Happy New Year's Eve....
I am headed back to the Social Security office today. I was there yesterday. Still not being paid. All I found out yesterday was that the last effort to pay me resulted in the money being returned with yet another Death Tag. David, the man at the Fairbanks office I have been dealing with was not in... he had been off for a week... but he will be in today. So, I will make the 10 minute trip back to Social Security to see what progress we have made. I will be doing this every day, until I get my money deposited into my account. ( I am suspecting that there is still a flag in the ACH department at the bank, but I am hoping we can follow the last attempted deposit to see where it hit the skids to be sure!)
I have begun opening more boxes in between my last post and this one. I have also used the snow blower to clear off my driveway. It is more physically demanding than plowing with the truck, but I think we would be running out of places to plow the snow if we were plowing. The snow blowing disperses the snow much better and because it is generally a very light and fluffy snow, that makes it easy. The only issue is that The driveway here is HUGE! All flat, but HUGE, so it takes about 2 hours to get a good clearing. The good news.... when I do blow the driveway... I make my 10,000 step fitness goal very easily.
Tonight Rob and Kate will be here to watch the 8 PM fireworks. We will be celebrating the end of this most interesting year AND the 4th of July. They do not do 4th of July fireworks in Fairbanks because it doesn't get dark early enough to have them when people might be awake.
SO.... wishing you a Happy New Year. I had a video call with Sharon yesterday and I did a video call with Sheila and my cousin, Linda. I purchased a Facebook Portal TV and gave one to my son, Brian. So anyone who uses Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp on your phone, I can call you too. So, be looking for my face to pop up on your phone or tablet! Despite my SSA issues, it is going to be a GREAT 2020!!!
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
White Christmas and more SSA issues....
Merry Christmas...
It started out with a new couple of inches of snow on the ground and 8 degrees below zero. Sun rose at 11:00 AM and set at 2:43 PM. Rob and Kate rose before me but we all stood in line to make our Egg/sausage/cheese muffins for breakfast.
I got started on dinner immediately. I seasoned and vacuum sealed a 6 pound prime rib and plopped it into a water bath at 136 degrees and it gently cooked in there for 8 hours. Added fried Brussel sprouts, baked potatoes and a lovely salad along with a strawberry rhubarb by a vineyard locally called Bear Paw.
It was delish. But then we managed to clog up the sink on the disposal side and we worked on several things before finally getting it cleared with hot boiling water. It is always something when you have fancy appliances in your kitchen. I think it is fancy, anyway, as I have not had one in a kitchen for well over 40 years.
SSA... well, still no money. I called my "guy" at SSA in Fairbanks and left him a message for when he returns to work. I gave him the numbers of the lady in Alabama who fixes suspended accounts and the Senior Banker at the branch in Fairbanks and asked him to work with them to find out what is wrong. Then I went to the mailbox to find a letter from SSA that listed the lump sum they are planning to pay me and then my new monthly amount.... which is over half of what I have been getting. Seems they may have dropped off my widow's benefit from Rudy's account. I called SSA guy again, told him what was happening and said.... FIX IT!!!!!
I am so beyond tired of all of this!! So very, very tired of the stress!
Tomorrow we take Rob and Kate's new car to the shop to be examined and hopefully diagnosed and fixed. Then we are going to A Weaver's Yarn, the shop that our friend Susan runs for her Boxing Day Sale. Then, maybe to the Restaurant Supply store in Fairbanks, if it is open.
I also need to apologize to many of you who have been making comments on my blog. They (the blog) are supposed to email me when people comment so I can approve them for publication. I am guessing that the email system from that is flawed as I wandered into my "comments" section and found a ton of comments. I promise to check there more often. Thanks for all of the wonderful comments. SO happy that you are enjoying my journey into my new life.
But... I am hoping for an end to all of this SSA stuff and an end to 2019. Ready for the perfect vision of a year... 2020!!
Prayers and good thoughts are welcomed.....
It started out with a new couple of inches of snow on the ground and 8 degrees below zero. Sun rose at 11:00 AM and set at 2:43 PM. Rob and Kate rose before me but we all stood in line to make our Egg/sausage/cheese muffins for breakfast.
I got started on dinner immediately. I seasoned and vacuum sealed a 6 pound prime rib and plopped it into a water bath at 136 degrees and it gently cooked in there for 8 hours. Added fried Brussel sprouts, baked potatoes and a lovely salad along with a strawberry rhubarb by a vineyard locally called Bear Paw.
It was delish. But then we managed to clog up the sink on the disposal side and we worked on several things before finally getting it cleared with hot boiling water. It is always something when you have fancy appliances in your kitchen. I think it is fancy, anyway, as I have not had one in a kitchen for well over 40 years.
SSA... well, still no money. I called my "guy" at SSA in Fairbanks and left him a message for when he returns to work. I gave him the numbers of the lady in Alabama who fixes suspended accounts and the Senior Banker at the branch in Fairbanks and asked him to work with them to find out what is wrong. Then I went to the mailbox to find a letter from SSA that listed the lump sum they are planning to pay me and then my new monthly amount.... which is over half of what I have been getting. Seems they may have dropped off my widow's benefit from Rudy's account. I called SSA guy again, told him what was happening and said.... FIX IT!!!!!
I am so beyond tired of all of this!! So very, very tired of the stress!
Tomorrow we take Rob and Kate's new car to the shop to be examined and hopefully diagnosed and fixed. Then we are going to A Weaver's Yarn, the shop that our friend Susan runs for her Boxing Day Sale. Then, maybe to the Restaurant Supply store in Fairbanks, if it is open.
I also need to apologize to many of you who have been making comments on my blog. They (the blog) are supposed to email me when people comment so I can approve them for publication. I am guessing that the email system from that is flawed as I wandered into my "comments" section and found a ton of comments. I promise to check there more often. Thanks for all of the wonderful comments. SO happy that you are enjoying my journey into my new life.
But... I am hoping for an end to all of this SSA stuff and an end to 2019. Ready for the perfect vision of a year... 2020!!
Prayers and good thoughts are welcomed.....
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Sick kid and an ailing, brand new car...
Rob is sick. Not the flu, but perhaps Norovirus. They have had it before and Rob says it feels like it did when they had Noro. Not only is it just before their Christmas break, but they are supposed to be flying to Florida for 10 days in early January. Not a good way to begin the new year.
Rob stayed home last night and slept when he was not in the bathroom. Kate and I played games at Susan and Martin's house until about 11:00 PM. We played a card game called "House of Danger". It has five sections and in each one the group of people who are playing take turns reading a story card, deciding what option to pursue and gathering items needed to progress in the game with goals for each level. The group decides on the options and it can result in good things or demise. We did not succeed in the end, but it was a fun game that can be played by a fair amount of folks at one time. We learned what to do the next time so we might have a better chance of winning the final level.
Kate and I packed up, unplugged their new car from the electric that was keeping fluids and metals in the engine warm enough to use in the way below zero temps. We drove to my home, with not a single problem, where she and Rob packed up to drive to their home. Rob said that when he started their new car that lots of the dashboard warning lights came on and stayed on. But all he wanted to do was get home to his own bad.
That was not to happen.
He called me about 10 minutes or so after they left and said they were coming back. Their car was not acting right and they doubted that it was going to make it to their house. Rob was not even sure that it would get back to me. I told him to call if he needed me to come pick them up. Going into constant prayer mode, I turned on lights inside and out... as I was already to crawl into bed.... and waited until I saw their car pull into the driveway. They unloaded their stuff saying that something was wrong and headed for bed. Rob got up and outside twice, once to plug the car in to my electric and once to retrieve his favorite coffee travel mug from freezing up and perhaps being damaged inside the car.
This morning Rob went out and started the car up. The check engine light was coming on and the "S" indicator was flashing. It took some time, but the flashing symbol is a sign of something wrong, so he made an online appointment for Thursday for the car to be checked out. They took my Gaddy the Caddy out this afternoon. Drove to their house on the mountain where they packed up food and clothing and medicine and returned here where they will be until they get their car repaired. Gaddy did well traveling the roads up to their place and easily managed going up the hill that is their driveway, so I have to say that Gaddy is proving to be a very reliable, Alaska car. If someone could please let Parmalle and Noah know, I would appreciate it. Most folks use Toyota or Subaru All Wheel drive cars. I thought I might have trouble with my Caddy. But her front-wheel drive and traction control seem to be plenty to get wherever I might want or need to go.
So, the sun is setting here... it is just a little after 3 PM. I am still in my pj's and will probably stay in them until tomorrow. Chances are I will be without Gaddy so that Rob and Kate can get to work. We have an afternoon appointment to finish my Estate Trust, Will and Medical directives and make changes in the deed on this house so we can get the maximum property tax deductions in 2020 on both of the houses.
Then we kick back, enjoy spending Christmas together and hope that Rob will get over his bug quickly and that neither Kate or I come down with it. Prayers accepted.....
Rob stayed home last night and slept when he was not in the bathroom. Kate and I played games at Susan and Martin's house until about 11:00 PM. We played a card game called "House of Danger". It has five sections and in each one the group of people who are playing take turns reading a story card, deciding what option to pursue and gathering items needed to progress in the game with goals for each level. The group decides on the options and it can result in good things or demise. We did not succeed in the end, but it was a fun game that can be played by a fair amount of folks at one time. We learned what to do the next time so we might have a better chance of winning the final level.
Kate and I packed up, unplugged their new car from the electric that was keeping fluids and metals in the engine warm enough to use in the way below zero temps. We drove to my home, with not a single problem, where she and Rob packed up to drive to their home. Rob said that when he started their new car that lots of the dashboard warning lights came on and stayed on. But all he wanted to do was get home to his own bad.
That was not to happen.
He called me about 10 minutes or so after they left and said they were coming back. Their car was not acting right and they doubted that it was going to make it to their house. Rob was not even sure that it would get back to me. I told him to call if he needed me to come pick them up. Going into constant prayer mode, I turned on lights inside and out... as I was already to crawl into bed.... and waited until I saw their car pull into the driveway. They unloaded their stuff saying that something was wrong and headed for bed. Rob got up and outside twice, once to plug the car in to my electric and once to retrieve his favorite coffee travel mug from freezing up and perhaps being damaged inside the car.
This morning Rob went out and started the car up. The check engine light was coming on and the "S" indicator was flashing. It took some time, but the flashing symbol is a sign of something wrong, so he made an online appointment for Thursday for the car to be checked out. They took my Gaddy the Caddy out this afternoon. Drove to their house on the mountain where they packed up food and clothing and medicine and returned here where they will be until they get their car repaired. Gaddy did well traveling the roads up to their place and easily managed going up the hill that is their driveway, so I have to say that Gaddy is proving to be a very reliable, Alaska car. If someone could please let Parmalle and Noah know, I would appreciate it. Most folks use Toyota or Subaru All Wheel drive cars. I thought I might have trouble with my Caddy. But her front-wheel drive and traction control seem to be plenty to get wherever I might want or need to go.
So, the sun is setting here... it is just a little after 3 PM. I am still in my pj's and will probably stay in them until tomorrow. Chances are I will be without Gaddy so that Rob and Kate can get to work. We have an afternoon appointment to finish my Estate Trust, Will and Medical directives and make changes in the deed on this house so we can get the maximum property tax deductions in 2020 on both of the houses.
Then we kick back, enjoy spending Christmas together and hope that Rob will get over his bug quickly and that neither Kate or I come down with it. Prayers accepted.....
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Not finished, yet....
Hello from the longest night, shortest day of the year. I did see sunlight today. I managed to walk out to my mailbox today during the light, but it was short-lived. The good thing is that starting tomorrow the night will get shorter and the day will grow longer until the Summer Solstice when it will be reversed.
