In the garden, and RAIN!!!! by SIGNYM

Well... I feel a lot better this morning.

But I did when I woke up yesterday too. We'll have to see how the day goes.

The good news is, my mouth didn't smell bad this morning. I did a ton of salt water washes, and took them out several times yesterday to wash them and let everything "breathe" for a while. It also looks a lot better. The bottom ones are practically healed already, but the top ones have quite a way to go. I think one of the really rough ones that he had trouble getting out is a dry socket right now too. It's hard to tell with my tongue, but I don't feel that anything is in there like the rest of them. Maybe that part is just more sore because of how hard he had to work to get those two out back there?

Anyhow... still not taking any pain meds, and even eating without them was fine last night.

Though I have been "taking it easy", at least physically, yesterday was far from stress free. I had some cash payments last year that I wanted to report, but holy shit do they make that a difficult thing to do. (Why? Why, Uncle Sam do you make this such a difficult thing to do?????)

My usual 2 page 1040 was already going to be 3 pages for the unemployment, but after reporting some cash I made doing a bit of work on top of it, I now have a 10 page tax return, and 30% of that small amount of extra cash I now ended up losing for having to pay Self Employment taxes, 15% on top of that for state and local taxes, and about a $50 hit on my EIC.

No good deed goes unpunished, right?

I'm pretty sure that I could have written off driving to and from the worksite with the .58/mile rate and easily gotten that low enough to not pay any SE, but I'm not going to hire a tax guy to do this and because the wording of that section of tax law is so purposefully convoluted, I'm not entirely sure that driving to a temporary work site is an expense I can write off because of how it is written (and, BTW, apparently neither are any of the IRS "experts" I waited 30 minutes on the phone to talk to who don't do anything but read the same stuff to me that I'm able to read online myself). I certainly don't have any proof that I did drive these distances either if I were to get an audit. Yanno what??? I don't need the stress of worrying about that. It's worth it to me just to pay the extra and sleep soundly at night.

Oh well... That's $250 less on my tax returns, but still the return is going to be about 3.5 x's higher than I'm used to because I had a few bonuses at the job before being laid off at a higher rate, and I elected to have taxes taken out of the unemployment which are all coming back to me. What usually is only enough to pay my car insurance for the year is going to be more than enough to pay my property taxes this year.

So... I'm not doing shit today except for going to the Post Office to drop that and my rebates off. (I'll have over $300 for windows when I get this batch back).

This weekend I'm applying at a few local places that won't pay well instead of all of the applications I've put out for good jobs so far that haven't even given me a callback. My teeth should be fine by next week if I have an interview. I figure I'll either be getting an employee discount on food or on home improvement stuff whichever place I end up working for. I'll put in my first couple of months kicking ass in the provisional period and then let them know that they're going to have to work around my schedule if they want to keep me on.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, January 30, 2020 12:17 PM

Have I ever mentioned that I hate mornings. Cause I do.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, January 30, 2020 2:41 PM

I didn't like mornings when I was younger. They're pretty sweet now.

I could do without the dreary days though. I think that's like a dozen in a row without any sun at this point. Kind of sick of everything being grey all the time and February hasn't even begun yet.

At least it's pretty warm for the season and we haven't had much snow.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, January 30, 2020 8:38 PM

Feet hurt and right wants to cramp.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, January 30, 2020 8:47 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

They say you can beat cramps with potassium- bananas, orange juice, potatoes, coconut water and such.

I can't say they've ever helped me but it might be worth a try

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, January 30, 2020 8:58 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Hey Brenda - nice to see you around again! - I noticed you were gone for a bit.

I found an online remedy that people at work used to swear by, though I've never tried it myself: https://amishcountrystoreonline.com/stops-leg-foot-cramps/

Sometimes if I have a leg or foot cramp at night, if I chew on a Rolaids (has both calcium and magnesium) it helps, but for some reason Tums doesn't (just has calcium).

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 2:11 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I didn't like mornings when I was younger. They're pretty sweet now.

I could do without the dreary days though. I think that's like a dozen in a row without any sun at this point. Kind of sick of everything being grey all the time and February hasn't even begun yet.

