At the prodding of my friend, Jonathan, I have started a Facebook page to chronicle my musings about again being a gym member and determined work out person. Is this time different? I think so. My reasons for joining are varied. It's kind of like when I went into therapy in my late 20s. . .it was just time to do it. You know, that point where you just do it (not to quote Nike). And I am approaching the whole thing with a sense of humor. Not as a means of belittling it or anything, but as a kind of shrug and way of not getting down about not being able to do xyz. . .yet.
So, if you'd like to follow along, here's the link:
https://www.facebook.com/youwantmetoshakewhat/
I will continue to post about other things here, though there may be a few crossovers. We'll see.
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Women's Health
New surge in the birth control/abortion debates today (personally, I think both issues should be discussed separately, but they keep getting lumped together because they are part of women's reproductive issues). The current debate is probably because of this bill in Missouri:
http://www.newsweek.com/womens-rights-birth-control-abortion-missouri-discrimination-628538
Don't think that we really need to worry about the discrimination that could happen? Don't think it could really go that far? Sure it can. We are very judgmental creatures. All of us. This is one of the rare times where I will profess such a blanket statement because usually there are exceptions. But in this case. . .no. It's human nature to compare and contrast and feel superior or better than someone or something in a myriad of settings. For example, right now I am scoffing at the lawmakers in the above article for what I see as stupidity. I do try to understand every side of an argument so I can form an intelligent opinion (the above article wasn't even the first I read today on the subject). Most of the articles I looked at focus on the same thing: what could happen if the bill is passed.
Yes, that is the key word here. No obvious precedent has been set yet though there has been at least one case on the opposite side of a woman being denied employment because she belonged to a pro-life organization (2014's Hellwege v. Tampa Family Health Centers). So, I think it's safe to say that the possibility exists of it happening that a woman could be denied employment, housing, etc, because she chose to get an abortion or uses birth control.
There was one thing that was utmost in my mind when reading through the Missouri headlines today: why is it anyone's business if a woman has had an abortion or uses birth control? Besides, of course, the woman, her doctor, and her partner. The obvious answer should be: no one. But there might be sneaky ways to ask questions to find such things out in an interview. Chit chat type of questions and statements. Same as a company might do to find out if a woman is pregnant or plans to have children (more on that later). Or if something got mentioned in social media, etc etc. Anyway, obviously that's a real concern or St. Louis wouldn't have passed "an ordinance that prevents employers and housing providers from punishing women for their reproductive health choices" (see article linked above). Seems reasonable to cover that base so why change it?
I get that it's part of the current balancing act that is going on in politics between religious freedom and "other" freedoms, but I'm not going deep down into that rabbit hole right now. It just saddens me that we have not progressed much on these issues. Especially birth control. There are so many reasons why women are prescribed it that have nothing to do with their sexual choices. And even if it is because they want to be sexually active, well, hey, they are being proactive and trying to protect themselves. How is that wrong? Yeah, I know. Welcome to the ever present female death spiral. Even menopause doesn't necessarily help a woman pull herself up into clear skies because she may still need to be on some form in order to balance her system. And there's another loop. (sigh)
I mentioned pregnancy earlier. For jobs, I think that the abortion/birth control issues should be treated like pregnancy is supposed to be:
https://www1.eeoc.gov//eeoc/publications/fs-preg.cfm?renderforprint=1
Abortion and birth control should be considered to be part of the "related medical conditions" that are mentioned in the above breakdown of the law. I know, I mentioned a separation of the two things in my first sentence of this post, but I was talking about that in terms of moral debate. Legally, they do fall under the purview of women's health so, in this case, it makes sense to lump them together with pregnancy laws. That is quite possibly what St. Louis was trying to do. Define some general terms with more specific ones.
It will be interesting to see if they can push the bill through. Obviously, I'm hoping not.
http://www.newsweek.com/womens-rights-birth-control-abortion-missouri-discrimination-628538
Don't think that we really need to worry about the discrimination that could happen? Don't think it could really go that far? Sure it can. We are very judgmental creatures. All of us. This is one of the rare times where I will profess such a blanket statement because usually there are exceptions. But in this case. . .no. It's human nature to compare and contrast and feel superior or better than someone or something in a myriad of settings. For example, right now I am scoffing at the lawmakers in the above article for what I see as stupidity. I do try to understand every side of an argument so I can form an intelligent opinion (the above article wasn't even the first I read today on the subject). Most of the articles I looked at focus on the same thing: what could happen if the bill is passed.
