Watcha doing today?

[Annarchy]

Personally, I would go back in this thread, copy, paste every single post, from day one, when you discovered the mess the frozen pipes had caused, and the conversations with the insurance company and their reps, to document everything you have had to endure.  Every little thing.  It may seem trivial to you, but a lawyer would be amused and definitely take interest in the fact, they are dragging their heels and charging you such exuberant amounts.   Just my 2¢

[Jeepers]

Rant on sister. Misery loves company.

 

I pulled the banshee act last month. I was told to lower my voice and was pointed to the door. That didn't work out too well for the agent. I was ugly on the phone today too. I honestly don't know where my patience is coming from. It is not like me at all. I'm mouthy and quick to smart off.  Men don't like that. They don't know what to do with a woman who won't back down. Can't cuss her out these days and can't hit her. Just let us run down I suppose. 

 

Oh My Gosh Annarchy, That is terrible! I remember when that happened. A little paint and some duct tape and it will be as good as new. Sure it will. It's a wonder that gas meter didn't blow up too. That is scary. Last week a house blew up killing people and destroying a lot of houses around it. It was horrible. Around Philly I think. The last I heard it was a faulty water heater. 

 

And not returning calls? What is it with people these days. Everyone is attached to their cell phone yet they won't return a call. I've been fighting that for nearly a year now. And Friday when the hotel tried to call the people responsible for making my reservation, she said she could barely hear the woman because her dogs were having a fit in the background. Working from home. 

 

I don't think the insurance company is trying to scam me...yet. Fortunately, I hired a good construction business who are also professionals in dealing with insurance companies. My contractor was very precise in details. The insurance company gave us everything he asked for. They even paid for the demo work out of their pocket. It didn't come out of my reconstruction money. It was just over $30,000.00!  My issue with them is that they were so slow paying. And they are doling it out in thirds. My contractor said if they give me any problems with continuing to pay for the hotel to let him know and they will go after them because it the insurance company's fault I'm here so long. They should have paid sooner. Maybe they were trying to wear me down and make a quick deal? I don't know. I have no respect for insurance companies. 

 

Ya know I say that but thank God I did have insurance to put my house back together again and to pay for this hotel. I'm ready for this to be over with. 

 

I pray the people in Hawaii don't have to go through the misery I've been through. And I pray they get resolution fast.     

I  hope they all had the devil insurance. Double edged sword.   

[Annarchy]

Sweetie, go back in this thread, copy & paste all that you have posted, if you can print it out, before “AI” wipes us clean.    You need to have an accurate account, including dates, of what has been happening.  You may not remember the exact names of the people you talked with, but having dates and the general conversations, will save you a lot of money, in the long run.  
 

PM me if’n you need me to do it.  Not a problem…Just don’t let me scream at the ins ppl…. Please….you’d probably get both places paid in full and a residual for retirement…. 

[Jeepers]

Annarchy, we were posting at the same time. Believe me, I have an entire folder of info. I have pictures on my phone and computer. I'm going to transfer it all to a thumb drive too incase I lose it in a computer crash. I just started a list of everything they are using that was mine, because the construction company will reimburse me at the end of the project. Also a list of other things I'm buying that isn't flood related so I can figure them in to the price of the house. Things like the outside work, air vents. towel bars and appliances. Some little things but they add up. I actually enjoy lists.

 

I started doing files a couple of years ago. I have one for the house stuff, health stuff and the will stuff etc. 

[Jeepers]

Thank you Annarchy. Both places paid. I'm listening!  

You are just the best! 

 

AI...oh yeah. I need to get on that. 

[Littlesister]

It has been an unproductive day.  Nothing got done in house today. Went to the doctor this morning and no patients in there. I was the only one. Told him about my knee and shoulder he did nothing. So here I am with a bum knee and shoulder and nothing for pain. No X-Ray nothing. Not even referral to orthopedic. I did get my referrals though. After I got home the nurse called wanting to know the phone number to the heart doctor I am trying to get established with. Totally wrong doctor. So, she did get that right. How did he get Dr. Ich out of Dr. Gupta is beyond me. But it's right now. Told him I stopped taking the Trulicity 2 months ago that it was all I could do to get out of bed in the mornings. Ok, nothing. I reminded him that 6 months ago we talked about it and he was just going to lower it. Well, my Thyroid went back down from 15.49 to 5.19 so it is now in limits. T4 went back into normal range as well. As for my A1C that went up to 7.1. So will work on that and see the new endocrinologist. Don't know what he will put me on but that's ok as long as it's not Trulicity. 