At least it's pretty warm for the season and we haven't had much snow.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

I know what you mean, where I grew up always seemed to have clouds about 500 ft off the ground. I used to like the dreary days, but I'm sure that if I had to watch clouds scud overhead for a week or more at a time, I'd get pretty tired of it! I know I can get tired of constant sunshine. Gosh, if only we could do a weather-swap!

Yeah. About those taxes. Because we've always run some version of Linux, I've never been able to use TurboTax or any of the other DIY tax software, so I set up my own spreadsheet/expert system with all of the relevant "worksheets" built in, but somewhere around 10? years ago I said fuckit, and started taking our taxes to a tax guy. Why do they HAVE to make it so complicated?

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 9:36 AM

Yeah. It's not the cloudy type of grey sky where you at least get the enjoyment of watching things move when you look up. It's just solid gray. Every day, over and over. This part of the country is basically dead 3 months out of the year. I'm sick of it.

I've done my taxes since I was 21, so this will be my 20th time. I'm trying to do the right thing here, and I feel like I've been severely punished for doing it. It was all cash with no 1099 forms for a quick side job I helped out with and my taxes were so thick I could barely stuff them in the standard envelope, and they're going to take over 40% of what little cash it was, with around 100 of that going to my SS/Medicare.

Oh well. :(

My friend said I need to go see a tax accountant. I'm like, dude, I didn't even make $1,000 over the standard deduction. I'm not paying somebody $200 or more to do my taxes. I'm just in a position where my two options are paying that money to the government, or paying a tax attorney to do my taxes better and just giving the money to him. And if it turned out I did them right and they couldn't do them better, then I'm out the $250 to the government plus the attorney fees.

So I'm looking at it like I overpaid by not claiming any mileage to and from the job (which at .58/mile was over $300 and would have meant no Self Employment tax, $30 less FED tax, $15 less state and local, and about $50 more for the Earned Income Credit for state and fed).

Better just to do that and not worry for the next 7 years that one day they're going to pull it and make life hell for me for a few weeks.

I HATE giving free money to the government and overpaying taxes, but the ROI of my plan is sound here. $250 isn't going to make or break me and it's worth it not to have the stress of doubt. I just gave them most of the money I'm saving on my internet this year.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 12:09 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

I used to work for a guy, he always ALWAYS left a deduction off his taxes (something smallish), that way if he was audited he could always pull that rabbit out of his hat and say "AHA! YOU owe ME!"

Now that I'm retired I might go back to doing our taxes, again. I'm actually pretty darn good with a spreadsheet (I used to program some doozies at work) and I could run my spreadsheet on some past returns and compare what I get to what the tax guy got.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 12:25 PM

Not a bad plan if you do your own and they're regularly tricky.

Mine are usually really easy. It's the state taxes that are stupid in my case. I really think they make you fill out all of those extra forms and mail in a novel because they're trying to get everyone to do it online.

I'm not trying to hide anything here. But I just feel like I'm being punished for being honest about cash. And rather than try to claim mileage to a place where hung some drywall and did some painting, I'm just going to swallow it and pay what is probably much more than I should be. The IRS themselves are useless in 2020. They just read the same damn things to me over the phone that I already read myself online, and would not commit at all to anything, and didn't even understand the questions I was asking them.

I really get the feeling that nobody reports this type of stuff, so at the end of the day, I'm the asshole here.

Maybe you have thoughts about this? It's the Schedule C I had to file.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sc.pdf

Without giving exact numbers, let's just say that line 6 was around $600.

With no expenses written off, that's over the $400 that requires you to pay the 15.3% Self Employment tax (form SE), as well as the 10% FED tax and then any State and Local taxes on that separate tax return. These inflated numbers also eat into Earned Income Credit as well.

But I drove quite far to do the job, on quite a few days. Even if I were to do an extremely conservative estimate of my mileage for this work, it comes out to nearly $280 if it qualified for the .58cents/mile, and would go on line 9 in Part II.

Here's the rub... well... two of them, actually...

1. I have no proof of this if somebody asks me for it. I have zero GPS systems. I have no electronic toll unit. I don't even have any saved gas reciepts.