Yes, that is the key word here. No obvious precedent has been set yet though there has been at least one case on the opposite side of a woman being denied employment because she belonged to a pro-life organization (2014's Hellwege v. Tampa Family Health Centers). So, I think it's safe to say that the possibility exists of it happening that a woman could be denied employment, housing, etc, because she chose to get an abortion or uses birth control.
There was one thing that was utmost in my mind when reading through the Missouri headlines today: why is it anyone's business if a woman has had an abortion or uses birth control? Besides, of course, the woman, her doctor, and her partner. The obvious answer should be: no one. But there might be sneaky ways to ask questions to find such things out in an interview. Chit chat type of questions and statements. Same as a company might do to find out if a woman is pregnant or plans to have children (more on that later). Or if something got mentioned in social media, etc etc. Anyway, obviously that's a real concern or St. Louis wouldn't have passed "an ordinance that prevents employers and housing providers from punishing women for their reproductive health choices" (see article linked above). Seems reasonable to cover that base so why change it?
I get that it's part of the current balancing act that is going on in politics between religious freedom and "other" freedoms, but I'm not going deep down into that rabbit hole right now. It just saddens me that we have not progressed much on these issues. Especially birth control. There are so many reasons why women are prescribed it that have nothing to do with their sexual choices. And even if it is because they want to be sexually active, well, hey, they are being proactive and trying to protect themselves. How is that wrong? Yeah, I know. Welcome to the ever present female death spiral. Even menopause doesn't necessarily help a woman pull herself up into clear skies because she may still need to be on some form in order to balance her system. And there's another loop. (sigh)
I mentioned pregnancy earlier. For jobs, I think that the abortion/birth control issues should be treated like pregnancy is supposed to be:
https://www1.eeoc.gov//eeoc/publications/fs-preg.cfm?renderforprint=1
Abortion and birth control should be considered to be part of the "related medical conditions" that are mentioned in the above breakdown of the law. I know, I mentioned a separation of the two things in my first sentence of this post, but I was talking about that in terms of moral debate. Legally, they do fall under the purview of women's health so, in this case, it makes sense to lump them together with pregnancy laws. That is quite possibly what St. Louis was trying to do. Define some general terms with more specific ones.
It will be interesting to see if they can push the bill through. Obviously, I'm hoping not.
Monday, June 12, 2017
Et tu?
I'm sure some of you expected a reaction to recent theatre news. I do, after all, have degrees related to it. First off, let me point out that I am meh on modernizations of the classics, but I have seen a few good ones. I have also seen some bad "classical" interpretations. In all cases, I can usually appreciate what a production is trying to do and I am always curious as to why X choices were made (that's the academic geek in me). So, I try to take a production as it comes because there are sooooo many variations that can be created.
I understand the reaction to the newest NY interpretation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The production is anything but subtle from what I've read. And we could argue a lot over it from multiple angles. Do I think they shouldn't have done it? No, experimentation is a big part of theatre. Do I think that they shouldn't receive any backlash? No. After all, that too is a part of theatre. How the company accepts that (i.e.responds) is completely their call.
See, here's the thing. . .theatre is momentary. What the production essentially is poofs when the curtain closes. It's like a birth, a wedding, a funeral. For example, you may have other children, but you will never give birth to that exact child again. Even within a production run, there can be small variations that make a showing unique. And, even if a future production is somehow able to recapture key moments from a "famous" run we saw, how we see the new one will be colored by the life experiences that have happened between the productions (which is likely to be years). That is both the joy and sorrow of theatre. The joy of being in the moment of experience, but the sorrow after of knowing you will never have that moment again.