I have prescription pain meds and muscle relaxers from other times that I needed those. I didn't want to use them, but I came home and took one of each. Sat on couch and watched TV for a while then fell asleep. I woke just a little while ago. Didn't mean for that to happen. Got a kink in my neck from falling asleep on that couch. So, now I am dizzy again. It's coming from my neck.

GS keeps texting me he doesn't have the first month's rent. I asked him several times if he had it and he said yes. He had paid the prorated amount from the 25 to the 1st of Sept. I think he thinks I will pay his rent. Not going to happen. He knew for 3 months he was moving and never saved a dime it seems. But the money went somewhere. But when I told him I had my own bills to pay and can't pay his rent he said I will be ok but it's the electric I can't pay. I said he's not paying that yet as he hasn't gotten a bill for it yet. I think he is just running scared but its, hard to say with him. Now the new threat it when I get kicked out, I am going to another state. Said that's fine, you will have no job, food or gas money. No comment from him. Told him he's not moving back here again. So, he best sink or swim. He doesn't want to spend his money on bills at all. If I pay his rent this time, he will be doing all this again next month. Not going to happen. What is it with kids these days? 

My knee and shoulder are both killing me this evening. Guess I best take another pain pill. I hate taken them as for one that was my emergency stash and two, they make me sleepy. But I need to do something. Thinking since Doctor didn't do a Phy. that I was due for, I will just call the new doctor and let him refer me to orthopedic. I hate having to change doctors, but I have no choice. He just doesn't listen anymore. 

[snapshotmiki]

I will walk first.
Take DH to doc appt.
Vote in runoff for County Sheriff.
Almost like a day off here.

 

I'm so glad that your GS got moved out.  Stand strong @Littlesister!

 

[Jeepers]

Littlesister, your doctor sounds about like mine. Not very concerned with what we tell them. Seems like we have to work things out on our own these days.     It's odd that you said there was no one in the waiting room while you were there. That has been my experience since I started going back this February. Since then, I've been to that office about a dozen times for one thing or the other and there has NEVER been another patient in that waiting room. Once or twice I saw someone come out from where the examining rooms are but that's it. They say doctors are overwhelmed with patients but I sure haven't seen it in my area. Even the nurses at the clinic I use occasionally say they are swamped. I see people in the waiting room but not many. And for a huge walk-in clinic, I get seen in less than 10 minutes. And I was going there often in January and February during covid and bronchitis and all of that mess. 

 

My come back to anyone who threatens me with their choices in life has always been, "That's your decision." It takes the ball out of my hands and puts it right back in their court. At some point your G-son is going to have to pick up that ball and carry it for himself.  If he starts in with his money situation tell him to consider a roommate or a parttime job like everyone else has had to do from time to time. 

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, GS pulled it on his mom as well. He has the money; he doesn't want to use his money to pay his bills. But he will learn that living on your own, you have to learn how to save money when you want things. You can't have someone else pay your bills so you can use your money to go have a good time or buy something now that you want. He will learn how to save really fast. He is trying us now to see if we bite. I already told him if he gets kicked out for not paying rent that he is NOT moving back in my house. I really can't do it again. His working nights and me up during the day trying to clean house and do things I need to do can't get done as he was sleeping on the den couch. I would have to wait till he got up to get a lot of things done. I'm over that. 

 

Filled in the nail holes on walls from where pictures were hanging. Now just waiting for that to dry so I can sand it all down smooth. Then room will be ready to paint. I still need to go buy the paint. But will do that when I go pick up my RX from store. Just doing some light cleaning this morning. Taking a break right now. Trying not to push myself as right now my knee is just sore but not hurting. Shoulder is an off and on things and feels normal today with no pain. I think the shoulder might be bursitis or tendinitis. Whichever it is, it needs to clear up. Lots to get done in house. 

Will go outside in a while to check on garden and then pick up yard. Then check news on the hurricanes. I was hoping we would get lucky this year on those and not have any bad ones, but I am looking a Florida and that is not looking good. 