2. Even if I had any or all of that, the way the instructions are worded for doing Part IV "Information on your Vehicle" are convoluted as hell. I must have re-read that part a dozen times and I still don't know if my mileage even would qualify for that. (Especially troubling is that the amount of the write off I'd be looking to get is so close to the exact amount I'd need to have not to pay any SE taxes, which to me looks like a big red flag).

Instructions: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sc.pdf

Specifically, line 44b:

Quote:

In most cases, commuting is travel between your home and a work location. If you converted your vehicle during the year from personal to business use (or vice versa), enter your commuting miles only for the period you drove your vehicle for business.

Travel that meets any of the following conditions isn't commuting.

You have at least one regular work location away from your home and the travel is to a temporary work location in the same trade or business, regardless of the distance. Generally, a temporary work location is one where your employment is expected to last 1 year or less. See Pub. 463 for more details.

The travel is to a temporary work location outside the metropolitan area where you live and normally work.

Your home is your principal place of business under section 280A(c)(1)(A) (for purposes of deducting expenses for business use of your home) and the travel is to another work location in the same trade or business, regardless of whether that location is regular or temporary and regardless of distance.

I don't own a business. I've never owned a business. But the income I made here has no other place to go than on a Schedule C that is designed for businesses and self proprietorship.

Basically, I really fucked myself here.

Oh well. Keep my money, you vultures. I'm SURE you're going to put it to good use.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 1:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
They say you can beat cramps with potassium- bananas, orange juice, potatoes, coconut water and such.

I can't say they've ever helped me but it might be worth a try

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

I usually eat a banana at work during my coffee break and it doesn't help.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 1:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Hey Brenda - nice to see you around again! - I noticed you were gone for a bit.

I found an online remedy that people at work used to swear by, though I've never tried it myself: https://amishcountrystoreonline.com/stops-leg-foot-cramps/

Sometimes if I have a leg or foot cramp at night, if I chew on a Rolaids (has both calcium and magnesium) it helps, but for some reason Tums doesn't (just has calcium).

Nice to know I was missed. Had a few problems with this thing. So was slow posting for a few.

I'll have a look at your link Kiki later. Got things to do today in the rain.

Cramps like to happen when I am at work or just finished work.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 1:15 PM

Another weather front has moved in which the weather people are now calling, "An atmospheric river" translated that means rain upon rain upon rain. Now there is a worry of flooding in low lying areas with the rain and the snow melting.

Also talk of a dribble more snow for my area over the end of the weekend into early next week. So we shall see.

But for today and tomorrow. Soggy, soggy, soggy.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 2:05 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Yeah. It's not the cloudy type of grey sky where you at least get the enjoyment of watching things move when you look up. It's just solid gray. Every day, over and over. This part of the country is basically dead 3 months out of the year. I'm sick of it.

Sounds like Buffalo, but I think Buffalo has got you beat. And here's why! The county hospital where I worked had 13 floors - well they only counted 12 because they had the 'ground' floor and the next floor above that was the first floor ... it had 13 floors, despite their superstitious numbering. MANY a day, at any time of year, I'd drive in to work and the top floor(s) were in the clouds. I shit you not. On top of that, all the dirt had been scraped off by the previous glacier that left just a thin layer of clay behind. With the high water table and the lack of good soil, the trees were always stubby. There were these stubby trees, the low, grey ceiling, the short houses ... it was really claustrophobic.

Quote:
I've done my taxes since I was 21, so this will be my 20th time. I'm trying to do the right thing here, and I feel like I've been severely punished for doing it. It was all cash with no 1099 forms for a quick side job I helped out with and my taxes were so thick I could barely stuff them in the standard envelope, and they're going to take over 40% of what little cash it was, with around 100 of that going to my SS/Medicare.

Oh well. :(

My friend said I need to go see a tax accountant. I'm like, dude, I didn't even make $1,000 over the standard deduction. I'm not paying somebody $200 or more to do my taxes. I'm just in a position where my two options are paying that money to the government, or paying a tax attorney to do my taxes better and just giving the money to him. And if it turned out I did them right and they couldn't do them better, then I'm out the $250 to the government plus the attorney fees.