Still not being paid from Social Security. The flag is now gone in the ACH department at the bank. Yes, even after Treasury removed their death flag, my money was not getting into my account. But it was getting to the bank and then being returned.
The young man who is the senior banker, had assured me several weeks ago that there was nothing hidden anywhere in the bank that would prevent my money from reaching me. But once Treasury removed the flag, the folks who are working with me could clearly see it being rejected from the bank.
So, I call and am told that there were no holds or flags. SO I asked for a direct number to the ACH department. Thank goodness I had worked at Jefferson Bank for 14 years and knew what the ACH department was all about.
I spoke to Mary in ACH and she seemed somewhat surprised by a customer calling into that department, but she was able to confirm that there indeed was a flag that was causing the deposit to be returned to SSA. She had no idea what I needed to do to get the thing removed, so I called the branch back and spoke to the same Senior Banker to explain what I had found. He sounded surprised that I had gone ahead and done what he should have done in the first place and that I had discovered that there was indeed a flag causing my money, now a nice little bundle, I might add... to be bounced back to Treasury.
My contact at the Fairbanks office... I have his direct line... indicated that the payment had been attempted but bounced before the flag had been removed at the bank. He was going to put it through again. But I also knew, that a bounced payment was going to suspend my account, so the first thing the next morning was to call Candace in Alabama. I have her direct number, too. She verified that my account was indeed, suspended. She asked her questions and removed it, so hopefully in the next couple of working days, I will be back on track. Stay tuned!!!
We are in a bit of a cold snap here in Fairbanks. It is currently 32 degrees BELOW zero. It got up to -29 today and will remain in that range tomorrow. It is cold enough, that when you step outside and take your first breath through your nose, the nose hairs inside your nose freeze solid and then you can feel them trying to move with each breath you take.
The dogs can step out for a minute or two before the cold burns their paw pads, so they are using their pee pads and not being yelled at. It is just too cold. I try to be well covered when I go out as you just do not feel how cold it is but it is actually quick freezing anything that is exposed.
We did get new garage door installed. The door I use for Gaddy the Caddy and to take the dogs outside had stopped working correctly. It was old and not very efficient, so we replaced not only the opener, but the entire door. It is soooooo very nice. Belt driven and so quiet, I am not really sure it is running until I see the door going up.
I am ready for the holidays, as much as I can be. I have some gifts for friends in PA/MD. But they are not going to make it out until after Christmas. So, think of them as New Year's gifts, if you are one who is getting one.
Game night, tonight. Rob is not feeling well. He has been asleep in their bedroom since they got here at 2 PMish. So Kate and I are going to the game venue with dessert and Christmas exchange gifts. Should be a fun night!!
Still not being paid from Social Security. The flag is now gone in the ACH department at the bank. Yes, even after Treasury removed their death flag, my money was not getting into my account. But it was getting to the bank and then being returned.
The young man who is the senior banker, had assured me several weeks ago that there was nothing hidden anywhere in the bank that would prevent my money from reaching me. But once Treasury removed the flag, the folks who are working with me could clearly see it being rejected from the bank.
So, I call and am told that there were no holds or flags. SO I asked for a direct number to the ACH department. Thank goodness I had worked at Jefferson Bank for 14 years and knew what the ACH department was all about.
I spoke to Mary in ACH and she seemed somewhat surprised by a customer calling into that department, but she was able to confirm that there indeed was a flag that was causing the deposit to be returned to SSA. She had no idea what I needed to do to get the thing removed, so I called the branch back and spoke to the same Senior Banker to explain what I had found. He sounded surprised that I had gone ahead and done what he should have done in the first place and that I had discovered that there was indeed a flag causing my money, now a nice little bundle, I might add... to be bounced back to Treasury.
My contact at the Fairbanks office... I have his direct line... indicated that the payment had been attempted but bounced before the flag had been removed at the bank. He was going to put it through again. But I also knew, that a bounced payment was going to suspend my account, so the first thing the next morning was to call Candace in Alabama. I have her direct number, too. She verified that my account was indeed, suspended. She asked her questions and removed it, so hopefully in the next couple of working days, I will be back on track. Stay tuned!!!
We are in a bit of a cold snap here in Fairbanks. It is currently 32 degrees BELOW zero. It got up to -29 today and will remain in that range tomorrow. It is cold enough, that when you step outside and take your first breath through your nose, the nose hairs inside your nose freeze solid and then you can feel them trying to move with each breath you take.
The dogs can step out for a minute or two before the cold burns their paw pads, so they are using their pee pads and not being yelled at. It is just too cold. I try to be well covered when I go out as you just do not feel how cold it is but it is actually quick freezing anything that is exposed.
We did get new garage door installed. The door I use for Gaddy the Caddy and to take the dogs outside had stopped working correctly. It was old and not very efficient, so we replaced not only the opener, but the entire door. It is soooooo very nice. Belt driven and so quiet, I am not really sure it is running until I see the door going up.
I am ready for the holidays, as much as I can be. I have some gifts for friends in PA/MD. But they are not going to make it out until after Christmas. So, think of them as New Year's gifts, if you are one who is getting one.
Game night, tonight. Rob is not feeling well. He has been asleep in their bedroom since they got here at 2 PMish. So Kate and I are going to the game venue with dessert and Christmas exchange gifts. Should be a fun night!!
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Soooooo, this death thing still sucks.....
I do not know how anyone who is living on Social Security only could survive being erroneously declared dead! I am fortunate in that I have the means to continue to live and pay bills and buy food and medicine without the benefit of any payment from Social Security since being declared deceased. But my patience is wearing thin... very, very thin.
I have dealt with Candace in Alabama, twice. She indicated that the "technicians" were working on the solution to my payments not being made. I was going to give them to the end of this past week, but in the middle of it all, I got a call from David at the local SSA office in Fairbanks. We played phone tag and he finally left a message that he thought he had found the reason and for me not to worry.
We finally spoke and he had found out that while Social Security and Medicare had gotten back on the living bandwagon, Treasury had flagged the payments and they never even reached my bank. He thought he had rectified it all and that I would see a double payment being made either Thursday night or Friday night. I am here to tell you that there still must be a problem as I have seen no deposit into my account and there is nothing pending for Monday, either!!! Needless to say, I will be calling David on Monday morning. But at least I now have a single contact to call and he can handle the rest. He told me they are calling me Lazarus, as I keep being risen from the dead!!! I really and truly hope that none of you have to experience this. It is awful.
I have been getting a raft of paperwork from my investments. I am now needing to prove to them all that I am living. I have already had to get one of the forms notarized. David is going to be sending out a letter from the Fairbanks office that I will be able to send to those who require forms being filled out. The next thing is dealing with the notations on my credit reporting agencies. This is a nightmare. I have even had to ask my new eye doctor to resubmit the medical claim to Medicare as it was denied because the "service occurred after the date of my death".
But, life goes on. I did a lot of shopping this week. I needed to get a couple of things from Home Depot. While there, I found LARGE ornaments for decorating. I got 5 and have hung them, along with two beautiful fake Poinsettias and then a string of LED lights wrapped in red/gold tinsel garland. Nothing outlandish and will go nicely with the decorations I brought from Parkesburg that I have not found yet.... next year. I did hang the folded Christmas Tree we made last year at Sew Much Love and I have a couple of lanterns on the dining room table and the living room table. Looks festive. Pictures below.
I found the Nutcracker themed Nutcrackers at Fred Meyers. I got the Prince/King and the Mouse King. I did so enjoy seeing a live production of the Nutcracker last weekend. So I am adding some of that story into my decorations.
Here is the full decoration on the front of the house. The ornaments and garland in the window and the tree hanging on the wall.
This is the coffee table in the living room. I have not yet found all of the books and stuff that goes inside the table. And I have not found my container of table runners. I have Christmas ones, but they are in the container that is still in the boxes in the garage.
This is a closeup of just the window. It was taken during the precious little bit of sunlight that we can get every day. You can see the winter wonderland view that I have out of my window. The tall pine trees are black spruce and you see them everywhere as one drives along in Alaska. The snow stays on the branches until the wind knocks it off. It is really a lovely view and it is quite calming for me. You feel God's wondrous hand in all of this land that surrounds me. It is a very similar feeling to the view that I had on the deck at Fancy Gap.
I am having to leave my car out in the bitter cold for a few days. Thursday night I had taken the dogs out for their final walk before bed. I have been going out the front, through the garage doors as it is easier to get in and out that way. But when I got back inside and pushed the button to close the door, nothing happened. I put the dogs in, grabbed my step stool and went back into the garage. We knew the doors and openers were old and would need to be replaced in time.... well, the time on the door I use is up!!! So, I moved my car outside as I did not want it stuck inside. Then I got up on the ladder and unplugged the unit, counted to 10 and plugged it back in. I pressed the remote once.... nothing. Then a second time and the door finally closed. It has not been open since. Luckily I was able to find a company who will be able to make arrangements to replace the door and the opener this coming Tuesday. We will get the other door replaced in the spring. Always something when you own a home!
Thankfully, I made the winterizing alterations on the Caddy so I can plug her in for an hour or so before I have to go anywhere and the engine and oil be be heated up and the battery charged so I can get her started in this cold weather. She will be able to go back into her heated garage on Tuesday.
Rob and Kate are here as I type. We are dining here and then going to a play. "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" is in one of the local theaters. It is amazing the amount of live productions in this area. I am loving it.
So, that brings you up to date. I did meet with the sewing Ladies on Friday. I took my crocheting. I now have the dates for the next couple of months in my calendar. It is nice to do something other than unpacking!! I am, however, now concentrating on my craft/sewing room. Exciting!!!
I have dealt with Candace in Alabama, twice. She indicated that the "technicians" were working on the solution to my payments not being made. I was going to give them to the end of this past week, but in the middle of it all, I got a call from David at the local SSA office in Fairbanks. We played phone tag and he finally left a message that he thought he had found the reason and for me not to worry.
We finally spoke and he had found out that while Social Security and Medicare had gotten back on the living bandwagon, Treasury had flagged the payments and they never even reached my bank. He thought he had rectified it all and that I would see a double payment being made either Thursday night or Friday night. I am here to tell you that there still must be a problem as I have seen no deposit into my account and there is nothing pending for Monday, either!!! Needless to say, I will be calling David on Monday morning. But at least I now have a single contact to call and he can handle the rest. He told me they are calling me Lazarus, as I keep being risen from the dead!!! I really and truly hope that none of you have to experience this. It is awful.
I have been getting a raft of paperwork from my investments. I am now needing to prove to them all that I am living. I have already had to get one of the forms notarized. David is going to be sending out a letter from the Fairbanks office that I will be able to send to those who require forms being filled out. The next thing is dealing with the notations on my credit reporting agencies. This is a nightmare. I have even had to ask my new eye doctor to resubmit the medical claim to Medicare as it was denied because the "service occurred after the date of my death".
But, life goes on. I did a lot of shopping this week. I needed to get a couple of things from Home Depot. While there, I found LARGE ornaments for decorating. I got 5 and have hung them, along with two beautiful fake Poinsettias and then a string of LED lights wrapped in red/gold tinsel garland. Nothing outlandish and will go nicely with the decorations I brought from Parkesburg that I have not found yet.... next year. I did hang the folded Christmas Tree we made last year at Sew Much Love and I have a couple of lanterns on the dining room table and the living room table. Looks festive. Pictures below.
I found the Nutcracker themed Nutcrackers at Fred Meyers. I got the Prince/King and the Mouse King. I did so enjoy seeing a live production of the Nutcracker last weekend. So I am adding some of that story into my decorations.
