• Self-portrait, shot on the porch at Cracker Barrel yesterday. Or should it be Selves-portrait? I’m trying to avoid the use of the word ‘selfie’ if at all possible.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know we went for the big bucks and celebrated at Cracker Barrel. I know, you’re thinking that we really went all out for this anniversary.
Actually, we love Cracker Barrel but go there rarely. We’re low key about celebrations, so when Don suggested CB, I was in. As it was it took us forever to get there because of all the traffic. Thousands and thousands of people head up to our neck of the woods on fall weekends and, inevitably, they have to head back home, causing traffic back-ups for miles. It’s a pain in the you-know-what. But we got there and, of course, had to wait for a table. By the time we sat down, we were starved!
Then we watched the Mets play the Dodgers. (I love the Red Sox, but I also love the Mets.) They won.
• The nights are getting very cold. Quilts and throws are making an appearance.
This bed cover is very heavy, so I usually stash it on the chair in the summer months. But it’s back on the bed, keeping us snug and warm as we transition to cooler nights.
• Here’s a random thought:
Every time I look at my vacuum, I think of the Imperial Stormtroopers from Star Wars.
Is it just me? I’ve thought that since the day it arrived in the mail.
It’s a Shark Navigator, by the way, and it’s fabulous. And far less expensive than the over-priced Dyson. Just as in the theater or film, we Americans seem to be taken in by a British accent.
This vacuum is a especially great with dog hair and we have a lot of it around here.
• My dad is still in the hospital. They’ve found a fracture in his spine which needs to be treated with either injections that might be dangerous for a 92 year old man, or physical therapy. The doctor says he cannot be on his own right now and has recommended physical therapy, so that means he has to move to rehab facility after they’ve finished running tests. We thought he would go to the same rehab facility that both of my parents have spent time in, which is right next to the hospital and just a few miles from my sister.
But no. Medicaid has managed to screw everything up. Their ‘rules’ about things sometimes drive me up the wall. When my dad was admitted to the hospital, it was coded as ‘under observation.’ For some ridiculous reason, that particular code means my father will now be forced to go to one of two facilities, both of which are about 45 minutes to an hour away from home. Don’t ask me why. My sister works long hours at her job and has a four year old to take care of when she’s not at work. Driving that far will make it impossible for her to see dad more than once – maybe twice – a week. I can’t get down there right now. Needless to say, we’re very frustrated. The rehab facility where we thought he would go would have been perfect for him. Everyone knows him there – their presence would make it all so much easier for him.
• For those of you who have found that Don’s CD is temporarily out-of-stock, hang in there. CD Baby only keeps a small amount on hand because, as you can imagine, they stock CDs for thousands of musicians. We’ll be sending them more today and they should be available shortly. I’ll let you know when they’re back in stock.
Okay. Long post.
Thank you so much for the anniversary wishes yesterday. We loved reading them. You are all wonderful, a true blessing in my life.
Happy Tuesday.
Glad you had a great day together. I love my shark vacuum too. Best one I have owned! I am always amazed how much dirt it picks up that I didn’t see. Insurance companies seem to make our lives harder instead of helping. Getting them to pay bills is another story we could go on and on about. Well, on that positive note, have a great day. Doris
I know. I’m all for Obamacare, but it’s also not such a great deal for us. It’s expensive and will be more so next year. And Medicaid was a pain when my mom had to go in the nursing home. You have to hire a lawyer to help you with all of the fine print.
I hope that you father does well in therapy. Medicaid is a big pain in the backside!! On the plus side, you could have Tricare, which is worse. Glad you had a nice time at Cracker Barrel. It is my favourite place to eat out and, sadly, I have not been there in 3 years. Reading yesterday’s post again, I was curios to see if I could find a video of Don’s one-man show. I could not, but did find a write-up about it in the Los Angeles Times from August 23, 1998. I think my favourite character that I would have loved to see Don portray would have been the 12 year-old school girl! Seriously. I do wish I could have seen him in this show. Jeeves and Bertie are quite endearing.
Hope you both have a lovely Autumn day. Hugs all around and a kiss on the head for Scout.
