign a 'Happy Retirement' Book for Dr A and I was his last patient for his 'working' career.



#1  I got my 2nd opinion on my bruise and am now ready for a 3rd opinion.   He gave a look and stated that I must have just been pregnant...??..to clarify he then stated that most pregnant women get ...stretch marks...or...when you are overweight. .??....

I had to remark that I wasn't THAT much overweight to  have stretched my skin to the point of ripping open and then healing.  Anyway...will tuck that one away to address at a later date.

#2  SLEEP. ...he admitted that the Atenolol and Gabapentin did have side effects of sleepiness. Admitted that there are different types of Blood Pressure medications and that it is hard for some people to find the right one for them. My blood pressure was 121/83. This lead him to the his next conclusion:

The Atenolol seems to have finally helped bring my blood pressure under control, along with my new diet and Mary Ann Wilson RN.(Sit and be Fit) Continue with the Atenolol and temporarily discontinue the Gabapentin to see if my sleepiness is alleviated without it.

I gave a jerk,, when he stated to just stop it, today, which he noticed and second guessed me on my concern that you don't just stop a medication that is used for seizures cold turkey. He stated that it would be OK. Then he dropped the other shoe and stated that I would probably be starting it again soon due to the pain of the Neuropathy from nerve damage in my right leg from the DVT.

#3 Ringing Ears. Answer it, and say "hello". There is nothing that can be done about it. It is a part of growing old. He is 72 and has ringing in his ears, so he knows.

#4  Already addressed with #2. There is nerve damage. I could get a referral to a Cardiovascular Specialist, but in his opinion, the nerve damage has been done and is irreversible.  We also discussed the intermittent sharp pain in my left knee cap. He put it down to slight Arthritis...another sign that I have graduated to just getting old.

So, Dr A is  now officially retired. I'm still assimilating what he told me and I am making a list for Dr Debbie, who LISTENS better. (in my opinion)



While waiting in the lobby, I noticed that there was new table in the corner with a jig saw puzzle on it. I wasn't really interested in doing a puzzle until the big boss man Jason came out and we started talking and in the conversation, it came out that the puzzle was his idea. His being a cutie pie had nothing to do with my sudden interest in the puzzle.

Then there was another cutie n the lobby and we started talking and were really starting to connect when he got called to the back.

Then I got called to have my blood drawn and there he was talking to the nutritionist. She remarked on how much slimmer I looked and how much weight I had lost....

I am usually not a good stick as my veins like to hide. I kept catching cutie's eye...accidentally...and my blood must have been pumping as not only did she find a vein right off, it was a gusher.

She was pleased and remarking on it, and I had to bite my tongue as I almost said "instead of those tootsie roll pops, have more eye candy available". 

Then I went to the grocery store and since I had nearly burned the kitchen down last week, decided to buy a new Fire Alarm...just in case. ..besides, it had a really good selling feature...'for non emergency alarms, just push the button to silence it'. This is why the existing Fire Alarm was ...non existant  something to do with a broom handle and it not shutting off and being very, very loud. 

After putting up the groceries, I was toasted and went right to sleep. Katie woke me up at 630pm for meds. Dinner was chicken breast, brown rice, pinto beans, corn on cob. Now this chicken breast was ..different. It was Tyson's brand and it stated on the package that it was organically grown. I did not really care about the organic part, but was looking at the price:

For a package of these 6 HUGE breasts, $5.97 (I got two) as compared to the pack of 10 skinless, boneless, for $15.00. (saved money, got more chicken) Then it came time to cook and the instructions said something about their 'protective ice glaze'..??...which I ..ignored.. until I went to turn them and the pan was full of water  So we had 'boiled'' chicken breast.

I survived the brown rice because I mixed the beans in with it. This irritates Katie as she likes the taste of plain ol rice, with a dollop of butter, and she REALLY likes the flavor of that Smart Balance. ( I like the taste of rice pilaf)

[Winiroo]

You might want to check out the label, because often they inject water, salt (and other things) into frozen processed chicken breasts
The packaging might not say it was injected but if there's a list of ingredients and water is the first one then you know the drill.