Here is the other end of the decoration with the Mouse King, I love having a table to decorate. My old table was always full of junk. I am trying very hard not to pile stuff on this one.
Here is the full decoration on the front of the house. The ornaments and garland in the window and the tree hanging on the wall.
This is the coffee table in the living room. I have not yet found all of the books and stuff that goes inside the table. And I have not found my container of table runners. I have Christmas ones, but they are in the container that is still in the boxes in the garage.
This is a closeup of just the window. It was taken during the precious little bit of sunlight that we can get every day. You can see the winter wonderland view that I have out of my window. The tall pine trees are black spruce and you see them everywhere as one drives along in Alaska. The snow stays on the branches until the wind knocks it off. It is really a lovely view and it is quite calming for me. You feel God's wondrous hand in all of this land that surrounds me. It is a very similar feeling to the view that I had on the deck at Fancy Gap.
I am having to leave my car out in the bitter cold for a few days. Thursday night I had taken the dogs out for their final walk before bed. I have been going out the front, through the garage doors as it is easier to get in and out that way. But when I got back inside and pushed the button to close the door, nothing happened. I put the dogs in, grabbed my step stool and went back into the garage. We knew the doors and openers were old and would need to be replaced in time.... well, the time on the door I use is up!!! So, I moved my car outside as I did not want it stuck inside. Then I got up on the ladder and unplugged the unit, counted to 10 and plugged it back in. I pressed the remote once.... nothing. Then a second time and the door finally closed. It has not been open since. Luckily I was able to find a company who will be able to make arrangements to replace the door and the opener this coming Tuesday. We will get the other door replaced in the spring. Always something when you own a home!
Thankfully, I made the winterizing alterations on the Caddy so I can plug her in for an hour or so before I have to go anywhere and the engine and oil be be heated up and the battery charged so I can get her started in this cold weather. She will be able to go back into her heated garage on Tuesday.
Rob and Kate are here as I type. We are dining here and then going to a play. "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" is in one of the local theaters. It is amazing the amount of live productions in this area. I am loving it.
So, that brings you up to date. I did meet with the sewing Ladies on Friday. I took my crocheting. I now have the dates for the next couple of months in my calendar. It is nice to do something other than unpacking!! I am, however, now concentrating on my craft/sewing room. Exciting!!!
Friday, December 6, 2019
Update on Parkesburg House Interior
It is afternoon here in Fairbanks. The clock on the laptop says 2:48 PM. Sunset today is 2:50 PM.... so I guess I could say good evening. Sunrise was at 10:33 AM. I woke up at 8:00 AMish. It was dark. It was -27 degrees. The dogs stepped outside the garage door, peed and booked for the heated bedroom!! By 9:30 AM, there was a dusky light. And the light here is dusky and will be that way until 3:30 PMish. There are only 15 days remaining in the darkening days. After the 21st of December the daylight hours begin to lengthen. Honestly, it is not as terrible as I had expected. I had imagined all day darkness, like nighttime darkness and that is far from the case. I can certainly live with this. Not all that bad.
Still fighting SSA. Called Candace again today as I have not seen my money. It has been sent twice this week and the technicians are delving deeper as to the reason why. I will keep calling until I am back on track. I am getting lots of paperwork from my investment groups. It seems that while my guys know I am alive, their back offices need to have paperwork to back it up. What a pain in the butt.
Checked in on my generator. When I ordered it, I was told it would arrive in a couple of weeks. But no call, so Miss Squeaky Wheel called. It is still on back order, but Jonathan Woodway feels that they will be shipped shortly. But it will be delivered when it comes in. I will keep checking on that, too.
Living Room furniture arrives tomorrow. As soon as I finish this blog, I will be clearing things out in our living area to make ready for the pieces we bought. I will try to get pictures of before and after. How the pieces will be living in the room may be changing until we are happy with the setup.
A couple of days ago I got a text from Artisan Restorations. In it were 8 pictures of the completed interior of the main floor of the Parkesburg house. The lady should be moving in soon, and wow... is she moving into a nice house. If it looked as good as John and his crew have made it, I might not have thought about moving. But I did not have the resources to do what he has done. It is lovely.
Here is the outside porch. That was the room just off the deck but before the kitchen. I used it for junk and storage. There are all manner of possibilities for this space now.
It is a beautiful floor. All I had was concrete covered with fake grass. If it had electric, it would be a nice little TV room or reading nook. The morning sun would be wonderful, even in the cold days.
The beautiful floors continue into the kitchen. He moved the washer/dryer from the far corner to the nook where I had my microwave and other cooking items. Makes the kitchen seem much bigger. Might even support a small table for breakfast and meal prep. I cannot tell if they changed the counter top or not. And it looks as if Rudy's cabinets (he made the door and drawer fronts one winter) are still in place. Probably just really well cleaned and shined up.
This is the view of the kitchen from the far side. They put an accordion door at the top of the stairs. I have no idea if they did anything down stairs. I cannot tell if they just painted over the paneling. It is a nice clean white, but the trim that Rudy put up is still in place, so I am guessing paint.
Here is the view from the living area to the dining area. New wall-to-wall carpet. Everything has been painted white or ivory. Two slim overhead lights so placing a dining table is easier. Wonder what they did with the round oak table I left behind??? It would not work in this room, so it really does not matter. Just wondering. Smoke detector in the corner, There appear to be curtain rods in all of the windows along with skinny Venetian blinds.
Living room. I am sure the recliner and couch have made it to the dump. But I was not paying for them to make the trip. The side table has hopefully found a nice home. More nice carpet, painted walls and general cleanup.
This is inside the Happy room. More paint and continued carpet. A perfect office or study or TV room or little bedroom. My Dad spent many a night in this room after he moved up from Tennessee.
This is my room. Carpet following inside, new paint and I assume window treatment the same with skinny blinds and a curtain rod. The house looks like it has been loved and totally up-to-date.
Finally the bathroom. Wood on the floor... or wood-like on the floor. With the tub now along the back of the room, I am sure there is more room to get dressed and undressed in the room, if needed. Totally different feel for that room.
I am sure that they have worked with the water and waste lines in the house. They were the next thing I was going to have to deal with if I was still in the house.
Anyway, now the little house that was once my home is all spruced up with many years of sheltering families ahead of her. Makes me smile.
Still fighting SSA. Called Candace again today as I have not seen my money. It has been sent twice this week and the technicians are delving deeper as to the reason why. I will keep calling until I am back on track. I am getting lots of paperwork from my investment groups. It seems that while my guys know I am alive, their back offices need to have paperwork to back it up. What a pain in the butt.
Checked in on my generator. When I ordered it, I was told it would arrive in a couple of weeks. But no call, so Miss Squeaky Wheel called. It is still on back order, but Jonathan Woodway feels that they will be shipped shortly. But it will be delivered when it comes in. I will keep checking on that, too.
Living Room furniture arrives tomorrow. As soon as I finish this blog, I will be clearing things out in our living area to make ready for the pieces we bought. I will try to get pictures of before and after. How the pieces will be living in the room may be changing until we are happy with the setup.
A couple of days ago I got a text from Artisan Restorations. In it were 8 pictures of the completed interior of the main floor of the Parkesburg house. The lady should be moving in soon, and wow... is she moving into a nice house. If it looked as good as John and his crew have made it, I might not have thought about moving. But I did not have the resources to do what he has done. It is lovely.
Here is the outside porch. That was the room just off the deck but before the kitchen. I used it for junk and storage. There are all manner of possibilities for this space now.
The beautiful floors continue into the kitchen. He moved the washer/dryer from the far corner to the nook where I had my microwave and other cooking items. Makes the kitchen seem much bigger. Might even support a small table for breakfast and meal prep. I cannot tell if they changed the counter top or not. And it looks as if Rudy's cabinets (he made the door and drawer fronts one winter) are still in place. Probably just really well cleaned and shined up.
Here is the view from the living area to the dining area. New wall-to-wall carpet. Everything has been painted white or ivory. Two slim overhead lights so placing a dining table is easier. Wonder what they did with the round oak table I left behind??? It would not work in this room, so it really does not matter. Just wondering. Smoke detector in the corner, There appear to be curtain rods in all of the windows along with skinny Venetian blinds.
Living room. I am sure the recliner and couch have made it to the dump. But I was not paying for them to make the trip. The side table has hopefully found a nice home. More nice carpet, painted walls and general cleanup.
This is inside the Happy room. More paint and continued carpet. A perfect office or study or TV room or little bedroom. My Dad spent many a night in this room after he moved up from Tennessee.
This is my room. Carpet following inside, new paint and I assume window treatment the same with skinny blinds and a curtain rod. The house looks like it has been loved and totally up-to-date.
Finally the bathroom. Wood on the floor... or wood-like on the floor. With the tub now along the back of the room, I am sure there is more room to get dressed and undressed in the room, if needed. Totally different feel for that room.
I am sure that they have worked with the water and waste lines in the house. They were the next thing I was going to have to deal with if I was still in the house.
Anyway, now the little house that was once my home is all spruced up with many years of sheltering families ahead of her. Makes me smile.
Monday, December 2, 2019
Having been dead is going to kill me...
Being resurrected from among the dead is not all it is cracked up to be. The angels are not singing. There are no rivers of milk and honey and the roads are not paved with gold. Instead, there are hopes of things going correctly, finding out that you are now dead in places on your credit report and that Social Security, while resurrecting you, does not promise that your payments will be made on time, if at all.
And, once dead, you best know your father's full name, your mother's maiden name, your current address, any of the other streets you might have lived at or had packages delivered to, your Social Security Number, your phone number (the one Social Security has in it's system), your birthday and the city you were born in. And if you are dealing with folks who are looking at you financially, you had best know the amount of any loan payments that you are making or have recently made...the exact amount... and the bank or institution that holds the loan and a loan number. And you are going to get very tired of repeating that information over and over and over again.
Last week I started getting more letters from Social Security. I got two on one day. One said I would be getting my November payment but the amount would be different as they had discovered an error in my original amount. The other letter stated that my claims for October and November were being denied and if I wanted to contest that ruling to call (866) ***-****. I paid no attention to either as the information on the SSA web site indicated I was alive and the next payment was scheduled for it's normal time. I HAD faith in my government and went along blithely ignorant of the fact that my money might not be arriving into my account on time.
Thanksgiving came and went. Food cooked, eaten and time with family spent!
Black Friday, which now has an entirely new meaning for me, found another letter in my mailbox from SSA. This letter informed me that my November payment, and all future payments were being suspended until I called (866) ***-**** so we could discuss why a payment had been returned. I found this letter with plenty of time to call and talk to a person, but all I got was an answering machine, so I left a message.
SO all weekend long, this is hanging over my head. I scour the house and locate all of the letters from SSA and from my Part D drug plan provider.
This morning I wait until 9:00 AM and no phone call, so I get my phone, dial the number... TV on so I can at least watch something until a person answers the phone. To my great surprise, the phone rings once and Candace answers the phone.
We chat about my issue, I answer the list of required questions and she declares that she will contact the proper office and get the payment started again. But there my still be a 'deceased flag' deep in the ACH system of my bank. It may not be fixed yet!!!
I call that bank and am assured by Cutter that he has looked deep into the banks system and is finding no flags or holds on that account. Again, time will tell.
When talking with Candace, I happened to mention the other letters. She suggested that I call and go through the process of making things right, as there are a great many service areas that work independently. Good to know. SO now I also need to see where the letter is coming from as it is not JUST one Social Security.
So I call. Teesha helps me clear up the denied payments and assures me that she will be contacting the folks who make the payments and that I will be getting everything I am owed. Wonder if it will be one payment (the only thing I am missing) or two payments (the two that were denied) or all three, at which point I am going to owe SSA a great deal of money in return. This will be fun to watch.