So I'm looking at it like I overpaid by not claiming any mileage to and from the job (which at .58/mile was over $300 and would have meant no Self Employment tax, $30 less FED tax, $15 less state and local, and about $50 more for the Earned Income Credit for state and fed).

Better just to do that and not worry for the next 7 years that one day they're going to pull it and make life hell for me for a few weeks.

I HATE giving free money to the government and overpaying taxes, but the ROI of my plan is sound here. $250 isn't going to make or break me and it's worth it not to have the stress of doubt. I just gave them most of the money I'm saving on my internet this year.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

I feel ya on the taxes. Better to have them as overly-honest as possible.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 2:56 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Hey Brenda - you know, my mantra is to see your doctor! Fortunately you live in Canada where it's easier and far cheaper. ANYway - leg cramps at night are common for some strange reason, but leg cramps during activity could be another issue completely. It's possible you have poor circulation, aka peripheral artery disease. If you have it checked out, you should mention when and under what circumstances your legs cramp up.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 9:02 PM

I'm getting the antibiotics tomorrow. I think one or two of them might not be healing right. This is the third day in a row where I feel extreme fatigue and chills at around sunset. It's still hard to eat too because of the pain in two spots in particular. It's been 4 days. This should be over with.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 9:10 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

I'm glad you're going to see a doctor, Jack! Since you didn't mention anything, I was hoping everything was OK.

that it's not.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 9:17 PM

I'm probably just overreacting. Reading online nothing is out of the ordinary. It's probably not fair for me to be comparing what I just went through with a single pull from before either.

With how good things went from day 1 to day 2 though, I would have thought I'd be eating peanuts tonight. I don't think that's in the cards.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 9:55 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

If it were me I'd go see somebody. A simple blood test can tell if you have an infection.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, January 31, 2020 11:00 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
They say you can beat cramps with potassium- bananas, orange juice, potatoes, coconut water and such.

I can't say they've ever helped me but it might be worth a try

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

I usually eat a banana at work during my coffee break and it doesn't help.

Yeah, doesn't help me either. Sorry.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, February 1, 2020 1:40 PM

Laundry day as soon as I get a move on.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, February 1, 2020 6:16 PM

nice, bright sunny day here for a change.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, February 1, 2020 7:05 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Are you on antibiotics now, SIX? I hope so!

*****

I read the portion of the tax code that you posted... it's clear as mud. I know that the IRS is very very strict on declaring part of your home as your "place of business" ... there was an anesthesiologist who billed from home and declared the home office a place of business (and tried to deduct that portion -by square foot- of mortgage, heat and light as a business expense) and got nailed by the IRS because in THEIR view the anethesiologist's principal place of business was the hospital.

anyway, I know you're not deducting home expenses (oh btw, keep your receipts on all of the money you're spending on renovation, when you sell you can deduct the reno expenses from the sale price so your tax isn't so high. But if you use that money to buy another home, you get a pass on the taxes.) so that's not your problem. I'm pretty sure that you could deduct the auto expenses ... you don't need receipts it's a standard $/mile that takes into account gas, depreciation etc ... but you're probably better off not even trying.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, February 1, 2020 8:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Are you on antibiotics now, SIX? I hope so!

Nah.. I neglected to pick them up yet. They're ready for me though. Nice and sunny and very warm tomorrow. Going to go out and enjoy the sun that hasn't been out in weeks now. :)

Feeling much better today though overall and the pain is almost completely gone even in the bad spots. I may or may not take them right away. It's always nice to have a stash of antibiotics on hand if I don't need them right now.

Quote:
I read the portion of the tax code that you posted... it's clear as mud. I know that the IRS is very very strict on declaring part of your home as your "place of business" ... there was an anesthesiologist who billed from home and declared the home office a place of business (and tried to deduct that portion -by square foot- of mortgage, heat and light as a business expense) and got nailed by the IRS because in THEIR view the anethesiologist's principal place of business was the hospital.

anyway, I know you're not deducting home expenses (oh btw, keep your receipts on all of the money you're spending on renovation, when you sell you can deduct the reno expenses from the sale price so your tax isn't so high. But if you use that money to buy another home, you get a pass on the taxes.) so that's not your problem. I'm pretty sure that you could deduct the auto expenses ... you don't need receipts it's a standard $/mile that takes into account gas, depreciation etc ... but you're probably better off not even trying.