Deb
He was brilliant in it. He’d done it years before at the Old Globe and then resurrected it for Nevada City. And the ending was so beautiful, it made me cry.
Despite the traffic, glad you had a wonderful time celebrating at Bracket Barrel. I have no idea what or where that is (!) but if you like it, it’s all good! So sorry to hear of your Dad’s situation. Are you or your sister squeaking loudest about this? Sometimes that actually works? My family and I are going through medical issues with my Dad so I understand the anger, frustration and dismay that these situations cause. Hang in there.
Nothing we can do about it. If they change the original coding or amend it in any way, it’s Medicaid Fraud. So we’re stuck.
Happy yesterday anniversary! Really a good picture of the two of you. Congrats to Don on the CD, sounds great. Wishing your dad the best.
hugs
Thank you, Nancy!
Your picture is wonderful. We also enjoy low key celebrations and Cracker Barrel fits the bill. So happy you had a nice anniversary.
I also own a Shark vacuum and love it. With animals, frequent visits from grandkids, and my crafting, a good vacuum is a must and it fits the bill.
Sorry to hear of the situation with your dad. Medical frustrations can be the worst, as our hands are tied.
They sure are. Thanks so much, Sue!
Morning! Cute pic of the two of you! I have a shark also…lightweight version….absolutely love it! Yours does remind me of an Imperial Stormtrooper…does it scare Scout? If I bring out the vacuum…Bowser runs for the hills! Kind of funny actually, but with all the cat hair…a necessity!
Medicare and Medicaid…ugh! I’ve had some problems with them regarding my mom…just lots of paperwork…and headaches. I have friends who are already on Medicare. Sometimes they don’t pay for certain tests or treatments. You have to be so careful…and ask lots of questions!
On a lighter note….glad you enjoyed Cracker Barrel….nice place! That’s my kind of anniversary…low key. Enjoy your day! ;)
Thank you, Donnamae! The vacuum scared Scout when we first adopted her, but it hasn’t for a long time. And now she can’t hear very well, so it really doesn’t bother her!
Glad you had a wonderful day in which to celebrate your Anniversary! When we get stuck in traffic, my husband always says “it is more time for us to spend together”……. too funny!! It was sweet when we both were working ~ being retired, we now spend plenty of time together!! ?
Oh, the Observation vs. Inpatient world of insurance and coding!! As a former insurance trainer for over 20 years, the one question every single person should ask ALWAYS when they are still in the ER after several hours is….”will this be coded as Observation or Inpatient?” If they say the DON’T know, ask to speak to the Dr. and then to the Insurance Dept. at the hospital BEFORE you leave. You can be in the hospital for up to 2 to 3 days and it can STILL be billed as Observation. Most of the time “Observation” is more costly to the patient than an Inpatient stay because of co-insurance responsibilities for outpatient services.
I don’t mean to hijack your post…. but if I could tell people one thing to always ask about any service which STARTS at the ER….. is to try to get the determination of Observation vs. Inpatient stay. If you go in with a bad cut and are stitched up and released within a few hours, obviously you don’t need to ask….but if the ER stay goes on for more than about 12 hours or so, you are going to want to ask. Sometimes they truly don’t know what is wrong, and are actually observing. The patient could be in the same room as someone else who IS Inpatient, and they THINK that means they are, also. It is all about the codes they put on the claim which is sent to the insurance company or to Medicare / Medicaid.
Remember you always have the right to “grieve” or dispute the claim. Just keep documentation!!
I hope it all works out for your Dad and he is home feeling stronger very soon!!
Thank you for the valuable advice, Chris. I hope everyone reads your comment. I’ll let Mer know about disputing the claim, but I fear it’s too late, as Dad is going to be admitted to that particular facility this afternoon. He’s on his way there now. xo
Great photo of you two!
We are gripped by Blue Jays fever here. Our employer even offered to bring in a portable TV as a couple of the games were televised in the afternoon.
Sorry about your dad. I am so thankful for our health care system. My dad spent some time in rehab after a bad fall and that was stressful enough without having to worry about paperwork or cost. Is Medicaid a program for seniors?