In the meantime, my Part D plan has been reinstated, but they think I am new from November 1st and will be with them through 2020. Actually, I have signed up with a new plan for 2020, but now I am expecting all of that to get fouled up as well, so I will be watching this closely so it does not get out of hand.
My advice to you. Once you go on Social Security, make sure you are in your forever home. Do not move, do not try to change anything yourself online, go to your local SSA office and be sure you take down names of those who have helped you. That way you can point fingers and lay blame.
I did get an apology letter today from Social Security. They said it was an unfortunate error. REALLY??? They get death information from many different sources and they did not know how my name was reported. But it has been removed from the weekly master list where it appeared at the end of October. I am being offered one year of ID/financial protection that I will take them up on and perhaps be able to remove the death flags from all of my credit reports. I figure that the government does not often give you something for free, nor do they admit that it was their mistake. So I will take what is offered and keep slogging through this mini-nightmare.
At least Black Friday is behind me!!!
And, once dead, you best know your father's full name, your mother's maiden name, your current address, any of the other streets you might have lived at or had packages delivered to, your Social Security Number, your phone number (the one Social Security has in it's system), your birthday and the city you were born in. And if you are dealing with folks who are looking at you financially, you had best know the amount of any loan payments that you are making or have recently made...the exact amount... and the bank or institution that holds the loan and a loan number. And you are going to get very tired of repeating that information over and over and over again.
Last week I started getting more letters from Social Security. I got two on one day. One said I would be getting my November payment but the amount would be different as they had discovered an error in my original amount. The other letter stated that my claims for October and November were being denied and if I wanted to contest that ruling to call (866) ***-****. I paid no attention to either as the information on the SSA web site indicated I was alive and the next payment was scheduled for it's normal time. I HAD faith in my government and went along blithely ignorant of the fact that my money might not be arriving into my account on time.
Thanksgiving came and went. Food cooked, eaten and time with family spent!
Black Friday, which now has an entirely new meaning for me, found another letter in my mailbox from SSA. This letter informed me that my November payment, and all future payments were being suspended until I called (866) ***-**** so we could discuss why a payment had been returned. I found this letter with plenty of time to call and talk to a person, but all I got was an answering machine, so I left a message.
SO all weekend long, this is hanging over my head. I scour the house and locate all of the letters from SSA and from my Part D drug plan provider.
This morning I wait until 9:00 AM and no phone call, so I get my phone, dial the number... TV on so I can at least watch something until a person answers the phone. To my great surprise, the phone rings once and Candace answers the phone.
We chat about my issue, I answer the list of required questions and she declares that she will contact the proper office and get the payment started again. But there my still be a 'deceased flag' deep in the ACH system of my bank. It may not be fixed yet!!!
I call that bank and am assured by Cutter that he has looked deep into the banks system and is finding no flags or holds on that account. Again, time will tell.
When talking with Candace, I happened to mention the other letters. She suggested that I call and go through the process of making things right, as there are a great many service areas that work independently. Good to know. SO now I also need to see where the letter is coming from as it is not JUST one Social Security.
So I call. Teesha helps me clear up the denied payments and assures me that she will be contacting the folks who make the payments and that I will be getting everything I am owed. Wonder if it will be one payment (the only thing I am missing) or two payments (the two that were denied) or all three, at which point I am going to owe SSA a great deal of money in return. This will be fun to watch.
In the meantime, my Part D plan has been reinstated, but they think I am new from November 1st and will be with them through 2020. Actually, I have signed up with a new plan for 2020, but now I am expecting all of that to get fouled up as well, so I will be watching this closely so it does not get out of hand.
My advice to you. Once you go on Social Security, make sure you are in your forever home. Do not move, do not try to change anything yourself online, go to your local SSA office and be sure you take down names of those who have helped you. That way you can point fingers and lay blame.
I did get an apology letter today from Social Security. They said it was an unfortunate error. REALLY??? They get death information from many different sources and they did not know how my name was reported. But it has been removed from the weekly master list where it appeared at the end of October. I am being offered one year of ID/financial protection that I will take them up on and perhaps be able to remove the death flags from all of my credit reports. I figure that the government does not often give you something for free, nor do they admit that it was their mistake. So I will take what is offered and keep slogging through this mini-nightmare.
At least Black Friday is behind me!!!
Saturday, November 30, 2019
A very productive week....
I have started typing this blog several times and each time, something happened and I never got farther than the title. And I kept thinking that tomorrow would be the day and tomorrow came and went with no blog. The only good thing is that because those of you who have been faithful readers over the last several months became concerned and either reached out in text messages, emails or called. It was quite nice to hear from all of you.
The truth of the matter is that when we ordered the dining room furniture, I found myself under the gun to get all of the boxes in the dining room emptied. And in doing that, I was forced to get things set up in the kitchen in order to have room to prepare any kind of food. So I became quite focused on doing the job of unpacking.
By the time the dining room was delivered, there were only two boxes in the living room. One was all of the glass hummingbird stuff that I had collected over the years. It had lived in a little china display case that had been in the wall in the dining room. They had carefully packed all of the trinkets in a large dish pack, carefully packed the display cabinet. The cabinet had been locked for safety. The key that I think belongs to the cabinet no longer opens the door. But it may be because it is laying on it's side and not upright. I will be trying that next week. We cannot mount the cabinet until we get it gets unlocked....
Here is what the dining room looks today...
The dining room is not large. This table and chair set pretty much fit perfectly. Enough room to walk around and get seated. There is a 12" leaf that is folded into the table. So we could seat six people comfortably, but some will be more in the living room than dining room. But if we add a couple of folding tables at the end, we can have the Dungeons and Dragon folks over to play here. Quite a workable solution, if I do say so myself. The chairs are solid and heavy. The padding is comfy and the back is high enough that when I lean back, my shoulders are supported. Rob and I put sliders are the feet of the chairs so they are easier to move on our thick carpet.
This is a picture that shows the dining room as it goes into the living room. The desk/secretary, that was in my dining room in Parkesburg, is on the in-between wall. The wood stove is in the front corner of the living room.
It was a toss-up as to which room, dining room or kitchen, needed to be finished first, but with Thanksgiving this week, they both needed to be usable. The kitchen was finished up on night of the Wednesday before. I had a half of a dish pack with stemware that needed to be dealt with as well as the stray things that had been living on the counter top while waiting for a place to land. I had gotten some wire cubes that were going to provide a place for those last things. So I only had time to get a cheese ball ready for Thursday before falling into bed on Wednesday night.
This is the back side of the kitchen. There is a sink under the window which is between the dishwasher and the broken trash compactor. We still use the compactor as a trash can and we will, in time, replace it with a working one. I brought mine from Parkesburg. It is set up in the garage. I will be able to compact trash if we get a really big storm and I am unable to get out to the transfer station. There are two two-door glass front cabinets. The cabinet closest to the sink has my Grandmother's china in it. We ate off of that set for Thanksgiving. It is the first time it has been used in well over 50 years. It all made it through this move and the many moves before it with not a single broken dish!!! The second cabinet is my everyday dishes.
This is the other side of the kitchen. The fridge is at the far end, the stove in the middle. The stove is electric with a glass top. I have been slowly getting the hang of cooking on it. I have cooked on gas for the last 40 years, so there is a bit of a learning curve. I am happy to report that I may be getting there as the Thanksgiving meal turned out perfectly. The turkey roasted in the oven. The stuffing cooked in the little counter top oven, the mashed potatoes were done in the Instant Pot and the gravy on the stove top. Kate brought homemade cranberry relish with cranberries that they picked and some baked acorn squash that we warmed up in the oven. I made Pumpkin Mousse for dessert later in the evening, It is a very nice kitchen to work in.
These are the last three boxes in the living room. One is full of newsprint that has been used to wrap up all of the stuff in the boxes. Rob burns it every time he comes over. We probably have enough paper in the unopened boxes to get me through the winter. The box in front is the final box from the dining room. It has "glass decor" so who knows what it is. Could be vases that were on top of the secretary or it could be all of the antique glassware that was in the glass side of the secretary. I already have some new things in there, so I may be purging yet again.
The box in the back is the hummingbird stuff.
I took some pictures of current conditions outside the front window. We have been having some annoying little snow falls. Only an inch or two at a time, so the snow blower was not even brought out. we were waiting for the 6 to 9 inches that was forecast for Thanksgiving Day. It never happened. But the trees are coated and it looks like a winter wonderland.... because it is. Looking out my front window makes me feel calm and warm and cozy. It brings on thought of hot cocoa with marshmallows on top, warm fuzzy slippers and a Hallmark marathon on TV while curled up under a beautiful quilt.
The trees look like a Christmas Card. And if you look at the other pictures of the house that I have posted from the window, you may realize that the bottom rail of the fence is now hidden by the snow. It is not all fallen snow, but a combination of fallen snow and blown snow. Somewhere in those trees live my moose family. One of them has crossed through the snow, across the front yard from the opening from the driveway, made their way across the front yard to a small deciduous tree that they must have tried to munch on but instead broke it in half. Then they walked out of the other side of the front yard. Life in Alaska.
This is the big tree in the front yard. Also covered in snow. It looks like someone sprayed flocking on the tree, getting it ready to sell on a Christmas Tree lot. But no, it is just some of the fluffy, white snow, that glistens in the morning sun... when we get it.
Speaking of sun... the sun rose today at 10:16 AM and will set at 3:02 PM. So those of you who are thinking about complaining about how early it gets dark now.... well... don't.
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I did.
And now, to straighten out the living room from all of the things that have not yet found homes. We bought a small sectional and a chair that will be coming on Saturday to complete the upper level furniture.
Then, all that is left is to set up my sewing/craft room!! Finally!!!
The truth of the matter is that when we ordered the dining room furniture, I found myself under the gun to get all of the boxes in the dining room emptied. And in doing that, I was forced to get things set up in the kitchen in order to have room to prepare any kind of food. So I became quite focused on doing the job of unpacking.
By the time the dining room was delivered, there were only two boxes in the living room. One was all of the glass hummingbird stuff that I had collected over the years. It had lived in a little china display case that had been in the wall in the dining room. They had carefully packed all of the trinkets in a large dish pack, carefully packed the display cabinet. The cabinet had been locked for safety. The key that I think belongs to the cabinet no longer opens the door. But it may be because it is laying on it's side and not upright. I will be trying that next week. We cannot mount the cabinet until we get it gets unlocked....
Here is what the dining room looks today...
The dining room is not large. This table and chair set pretty much fit perfectly. Enough room to walk around and get seated. There is a 12" leaf that is folded into the table. So we could seat six people comfortably, but some will be more in the living room than dining room. But if we add a couple of folding tables at the end, we can have the Dungeons and Dragon folks over to play here. Quite a workable solution, if I do say so myself. The chairs are solid and heavy. The padding is comfy and the back is high enough that when I lean back, my shoulders are supported. Rob and I put sliders are the feet of the chairs so they are easier to move on our thick carpet.
This is a picture that shows the dining room as it goes into the living room. The desk/secretary, that was in my dining room in Parkesburg, is on the in-between wall. The wood stove is in the front corner of the living room.
It was a toss-up as to which room, dining room or kitchen, needed to be finished first, but with Thanksgiving this week, they both needed to be usable. The kitchen was finished up on night of the Wednesday before. I had a half of a dish pack with stemware that needed to be dealt with as well as the stray things that had been living on the counter top while waiting for a place to land. I had gotten some wire cubes that were going to provide a place for those last things. So I only had time to get a cheese ball ready for Thursday before falling into bed on Wednesday night.