I already sent them in without trying to claim any mileage deductions. I may try to do a 1040X next year and recoup that by writing the mileage off. I figure this way at least I paid the maximum in full up front as a show of good faith. That way if they don't agree, the worst that can happen is they just flat out deny my 1040X and give me the exact reason why.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Sunday, February 2, 2020 11:12 PM

No snow where I am but other areas have some.

Fun morning. Fire alarm went off while I was in the shower. So I was stuck.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 1:15 AM

Jeez...

How long? Everything okay now?

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 1:27 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
No snow where I am but other areas have some.

Fun morning. Fire alarm went off while I was in the shower. So I was stuck.

The fire alarm AGAIN??!!! DANG!!! That seems really annoying.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 2:40 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Hey Brenda, I have a ?? about your apartment building: Does it have a sprinkler system? Does it have emergency lights? Clearly marked and lighted exit signs?

If no sprinklers, does it have TWO stairwells, on opposite sides of the building, that can be used to evacuate in case of fire? We just recently had a high-rise apartment fire that killed two people, and this building wasn't required to have sprinklers since it was an older one and was "grandfathered" in. About a dozen people were pulled off the roof by helicopter.

Which reminds me of that horrible fire in England, the Grenfell fire

So I hope you have several evacuation routes planned ... preferably to the ground floor because there's no assurance that anyone could be evacuated from a rooftop ... and an idea what to do next if one route is blocked. For example, if you start down one stairwell and encounter a lot of smoke, are you able to exit that stairwell, cross the building (touching and counting doors as you go if there's too much smoke to see) and access another one? Do you have a flashlight or three charged and handy? (Here in earthquake country we have one in every room, plus special battery-powered "nightlights" that plug into a socket and only turn on in the dark when the power goes out.) Look into it, grab your flashlight, walk the building and the routes even in the dark, make sure that the exit doors are unlocked (In some public buildings here you can exit into the stairwell but not re-enter into the building except at the ground floor ... that kinda makes an alternate evacuation route impossible to access) etc. Mentally prepare yourself, but nothing beats actual walk-thru practice, which will carry your thru in times of stress. Check it out, walk thru your plan a few times a year.

Other than that ... carry on!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 2:54 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

So over at this end ... I read in your post KIKI that you're still wheezing and bubbling. I'm still coughing and occasionally wheezing but the bubbling seems to have stopped. I had a coincidental appointment with my PCP and I'm loaded up with all kinds of asthma medication but I have to say ... I'm not sure they're helping, and I'm tired of being tired. I mean, overall I'm way better than I was 2 1/2 weeks ago when I was in bed with the covers over my head shaking with chills, but ... still... some days just walking the dog gets me out of breath! I just started picking up the pieces about four days ago, but "things to do" are piling up way faster than my ability to handle them!

So I'm thinking about this coronavirus and, like you, imagining that if I were ever to get it I'd be the one in the hospital dying of pneumonia.

Supposedly the "regular" flu has a death rate of about 0.4%. A death rate of 2-4% is way higher than the plain-old flu, and altho not like Ebola if enuf people get it, it could really rattle an economy.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 3:46 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Just household kind of stuff ... there are a lot more scrub jays in the neighborhood than I anticipated! Because I've been sick I haven't been putting peanuts out for the crittrs, so this AM I finally managed to toss out several handfuls.

Well, I don't know who rang the breakfast bell ... I gotta say, it works better than our social media! ... but a bunch of ravens and FIVE scrub jays showed up for breakfast, as well as a yellow warbler (not a big fan of peanuts, I don't know why it showed up), a couple of squirrels and the usual mockingbirds.

Plus, our dog is in heat. We haven't spayed her because by the time she started living in our backyard and became ours she had already passed any possible reduction of risk factor for mammary tumor, and spaying would just increase the risk of urinary incontinence. So for the time being, she is a whole- if occasionally messy!- dog. But we have to put her in her carrier at night.and because she's so cold sensitive I put a bunch of rags in the bottom and a heating pad across the top along with a towel to hold the heat in.