A lot of seniors need it, but it’s not limited to seniors. My little nephew, who is disabled, also needs and uses Medicaid.
We also enjoy Cracker Barrel but the nearest one is over 200 miles away from us! However we WILL be eating there next week when we pass by it on the way to visit our son and his family. The grapevine tells us that there will be one in Coeur d’Alene Idaho sometime soon and that less than an hour away so we’re looking forward to that. Our big anniversary bash last month for number 37 was dinner from Panda Express so you can see we’re also big spenders! Ha! I have a shark vacuum that I love. It’s the small purple one and it works wonderfully on all of Chloe’s dog hair. I even got an identical one for the trailer. They last forever. Our daughter has one and the motor just quit working. She called Shark and they sent her a new motor that just snapped into place. She was thrilled with the customer service.
I’m sorry to hear that your Dad will be so far away from Mere. That is a real pain in the tushy isn’t it? I will never figure out Medicare/Medicaid. It seems to be a racket of sorts to me. I hope he heals quickly and won’t have to stay long.
Blessings,
Betsy
I love my Shark! It’s really wonderful. What bugs me about Medicaid is they keep changing the rules, and it’s hard to keep up with them. I suppose Medicare does, too. I will admit I know very little about them, but Don qualifies for Medicare next year, so I’m sure I’ll start my ‘education’ then!
Mmmm… Cracker Barrel. Yum – I love a restaurant that serves breakfast all day. LOL – your Shark DOES bring the Imperial Stormtroopers to mind. Funny! You must be right about those Sharks too. My brother & his wife just bought one and love it. So did their 20-year old son who’s a junior in college and still living with them. So why would a college kid buy one? Well, no kidding but since he was a toddler, the kid has had a holy passion for gadgets, really ANYTHING with an on-off button. For his 2nd birthday, we got him a toy Dirt Devil in hopes he would stop goofing with his mom’s “big” cleaner. FYI, he’s currently on his 3rd iPhone and he’s just 20. Right now he plans to use the Shark for his car [very fussy about the car] and until he moves out, it’ll be the “second floor vacuum” for the family. Enjoy the rest of the day!
And of course, that’s what we ate – breakfast. We love eating breakfast at a restaurant – especially later in the day. My nephew- one of Mer’s boys – used to be fascinated by vacuums and knew every brand of vacuum various friends and family used. He was obsessed by them!
Happy Anniversary! Love the photo of the two of you! We have spent more than one anniversary dinner at Cracker Barrel…
And why not, right? Those biscuits alone are worth waiting in line for. Thanks, Linda!
Happy anniversary to you and your handsome husband! I once knew a man who got elected because voters mistook his British accent for intelligence. He was not re-elected. I hope all goes well with your dad. I know how frustrating it is to deal with rules that make no sense – and were obviously not designed with the patient in mind!
It’s very frustrating! Hopefully, my dad will be able to move to the rehab facility tomorrow. Thank you, Marianne!
Love the pic of you two and I think you chose a great spot for dinner! We love Cracker Barrel too but we don’t have one here in Victoria. We have to drive two hours away :-( I love the biscuits and honey and tall ice teas. I’m sorry to hear about your daddy. I hope you can get this straightened out. The medical situation in this country seems to be getting more complicated and not less. My goal is preventative so that I never have to use it. Fingers crossed and lots of prayers and clean living is my attitude.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Mine too. We ordered extra biscuits yesterday and brought some home with us…they’ll be part of tonight’s dinner!
Oh, Claudia, this makes me so angry, that I could just bite nails! The stupid, stupid, stupid rules.
Has no one any sense at all these days? Doesn’t everybody know that people heal faster when in a familiar place, especially older folks?! I could just stomp the bureaucrats.
So glad ya’ll enjoyed your celebration—although, there was never any question.
Looking at the picture of Scout looking at the vacuum, I thought your random thought was of her using it. Ahh, if only she could…
jane-in-tx
It makes me very angry, also! It’s not my father’s fault that they coded something incorrectly…why don’t they think before they code something – especially with a senior citizen!
