Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[Mini Horses]

I AM THRILLED FOR YOU --

Can't wait for you to tell us all the wonderful things you will HAVE TIME TO DO.....it's always about time.

Have to admit, Jan 1 I will feel a tiny bit jealous. But I will still need to continue work for a while to be comfortable with it. I'm getting there!!! Been working on the revamp needed to make it happen. I'm slowing down the outside work and hoping to ramp up the farm "stuff". Got final approval on my mortgage modification, to lower rate, shorten years & slightly lower payment. Wanted THAT done before I quit -- looks better to them if you're working.

Spring should be a fiasco....want to ramp farm work and it's busiest time for those resets I do in stores. But, dropped one of four assigned stores, so some relief there. May drop another. IT makes for a smoother "slide into it" transition when I just cutback first. Like milking chores -- 5 one week, 4 the next, 3 the next.... Then one day, you are finding it all "OK" with just 2 good producers. When I add the meat goats I will cut back size of herd of milkers. Meat ones will be just that -- produce meat for sale and use. Feed, grow, sell. Winter fencing prep coming up.

I am praying for a decent Spring, not RAIN for weeks like 2019. Really need a garden growing this year!!

How's DH hand surgeries doing? And your dental marathon? Is DH enjoying his retirement or is it starting to set in and maybe "challenge" him? I know you mentioned how he so enjoyed the working jobs, just not the stress of it. Retirement has it's pros/cons.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

@flowerbug Can’t use it all up, unfortunately. I have the max-192 hours. I am already taking a day a month so that I’m not losing it by being maxed out. When I found out that I could retire at the end of this semester with a full year of service I jumped on it. I originally thought I’d have to go into next year. So basically I was gifted a couple of months. At that point it was too late to use ALL of the vacation. Besides vacation time I had over 100 hours of comp time (that they won’t pay out) to use up. Just not enough time left on my work clock to use it all up. That’s the reward I get for being such a dedicated employee all those years.... My retirement check won’t be the main source of income- thank goodness!

Off today to go to a doc appt with DH. Getting a taste of retirement life by having my coffee in the hot tub!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Have to admit, Jan 1 I will feel a tiny bit jealous.

Don't wait that long! My last actual day to go to work will be Dec. 13th. After that the rest of the month is Christmas break.

Got final approval on my mortgage modification, to lower rate, shorten years & slightly lower payment. Wanted THAT done before I quit -- looks better to them if you're working.

That's fantastic - congrats on getting that done! That will bring some relief for sure.

I'd love a spring that we didn't spend underwater... ugh. So tired of it - even though we are drying out more quickly these days with the new area that neighbor and I cleaned out and cut a depression into - water drains off of both of our properties much faster now.

DH has healed completely from the first hand surgery. Haven't scheduled the second one yet. Working on getting him cleared for a gastric sleeve. Have an appointment for that today. It's not looking so good however - he's not heavy enough. His BMI isn't high enough - but his doc(s) are advocating because of all his other issues...diabetes...sleep apnea...high everything, lol. Hope it works out - but we're not counting on it necessarily.

My dental insurance carrier changed and new benefits don't pick back up until January. I'll finish up then. I'll be glad to get behind me!

 

[Mini Horses]

Dental....AAAAGHHHH. I've never had dental insurance. But with the Advantage plan I have just switched to from orig Medicare, I will have. LOL Plus, a little toward vision...it all helps because I have teeth & wear glasses. OTC gives me "free aspirin & band aids for life" And I use a lot of band aids. Another of my "getting ready" changes.

Odd what we overlook until we really get serious.

Hoping the sleeve thing gets approved. I know the main issue is that it helps with the diabetes. Here's hoping

 

[frustratedearthmother]

No go on insurance covering the gastric sleeve. BCBS only covers the "primary" insurance holder - that would be me. I don't even get their reasoning - they get their premiums on both of us - so why does it matter who they cover? I'm beyond bummed - and DH is just depressed. We could pay cash - at 14K. Or we could check around... I know there are "centers" that aren't priced that high. OR - we could at least try to do it the old fashioned way. I told him I'd jump on the diet bandwagon with him and we'd do it together. I'd be ok with losing some poundage too! Bad time of year to start a diet, lol.

 

[flowerbug]

No go on insurance covering the gastric sleeve. BCBS only covers the "primary" insurance holder - that would be me. I don't even get their reasoning - they get their premiums on both of us - so why does it matter who they cover? I'm beyond bummed - and DH is just depressed. We could pay cash - at 14K. Or we could check around... I know there are "centers" that aren't priced that high. OR - we could at least try to do it the old fashioned way. I told him I'd jump on the diet bandwagon with him and we'd do it together. I'd be ok with losing some poundage too! Bad time of year to start a diet, lol.

every little bit helps! hard in the winter, i know, i struggle just to keep it steady through the colder months. trying hard to get extra off before winter, anything i can do will make next year easier. i feel so much better without it so that is the big incentive i have now to just hold the line or take off a few more.

dental stuff is crazy! Mom has needed some implants and not having insurance has really run us some $, but i figure that all the years without paying those premiums we're coming out ok. i just hope that this one is the last one for her for a while.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

My next dental visit (with insurance) will be over 5K - insurance will cover 2K for the year! I'm into this dental work for over 10K now - with insurance. I'm sitting here with two titanium screws in my head - just waiting for the teeth. So annoying.

About to make lunch...we have a rotisserie baked chicken that I'm thinking about turning into soup. Actually, more of a gumbo-esque type soup. No rice of course - but cauliflower rice might suffice.

Poor DH - he got all fired up to be active and went outside with me. He was gathering up some fallen branches and piling them up when what happens? What happens every time he tries to go outside and do something? He has a hypoglycemic episode because he's getting a constant insulin drip from his pump. He has GOT to remember to suspend the insulin when he's doing some type of physical work. One of the reasons he shies away from working at a lot of physical labor. Sigh.... I didn't think about it either - so we're both going to have to make that a priority.

 

[flowerbug]

that would be scary.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It's no fun for sure - especially for him.

Did some goat maintenance today. Went out and checked membranes and wormed the ones that needed it. Mostly the Nubians - of course. The kiko crosses look great! I did, however, worm one that seemed to take neutering especially hard and was fairly stressed. His weight went down and he was looking a little peaked - so he got dosed.

Also wormed a few pigs. A couple of the gals who've been nursing babies were down a little - so they got a treat. Apple flavored Ivermectin horse wormer - does a body good. These silly gals sucked it right outta the tube. Its sure nice to have docile pigs!

The Kinder buck has probably run off 10 lbs chasing the girls lol. I've seen him after several so maybe we will have some babies in the spring. Chester was after the pygmy doe today! Yay - I want some more pygmy babies.

The gumbo-ish soup was really good! Nice and spicy along with being low calorie and low carb.

Back to work tomorrow - ugh. I'm trying not to get a bad case of "short-timers" but it's soooo hard!

 

[Mini Horses]

Back to work tomorrow - ugh. I'm trying not to get a bad case of "short-timers" but it's soooo hard!