This is the back side of the kitchen. There is a sink under the window which is between the dishwasher and the broken trash compactor. We still use the compactor as a trash can and we will, in time, replace it with a working one. I brought mine from Parkesburg. It is set up in the garage. I will be able to compact trash if we get a really big storm and I am unable to get out to the transfer station. There are two two-door glass front cabinets. The cabinet closest to the sink has my Grandmother's china in it. We ate off of that set for Thanksgiving. It is the first time it has been used in well over 50 years. It all made it through this move and the many moves before it with not a single broken dish!!! The second cabinet is my everyday dishes.
This is the other side of the kitchen. The fridge is at the far end, the stove in the middle. The stove is electric with a glass top. I have been slowly getting the hang of cooking on it. I have cooked on gas for the last 40 years, so there is a bit of a learning curve. I am happy to report that I may be getting there as the Thanksgiving meal turned out perfectly. The turkey roasted in the oven. The stuffing cooked in the little counter top oven, the mashed potatoes were done in the Instant Pot and the gravy on the stove top. Kate brought homemade cranberry relish with cranberries that they picked and some baked acorn squash that we warmed up in the oven. I made Pumpkin Mousse for dessert later in the evening, It is a very nice kitchen to work in.
These are the last three boxes in the living room. One is full of newsprint that has been used to wrap up all of the stuff in the boxes. Rob burns it every time he comes over. We probably have enough paper in the unopened boxes to get me through the winter. The box in front is the final box from the dining room. It has "glass decor" so who knows what it is. Could be vases that were on top of the secretary or it could be all of the antique glassware that was in the glass side of the secretary. I already have some new things in there, so I may be purging yet again.
The box in the back is the hummingbird stuff.
I took some pictures of current conditions outside the front window. We have been having some annoying little snow falls. Only an inch or two at a time, so the snow blower was not even brought out. we were waiting for the 6 to 9 inches that was forecast for Thanksgiving Day. It never happened. But the trees are coated and it looks like a winter wonderland.... because it is. Looking out my front window makes me feel calm and warm and cozy. It brings on thought of hot cocoa with marshmallows on top, warm fuzzy slippers and a Hallmark marathon on TV while curled up under a beautiful quilt.
The trees look like a Christmas Card. And if you look at the other pictures of the house that I have posted from the window, you may realize that the bottom rail of the fence is now hidden by the snow. It is not all fallen snow, but a combination of fallen snow and blown snow. Somewhere in those trees live my moose family. One of them has crossed through the snow, across the front yard from the opening from the driveway, made their way across the front yard to a small deciduous tree that they must have tried to munch on but instead broke it in half. Then they walked out of the other side of the front yard. Life in Alaska.
This is the big tree in the front yard. Also covered in snow. It looks like someone sprayed flocking on the tree, getting it ready to sell on a Christmas Tree lot. But no, it is just some of the fluffy, white snow, that glistens in the morning sun... when we get it.
Speaking of sun... the sun rose today at 10:16 AM and will set at 3:02 PM. So those of you who are thinking about complaining about how early it gets dark now.... well... don't.
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I did.
And now, to straighten out the living room from all of the things that have not yet found homes. We bought a small sectional and a chair that will be coming on Saturday to complete the upper level furniture.
Then, all that is left is to set up my sewing/craft room!! Finally!!!
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Busy day.....
Monday, Monday.... so good to me...
Sunday was a slower day. I was able to watch the NASCAR championship from beginning to end. Kyle Busch, #18 won in commanding style having a great ending to a less than stellar year. He is not my favorite driver, but he is a very talented driver and he is maturing nicely, not nearly as arrogant as he once was. Still a controversial young man, but fun to watch on the track.
I got some pictures hung in my bedroom. I have finally gotten all of the boxes in that room unpacked, broken down and out of the room. I was so tired of starting off the day with a view of boxes. So I had taken a day and worked on the bedroom. In doing that, I had found all of the many pictures I had hung there in Parkesburg. I had taken all of them around the room and determined where I was going to hang them. Then I did not hang them, giving myself a chance to think before hanging. I finally started hanging them on Sunday.
I have had LED light bulbs for the craft room for a while. I had replaced some and the first couple burned out in less than a week. But I had found some on Amazon and had replaced the two that burned out. They have not burned out, so I began replacing the others. It requires a small ladder and a chair for stability, but I go up and down to change the overhead fixtures. Does not do much for the hip that is now aching, but it has to be done. The high intensity, incandescent bulbs run the cost of electricity up quickly. I am aiming for a totally LED lit house. The hard one will be the light fixture at the entry door. Lots of bulbs and currently all compact florescent, so it is better than incandescent. It will be the last one changed.
So....Monday, Monday....
I woke up fairly early. Rob had planned to run some errands and then bring a replacement shear pin for the snow blower. He arrived at the house before I had even finished my morning coffee. He is such a kind person. He had dropped Kate off at work, gone to the hardware store and gotten a small bag of shear pins, and had come to the house to fix the snow blower while he waited for the Post Office to open. First he made a cup of coffee, then fixed the snow blower. We chatted about some things we needed to talk about then he lugged all of the broken down boxes from the living room downstairs. He figures I have probably gone through close to 30% of the boxes that were moved!!! I wish it were more, but I am really the only one who can do this. And I can only do so much each day.
After Rob left, I dressed, loaded the car with trash, a couple of bags, a couple of boxes full of paper (the paper from the moving boxes is overwhelming and there is just no way for me to unpack AND monitor the burning of the paper at the same time... so some of it made it to the transfer station), and some long boxes that had held odd things that had been purchased for the house. Just tidied up that garage a tad. Off to the transfer station. From there to the bank. I had gotten check from the homeowner's insurance for the Parkesburg house, but it also had Rudy as a payee. Because the house had been in both names, the insurance had stayed in both names. I just took a death certificate to the bank and since I had never removed his name from the bank account, it was easy, peasy. Just as a note, the bank recommended that I keep his name on the account. It has been close to 9 years since he died. If his name had not been on the account, I might not have been able to process the check as easily.
Then I headed, in the snow as it was snowing (fall/winter in Fairbanks), to Sadler's Furniture. It is one of the only furniture stores in Fairbanks. There is an Ashley Furniture but it is in the Sadler's building. My recliner came from there as did Rob and Kate's bedroom furniture. I was just going to wander around to see what was there. We still need a dining room table and chairs along with a living room sofa and perhaps a chair. I was also looking for just a little upholstered chair for my bedroom. Something I could sit on to put on shoes or just to sit.
I wandered around, ending up in the dining room furniture area. The tables had not changed much, but now that I have been in the house a while, I had a better feel for what would look nice. It could not be big as that room, while open into the living room is not that big. A tad bigger than a breakfast nook but a table with chairs will fill up the room... and a smaller table at that. I found one, that we had looked at before, and I think it is going to be perfect. It will be a smallish oblong table with four chairs that will be fine for the three of us or just me. There is one extension that will make the table about a foot longer. If we need more, then we will just have to set up folding tables. The extension is in the table in the pictures.
I did not want anything too dark, as it will show dust more than I wanted. I also did not want anything really light, I was afraid with a whitish kitchen and the wood on the walls, that it would just be pale and bland. I thought this was just the perfect color.
The chairs are nice and heavy. The seats are padded and the backs are high. Sitting on the chair, it was comfortable for the bum and I could lean back in the chair and my entire back was supported.
The nice thing was that this set was in the warehouse, so no waiting for it to be shipped up from the lower 48. As I was checking out, a young man was wheeling some new merchandise by the desk. There on the cart was the perfect, small chair with a creamish background and blue, gold and light orange geometric designs in it. The chair sits a little lower to the ground, but will work well for putting on shoes, etc. Right now I sit on my bed, which is high and I have to contort all sorts of ways to get the shoes and and get them on. I asked about the chair and Connie, the saleslady, laughed and said that the first one they got that chair in stock, it never made it to the sales floor. I laughed and said that this one might not either. The young man put it on the floor nearby and I sat on it. It was perfect. Connie checked the price and we added it to the order. Then to make it even better, they were doing a scratch-off sale. I drew a card, scratched off the circle and then Connie took of 38% from the total. Saved myself well over $700.00!! And it will all be delivered on Saturday.
Thanksgiving dinner will be in the dining room on a new table sitting in new chairs and eating off of my Grandmother's old china that is now out of the boxes it has been in for YEARS!!! The old and the new, together, just some of the many things I will be thankful for this year.
I left Sadler's feeling very satisfied. Now I need to really dig in and get more of the boxes upstairs unloaded and put away. Headed to Fred's for a few groceries and then home.
This week, in addition to unpacking, the electrician is coming on Wednesday to finish the electrical setup for the generator. Thursday I will be going with Rob to his lawyer's office to do some work on setting up things for maximum tax exemptions for the two homes. Friday I will probably be taking a break and meeting with the sewing ladies at St. Raphael's church. We may also be working to move the boxes that are left in the dining room into the living room so the table and chairs can be delivered on Saturday.
Busy, busy week. I will keep you updated.maximum
FYI... today the sun rose @ 9:40 AM and set @ 3:32 PM. And in Barrow, AK. the sun set yesterday and will not rise until sometime in 2020.
Sunday was a slower day. I was able to watch the NASCAR championship from beginning to end. Kyle Busch, #18 won in commanding style having a great ending to a less than stellar year. He is not my favorite driver, but he is a very talented driver and he is maturing nicely, not nearly as arrogant as he once was. Still a controversial young man, but fun to watch on the track.
I got some pictures hung in my bedroom. I have finally gotten all of the boxes in that room unpacked, broken down and out of the room. I was so tired of starting off the day with a view of boxes. So I had taken a day and worked on the bedroom. In doing that, I had found all of the many pictures I had hung there in Parkesburg. I had taken all of them around the room and determined where I was going to hang them. Then I did not hang them, giving myself a chance to think before hanging. I finally started hanging them on Sunday.
I have had LED light bulbs for the craft room for a while. I had replaced some and the first couple burned out in less than a week. But I had found some on Amazon and had replaced the two that burned out. They have not burned out, so I began replacing the others. It requires a small ladder and a chair for stability, but I go up and down to change the overhead fixtures. Does not do much for the hip that is now aching, but it has to be done. The high intensity, incandescent bulbs run the cost of electricity up quickly. I am aiming for a totally LED lit house. The hard one will be the light fixture at the entry door. Lots of bulbs and currently all compact florescent, so it is better than incandescent. It will be the last one changed.
So....Monday, Monday....
I woke up fairly early. Rob had planned to run some errands and then bring a replacement shear pin for the snow blower. He arrived at the house before I had even finished my morning coffee. He is such a kind person. He had dropped Kate off at work, gone to the hardware store and gotten a small bag of shear pins, and had come to the house to fix the snow blower while he waited for the Post Office to open. First he made a cup of coffee, then fixed the snow blower. We chatted about some things we needed to talk about then he lugged all of the broken down boxes from the living room downstairs. He figures I have probably gone through close to 30% of the boxes that were moved!!! I wish it were more, but I am really the only one who can do this. And I can only do so much each day.
After Rob left, I dressed, loaded the car with trash, a couple of bags, a couple of boxes full of paper (the paper from the moving boxes is overwhelming and there is just no way for me to unpack AND monitor the burning of the paper at the same time... so some of it made it to the transfer station), and some long boxes that had held odd things that had been purchased for the house. Just tidied up that garage a tad. Off to the transfer station. From there to the bank. I had gotten check from the homeowner's insurance for the Parkesburg house, but it also had Rudy as a payee. Because the house had been in both names, the insurance had stayed in both names. I just took a death certificate to the bank and since I had never removed his name from the bank account, it was easy, peasy. Just as a note, the bank recommended that I keep his name on the account. It has been close to 9 years since he died. If his name had not been on the account, I might not have been able to process the check as easily.