 

My doctor has the back of the building to himself for more room for the patients he used to have. On the front side of building there are 3 other doctors. They are all in together. There were a lot of cars there but where he is in back there were no patients anywhere. I went to get labs done a week ago and no patients. You can see his office when walking down the hall. He was in there. No doors closed showing there were any patients in the rooms either. Not sure what is going on but that was my last time going to him. I will be calling the new doctor to make appointment soon. 

[Jeepers]

Good for you Littlesister. Stick to your guns. You deserve peace in your life. You did the best you could and gave him a great send off.  "It's his decision" what he does with it. I hope the little bird flies high! Oops, not that kind of high though.  

[Midnightmom]

19 hours ago, Littlesister said:

My knee and shoulder are both killing me this evening. Guess I best take another pain pill.

 

I just started exploring Ashwaganda.   Seems like it might help with the "chronic pain" I have from arthritis, and also have some side benefits re: diabetes. Perhaps you might do some exploring on your own. 

[Littlesister]

Midnightmom, I have heard of that before. I will check it out. Thank you.

Haven't heard from GS anymore so I am assuming he realizes he has to pay his own bills and not depend on anyone else.  I never paid his bills but once and that was when he first moved here and had no job yet. After that he was on his own to pay them. 

Not a lot yet today. Went to pick up RX and came home trying to make a decision on that front bedroom. I really don't want to spend the money on a painter. So might just forego painting and clean down the walls really well and call it a day. Then move the furniture back into that room. No one will see it anyway but me. It's an office, sewing and craft room. So that is where I am now leaning. I just can't get motivated with this knee to paint it myself. Maybe sometime down the line I will get it done. But I think I am just tired both mentally and physically to get that job done. I just want to get the house back in order and organized. Still doing a lot of downsizing though. I have 4 pillows that I am trying to decide rather to keep or give to goodwill. Though I don't know if they would take them or not. Two lamps are going as GS didn't need those. He took the other two though. Looks like I am stuck with the loveseat as his dad will not help him to move it to the apartment, but when I go to buy new furniture, I will just get rid of it with the couch. I am not holding back on anything. It's got to go.  

Jeepers you are right about one thing. When your house is damaged by water it makes downsizing a breeze compared to what I am doing. The decision of rather I will need this or that down the line makes it harder. But have decided if I haven't used it in a year it's gone. DD is coming down in 2 weeks to help GD fix up the baby's room. I thought they were doing that while they were here this past weekend, but GD decided to paint the room first. So, they are going to help GD set up the crib and such. I saw where the Coast Guard is leaving to help out in Florida. Will have to find out if GD's DH is going to be heading out. If so, he will be gone for a while. 

[snapshotmiki]

Walked first.
Picked up my friend and went to Aldi, Walmart and local grocery for monthly stock up and sales.
Got every thing put away and I'm done. All the shopping just exhausts me!
 

Our appt. yesterday, with copd doc did not go as planned.
We sat there for 2 hours because he was running late, then just before he came in the room, we were told that the consult had expired and they hadn't renewed it. Now, waiting on them to do their job and get back to us.

[Littlesister]

Miki so sorry the Dr. appt. didn't go well. It was nice of them to tell you the consult had expired after you sat there for 2 hours. These doctors are getting to be really bad for things. I hope the 3 new ones will work out better for me. Still waiting for them to call for the appointments. Will call them the first of week if I don't hear from them. 

Didn't mess with that front bedroom today. Instead, I decided to deep clean den and kitchen first. After having GS here for so long it was hard to get it all done. So, I have been moving furniture around and other things. Mopping floor and rearranged the furniture to work better for me. Still have some things to do but right now I need to rest my knee. I think I have stirred it up enough for one day. 

GS has interviews for a part time job. I knew he would figure it out sooner or later.

Swept the front porch off and my praying mantis is still there. It was on the front porch. It has been hanging around for a couple of years now. It likes the rosemary bush and the Japanese maple trees. I think there is a nest in one of the maple trees. So, there should be baby praying mantis next year. Now that I am on a different computer, I am going to try to get pictures on here when I have more time. I just hope it works. 

[Jeepers]

You are right, getting rid of the water damaged stuff downstairs was an easy decision...although a painful one. I decided that if it went on or in my body, it was going. Upstairs was a different story (no pun intended). There wasn't water damage up there but I still pitched tons of stuff. Mostly clothes donated and just plain junk. Some of it was son's from when he still lived there. He said to pitch it.  There is extensive damage upstairs because they had to tear out the walls and floors to get to the pipes. But no falling water. 