Yes, it would be nice if Scout could vacuum up her own hair! Goodness knows, I’ve been doing it long enough!
Happy belated anniversary to you and Don. Sounds like the perfect way to celebrate. A great picture of you both.
What a crummy situation with your dad! My own dad was admitted for recovery/rehab in the same place my mom was at for several years. You’re right, in that, it made it all so much better because everyone already knew him (and loved him). Hopefully his stay will be a short one.
At least 6 weeks, Debbie. Mer and I are very upset about this whole admitting/observation coding debacle.
What a great picture…I think you should frame that one..You are so pretty Claudia…you are kind of cute too Don..lol…I have gotten the quilts out too..There is nothing like a nice hand-stitched quilt to snuggle under when it gets cold out..You’re right Claudia…your vacuum does look kinda like a storm trooper and that gave me a good out loud laugh..lol..
Aw, thank you, Nancy. You’re very sweet! I was just using my ‘stormtrooper’ a moment ago!
Doesn’t really matter what you do or where you go for your anniversary…as long as it’s a place you both like and you are spending time together, that’s all that matters! Out of all the chain restaurants (which we usually don’t like), CB is probably our favorite, too. I know Brian loves that place. We don’t go often either – the closest one is about 45 min. away and not in a direction we usually go. So we eat there maybe once or twice a year.
I’ve heard nothing but good reviews about the Shark vacuums. We want to get one, too, especially since we have hardwood floors and rugs – no carpet. There’s just so many models that we’re having a hard time deciding which one to get. With Dyson, you’re just paying (too much) for the name.
So sorry to hear about your dad and the complications with where he’ll be when he gets out of the hospital. Has got to be so frustrating for you and your sister.
I tried again one more time on my laptop the other night to order Don’s CD (remember, I was having trouble with my computer?) – and, it worked! I got the shipping confirmation in my email yesterday. Hooray! Looking forward to listening to the whole thing in the car with Brian. The CD player in my car is broken – and no CD player in the house.
I’m so happy that the CD is on its way to you, Melanie! Thanks so much for that. I can picture you and Brian on a Sunday drive, listening to Don and Dan.
I really love that photo of you and Don! Cracker Barrel is one of my go to comfort food restaurants! I had good baby snuggles today and then kept reading a really good book I downloaded on my Kindle. It was just that kind of day! I hope your Dad will be better soon. How disappointing that he isn’t closer to Meredith.
hugs,
Linda
Baby snuggles are the best, Linda. It sounds like you had a wonderful day!
I love that picture of you two, oh my goodness you are adorable. And this is so weird, I just bought the same vacuum two weeks ago. My second Dyson died and I was so happy to be rid of it. This cleans far, far better and is a fraction of the price. I am disgusted at how much it picks up that my Dyson didn’t.
Love you,
M
It cleans incredibly well, doesn’t it? It really sucks up that dog hair! Love you.
What a handsome guy with such a pretty girl! That is such a good pic of you both! You definitely need to frame that one. :)
I’ve had a Dyson for years now that I’ve been really happy with…. Bought it on sale at the time and it’s been worth every cent in my opinion. The British accent didn’t sell me on it. ;) It’s very lightweight and with recovering from two major surgeries this year, that’s been very important. Plus it does a great job picking up all the dog hair we have here on both the furniture and all of our rugs, tile and wood floors. My daughter has a Shark, which I found to be really heavy. I’m pretty frail in spite of clean living. Sometimes life happens in spite of everything preventative….
I’m so sorry about your Dad. Medicaid, Medicare, and health insurance in general is so complicated and often unfair these days. I know I had a really difficult time getting the bills paid for my medical care this past year! I really fear for all of our futures, as far as that all goes….
Well, I’m glad the Dyson is working for you, Lily!