One of the hardest things for theatres to do is to "freshen" up a well known play (or musical). Especially Shakespeare and the Greeks. Oh, people may be more than happy to see a classical interpretation, but what exactly does that mean? After all, even in the play's infancy, it most likely saw it's own variations of theatrical interpretation. So, people might as well look around at their current world and see how they can make it live in the moment. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Political, social, psychological interpretations. . .history is littered with them.
So, yes, there is a great deal of precedent for The Public Theater's production. I figured someone would know. Turns out that a Shakespearean scholar I've chatted with is an expert on the play's modern history. He was interviewed by CNN about it so I waited until the article was published before writing this post. The article does what I had hoped. . .summed up the why would the company do this and how it's been done before:
http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/12/media/julius-caesar-public-theater-shakespeare/index.html?platform=hootsuite
I am in no way saying that the visceral responses that have happened are wrong. They are totally legit. See Aristotle's Poetics if you doubt me. But I did have skepticism about the repeated claim that, "The left would totally have freaked out if this had been Obama!" "This would never have happened over the past eight years!" I wondered, because something in my memory prickled that it had been done. Or maybe I just assumed that because of even older productions. And once I started searching, I found at least one production that did (I say "at least," because I have to wonder if there aren't smaller ones that normally wouldn't get any press outside of their local areas):
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/shakesblog/obamas-ides-of-march/
That's the review that other articles cite on the issue. Here are some others that I found in the order they popped up and their interpretation of events:
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Delta-Sponsored-2012-Guthrie-Theater-Season-Which-Featured-Obama-Inspired-Julius-Caesar-20170612
http://www.startribune.com/trump-themed-julius-caesar-is-talk-of-theater-world-unlike-2012-obama-version-in-twin-cities/427990033/
https://psmag.com/education/shakespeare-101-for-trumpkins (note: I could do without the name calling here, but it makes some interesting references -- i.e. had examples -- that I didn't know)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/uproar-over-trumped-up-julius-caesar-ignores-the-plays-actual-meaning_us_593e935fe4b0c5a35ca1334b
I find it interesting that the second and last ones both began with the words "Uproar Over." Well, it is indeed that. It does seem that the current production is way more bludgeoning than the 2012 one. That's certainly not a choice I would make. I prefer innuendo and sly winks.
In my search, I also found various general articles that linked Obama and (the real) Julius Caesar. This was one of the more interesting ones I found from a purely political analysis p.o.v.:
https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/jamie-stiehm/2014/11/04/betrayal-and-bloodshed-of-julius-caesar-echoes-obamas-plight
And so on. There were such articles about Bush too. If I had continued delving, I bet I could find more on other presidents.
At any rate, without actually seeing the show, I can't give a theatrical critique about it. But I can say that I'm not surprised it exists. I do think the timing is off. Then again, when would be a good time? Well, certainly not two weeks after the Kathy Griffin debacle (which I have a different opinion of). But they had no way of knowing that their production would coincide with that. So, go see the production or not. It really comes down to being your choice. That's the beauty of art -- we don't have to view it, agree with it (or each other on it), or even like it.
I understand the reaction to the newest NY interpretation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The production is anything but subtle from what I've read. And we could argue a lot over it from multiple angles. Do I think they shouldn't have done it? No, experimentation is a big part of theatre. Do I think that they shouldn't receive any backlash? No. After all, that too is a part of theatre. How the company accepts that (i.e.responds) is completely their call.
See, here's the thing. . .theatre is momentary. What the production essentially is poofs when the curtain closes. It's like a birth, a wedding, a funeral. For example, you may have other children, but you will never give birth to that exact child again. Even within a production run, there can be small variations that make a showing unique. And, even if a future production is somehow able to recapture key moments from a "famous" run we saw, how we see the new one will be colored by the life experiences that have happened between the productions (which is likely to be years). That is both the joy and sorrow of theatre. The joy of being in the moment of experience, but the sorrow after of knowing you will never have that moment again.
One of the hardest things for theatres to do is to "freshen" up a well known play (or musical). Especially Shakespeare and the Greeks. Oh, people may be more than happy to see a classical interpretation, but what exactly does that mean? After all, even in the play's infancy, it most likely saw it's own variations of theatrical interpretation. So, people might as well look around at their current world and see how they can make it live in the moment. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Political, social, psychological interpretations. . .history is littered with them.