 

Littlesister, those walls will still be there when you are feeling better. Don't push yourself. I do know how expensive painters are too! I had my Indy house done before the flood. If I had know that was coming, I wouldn't have spent that money so soon. Son's dad is paying for his new house to be painted but I have a feeling I'm going to be helping to paint the old house to get it on the market. It needs it bad. 

 

I still have enough left in the house to fill son's trailer but his trailer is full of their stuff now. They signed on their new (to them) house yesterday. His dad is hiring a crew to come in and paint it for them so it could be awhile before the trailer gets empty again. It's okay though. I'm in no hurry for the stuff I still want moved over there. I still have a couple of closets and the rest of the garage to clear out when ever the construction crew gets some stuff cleared out of the way. If I really want to, I could get a U-Haul. I got the Jeep all set up for one now. Not sure how well I will drive it though. Just go slow and let everyone pass me by I suppose. Road construction and toll booths could throw me for a loop though. 

 

 

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, at least you do have your son to help you when he can. I have no one. My DD is in her own little world and only helps when she feels like it. I gave GS the loveseat and his father won't even help him to get it to his apartment. DD is coming back down in a couple of weeks to help GD with the baby's room but that is something she wants to do. Helping me paint or moving my desk and things back to the front bedroom is not something she wants to help me with. She calls that work. So, I will be moving that furniture by myself. I moved it out of that room to the living room to turn that bedroom into a guest room. But that didn't work out like I planned. Seems that room was a que for moving in on me. Fixed that issue. I don't mind them coming to visit but if they are coming to live then they need to learn that I am not the chief cook and bottlewasher. Nor the maid. I am working on cleaning up behind GS now. He left a mess and even found some of his clothes behind the couch when I moved it. Still have the main bathroom to scrub down as well GS is a messy child.

[Jeepers]

Miki, I'm sorry that happened to you guys. How rude of them to let you sit there that long without checking to see if they had actually done their job and everything was in place to go. Makes me mad. What is it with people these days! I also can't stand it when doctors think their time is so much more valuable than anyone else's. I can see 10-15 minutes incase they had a difficult patient but past that I start to squirm. It's called an appointment for a reason dude. I used to make all of my appointments at the first opening after lunch. That way I usually didn't have to wait as long. I'm not a morning person so the first one of the day didn't work well for me. I was always afraid I'd over sleep and miss it. But now days, as backed up as they say they are, I will take the first one I can get.

 

I miss the old days when my old Doc McKee used to sit on his rocking desk chair with one leg up under him smoking his cigarette with his eyes closed, listening intently. That was only a mere 50+ years ago. He made a house call to our house and correctly diagnosed me with a kidney stone. 

[Jeepers]

WARNING: PITY PARTY AHEAD.  

 

Son was a huge help hauling some of my stuff to Indiana. He helped me for a total of two days loading the trailer. He is over 7 hours away with a wife, child, job and they just bought a new house too. Plus he is mowing my lawn every week in Indy. I hate to ask him. I am so grateful for what he did! It would have cost me a fortune to hire a moving company to take my stuff across two states.  But...I have done all of the sorting, packing, donating, hauling trash away and moving boxes from the house to the garage all by myself too. I've been going through two floors and a garage and a garage attic hoard alone. For eight long months. And I want out of this d*mn hotel. At this point, I'm glad the basement flooded when it did because it got cleared out. Don't tell I said that. I know what it's like to have no help. The furniture and appliances I had to pay to get rid of. Over $1,700. and two dump trucks worth of worthless stuff I had hung on to. Lessons learned the hard and expensive way! 

 

I'm never holding on to stuff I don't want and to old beat up furniture that I don't want ever again. I did trash a couple of fairly nice pieces of furniture that under normal circumstances I would have kept but I didn't have a designated space for them in the other house so I trashed them. The charity places up here charges to come pick up big things and I already had the dump truck people here so they went. I became ruthless and finally sane. Even though I thought long and hard about it, I know I made the right decision. 