I like soy sauce on my rice and I prefer the white to the brown.

[rondrond]

You might want to check out the label, because often they inject water, salt (and other things) into frozen processed chicken breasts
The packaging might not say it was injected but if there's a list of ingredients and water is the first one then you know the drill.

I like soy sauce on my rice and I prefer the white to the brown.

Trying to see where all this water is coming from in the chicken pan. I stood in the light of the refrigerator with a magnifying glass hovering over all those teeny tiny words and did not see the word "water" listed anywhere... did see the word Chicken Broth though 

It also stated that you could remove the 'protective ice glaze' before cooking by running under lukewarm water for a minute.

Well, last night was my first night to not take my Gabapentin. Holy Crap. My legs and foot were spasming all night long. Then I got up and almost couldn't walk. I guess that Dr A was hinting that I would have a visitor upon stopping the Gabapentin.

The visitor  is short, probably about 2-3 ft tall. Carries a small, sharp knife and is INVISIBLE. Only shows up when I get up and start walking. It is a 'foller tail' and follows you, stabbing it's sharp knife repeatedly in the side of your leg and on your foot making it nigh to impossible to walk....OUCH...PN..OUCHeee....

I envisioned Dr A snickering while sitting in his 'retired' chair, drinking his 'retired' toddy and watching his 'retired' TV show as he thought of me ranting that the Gabapentin was not doing anything...why am I taking it? 

Well, I found out why. He showed me why, in a round about sort of way.  And I remember him saying it would only be temporary, as I would probably start taking it again when the pain from the PN kicked in. The old fart. I only lasted one day without it.

When I started the Gabapentin, I was only complaining of numb toes. Today I learned that I have graduated to a new level and it was not tolerable. I hobbled to the bedroom and took my Gabapentin. It did not seem to take long until the invisible, stabbing, entity left. I am so grateful. It was horrible. I really felt like a cripple. What a difference those two pills made.

So,I'm back to numb toes. ....an occasional sharp spasm down leg or in foot, but NOTHING like I was experiencing earlier....

sigh...Charlotte has hurt her back. But she and Katie have already 'bonded' to the extent that she has supplied her own stand-in /replacement until she gets her back pain under control. Apparently she has been dealing with this for awhile from a car crash she was in.

Her replacement is her little sister, Jessie. She is very pretty, and small , and very, very young. (...and how did you spend your summer vacation? in 1500 words or less) But, Katie states that she is 24 and works at a clothing store. (I have always been terrible at guessing peoples ages)

Anyway, she is very shy and Katie has already started on bringing her out of her shell. They colored Katie's hair and she took a shower.

Katie's bathroom was built and paid for by CBA(Community Based Alternatives) They help keep people from living in Nursing Homes. After Katie's back surgery, she was in a nursing home and ...it...was...just awful. People screaming and beating on walls, shouting.."let me out, let me out"...over and over...and then in the mornings it was 'peepee and doodoo' time and soiled bed linens piled in the hallway and puddles on the floor...

So, Mom bought this house and I moved in to pay the rent and Katie was put on a waiting list for 'home improvements'

Katie's bathroom was a tiny little room in the corner of her bedroom. It had a toilet and a sink and a shower. She couldn't get her wheelchair in it because it is so small...you can turn around and sit on the toilet and you lean forward and you're head is entering the bedroom. She could not get in the shower, so was having 'bird baths'

So after being on a waiting list for YEARS, one day, it happened: "knockknockknock"..these guys drove all the way from Dallas for a month and started to rip out walls, and tile and old sink, toilet and shower. they removed one of her closets.



They widened her doorway putting in 'pocket doors'. (they slide into the walls)



and then...one day....after weeks of noise, and strangers coming and going....