Then I headed, in the snow as it was snowing (fall/winter in Fairbanks), to Sadler's Furniture. It is one of the only furniture stores in Fairbanks. There is an Ashley Furniture but it is in the Sadler's building. My recliner came from there as did Rob and Kate's bedroom furniture. I was just going to wander around to see what was there. We still need a dining room table and chairs along with a living room sofa and perhaps a chair. I was also looking for just a little upholstered chair for my bedroom. Something I could sit on to put on shoes or just to sit.
I wandered around, ending up in the dining room furniture area. The tables had not changed much, but now that I have been in the house a while, I had a better feel for what would look nice. It could not be big as that room, while open into the living room is not that big. A tad bigger than a breakfast nook but a table with chairs will fill up the room... and a smaller table at that. I found one, that we had looked at before, and I think it is going to be perfect. It will be a smallish oblong table with four chairs that will be fine for the three of us or just me. There is one extension that will make the table about a foot longer. If we need more, then we will just have to set up folding tables. The extension is in the table in the pictures.
I did not want anything too dark, as it will show dust more than I wanted. I also did not want anything really light, I was afraid with a whitish kitchen and the wood on the walls, that it would just be pale and bland. I thought this was just the perfect color.
The chairs are nice and heavy. The seats are padded and the backs are high. Sitting on the chair, it was comfortable for the bum and I could lean back in the chair and my entire back was supported.
The nice thing was that this set was in the warehouse, so no waiting for it to be shipped up from the lower 48. As I was checking out, a young man was wheeling some new merchandise by the desk. There on the cart was the perfect, small chair with a creamish background and blue, gold and light orange geometric designs in it. The chair sits a little lower to the ground, but will work well for putting on shoes, etc. Right now I sit on my bed, which is high and I have to contort all sorts of ways to get the shoes and and get them on. I asked about the chair and Connie, the saleslady, laughed and said that the first one they got that chair in stock, it never made it to the sales floor. I laughed and said that this one might not either. The young man put it on the floor nearby and I sat on it. It was perfect. Connie checked the price and we added it to the order. Then to make it even better, they were doing a scratch-off sale. I drew a card, scratched off the circle and then Connie took of 38% from the total. Saved myself well over $700.00!! And it will all be delivered on Saturday.
Thanksgiving dinner will be in the dining room on a new table sitting in new chairs and eating off of my Grandmother's old china that is now out of the boxes it has been in for YEARS!!! The old and the new, together, just some of the many things I will be thankful for this year.
I left Sadler's feeling very satisfied. Now I need to really dig in and get more of the boxes upstairs unloaded and put away. Headed to Fred's for a few groceries and then home.
This week, in addition to unpacking, the electrician is coming on Wednesday to finish the electrical setup for the generator. Thursday I will be going with Rob to his lawyer's office to do some work on setting up things for maximum tax exemptions for the two homes. Friday I will probably be taking a break and meeting with the sewing ladies at St. Raphael's church. We may also be working to move the boxes that are left in the dining room into the living room so the table and chairs can be delivered on Saturday.
Busy, busy week. I will keep you updated.maximum
FYI... today the sun rose @ 9:40 AM and set @ 3:32 PM. And in Barrow, AK. the sun set yesterday and will not rise until sometime in 2020.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Life moves on.....
I have taken a break from posting. I had to get my unpacking back on track after my brush with death. It is surprising how much a disruption like that can derail one's life. I was a tad off kilter for a day or two, but I am back at full strength and once again making progress.
I have been uncovering and unboxing things that I have been looking for. The last box had my Wink Hub and the smart lock from the Parkesburg house. Also Ethernet switches and cables. Not sure how I will use them in this house, but I am sure I will, in time.
Kitchen gets more and more functional. I came across my drill and have hung my metal measuring cups and spoons over the area where the mixer is living. The other measuring and baking stuff is located in the cabinet below, so the kitchen is taking shape. Still missing some baking pans, cake... loaf... pie plates... but they will appear. Also able to install towel rings at the sink so cloth towels are available for hands or drying dishes.
My tech home is shaping up as well. Every free standing light in the house is plugged into smart plug. The living room lights are on a schedule so they come on and off throughout the day, making the house look occupied, even when it is not. I have routines for several times during the day. If I say Good Morning, I get the weather report, a report on what is being celebrating that day, a fun fact, a joke and what is on my calendar, then it turns on the lights in my bedroom. If I say Wake Up, it does the same thing but will fire up the coffee pot in the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. Saying Good Night I get the weather report for tomorrow, a fun fact and then any light that is left on will be turned off. I can arm and disarm my Ring alarm system with my voice commands. The entire upstairs has been set up with door and window sensors. I have three or four windows in lower level to set up... perhaps today.
The guest room is shaping up. I have been ignoring it until yesterday. Rob and I got the beds set up shortly after moving in. The movers were supposed to do that but three nuts had been lost in the move, so we had to buy replacements and then put the daybed together. It is really the smallest room in the house. The daybed takes up a big amount of space. I got a Google Mini set up in there so any guest can use it for information and to control any of the lights in the house. I have a fern stand in there as a lamp stand. My old console sewing machine is in there, too, but I am thinking that I may be moving it out into the living room... where it was in Parkesburg... and take the matching fern stand that is now in the dining room into the guest room. It will fit better. I am going to be putting my little travel TV in the guest room, too. It is small and will suit that room so much better. Any guest can use it to watch TV or DVDs as a player is built in. Yepper, things are coming together.
It snowed again on Thursday. Another 4 to 5 inches fell. This time there was some wind involved as this storm was the remnant of a Pacific typhoon or hurricane. Rob and Kate really felt the wind up on the mountain. Rob said it kept him awake one night as the storm approached. On Friday I attempted to get my snow blower running. But I could not get it fired up. We think the electric start is broken, so you have to pull start it. I just no longer have the strength in my arms to do that. I tried for an hour to get it to run, but nope, not happening. I tried off and on the rest of the day to no avail.
Rob and Kate arrived early Saturday morning. Rob was able to get the blower fired up. He did a pass or two and then I took over so he could deal with a really hard to use gas can and get that gas into smaller gas cans that are easier to use. I appreciate safety things on gas cans, but when they make it so safe that the gas is unable to come out once it is inside, they are no longer usable. While this was happening, Kate was clearing the steps to my front door. It was a team effort and I am so grateful that they are here for me. I did manage to take off a shear pin on one of the tines, so Rob is looking to find a replacement so we can repair it before the next storm. Looks to be a standard part here in Alaska. I am also going to try the electric start as the directions describe to make sure that it is indeed broken. We might try to get that feature repaired if it is or look at a new blower that I can start on my own. I need to be able to work the blower on my own for the days when Rob and Kate need to stay at their home to deal with snow.
This morning I am enjoying a couple of cups of coffee and watching the NASCAR championship on TV. I am also sending this blog out to you. Having the live NASCAR events actually being in the late morning rather than afternoon is really great. I can ease into my day, watch the race and still have the bulk of my day to get something accomplished. I love it. This is the last race of the season. I will be missing them until Daytona in February.
I have a couple of pictures for you. They are older, but still very relevant. The first was a morning early in November when I woke up to somewhat cold weather. I have a thermometer screen in my bedroom. It gives me inside temp. and three outside temps....one at the front door, one out at the fence by the driveway and one behind the garage. This was early morning here in Alaska in November.
Can you tell the outdoor from the indoor???
I got new glasses. I have been struggling for a bit and knew I needed some new glasses. I went to the vision center that Rob and Kate used. My appointment was for after Thanksgiving, but I was on the cancellation list and they called me, so I got in early!! The difference in the prescription was dramatic. I still have some issues, but there are things in my vision that are clouding things here and there, but at my age, that is normal. My new glasses are really kicky. The fronts are plastic and look like confetti with teals and purples. I love them. What do you think???
So, I am off to get my day started. The race is not over, but I am finishing my second cup of coffee, so I need to get going to work off the caffeine. I will have the race on in all of the rooms I will be in.
Have a great Sunday and week!!
I have been uncovering and unboxing things that I have been looking for. The last box had my Wink Hub and the smart lock from the Parkesburg house. Also Ethernet switches and cables. Not sure how I will use them in this house, but I am sure I will, in time.
Kitchen gets more and more functional. I came across my drill and have hung my metal measuring cups and spoons over the area where the mixer is living. The other measuring and baking stuff is located in the cabinet below, so the kitchen is taking shape. Still missing some baking pans, cake... loaf... pie plates... but they will appear. Also able to install towel rings at the sink so cloth towels are available for hands or drying dishes.
My tech home is shaping up as well. Every free standing light in the house is plugged into smart plug. The living room lights are on a schedule so they come on and off throughout the day, making the house look occupied, even when it is not. I have routines for several times during the day. If I say Good Morning, I get the weather report, a report on what is being celebrating that day, a fun fact, a joke and what is on my calendar, then it turns on the lights in my bedroom. If I say Wake Up, it does the same thing but will fire up the coffee pot in the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. Saying Good Night I get the weather report for tomorrow, a fun fact and then any light that is left on will be turned off. I can arm and disarm my Ring alarm system with my voice commands. The entire upstairs has been set up with door and window sensors. I have three or four windows in lower level to set up... perhaps today.
The guest room is shaping up. I have been ignoring it until yesterday. Rob and I got the beds set up shortly after moving in. The movers were supposed to do that but three nuts had been lost in the move, so we had to buy replacements and then put the daybed together. It is really the smallest room in the house. The daybed takes up a big amount of space. I got a Google Mini set up in there so any guest can use it for information and to control any of the lights in the house. I have a fern stand in there as a lamp stand. My old console sewing machine is in there, too, but I am thinking that I may be moving it out into the living room... where it was in Parkesburg... and take the matching fern stand that is now in the dining room into the guest room. It will fit better. I am going to be putting my little travel TV in the guest room, too. It is small and will suit that room so much better. Any guest can use it to watch TV or DVDs as a player is built in. Yepper, things are coming together.
It snowed again on Thursday. Another 4 to 5 inches fell. This time there was some wind involved as this storm was the remnant of a Pacific typhoon or hurricane. Rob and Kate really felt the wind up on the mountain. Rob said it kept him awake one night as the storm approached. On Friday I attempted to get my snow blower running. But I could not get it fired up. We think the electric start is broken, so you have to pull start it. I just no longer have the strength in my arms to do that. I tried for an hour to get it to run, but nope, not happening. I tried off and on the rest of the day to no avail.
Rob and Kate arrived early Saturday morning. Rob was able to get the blower fired up. He did a pass or two and then I took over so he could deal with a really hard to use gas can and get that gas into smaller gas cans that are easier to use. I appreciate safety things on gas cans, but when they make it so safe that the gas is unable to come out once it is inside, they are no longer usable. While this was happening, Kate was clearing the steps to my front door. It was a team effort and I am so grateful that they are here for me. I did manage to take off a shear pin on one of the tines, so Rob is looking to find a replacement so we can repair it before the next storm. Looks to be a standard part here in Alaska. I am also going to try the electric start as the directions describe to make sure that it is indeed broken. We might try to get that feature repaired if it is or look at a new blower that I can start on my own. I need to be able to work the blower on my own for the days when Rob and Kate need to stay at their home to deal with snow.
This morning I am enjoying a couple of cups of coffee and watching the NASCAR championship on TV. I am also sending this blog out to you. Having the live NASCAR events actually being in the late morning rather than afternoon is really great. I can ease into my day, watch the race and still have the bulk of my day to get something accomplished. I love it. This is the last race of the season. I will be missing them until Daytona in February.