I had to irrigate the entire yard yesterday (which meant I had to fix a couple of sprinkler-heads) January was such a bust rain-wise. I'll probably irrigate again tomorrow; better to deeply water less often.

And dear daughter and I managed to make eggs Benedict with Hollandaise sauce. She has been bugging and bugging and bugging me about it for months after she ordered it in a couple of local restaurants. I know she "hates fat" and despite the fact that I've told her many times that Hollandaise sauce is just a mixture of melted butter and egg yolks, we did manage to make a sorta-OK sauce to top the poached eggs/Canadian bacon/bagel and she wants to make it again.

Time for me to toddle off. I decongested and rinsed my nose thoroughly and inhaled all the meds I'm supposed to, taken all the pills and drunk all of the liquids* and I hope to god I sleep better than I have been for the past I don't know how long!

* This reminds me of the LAST big flu I had, literally right before my scheduled excisional biopsy. I was so sick, they canceled the surgery and my PCP worked mighty hard to get me helthy enough for the next time-slot: breathing treatments, two rounds of azithormycin, oral steroids, anti-asthma meds and shit I've even forgotten. I'm not sure any of that pushed my recovery forward faster than cough syrup, steam-breathing, and albuterol would have. Wondering if I have something a little different than asthma going on...

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 4:50 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

My energy levels are down and up, then down again. I'm way better than at the start when I wasn't sure I could help myself if I got any sicker. But I sometimes go to bed feeling like I have some energy, and the next AM I'm wiped out, and more than half the day is shot until I can manage to do something ... little. I try to do at least one little thing. But I too am falling way behind. And I noticed that my left lung isn't expanding much. So I try to do some deep inhales w/ pursed lip exhales from time to time during the day. And sometimes my lungs are quiet, sometimes wheezing, sometimes bubbling, and sometimes both.

Signy, you're probably in bed already, but I hope you sleep well, too. Goodnight.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 12:54 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

I'm past the bubbling stage (I think). Possibly the meds really ARE doing something for me: Advair inhaler, montelukast pill, albuterol (inhaler, as needed), nasal rinse of budesonide and mupirocin, plus ... on my own ... cough syrup, nasal decongestant, humidification/steam breathing, and the occasional "gargle with vodka". Seems to have been helping. No longer coughing up green chunks from my lungs, it's mostly clear and thin, but I STILL feel a "catch" with every breath and occasionally uncontrollable spasmodic coughing. When I DO cough hard, I kinda get woozy. My thinking is super-fuzzy ... I keep forgetting where I put things etc.

Maybe you need a chest x-ray for pneumonia??? Make a same-day? Or go to a local urgent care? You might get some helpful meds from a doc; sounds like you could use some!

When you say "do something little", like .... HOW "little" do you mean? Yesterday I did three sinksful of dishes, threw peanuts out for the little critters, did a half-week's-worth of grocery shopping (but dear daughter put the groceries away), managed to do 20 minutes of weeding but didn't walk the dog except for a couple of trips across the street, and made beef, bean, and cheese burritos for dinner. Also, took a 2-hour nap!

I consider that to be VERY unproductive day. My previous night's sleep was shit and my energy levels were frustratingly low. How does that compare to your days? About the same?

Also, dear daughter is still coughing altho her energy levels appear to be better than mine, hubby is not coughing at all anymore and he's been woodworking (planing, sawing, chiseling wood to make a bed platform) for about a week so HIS energy levels appear pretty good.

Just trying to give you a metric on how we're all recovering so you can decide if you're making good progress or need extra help.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 1:06 PM

Hope you both feel better soon.

I'm taking the antibodies now. I was able to eat peanuts for the first time last night, so at least I'm at the point where I am able to eat anything I used to eat pre-surgery. Yesterday is the first time I didn't take any Tylenol before eating or going to sleep. I've barely been taking any, but I would still pop a 500mg pill before I ate the last few days.

I think I might call up one of my friends and go out for some chicken or steak this week or next depending on how I'm feeling about it. I haven't been able to eat either for years. I'll feel a lot better about all of this after a belly full of real meat instead of constant hamburger patties.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 1:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Jeez...

How long? Everything okay now?