I had an old mirror in a frame that went over a dresser. Removing it from the frame, I broke the corner.   I will either buy a glass cutter and take my chances that I have glass cutting skills, or go to Thrift Town and find another mirror. The cabinet was Katie's birthday gift from Mom.



and though it is a Drive-in shower, she prefers to transfer to this huge bench and take care of business..and after 7 years of bird baths and washing her hair in the kitchen sink and washing her face and brushing her teeth in the kitchen sink.....she has a lot of business to take care of...



It has already been approved to have the front door widened and a concrete ramp put in from the front porch down the driveway....but that.."knockknockknock"...hasn't happened yet....

[bear60]

Ron
I am so sorry that you have to go thru this foot and leg pain.  Kurt has the same problems.  He asks for a foot massage once in a while....in the beginning it was every day.  I asked him why he doesnt need a foot massage evey day and he said he is "Used to" the pain now.  But I think it has subsided a bit. He also had hit his foot (stubbed his toe) and broken a bone so I think he was confusing the two pains. Its just a shame this has to be a part of HIV.

[denb45]

Ron
I am so sorry that you have to go thru this foot and leg pain.  Kurt has the same problems.  He asks for a foot massage once in a while....in the beginning it was every day.  I asked him why he doesnt need a foot massage evey day and he said he is "Used to" the pain now.  But I think it has subsided a bit. He also had hit his foot (stubbed his toe) and broken a bone so I think he was confusing the two pains. Its just a shame this has to be a part of HIV.

Not to mention that fact that almost ALL of his HIV MEDS, that he's currently on.........Crixivan/Epivir/Zerit
 can & do cause neuropathy.............ronnie hunnie you might want to ask your new DOCTOR if maybe you need a regiment
change of all of your HIV neuropathy causing DRUGS........when I was on most of what your taking about 10 yrs ago I had VERY BAD
neuropathy as well untill my Meds were changed for the better, after most of them were changed, my neuropathy all but disappeared ( I still have some very slight neuropathy), but it's not as bad as it was before 2001.......I just wouldn't put up with that, if I were you  just something you should consider here....there is no reason the walk around in PAIN like that with todays treatments and better newer HIV DRUGS 

[rondrond]

Ron
I am so sorry that you have to go thru this foot and leg pain.  Kurt has the same problems.  He asks for a foot massage once in a while....in the beginning it was every day.  I asked him why he doesnt need a foot massage evey day and he said he is "Used to" the pain now.  But I think it has subsided a bit. He also had hit his foot (stubbed his toe) and broken a bone so I think he was confusing the two pains. Its just a shame this has to be a part of HIV.

Stubbed toes.. It is approaching july4th....the first day of my DVT that started this new life I am now on. I couldn't get my shoes on because of the  extreme edema in leg/ankle/foot. I must have stubbed my right little toe at least 8 times since....and it is always the same toe. One day I stubbed it twice, within 10 minutes. Thought I was going to lose it....kept waiting for it to drop off. The toenail even turned black and has taken 4 months to clear.

[rondrond]

Not to mention that fact that almost ALL of his HIV MEDS, that he's currently on.........Crixivan/Epivir/Zerit
 can & do cause neuropathy.............ronnie hunnie you might want to ask your new DOCTOR if maybe you need a regiment
change of all of your HIV neuropathy causing DRUGS........when I was on most of what your taking about 10 yrs ago I had VERY BAD
neuropathy as well untill my Meds were changed for the better, after most of them were changed, my neuropathy all but disappeared ( I still have some very slight neuropathy), but it's not as bad as it was before 2001.......I just wouldn't put up with that, if I were you  just something you should consider here....there is no reason the walk around in PAIN like that with todays treatments and better newer HIV DRUGS 

denb...nice avvie...hello handsome....

I might not have it posted correctly, but I took the crixivan/epivir/zerit from 1993-2001 and then stopped.

I just started Truvada/Viramune 8april08.

I am taking Gabapentin now which I was taking for numb toes. I was not aware that my nerve damage had progressed so far since the Gabapentin was working....i.e. I was only feeling numb toes. In my ignorance, I was ranting to Dr A that I did not think that it was working. Apparently, he knew better and had me try to stop taking it, resulting in my day of terror and pain of not being able to walk.