I have a couple of pictures for you. They are older, but still very relevant. The first was a morning early in November when I woke up to somewhat cold weather. I have a thermometer screen in my bedroom. It gives me inside temp. and three outside temps....one at the front door, one out at the fence by the driveway and one behind the garage. This was early morning here in Alaska in November.
Can you tell the outdoor from the indoor???
I got new glasses. I have been struggling for a bit and knew I needed some new glasses. I went to the vision center that Rob and Kate used. My appointment was for after Thanksgiving, but I was on the cancellation list and they called me, so I got in early!! The difference in the prescription was dramatic. I still have some issues, but there are things in my vision that are clouding things here and there, but at my age, that is normal. My new glasses are really kicky. The fronts are plastic and look like confetti with teals and purples. I love them. What do you think???
So, I am off to get my day started. The race is not over, but I am finishing my second cup of coffee, so I need to get going to work off the caffeine. I will have the race on in all of the rooms I will be in.
Have a great Sunday and week!!
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
An entry error.........
I was sound asleep when my 8 AM alarm went off. It started out as part of whatever dream I was having until I realized it was some annoying sound that I needed to address. The dogs were extremely confused. I only slept a few minutes before that silly 3 AM alarm. I could not turn off all of the things that were running through my mind.
I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach. Once reality set in, I realized that I was not going to get any more money from Social Security. I had no insurance... no Medicare, no supplement, no drug plan. And who knows what other agencies that information was being sent to. But the Social Security Administration thought I had died. And when they think you are dead... for all intents and purposes.... you are dead.
The young women at Social Security phone bank at 3:00 AM had started out bored, but we were in giggles by the end. She had looked at my records, verified that I was listed as having died and said that I needed to get to a Social Security Office "forthwith" as is expressed on 'Blue Bloods'. So, alarm set for 8:00 AM, I finally managed to drift off to sleep for about 5 hours. Then the alarm went off.....
I felt as if I had been drugged or had been drinking all night. Head hurt, stomach hurt, feet not working well, having to state my next step out loud just to get my brain to begin working. I kept looking at the clock and time kept moving even when I still felt like time had stopped from the time when I found out I had died.
The Fairbanks office of Social Security opened at 9 AM. I had planned to be there at 9 AM, but my feet would just not work fast enough. I pulled out of the garage here at 9:10 AM. The GPS drove me directly to the building, although I made a wrong turn before the last turn as my mind was just not quite with it. I parked easily and walked into the Federal Building. There were two guards and bins for coats and pocketbooks as well as a metal detector. I set off the metal detector with my artificial knees and I thought about explaining that it was OK as I was also dead, but did not think the guards would have thought it too funny. I was directed to the Social Security Office, just down the hallway.
I walked in. No receptionist, just an armed guard who directed people walking in to the Kiosk in front of her, if they had not already figured out that her job was not to do anything but guard the office. I filled out the questions and thought about the poor folks who could not read or fill out a form on a computer kiosk. I had to wait for 5 people ahead of me who also did not have an appointment. Several of them were looking for lost SS cards in order to secure jobs, Sadly none of them had a phone and one had no mailing address. One becomes grateful for what you have when you hear a person struggling to try to get work so they can afford to live in a warm place and perhaps get a phone of some kind. Hopefully they have not been sleeping outside as the nights (and some days) have not gotten out of single digits.
My number was called fairly quickly and I went up to talk to Pam... I think that was her name.... and she asked how she could help. I told her quickly that I just needed to have this issue resolved and she began madly typing into her computer. She typed and typed and typed and then explained that she was trying to find out what had happened or how such an error could have been made. She assured me it was nothing that I did online... phew.... and then began more typing. Finally she paused and turned to the gentleman behind her at a desk and told him that she had never done a resurrection before and could he help. Indeed, that is what the folks at SSA call correcting an erroneous death report. Yes, a resurrection!!!
Fortunately I had gotten my Alaska True ID driver's license so they had my new address and a federally sanctioned ID. A printout, a copy of my driver's license later and I was assured that I was once again alive and all would be reinstated to the original status. Might take a day or two, but Medicare would contact everyone they had sent the notice to and would make sure I was back on their lists with all of the same coverage that I had before I died. I was back at home by 10:30 AM. It was handled efficiently and quickly!
I had call from Edmund John, my guy at Banker's Life. He has handled all of my Medicare supplements from day one. I left a message for him last night at around 10;30 PM. He called me early evening, his time, tonight. He is going to also make sure that I get back on the roles of my insurances and also make sure that I will be properly covered next year.
So, I guess I am back among the living. I will be checking on things over the next several days. I am hoping that it will all continue to be as simple as today was. But I am not going to hold my breath!
Keep your prayers coming.
I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach. Once reality set in, I realized that I was not going to get any more money from Social Security. I had no insurance... no Medicare, no supplement, no drug plan. And who knows what other agencies that information was being sent to. But the Social Security Administration thought I had died. And when they think you are dead... for all intents and purposes.... you are dead.
The young women at Social Security phone bank at 3:00 AM had started out bored, but we were in giggles by the end. She had looked at my records, verified that I was listed as having died and said that I needed to get to a Social Security Office "forthwith" as is expressed on 'Blue Bloods'. So, alarm set for 8:00 AM, I finally managed to drift off to sleep for about 5 hours. Then the alarm went off.....
I felt as if I had been drugged or had been drinking all night. Head hurt, stomach hurt, feet not working well, having to state my next step out loud just to get my brain to begin working. I kept looking at the clock and time kept moving even when I still felt like time had stopped from the time when I found out I had died.
The Fairbanks office of Social Security opened at 9 AM. I had planned to be there at 9 AM, but my feet would just not work fast enough. I pulled out of the garage here at 9:10 AM. The GPS drove me directly to the building, although I made a wrong turn before the last turn as my mind was just not quite with it. I parked easily and walked into the Federal Building. There were two guards and bins for coats and pocketbooks as well as a metal detector. I set off the metal detector with my artificial knees and I thought about explaining that it was OK as I was also dead, but did not think the guards would have thought it too funny. I was directed to the Social Security Office, just down the hallway.
I walked in. No receptionist, just an armed guard who directed people walking in to the Kiosk in front of her, if they had not already figured out that her job was not to do anything but guard the office. I filled out the questions and thought about the poor folks who could not read or fill out a form on a computer kiosk. I had to wait for 5 people ahead of me who also did not have an appointment. Several of them were looking for lost SS cards in order to secure jobs, Sadly none of them had a phone and one had no mailing address. One becomes grateful for what you have when you hear a person struggling to try to get work so they can afford to live in a warm place and perhaps get a phone of some kind. Hopefully they have not been sleeping outside as the nights (and some days) have not gotten out of single digits.
My number was called fairly quickly and I went up to talk to Pam... I think that was her name.... and she asked how she could help. I told her quickly that I just needed to have this issue resolved and she began madly typing into her computer. She typed and typed and typed and then explained that she was trying to find out what had happened or how such an error could have been made. She assured me it was nothing that I did online... phew.... and then began more typing. Finally she paused and turned to the gentleman behind her at a desk and told him that she had never done a resurrection before and could he help. Indeed, that is what the folks at SSA call correcting an erroneous death report. Yes, a resurrection!!!
Fortunately I had gotten my Alaska True ID driver's license so they had my new address and a federally sanctioned ID. A printout, a copy of my driver's license later and I was assured that I was once again alive and all would be reinstated to the original status. Might take a day or two, but Medicare would contact everyone they had sent the notice to and would make sure I was back on their lists with all of the same coverage that I had before I died. I was back at home by 10:30 AM. It was handled efficiently and quickly!
I had call from Edmund John, my guy at Banker's Life. He has handled all of my Medicare supplements from day one. I left a message for him last night at around 10;30 PM. He called me early evening, his time, tonight. He is going to also make sure that I get back on the roles of my insurances and also make sure that I will be properly covered next year.
So, I guess I am back among the living. I will be checking on things over the next several days. I am hoping that it will all continue to be as simple as today was. But I am not going to hold my breath!
Keep your prayers coming.
Still not alive....
But there is hope....
I have to appear at my local Social Security office with a picture ID. It appears as though, in changing my address that someone in SSA also listed me as having died. So, I need to go to the Fairbanks SSA office and show them ID with a photo and they will be able to bring me back from the dead. Hopefully without too much trouble.
Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
I have to appear at my local Social Security office with a picture ID. It appears as though, in changing my address that someone in SSA also listed me as having died. So, I need to go to the Fairbanks SSA office and show them ID with a photo and they will be able to bring me back from the dead. Hopefully without too much trouble.
Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Feeling Overwhelmed, again and before pics.....
There are days when I wonder why I did this. But I wondered that as I was getting ready to make this change. I also wondered what I should be doing for the last. almost nine years after Rudy's passing. I am sure it is the same things that other widows and widowers go through. When you marry you assume it will continue well into your "Golden Years" and when it does not happen as you had imagined, your entire world is off kilter.
So, having survived the first significant snow... my standards not Alaskan standards... I continue to attack the many, many boxes in my life. The kitchen is beginning to be much more functional. In fact, I prepared the main course for Dungeons and Dragons get together for Saturday night. Rob was working all day at the yarn shop, covering for the owner who is out of town on family issues and Kate had Tai Chi and then costume sewing for the Nutcracker. So I took over the task of preparing the main course. I made Crock Pot Chicken Chow Mein with rice and noodles. It turned out well and it was so nice to be able to actually cook a full meal in the kitchen.
The dining room still has a nice layer of boxes. But you can walk around them now and actually get to the window in the back of the house, so there is progress. The kitchen counters are still covered with stuff that is searching for a home. This kitchen is not set up the same as my old kitchen. Sometimes, as I pull things out they need to sit as I imagine how they are going to be used and then find the best place for them to live. There are days when I seem have more sitting then being put someplace. This is when I wish had some of you close by to come help me with these decisions.
There are days when I look at the stuff sitting and then at the unopened boxes and just get a feeling of "Holy Cow, what was I thinking???"
I did get out of the house on Thursday morning last week and went to St Raphael's Catholic Church on the east side of Fairbanks to visit some ladies who have a monthly sewing group there. They had met the day before and I could not go, but they planned an extra day, so I drove out there and spent an hour or so with them, saying 'hello' and seeing what they were doing. It is not at all like Sew Much Love. They are not working on anything for charity. Everyone brings their own projects to work on. Patches, they feel like you do... they enjoy sewing with friends. On this day, everyone was working on quilting projects. Several were doing Christmas Tree wall hangings. Others were just piecing quilts that were to be gifts or were to have been gifts that were past due. (Glad to know I am not the only one who finishes gifts after the giving deadline.) There were five ladies there... Tammy, the lady who had invited me, her daughter, Maria, Nancy.. who lives nearby and opens the hall for the ladies. Then two ladies who came later. I think they were Camille and either Cheryl or Shirley, but I am no longer sure if I have them right. I have never been good with names when first meeting people. They were very nice and have another two-day session planned the week before Thanksgiving. I may be digging into craft boxes to try to come up with a project to dive in to sew.... or at least take my crocheting project.
So here are some more before pictures of what was the family room but is now my Master Bedroom. I had a blow-up bed for the first few weeks. Furniture has made it much nicer. Looking forward to no more boxes. But I love the room and my lovely space I am making on the lower level. And the dogs seem to be very comfortable here as well.
Here is my before in the Master Bedroom. I have found that a comforter is the best topping for a bed here in Alaska. As the temps dropped, I found that a couple of nights I could not stay warm all night. Kate loaned me the comforter that they had gotten for their bed. So I purchased my own. Glad I did.
The little TV traveled with me. It was my "travel TV" for spending time in bedrooms that did not have TVs as I have gotten used to falling asleep with the TV on. This TV will end up in the guest room here.