So, yes, there is a great deal of precedent for The Public Theater's production. I figured someone would know. Turns out that a Shakespearean scholar I've chatted with is an expert on the play's modern history. He was interviewed by CNN about it so I waited until the article was published before writing this post. The article does what I had hoped. . .summed up the why would the company do this and how it's been done before:
http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/12/media/julius-caesar-public-theater-shakespeare/index.html?platform=hootsuite
I am in no way saying that the visceral responses that have happened are wrong. They are totally legit. See Aristotle's Poetics if you doubt me. But I did have skepticism about the repeated claim that, "The left would totally have freaked out if this had been Obama!" "This would never have happened over the past eight years!" I wondered, because something in my memory prickled that it had been done. Or maybe I just assumed that because of even older productions. And once I started searching, I found at least one production that did (I say "at least," because I have to wonder if there aren't smaller ones that normally wouldn't get any press outside of their local areas):
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/shakesblog/obamas-ides-of-march/
That's the review that other articles cite on the issue. Here are some others that I found in the order they popped up and their interpretation of events:
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Delta-Sponsored-2012-Guthrie-Theater-Season-Which-Featured-Obama-Inspired-Julius-Caesar-20170612
http://www.startribune.com/trump-themed-julius-caesar-is-talk-of-theater-world-unlike-2012-obama-version-in-twin-cities/427990033/
https://psmag.com/education/shakespeare-101-for-trumpkins (note: I could do without the name calling here, but it makes some interesting references -- i.e. had examples -- that I didn't know)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/uproar-over-trumped-up-julius-caesar-ignores-the-plays-actual-meaning_us_593e935fe4b0c5a35ca1334b
I find it interesting that the second and last ones both began with the words "Uproar Over." Well, it is indeed that. It does seem that the current production is way more bludgeoning than the 2012 one. That's certainly not a choice I would make. I prefer innuendo and sly winks.
In my search, I also found various general articles that linked Obama and (the real) Julius Caesar. This was one of the more interesting ones I found from a purely political analysis p.o.v.:
https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/jamie-stiehm/2014/11/04/betrayal-and-bloodshed-of-julius-caesar-echoes-obamas-plight
And so on. There were such articles about Bush too. If I had continued delving, I bet I could find more on other presidents.
At any rate, without actually seeing the show, I can't give a theatrical critique about it. But I can say that I'm not surprised it exists. I do think the timing is off. Then again, when would be a good time? Well, certainly not two weeks after the Kathy Griffin debacle (which I have a different opinion of). But they had no way of knowing that their production would coincide with that. So, go see the production or not. It really comes down to being your choice. That's the beauty of art -- we don't have to view it, agree with it (or each other on it), or even like it.
Friday, June 09, 2017
Wow
I can't believe that it has been SEVEN years since I last posted on here. I could have sworn that there was at least one attempt since then. Why? Most likely because of Facebook and lack of writing thought time. Well, I should remedy that and I am going to do so today. I was just writing a post on FB and realized that I was writing something a lot longer than I usually do. And I thought, wait, I still have my Blogger account (I hope) and I've been wanting to use it again, so. . .here we are. I'm setting myself a goal of writing here again at least once a week. So, here's the new starter.
Another Edition of Huh, The Things You Learn
Last year, M opted in for supplemental eye insurance since I wear contacts/glasses. I don't mess around when it comes to my eyes, so I go to the doctor faithfully for that every year. Anyway, this happened after last year's appointment so I only just today got to use the insurance. Yesterday, I had to track down who it was, etc, because I couldn't find the paperwork (thanks again, Matt). It should have been with the other insurance stuff. I think it got shuffled somewhere because it came in separately. I mention this because I wanted to refresh my brain on the particulars of the policy. Also, the account/card only has M's name on it and I wanted to make sure that I was listed. Can never be too careful with insurance. All was fine after I contacted a rep (though getting to a real person through their automated system was a pain in the ass). Good to go and my doc is in network. so yay.