He has retired and I am a little miffed that I won't have the satisfaction of asking him that if he knew that my PN had progressed to that point, why didn't he share that with me? (just a post thought, that will never get anywhere, cause he's gone)

[rondrond]

So now I have my 'sea legs' and feeling spunky, I swept up pine needles and started cleaning on the front yard from the cuttings dragged to the front to the wood chipper. These little pieces of wood are everywhere and stuck in the fence, I even found a piece stuck in the Air conditioning unit, in the flower beds, in other plants.

And I'm wearing gloves, and using other branches to pick up those with suspicious vines drying on them as I still don't know what poison/oak/ivy/sumac look like.

Was outside for an hour and it was so humid sweat was dripping and my shirt was clinging to me. For some reason, this seems to satisfy my mind that I have done something good for myself.

Right now clouds have rolled in and thunder and some rain.

I soaked and then rinsed that special ice glaze off the chicken breasts tonight and they cooked better. I still swear I am growing an allergy to the kitchen as my right leg started buzzing like a beehive and went numb to the toes. Everything I got starts to hurt when I start to cook.  I just worked through it.

these dang pill bottles. they look almost empty and I swear I just opened them the other day. Called in for refills and the pharmacy is closed. Well, it's Saturday.... what happened to Friday? .. But....

in the recording came a message I had never heard before, "If calling after hours, leave your name and the prescription number and if you are going to pick up or want it mailed"....

So, I gave it a go and they should be coming in the mail. ..I liked it.

[denb45]

denb...nice avvie...hello handsome....

I might not have it posted correctly, but I took the crixivan/epivir/zerit from 1993-2001 and then stopped.

I just started Truvada/Viramune 8april08.

I am taking Gabapentin now which I was taking for numb toes. I was not aware that my nerve damage had progressed so far since the Gabapentin was working....i.e. I was only feeling numb toes. In my ignorance, I was ranting to Dr A that I did not think that it was working. Apparently, he knew better and had me try to stop taking it, resulting in my day of terror and pain of not being able to walk.

He has retired and I am a little miffed that I won't have the satisfaction of asking him that if he knew that my PN had progressed to that point, why didn't he share that with me? (just a post thought, that will never get anywhere, cause he's gone)

Tee Hee......Well Thanks            I didn't see that you weren't taking them anymore.....but Viramune can cause neuropathy too, and about Dr. A being gone now, it is best that he is, I just hope your new Dr. has a better treatment plan for you, sometimes, it's good to get some NEW BLOOD ( New Dr.) to keep you up to date on new HIV treatments , old DR. A just didn't seem to really care, in my 20 yrs. of dealing with HIV Doctors, when they leave and go somewhere else, or retire, they can leave you hanging?  let's hope your new DR.  will pick up where he left off, that is the way it's been for me thur the years with a new DR...............best of luck to ya Ronnie, just make sure YOU are more involved in your HIV treatment & care, ( if you don't care, most dr. don't either) is what I found out, most of all the doctors I ever had may NOT have liked me, but, I always DID hold them accoutable, but at least they all respected me, or I'd like to think they did thur the years

[bear60]

Chuckle chuckle....
"Saturday.... what happened to Friday? .. But....

in the recording came a message I had never heard before, "If calling after hours, leave your name and the prescription number and if you are going to pick up or want it mailed".... " quote Ron
......................................................
I dont know how you havent discovered this feature yet....I always call in my refills on the phone answering service and they are ready for pickuop when I get there.  Only thing is....it requires you to enter all the digits of the 10 digit prescription number and if you dont do it fast enough you get booted.  If I dont have my glasses on I cant even read the damn numbers and have to run to the kitchen sink and hold the little pill bottle up to the light so I can see the itsy bitsy numbers and I always have a hard time with phone systems anyway but this drives me crazy. Its so much nicer to talk to a real person.  But this feature of calling in can be done at 5AM so it might make your life easier.