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Think it was about 5 minutes but yeah everything was alright.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 1:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Hey Brenda, I have a ?? about your apartment building: Does it have a sprinkler system? Does it have emergency lights? Clearly marked and lighted exit signs?

If no sprinklers, does it have TWO stairwells, on opposite sides of the building, that can be used to evacuate in case of fire? We just recently had a high-rise apartment fire that killed two people, and this building wasn't required to have sprinklers since it was an older one and was "grandfathered" in. About a dozen people were pulled off the roof by helicopter.

Which reminds me of that horrible fire in England, the Grenfell fire

So I hope you have several evacuation routes planned ... preferably to the ground floor because there's no assurance that anyone could be evacuated from a rooftop ... and an idea what to do next if one route is blocked. For example, if you start down one stairwell and encounter a lot of smoke, are you able to exit that stairwell, cross the building (touching and counting doors as you go if there's too much smoke to see) and access another one? Do you have a flashlight or three charged and handy? (Here in earthquake country we have one in every room, plus special battery-powered "nightlights" that plug into a socket and only turn on in the dark when the power goes out.) Look into it, grab your flashlight, walk the building and the routes even in the dark, make sure that the exit doors are unlocked (In some public buildings here you can exit into the stairwell but not re-enter into the building except at the ground floor ... that kinda makes an alternate evacuation route impossible to access) etc. Mentally prepare yourself, but nothing beats actual walk-thru practice, which will carry your thru in times of stress. Check it out, walk thru your plan a few times a year.

Other than that ... carry on!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

There is a sprinkler system and stairwells that I can get to. Had to use one of them when the elevators were out a couple of weeks ago. I have small flashlights, I just have to put batteries into them.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 3:19 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

DANG! Signy, I had a whole long response that got 'et' by the website. But in sum - we started out at VASTLY different baselines! Your bad days are like 3 or 4 pre-flu good days for me. My left lung has already improved with breathing exercises and postural drainage. And overall, I've improved quite a bit. I'm probably at 70-80% baseline, but with - yanno - the frequent wheeze, occasional bubble, and of course some bouts of random coughing.

As for your cough-wooziness, you may possibly have 'cough syncope' (so called because some people actually faint after a prolonged bout of coughing), and it's caused by mechanical disruption of circulation to the brain due to coughing. Treatment is cough suppression.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 5:37 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
DANG! Signy, I had a whole long response that got 'et' by the website. But in sum - we started out at VASTLY different baselines! Your bad days are like 3 or 4 pre-flu good days for me. My left lung has already improved with breathing exercises and postural drainage. And overall, I've improved quite a bit. I'm probably at 70-80% baseline, but with - yanno - the frequent wheeze, occasional bubble, and of course some bouts of random coughing.

As for your cough-wooziness, you may possibly have 'cough syncope' (so called because some people actually faint after a prolonged bout of coughing), and it's caused by mechanical disruption of circulation to the brain due to coughing. Treatment is cough suppression.

Just to make sure I understand ... my post-flu "bad days" are like your pre-flu "good days"?

If that's the case, you might want to see a doctor and figure out what's going on!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 5:40 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
SIGNYM: Hey Brenda, I have a ?? about your apartment building: Does it have a sprinkler system? Does it have emergency lights? Clearly marked and lighted exit signs?

If no sprinklers, does it have TWO stairwells, on opposite sides of the building, that can be used to evacuate in case of fire? We just recently had a high-rise apartment fire that killed two people, and this building wasn't required to have sprinklers since it was an older one and was "grandfathered" in. About a dozen people were pulled off the roof by helicopter...

So I hope you have several evacuation routes planned ... preferably to the ground floor because there's no assurance that anyone could be evacuated from a rooftop ... and an idea what to do next if one route is blocked. For example, if you start down one stairwell and encounter a lot of smoke, are you able to exit that stairwell, cross the building (touching and counting doors as you go if there's too much smoke to see) and access another one? Do you have a flashlight or three charged and handy? (Here in earthquake country we have one in every room, plus special battery-powered "nightlights" that plug into a socket and only turn on in the dark when the power goes out.) Look into it, grab your flashlight, walk the building and the routes even in the dark, make sure that the exit doors are unlocked (In some public buildings here you can exit into the stairwell but not re-enter into the building except at the ground floor ... that kinda makes an alternate evacuation route impossible to access) etc. Mentally prepare yourself, but nothing beats actual walk-thru practice, which will carry your thru in times of stress. Check it out, walk thru your plan a few times a year.