Now, I go to Lenscrafters. I have forever because I've had good luck with the doctors there. My first one (as a teen) had been a private physician and I disliked him a lot. But my second one was amazing (still my favorite one) and he was attached to a Lenscrafters up home for years before finally going solo. I stayed with him until I stopped going to PA a couple of times a year. Have had steady and decent care ever since at the one I go to here.
M bought me my last pair of glasses like 7/8 years ago as a present. I don't wear them much because they tend to make my head wonky for extended periods of time. But they are a solid pair of Ray-bans in great condition. Obviously, my prescription has changed since then and I figured I needed a new pair. I bought some online last year, but they make me dizzy. Dunno why, but I didn't spend a ton of money on them, so I went back to the old pair. Since we have the insurance, I figured I would buy again from Lenscrafters since I can get help if I have problems.
I go in for my appointment this morning and the first learning bit happens. They didn't even need my card. My insurance automatically updated itself in the system. Um, ok. I was thinking it must be something EyeMed does with the in-service providers. Ok. No problem, but if I'd known, I could have saved myself yesterday's hassles. So, while I'm waiting, I do my usual perusal of the frames, only this time with the knowledge that I need to seriously look. I always lean towards Ray-bans for my glasses because I've always liked their styles. And I've worn their sunglasses for years because they last (I'll go through cheap ones at a rate that equals the cost of an RB pair for the same amount of time). For over 20 years, I've only ever had one crappy pair of RB sunglasses. But, I do like looking at all the lines in case something new pops up. The first section was the Sferoflex brand and I found a pair I liked. Wasn't much for the other (non Ray-Ban ) brands though Brooks Brothers had some that were ok. Ray-Ban had several that were possible. I even found a pair that was similar to the Sferoflex ones, which were cheaper. But I didn't ever recall hearing about that brand before, so I decided to kill time with some research on them. I didn't want to spend a ton of money, insurance or not, but I did want good quality. shrug
And here is where today's title truly comes from. Turns out that one Italian company, Luxottica, owns them both. Not only that, they apparently own a bunch of other brands and retailers, including Lenscrafters. They also make frames for a lot of the other brand names (like Brooks Brothers and Burberry) too. That explains the really close similarities in the frames (beyond the normal, there's only so many ways you can make them spiel).
The real kicker though? They own EyeMed too! No WONDER all my stuff was already in the system. And no wonder my "discounts" at Lenscrafters are so good through the insurance. It's all the same to them. They lose no money on people like me because they pretty much own everything. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that ALL of the styles in the stores are their made by them. I ended up choosing an Armani Exchange pair http://www.lenscrafters.com/lc-us/armani-exchange/8053672696219 (via selfies, M did the tiebreaker between them and a pair of RBs I liked a lot http://www.lenscrafters.com/lc-us/armani-exchange/8053672696219).
With all of the "discounts," I ended up paying just a little more than I would have for the frames by themselves (or about what the nonprescription sunglasses tend to cost). I out discounts in quotes because, well, M is paying for the insurance. Granted, even with that, it's still less than it would be if we paid outright (especially for the exam -- that's the lowest co-pay I've ever had). So, the whole thing amuses me that it all goes back to the same place. Hey, at least that streamlines the process and I'll know who to complain to if something happens.
Another Edition of Huh, The Things You Learn
Last year, M opted in for supplemental eye insurance since I wear contacts/glasses. I don't mess around when it comes to my eyes, so I go to the doctor faithfully for that every year. Anyway, this happened after last year's appointment so I only just today got to use the insurance. Yesterday, I had to track down who it was, etc, because I couldn't find the paperwork (thanks again, Matt). It should have been with the other insurance stuff. I think it got shuffled somewhere because it came in separately. I mention this because I wanted to refresh my brain on the particulars of the policy. Also, the account/card only has M's name on it and I wanted to make sure that I was listed. Can never be too careful with insurance. All was fine after I contacted a rep (though getting to a real person through their automated system was a pain in the ass). Good to go and my doc is in network. so yay.