[Jeff G]

I know what you mean Bear , I got tired of punching all those numbers into the phone also .
The pharmacist used to seem annoyed when I would call , they would ask me for the 10 digit numbers hinting that I should have used the automated refill option .

I finally just told them that I'm on too much medicine and I'm not going to punch 250 digits every time I need meds ... LOL now they know . 

[denb45]

I know what you mean Bear , I got tired of punching all those numbers into the phone also .
The pharmacist used to seem annoyed when I would call , they would ask me for the 10 digit numbers hinting that I should have used the automated refill option .

I finally just told them that I'm on too much medicine and I'm not going to punch 250 digits every time I need meds ... LOL now they know . 

Gotta love them phone trees  you can never get a real person on the line now-a-days every time I call my meds in, the phone tree Computer CRASHES and I end up getting only half of what I ordered, then, I have to come back the next day to pick up the rest of my meds.........but it could be worst tho, as the RX is only 2 blocks away, so, I can deal with that    seems like their has to be a better way for us to get our Meds 

[rondrond]

hmmm....I might have FAILED  the calling in after hours. I gave the RX numbers orally. I don't remember it asking me to enter it digitally. I'll probably call on Monday and sort of casually say.."I would like to check to see what RX you have ordered for me?.....then I'll know. 

I have always managed to call during hours of operation so was not aware that you could do it at any time.....'the older I get, the more I learn'

[rondrond]

Gotta love them phone trees  you can never get a real person on the line now-a-days every time I call my meds in, the phone tree Computer CRASHES and I end up getting only half of what I ordered, then, I have to come back the next day to pick up the rest of my meds.........but it could be worst tho, as the RX is only 2 blocks away, so, I can deal with that    seems like their has to be a better way for us to get our Meds 

There is a better way. But apparently it's 'not allowed'..It's called a Computer.

I have spent a goodly portion of my work history in management. I have always had a computer at my desk that was connected to the 'World' so I could communicate with clients and 'intra' which was our own companies personals. Anyway, anytime anyone asked me for info, I would go to my computer and pull it up.

It could be on employees hours, sick time, vacation time, tardies, missed calls, how many calls, write ups, commendations, hire date, address, phone, ...etc. It was all there, forever, going back years and years....if too many years, it was on microfilm.....my point...we had the information.

It never ceased to amaze that my 'superiors' , who had better passwords than I did, would go wringing their hands because . sally did not report to work and we were busy and they needed to call someone in, yet, would look at me "what can we do?"...and I would go to my computer, and give them the phone number and they looked at me like I was a psychic genius....weird...

Every time I go to an appointment and they hand me an intake form, I just go ballistic inside....."don't you already have it?".".It should be in your computer system?"....

These meds are in their computers, with RX#'x, how many you take, how many are in the bottle. If I can figure out that 30 pill taken at 1 per day will be gone in 1 month, CERTAINLY a computer can too, and automatically spit out the renewal?

"oh. but, circumstances could change"....a simple call from the Dr office, edit, and the change is noted.

[denb45]

There is a better way. But apparently it's 'not allowed'..It's called a Computer.

I have spent a goodly portion of my work history in management. I have always had a computer at my desk that was connected to the 'World' so I could communicate with clients and 'intra' which was our own companies personals. Anyway, anytime anyone asked me for info, I would go to my computer and pull it up.

It could be on employees hours, sick time, vacation time, tardies, missed calls, how many calls, write ups, commendations, hire date, address, phone, ...etc. It was all there, forever, going back years and years....if too many years, it was on microfilm.....my point...we had the information.

It never ceased to amaze that my 'superiors' , who had better passwords than I did, would go wringing their hands because . sally did not report to work and we were busy and they needed to call someone in, yet, would look at me "what can we do?"...and I would go to my computer, and give them the phone number and they looked at me like I was a psychic genius....weird...

Every time I go to an appointment and they hand me an intake form, I just go ballistic inside....."don't you already have it?".".It should be in your computer system?"....