Other than that ... carry on!

BRENDA: There is a sprinkler system and stairwells that I can get to. Had to use one of them when the elevators were out a couple of weeks ago. I have small flashlights, I just have to put batteries into them.

My mind is vastly relieved. Get those batteries next time you shop; preparedness never hurt anyone! Othere than that ... carry on!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 11:10 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

So, before I forget - last nite the power went out - not once, not twice, but at least three times that I know of. The first time I was still up. So I went felt my way to the window in total darkness, looked up and down the street - nope, no streetlights on ... no house lights on ... it's the neighborhood, not just me ... might was well go to bed. Then about an hour later I woke up and all the lights were back on - so I went around rebooting the DVR, fixing the clocks, re-starting the air cleaners, turning out the lights except for the couple I leave on - and I was in back in bed for no more than a few minutes when it went out, again. So I said to myself to hell with it and went back to sleep. Sometime later, I woke up and the hall light was back on, and I thought to myself, well, I guess I'll get to everything tomorrow. Woke up again and all the lights were back off, again. But I slept till pretty late, so if there were anymore ons and offs, I didn't track them. And when I got up this AM, the power was back on.

OF COURSE I couldn't go online last night to report or read information about the outage @ SoCalEd because ... no power. And when I looked today, it's as if it never happened.

Nothing happened ... nothing to see ... move along.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 11:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:
SIGNYM: Hey Brenda, I have a ?? about your apartment building: Does it have a sprinkler system? Does it have emergency lights? Clearly marked and lighted exit signs?

Other than that ... carry on!

BRENDA: There is a sprinkler system and stairwells that I can get to. Had to use one of them when the elevators were out a couple of weeks ago. I have small flashlights, I just have to put batteries into them.
My mind is vastly relieved. Get those batteries next time you shop; preparedness never hurt anyone! Othere than that ... carry on!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

Yeah, I just have to check what size batteries they take.

That is very true.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, February 3, 2020 11:28 PM

Another good day today. Weather is still calling for snow but still dry where I am. So, we shall see.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 2:13 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
So, before I forget - last nite the power went out - not once, not twice, but at least three times that I know of. The first time I was still up. So I went felt my way to the window in total darkness, looked up and down the street - nope, no streetlights on ... no house lights on ... it's the neighborhood, not just me ... might was well go to bed. Then about an hour later I woke up and all the lights were back on - so I went around rebooting the DVR, fixing the clocks, re-starting the air cleaners, turning out the lights except for the couple I leave on - and I was in back in bed for no more than a few minutes when it went out, again. So I said to myself to hell with it and went back to sleep. Sometime later, I woke up and the hall light was back on, and I thought to myself, well, I guess I'll get to everything tomorrow. Woke up again and all the lights were back off, again. But I slept till pretty late, so if there were anymore ons and offs, I didn't track them. And when I got up this AM, the power was back on.

OF COURSE I couldn't go online last night to report or read information about the outage @ SoCalEd because ... no power. And when I looked today, it's as if it never happened.

Nothing happened ... nothing to see ... move along.

Yep, except for those blinking lights on your clocks, microwave, oven, DVR etc demanding a "reset" you would never know.

Was it very windy that night?

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 2:14 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Another good day today. Weather is still calling for snow but still dry where I am. So, we shall see.

I hope your weather stays dry!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 2:19 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Was it very windy that night?

Deader than a door nail.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 3:03 PM

Lights good now?

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 3:22 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

YEP! Lights are on, somebody's home!

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 5:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Another good day today. Weather is still calling for snow but still dry where I am. So, we shall see.
I hope your weather stays dry!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

Well that hope was dashed over night. The snow is baaaaaaaaack.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 5:09 PM

It was 50 degrees here yesterday. Finally had some sun around these parts. Back to gloomy February weather now though. :(

It's been warm though, and not much snow. I can't complain about this winter at all.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, February 5, 2020 3:15 AM