Catching up to your posts here, so glad you had a nice anniversary. There were a couple of blogs I formerly visited…been a few years now…where the blog owners, both female, got into a bad habit of constantly (like a broken record) dissing their husbands or, in the one, going on and on about the adult children from whom she was estranged. I felt like each were trying to send a veiled message to said spouse or children, with the blog audience paying the price of their drama…so I quit reading them. Conversely, it is such a pleasure to read YOUR blog and see two companionable people so in love and devoted to one another, truly respectful and happy in each other’s presence. For all the other worries in life, at least you have this very special gift: You have each other!
Oh, I hear these awful stories about insurance and caregiving, at the mercy of HMO, Medicaid, etc. One of my mom’s caregivers spoke of a client who was on Medicaid, sent into convalescent care and ending up two hours away from the family which was such a hardship for them…time, fuel, not being able to monitor day-to-day care. Same for someone else I knew who had to get chemo. Like, isn’t it hard enough to have cancer, then have to drive a couple of hours somewhere to get chemo than if you could just get it at several nearby locations. And being so sick that you certainly then have to have someone else chauffeur you and thus feeling obligated or upset to cause an inconvenience when part of your therapy is to also reduce your stress.
I’ve got a HMO as an insurer and, for a lot of my tests, even some same-day-in/same-day-out procedures (I have health issues and am a cancer survivor myself), I can never have anything done in my town (except labs/blood draws) although I’m a mile from a good hometown hospital where I could have any of that done. I had to have more intensive mammography a few months ago, and they sent me to a town which is an hour away in heavy traffic but I tried to convince myself it was because they had better radiologists(!). I could have other types of xrays done at my neighborhood hospital but, no, I have to go to a neighboring city to a diagnostic center with whom the HMO has some kind of contract. But, as I say this, there’s no question how glad I am to have ANY kind of health insurance. Some years ago, my sister-in-law got squeezed out of a 21-years-long job at age 63 and found herself with no medical insurance til she could get on Medicare (not being able to pay the high premiums for a private insurer when she was unemployed) and she was just very lucky (since she has health problems, too [it happens sometimes once we hit age 60!]) that nothing catastrophic happened in the two years between…because getting slapped with a huge medical bill can wipe you out.
Change of subject. So glad to hear about a good vacuum. I need another one really badly! And I have a dog that sheds like no other.
Very interesting to consider Fall tourism in your area. Forgot to think of how that must impact the locals. I lived in Santa Barbara, California at one point in my life and it’s a popular resort city; absolutely beautiful place to live and work. But, man, when it was time for Fiesta…which is a multiple-days festival…I learned, as other locals, to disappear because it was so difficult to navigate the throngs of people/traffic. I’ve never stopped to think about if I ever get the chance to see the fall colors of New England (my dream!!) that I might find myself in a traffic jam. Not a fun thought. That’s not what they show us in the travel posters!
I send best healing hopes for a swift recovery with Dad. My mom broke her back by just sitting down unevenly when she was age 86; severe osteoporosis. I thought it was all over but the doctor just looked at me and said, “She’ll heal.” I was floored and it wasn’t smooth sailing for awhile but she absolutely did recover. There was nothing they could cast; they tried to give her this upper-torso sort of corset but she rejected it. We had a physical therapist come to the house…my mother would never, ever consent to going to a rehab or convalescent facility; I tried and thought it was a better idea, but I lost…and he had a lot of good ideas and knew exactly how to get her strengthened up.
Oh, weather. How can I keep talking about it. We’re 90s every day here in SoCal; it’s endless. And now we’re again very humid as well. I keep hoping we’ll get any rain out of it. I so envy your autumn nights and quilts. I don’t even sleep with a bed sheet over me because we turn off the A/C at night due to its noise and the interior of the home really then gets ‘close’ and too warm for sleep. It was 75 degrees outside this morning (Weds.) at 3am; yep, I was up. We have semi cloud cover just after 9am so I’m hoping that will help from the brutal sun.
Well, my dad doesn’t like going into rehab – but he’s been there before. He worries mostly about his cats – but my sister and his neighbor feed them.
I know what you mean about bloggers who use their platform to complain about husbands, or men in general, or their children – hoping to elicit ‘poor me’ sympathy from everyone. We all, of course, have those honest posts where we share our worries. But to constantly harp on the same thing? I’m out of there!