 

I went through all of son's and D-ex's treasures that they hadn't seen in decades and put them in individual totes. They each have one. I won't mind storing them in my second garage but that's it. And I told them to not ask me where something is. If it isn't in your tote then I don't have it and I don't know where it is. To be fair, most of sons stuff was memento's from his H.S. sport days like ribbons, plaques and trophies etc. that I wouldn't have thrown away anyway. But I'm so over junk. Mine and everyone else's.

 

And I am sick to death of everyone else's incompetence. Lead, move, follow or get out of the way. 

 

I feel better now...kinda. 

[Midnightmom]

1 hour ago, Littlesister said:

baby praying mantis

 

Kind of like this little guy??? I have no idea how he got in the house, but there he was walking on my arm. I managed to get him onto a better background for taking the pic and then I put him outside. 

 

 

[Jeepers]

Praying mantis' are so interesting looking. One time I pulled out of the garage and had one my windshield wiper. He was a big one. I thought surely it would hop off as I went down the road. It didn't. I didn't want to turn the wiper on and squash it. I was feeling generous that day. I got out of the Jeep and tried to gently lift it off and set it on the side of the road. Evidently, he liked riding front and center with the wind blowing through his hair. Because when I touched it, it freaked out and started toward me in a very vicious manner and jumped on me. I tried to get it off of my shirt but those things are very sticky. I never knew that! When I pulled it off of me it stuck to my hand. I was freaking out too by that time. Alot of jumping round was going on and I finally flung my hand as hard as I could and sent the little #%&&^ flying through the air. I like to think they can fly but honestly, I don't know where he went and still don't care. Then I read where they can bite. I think I was moving too fast for him to get a good grip though. Don't they bite the head off of their mate? Yikes. That could have gone south fast. That was my one only fight with a praying mantis. I like to think I won. Unfortunately, my D-ex was also in the front seat and witnessed the whole thing. So my victory was a hollow one.  

[Littlesister]

MidNightMom, yes just like that but a bit bigger than that picture. I have handled those things for years. Had one on the back porch baking in the sun and I put my hand down to it and it climbed right up on my hand, and I took it over the bushes in shade and let it jump off onto those. Many years ago, I had an ice plant I bought from the Williamsburg pottery. It had something on it and didn't know what it was. It sat on my kitchen counter for months. I came home from work one day and DD and DH had jars trying to catch baby praying mantis. Yep, that brown thing on the plant was a nest. We caught 100's of praying mantis and put them outside in bushes all over the place. I still see them at certain times of the year. And now I know what the nest looks like when I see them again. 

 

Got the den fully cleaned up, need to finish up in kitchen though. I did more than I should have with my knee. It is killing me again. Used heating pad for a while and that helped. Will take some Advil in a bit. Holding out on that till closer to bedtime. 

Will see how tomorrow goes. Lots of things around here to get done but thinking about moving the desk back to the bedroom in the morning. 

[Jeepers]

You guys got cute little green ones. Mine was a big brown one. Are there different kinds?

 

[Midnightmom]

6 hours ago, Jeepers said:

I finally flung my hand as hard as I could and sent the little #%&&^ flying through the air. I like to think they can fly but honestly, I don't know where he went and still don't care. Then I read where they can bite.

 

 

I also read that they can be very good "pets." Who would want to keep a bug as a pet???

Another thing I learned: the plural of Mandis is Mantid, not Mantises. (But you'd never know it because different articles used different versions.  

The articles from "scientific journals" etc, tended to use the Mantid spelling so that is what I am going by as being correct. 

 

 

3 hours ago, Jeepers said:

You guys got cute little green ones. Mine was a big brown one. Are there different kinds?

Mantids are frequently cryptically colored to match their normal habitat. This camouflage makes them less likely to be noticed by their prey until it’s too late. Some resemble leaves or other plant parts. Many can change their color somewhat to better match their surroundings. 

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/praying-mantids/

[Jeepers]

Told ya they can bite. People, after they are finished ravaging their partner they bite. its. head. off. Sometimes eat the entire body. Alive. I think it's the females who do that so I kinda get it. They are very sticky. Like Velcro sticky. Just wait until those cute little green ones grow up to be big strapping brown ones. Don't cross one of them. You'll see. BTW, mine didn't change colors. My Jeep is blue so that would have been kind of pretty. 

[Ambergris]

I have a puppy.  I have an angry cat.  Neither can be allowed out at night.  I have puddles EVERYWHERE.