Just so you can see the boys. They have some of their toys and sleeping areas in this room and the craft room.
The octagon window looks into the Sauna. The next door on the right is the bathroom, the almost invisible wall on the right is the laundry and the open door at the end is the craft room. The farthest door on the left is storage under the steps. The closest door on the left are the stairs going to the front door and the upper level.
This is on the other end of the room. The door on the right goes into the garage. The closed door is a closet. The hooks are quite convenient for taking the dogs out for their periodic walks.
I will have some after pictures soon. We are prepping for another major storm by the end of the week. Sounds like it might be more east and south, but as one knows, weather cane be very fickle. So I am off to pick up a couple of things to be prepared. Still do not have a generator setup here. Takes a lot of time to get a new home set up as well as the old home was. And I seem to have a lot of time....
So, having survived the first significant snow... my standards not Alaskan standards... I continue to attack the many, many boxes in my life. The kitchen is beginning to be much more functional. In fact, I prepared the main course for Dungeons and Dragons get together for Saturday night. Rob was working all day at the yarn shop, covering for the owner who is out of town on family issues and Kate had Tai Chi and then costume sewing for the Nutcracker. So I took over the task of preparing the main course. I made Crock Pot Chicken Chow Mein with rice and noodles. It turned out well and it was so nice to be able to actually cook a full meal in the kitchen.
The dining room still has a nice layer of boxes. But you can walk around them now and actually get to the window in the back of the house, so there is progress. The kitchen counters are still covered with stuff that is searching for a home. This kitchen is not set up the same as my old kitchen. Sometimes, as I pull things out they need to sit as I imagine how they are going to be used and then find the best place for them to live. There are days when I seem have more sitting then being put someplace. This is when I wish had some of you close by to come help me with these decisions.
There are days when I look at the stuff sitting and then at the unopened boxes and just get a feeling of "Holy Cow, what was I thinking???"
I did get out of the house on Thursday morning last week and went to St Raphael's Catholic Church on the east side of Fairbanks to visit some ladies who have a monthly sewing group there. They had met the day before and I could not go, but they planned an extra day, so I drove out there and spent an hour or so with them, saying 'hello' and seeing what they were doing. It is not at all like Sew Much Love. They are not working on anything for charity. Everyone brings their own projects to work on. Patches, they feel like you do... they enjoy sewing with friends. On this day, everyone was working on quilting projects. Several were doing Christmas Tree wall hangings. Others were just piecing quilts that were to be gifts or were to have been gifts that were past due. (Glad to know I am not the only one who finishes gifts after the giving deadline.) There were five ladies there... Tammy, the lady who had invited me, her daughter, Maria, Nancy.. who lives nearby and opens the hall for the ladies. Then two ladies who came later. I think they were Camille and either Cheryl or Shirley, but I am no longer sure if I have them right. I have never been good with names when first meeting people. They were very nice and have another two-day session planned the week before Thanksgiving. I may be digging into craft boxes to try to come up with a project to dive in to sew.... or at least take my crocheting project.
So here are some more before pictures of what was the family room but is now my Master Bedroom. I had a blow-up bed for the first few weeks. Furniture has made it much nicer. Looking forward to no more boxes. But I love the room and my lovely space I am making on the lower level. And the dogs seem to be very comfortable here as well.
Here is my before in the Master Bedroom. I have found that a comforter is the best topping for a bed here in Alaska. As the temps dropped, I found that a couple of nights I could not stay warm all night. Kate loaned me the comforter that they had gotten for their bed. So I purchased my own. Glad I did.
The little TV traveled with me. It was my "travel TV" for spending time in bedrooms that did not have TVs as I have gotten used to falling asleep with the TV on. This TV will end up in the guest room here.
Just so you can see the boys. They have some of their toys and sleeping areas in this room and the craft room.
The octagon window looks into the Sauna. The next door on the right is the bathroom, the almost invisible wall on the right is the laundry and the open door at the end is the craft room. The farthest door on the left is storage under the steps. The closest door on the left are the stairs going to the front door and the upper level.
This is on the other end of the room. The door on the right goes into the garage. The closed door is a closet. The hooks are quite convenient for taking the dogs out for their periodic walks.
I will have some after pictures soon. We are prepping for another major storm by the end of the week. Sounds like it might be more east and south, but as one knows, weather cane be very fickle. So I am off to pick up a couple of things to be prepared. Still do not have a generator setup here. Takes a lot of time to get a new home set up as well as the old home was. And I seem to have a lot of time....
Thursday, November 7, 2019
A couple of before pictures.....
Today (Thursday) was snow cleanup day. The storm that started Wednesday late in the afternoon, was first supposed to be the in the 2 to 4 inch range. By the time we got home from dinner at the Brewsters on Aiport Way it had become 6 to 8 inches. By the time I went to bed, it was a full-fledged Winter Storm, complete with the appropriate warnings for up to 12 inches.
Rob had planned to clear his driveway first thing this morning with his new track driven snow blower and then he and Kate were going to come down the mountain so Kate could go to work and Rob was going to be here to give me snow blower instructions.
He got his driveway blown open in 2 hours as opposed to the all day job it would have been to do it by shoveling. Then they battled roads that had been unplowed with only the tracks of vehicles that had gone before them. Took them a tad longer than usual. I found out that Rob was here when Miles, perched on his new window seat, started growling. He was outside shoveling my steps (which I had done yesterday but the overnight snow had buried) so I booted up and started my snow blowing lesson. I think I have everything down, but I may not have the arm strength to pull start the engine. The electric assist no longer works so pull start is the only way to get it going.
Rob got it started and then I took over. It took a few turns around the driveway, but I got the hang of it and while I was blowing the snow, Rob was digging out his spare car that will be gone on Sunday. Rob took over towards the end as I have been having periodic issues with a pain in my right hip. Just a growing old with arthritis thing, I think, but just about the time I think it is gone it comes back. But I had the snowblower on slow forward and back, so it was more like a leisurely walk around the driveway fifty times. The large driveway is impressive and very nice for turning around and parking. But it sucks when it is covered in 5 to 8 inches of snow. After Rob cleared some grass areas for the dogs, we shut it down and it had taken about 2 hours here, too.
He has a standby agreement with my lawn guy to plow his driveway and mine. Jim would charge Rob $100 to drive out to his location and plow and each time he came here to my house, it would be a $75 charge (boy do I miss my truck). So being able to snow blow will save me tons of money. I am all for that. Plus I know that Rob will be here to help or do the work if I find I cannot for some reason.
I also had a chance to finally meet a neighbor. His name is Mike. He owns the duplex that I can see from my house. Miles and I had slogged out to the mailbox before Rob got here and Mike came out to introduce himself. He is the chaplain at the local hospital. He also works with the local Neighborhood Watch group. He was quite nice, so I am guessing that if I need help to start the snow blower and Rob is not around, I might be able to ask him if I cannot make it work.
So, some pictures. These are before the truck arrived. so this is the empty house, save for the few things I bought to use until the truck arrived.
Another view of the living room. The shelf at the stairs once held an aquarium of Piranha. Right now a small TV is there, but it will soon be mounted on a rolling stand so it can go into any room upstairs or downstairs. As you can see, the boys are relaxing under the table. They do not always get to come upstairs. Trying to keep the dog hair from being all over the house.
Miles is really mad over Kate. He looks for her to come to the house and when it is only Rob, Miles almost pouts. When Kate does come he squeals and wiggles and licks. And she giggles and pets him. It is adorable to watch.
Final picture for this blog. Looking down the steps to the front door. On the right is storage that is under where the aquarium was. It is currently where excess cooking items are living. These are the things that I do not use all the time and were either on carts in the kitchen or on shelves on the inside back porch. It holds a surprisingly large amount of stuff.
So, off to bed. No overnight snow. Going to visit the sewing group tomorrow as Tammy texted that they are meeting again tomorrow. Then shopping for the main course for Dungeons and Dragons on Saturday Have a great Friday!!!!!!
Rob had planned to clear his driveway first thing this morning with his new track driven snow blower and then he and Kate were going to come down the mountain so Kate could go to work and Rob was going to be here to give me snow blower instructions.
He got his driveway blown open in 2 hours as opposed to the all day job it would have been to do it by shoveling. Then they battled roads that had been unplowed with only the tracks of vehicles that had gone before them. Took them a tad longer than usual. I found out that Rob was here when Miles, perched on his new window seat, started growling. He was outside shoveling my steps (which I had done yesterday but the overnight snow had buried) so I booted up and started my snow blowing lesson. I think I have everything down, but I may not have the arm strength to pull start the engine. The electric assist no longer works so pull start is the only way to get it going.
Rob got it started and then I took over. It took a few turns around the driveway, but I got the hang of it and while I was blowing the snow, Rob was digging out his spare car that will be gone on Sunday. Rob took over towards the end as I have been having periodic issues with a pain in my right hip. Just a growing old with arthritis thing, I think, but just about the time I think it is gone it comes back. But I had the snowblower on slow forward and back, so it was more like a leisurely walk around the driveway fifty times. The large driveway is impressive and very nice for turning around and parking. But it sucks when it is covered in 5 to 8 inches of snow. After Rob cleared some grass areas for the dogs, we shut it down and it had taken about 2 hours here, too.
He has a standby agreement with my lawn guy to plow his driveway and mine. Jim would charge Rob $100 to drive out to his location and plow and each time he came here to my house, it would be a $75 charge (boy do I miss my truck). So being able to snow blow will save me tons of money. I am all for that. Plus I know that Rob will be here to help or do the work if I find I cannot for some reason.
I also had a chance to finally meet a neighbor. His name is Mike. He owns the duplex that I can see from my house. Miles and I had slogged out to the mailbox before Rob got here and Mike came out to introduce himself. He is the chaplain at the local hospital. He also works with the local Neighborhood Watch group. He was quite nice, so I am guessing that if I need help to start the snow blower and Rob is not around, I might be able to ask him if I cannot make it work.
So, some pictures. These are before the truck arrived. so this is the empty house, save for the few things I bought to use until the truck arrived.
This is the dining room. More of a dining area rather than a room. The only room with a ceiling fan. We have been looking for a dining set. Initially we were thinking good sized for gaming, but we have revised that to a smaller table for 4 that we can add folding tables to for gaming. Right now it is full of boxes... not as many as before, but getting all of the stuff from the PA kitchen has been quite the task. I did not realize how much kitchen stuff I have accumulated, especially considering I had a fully stocked kitchen at Indian Acres.
This is the view from the dining area. All along the wall to the right on the outside is the deck. The wood stove has come in very handy for burning the plethora of newsprint that keeps coming out of the boxes. Again, not a large room, but we will have some comfy living room furniture that will accommodate the knitters on a Sunday afternoon.
Another view of the living room. The shelf at the stairs once held an aquarium of Piranha. Right now a small TV is there, but it will soon be mounted on a rolling stand so it can go into any room upstairs or downstairs. As you can see, the boys are relaxing under the table. They do not always get to come upstairs. Trying to keep the dog hair from being all over the house.
Miles is really mad over Kate. He looks for her to come to the house and when it is only Rob, Miles almost pouts. When Kate does come he squeals and wiggles and licks. And she giggles and pets him. It is adorable to watch.
Final picture for this blog. Looking down the steps to the front door. On the right is storage that is under where the aquarium was. It is currently where excess cooking items are living. These are the things that I do not use all the time and were either on carts in the kitchen or on shelves on the inside back porch. It holds a surprisingly large amount of stuff.
So, off to bed. No overnight snow. Going to visit the sewing group tomorrow as Tammy texted that they are meeting again tomorrow. Then shopping for the main course for Dungeons and Dragons on Saturday Have a great Friday!!!!!!
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