These meds are in their computers, with RX#'x, how many you take, how many are in the bottle. If I can figure out that 30 pill taken at 1 per day will be gone in 1 month, CERTAINLY a computer can too, and automatically spit out the renewal?

"oh. but, circumstances could change"....a simple call from the Dr office, edit, and the change is noted.

You're correct ronnie, but most RX's and most of the people that work there, don't care, can't be bothered, are they are TOO BUSY, everytime I go to mine RX, I have to wait (untill they get off the phone with some DOCTOR) before, they can even look mine up in the Computer, or even correct what's WRONG.............and most of the time, I always have to tell them, (well did you even look it up in the Computer) and they say
"OH I FOUND IT" it's here  .........maybe I should go to another RX  .............dunno

[rondrond]

Yeah....it's Sunday, and I know it.

I have now made it to the side of the house. What a mess. Those tree guys had a real time getting up this path and through this gate with their 'loads'. I got out the rake and just started heading it down the path.

Boy, another hot day. I gave it an hour and quit after working up another good sweat. It must be getting close to time for another haircut as the hair is starting to tickle my ears. I almost reached for a pair of scissors to give myself a trim. I stopped myself, remembering that this is a sign.....go get a haircut.

I got a coupon in the mail for $3.00 off at Pro Cuts. Haircuts have really, really gotten expensive, here lately.   *boing*...I don't go to Pro Cuts...I go to Great Clips....dang it...I really miss Eddie, Darwin  and David..(they have all passed on)

..they would come over and we would get high and they would wrap a towel around my neck and I would get the best haircuts for FREE. Then we would go out to Happy Hour and bar hop all night. Since we were all bartenders, we would also get free drinks wherever we went, and also avoided those dreadful  cover charges...

Here I go, down memory lane, and it's all because some neighbors are getting an early start on July 4th and setting off Fireworks.

It is quite a display that I can see over the rooftops and trees and I am beginning to think that River Oaks is the sponsor. But I don't remember seeing any signs along the road advertising the event when I went to the store. And it really is an event. This is too big for a neighbor in his backyard, which is supposedly illegal anyway.

As a child, I remember that we would get bags full of different goodies to set off. These black caterpillars that you set on the sidewalk, set one end on fire and it swooshed up like black foam with smoke. Then these pinwheels that you attached to a tree or a post and lit it and it spun around real fast. Bottle rockets.....I got in bad trouble one year as I wasn't being very cautious and sent a bottle rocket into the open garage and set it on fire.

..it was an accident. ...Then we ended the evening with sparklers and we would dance around the yard with our spitting wands. Being a boy, I had a cap gun, that I would run around just being loud and noisy...bapbapbap..bapbap...the ammo/caps were a red roll with dots and you had to thread it into the gun....

My first step-father Bill, would buy the BIG , illegal, even back then, rockets and other things I don't remember the names of, Black Cats,(Which ny step brother got to set off) Stink Bombs, Roman Candles,(which never seemed to work for me, my step brother got to set them off ) ..these 'mines' that he would kinda dig a hole in the ground and .."STAND BACK" and whoosh, up it would go..... I wasn't allowed to touch, only got to see them, neatly packed in different colors. To set them off, we would drive out of the city limits, usually going to Weatherford, and set them off. ...

We weren't alone. There were many Firework worshipers who believed it their American right to set off fireworks on the 4th. There would be cars parked along the highway on both sides, trunks open with jam boxes going, portable grills,  we would set off a big rocket that would explode..then a car down the road would set off a rocket and sometimes two or three would go off at the same time ...it was quite a show...Then even that became illegal, and the State Troopers would come by and put a stop to everyone's fun....

so then we went to Six Flags, who put on shows to music, integrated to their dancing water fountains and that was a sight....

and downtown Fort Worth, would always put on a show that we could see from our backyard, even better if you climbed onto the garage roof, which was flat and where we would sunbathe sometimes...

[Winiroo]

We used to watch the fireworks from Sixflags from the roof and years later the ones from Lone Star Park.

[rondrond]

My sleep schedule worked me today. Went to sleep at 3am. awoke at 6am to take meds. Awoke at 10am to let Jessie in. Called the pharmacy to ensure that I had passed the 'leave a RX message'.. I did, they got it, I passed.

After Jessie left I took a nap. I had to. Every part of my body was pulling me down, insisting that I lay down. Awoke at 430 pm and finished raking the path by the side of the house. They completely destroyed the flower beds...




They also had to deal with this gate, which I feared for it's very existance for awhile there:





Then got the clippers and attacked the vines that the Tree Guys had left hanging and dying. Then I edged and mowed the front yard. Instead of sweeping, I decided to play in the water so hosed down the front porch and driveway. Washed the two front windows and feeling spunky, went to the side of the house and did that window too.

I have been entertaining thoughts of rejoining the Men's Chorus. But, I am afraid that I can't sing anymore. I can't carry a conversation for more than 3-4 minutes without losing my breath. Of course they do make allowances for those with certain disabilities who really want to sing...but I am used to being first chair Baritone...and singing solos...

then there are those chairs...I was waiting ten minutes to have my blood drawn and was already twisting and squirming in my chair....and the rehearsals can last two to three hours....and my Tux is moth eaten by now...maybe some of those holes are weed/seed burns ..and I couldn't fit in it anyway....

I did come across my cumberbund. bowtie, cuff links and buttons the other day...my shirt is probably yellow..all of my white shirts are yellow. They've been hanging in the closet for over 7 years.

These dang BIG ants..I think they were in some of the trees that were cut and dragged to the front and now are trying to get back to the back, via the house....instead of Elephant Walk: (oh, I could have lived in that house very well...I would have been up and down that staircase all day, I was crushed when the elephants destroyed it) I would have been at the wall with a water hose ..."here ya go"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi-cj0dNX0A

Instead, I've got Ant Walk....

[bear60]

"I have been entertaining thoughts of rejoining the Men's Chorus. But, I am afraid that I can't sing anymore. I can't carry a conversation for more than 3-4 minutes without losing my breath. Of course they do make allowances for those with certain disabilities who really want to sing...but I am used to being first chair Baritone...and singing solos..." quote
.......
You know this sounds like a great idea for you.  If the chorus is anything like ours here they have associates who sell tickets and do other stuff besides sing...so maybe you could do some non singing work for one season and see how it goes...then who knows.

[rondrond]

Jessie won't be here today. Her other job is demanding her attention. I am entertaining the thought of just telling Frankie, who is in charge of these aides, to go ahead and process my paperwork.

I keep thinking...She has already approached me about applying. We get along very well, and as she says, you can get paid for being at home and doing what you already do...take care of Katie and the house. . I don't know how much the pay will be as there are different pay rates for different situations, but even a little would stretch what I already have. The words are already in the back of my throat, just waiting for me to utter them, the next time she comes over.

I keep thinking...I just don't want to shoot myself in the foot. My fear is Binder and Binder stated that to get approved for SSDI, I can't do ANY kind of work.

I keep thinking...I don't want to affect any of my medical services either.

I keep thinking of , my dwindling assets, and Binder states that it could take 12-24 months. I don't think I'm going to make my budget stretch that far anymore as prices have gotten ridiculous on everything. Can't find a bargain anywhere, nearby. Gas is now $4.00gal.

I keep thinking, I should have gotten a Hybrid...but, my Ranger is paid for. Ranger..this is July. I have to get it inspected...sigh...

I keep thinking....

[denb45]

Jessie won't be here today. Her other job is demanding her attention. I am entertaining the thought of just telling Frankie, who is in charge of these aides, to go ahead and process my paperwork.

I keep thinking...She has already approached me about applying. We get along very well, and as she says, you can get paid for being at home and doing what you already do...take care of Katie and the house. . I don't know how much the pay will be as there are different pay rates for different situations, but even a little would stretch what I already have. The words are already in the back of my throat, just waiting for me to utter them, the next time she comes over.

I keep thinking...I just don't want to shoot myself in the foot. My fear is Binder and Binder stated that to get approved for SSDI, I can't do ANY kind of work.

I keep thinking...I don't want to affect any of my medical services either.

I keep thinking of , my dwindling assets, and Binder states that it could take 12-24 months. I don't think I'm going to make my budget stretch that far anymore as prices have gotten ridiculous on everything. Can't find a bargain anywhere, nearby. Gas is now $4.00gal.

I keep thinking, I should have gotten a Hybrid...but, my Ranger is paid for. Ranger..this is July. I have to get it inspected...sigh...

I keep thinking....

YES Ronnie, Binder & Binder is correct, if you do THIS ( for katie, and get paid for it) then you can WORK and don't need SSDI........just something to consider here...........so PLEASE don't shoot myself in the foot, being that SSDI would be your main source of Imcome, like it is for most of us here in this forum............if I somehow LOST my SSDI, my Teamsters Pension, (from my previous job) wouldn't be enough to live on with just that alone 

[Jeff G]

Hi Ronnie , I think what denb45 is saying is true . I would talk to my attorney before I made a decision . Maybe you can revisit this issue after you get approved for ssidi .

[rondrond]

I hear you Dennis. I've just been thinking too much lately. And it is just a viscous circle. I keep coming back to my first thought and it goes round and I keep getting the same answer..... Redo the budget.

[rondrond]

Hi Ronnie , I think what denb45 is saying is true . I would talk to my attorney before I made a decision . Maybe you can revisit this issue after you get approved for ssidi .

I know. I've already talked to Binder. Reply:...you can't be able to do any type of paid work.  I'll redo the budget. I'm good with numbers, and making them work. It makes the rest of the house get mad, but, they come round when they see that it works and they see what the alternative would have been.

[denb45]

I hear you Dennis. I've just been thinking too much lately. And it is just a viscous circle. I keep coming back to my first thought and it goes round and I keep getting the same answer..... Redo the budget.

In this messed up Economy  (4 Dollar Gas & Food STICKER SHOCK) I find myself re-doing the budget each and every month, so, ronnie you're not alone.............everyone is doing THIS (whether they want to or not) it has become the norm now-a-days........even for the VERY RICH, they are feeling it too 

[Winiroo]

How do they determine if the people coming to help your sister are working?

[denb45]

How do they determine if the people coming to help your sister are working?

Could you maybe use your mother's name and do the work for your mom? You don't have to answer. Just hypothetically.
It was a thought.

Some persons on SSI or SSDI get paid using a family members identity or girlfriends or boyfriends who is not on SSDI. Its a tad criminal but people do it. I have no clue if it would even work in your case.

Hummmm.......I'm not sure that would even work (isn't that called double dipping the system)  and GOD help you if you got caught, you would loose your SSDI, and maybe NEVER get it back again, the very ONE THING I learned about the disaibillity system (after being on it for the last 10 yrs.) is THIS: if you don't want the powers that be to EVER find out about you making extra money, just make sure, that they cannot EVER find out that info.in other words........NEVER tell a case worker/social worker or even an ASO personel ANYTHING you don't want them to know, and make DAMM sure that they cannot ever find out (if you do) cuz, they will use it against you.........TRUST NO ONE..... use your brains, and be SMART 

Ronnie.........after your approved for SSDI, and you start getting paid by them, you have a 2 yrs waiting period before MEDICARE parts A, B, and D kick in, and in that 2 yrs waiting period, SSDI is watching everything you do, even when you sleep  so, be very very cafefull what you do and just who you talk to ( and what you say) in that period  NEVER VOLUNTEER ANY INFO TO ANYONE  it could very well come back to bite you in the ASS!

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[Winiroo]

LOL Now I want to modify my post. It was hypothetical. I'm totally not on SS. I was in the early 90's but they wont allow me back on it unless I am almost dead I suspect.