Now, I go to Lenscrafters. I have forever because I've had good luck with the doctors there. My first one (as a teen) had been a private physician and I disliked him a lot. But my second one was amazing (still my favorite one) and he was attached to a Lenscrafters up home for years before finally going solo. I stayed with him until I stopped going to PA a couple of times a year. Have had steady and decent care ever since at the one I go to here.
M bought me my last pair of glasses like 7/8 years ago as a present. I don't wear them much because they tend to make my head wonky for extended periods of time. But they are a solid pair of Ray-bans in great condition. Obviously, my prescription has changed since then and I figured I needed a new pair. I bought some online last year, but they make me dizzy. Dunno why, but I didn't spend a ton of money on them, so I went back to the old pair. Since we have the insurance, I figured I would buy again from Lenscrafters since I can get help if I have problems.
I go in for my appointment this morning and the first learning bit happens. They didn't even need my card. My insurance automatically updated itself in the system. Um, ok. I was thinking it must be something EyeMed does with the in-service providers. Ok. No problem, but if I'd known, I could have saved myself yesterday's hassles.
And here is where today's title truly comes from. Turns out that one Italian company, Luxottica, owns them both. Not only that, they apparently own a bunch of other brands and retailers, including Lenscrafters. They also make frames for a lot of the other brand names (like Brooks Brothers and Burberry) too. That explains the really close similarities in the frames (beyond the normal, there's only so many ways you can make them spiel).
Thursday, June 24, 2010
So What Do You Do When. . .
So what do you do when your laid off and/or there's no work to be had? Go to Disneyland!!
Seriously, that's one of the things that we did.
See, I ended up not having enough students for my Summer I class to make. We were still having trouble founding work for Michael. Our friends, Sara and Steve, were moving from California (where Sara and I met eons ago) to Charlotte. So, after much discussion and planning, we headed out there to help them pack up and move across the country. They flew us out. We spent about 2 and a half weeks packing their stuff up and helping them do a lot of other things.
The only thing we really did beyond that was go to Disneyland. Sara was able to get us free passes because one of her former co-worker's mother works there. So, it was a sweet day. Now Michael can say that he's been to both.
We drove their second car with their two dogs across country while they drove their SUV and trailer with their three cats. You can see why they needed help. Sure, you can ship a car but 5 animals in a vehicle? blech Only if it were big and roomy which theirs is not with luggage in it. They didn't want to keep opening the trailer so the options were a little limited. Plus, having us drive the car was about the same cost as shipping it anyway.
So, we got a little bit of a mental break. We needed it. Sara and Steve have a really nice house out there. They are renting it out right now until they decide what to do (whether to move east or what). Steve's job is back here which is why they made the move in the first place (he's a programmer). They are renting a house in Charlotte til they see if they really want to stay longer. Of course, they did pick one of the worst times as far as weather but, oh, well, that's what AC is for right?
As for us, still on the job hunt for Michael. He's been studying for the A+ certification and looking into earning others to make himself more marketable. I should start Summer II on the 6th. There were enough students the last time I looked.
Friends have helped us recently so we will financially survive the summer until I get back into the full semester swing. Yes, Michael now has unemployment but it isn't nearly enough. That is one experience I could have lived without doing. (sigh) Oh, and one other: no health insurance. This one sucks too because of my meds but. . .well, I'm looking into several things that should help. I've always been sympathetic but now I can add more weight behind it.
Anyway, just thought I would catch you all up on what we've been doing. Job hunt. House cleaning. Research. Hope all of you are well. Hugs.
Seriously, that's one of the things that we did.
See, I ended up not having enough students for my Summer I class to make. We were still having trouble founding work for Michael. Our friends, Sara and Steve, were moving from California (where Sara and I met eons ago) to Charlotte. So, after much discussion and planning, we headed out there to help them pack up and move across the country. They flew us out. We spent about 2 and a half weeks packing their stuff up and helping them do a lot of other things.
The only thing we really did beyond that was go to Disneyland. Sara was able to get us free passes because one of her former co-worker's mother works there. So, it was a sweet day. Now Michael can say that he's been to both.
We drove their second car with their two dogs across country while they drove their SUV and trailer with their three cats. You can see why they needed help. Sure, you can ship a car but 5 animals in a vehicle? blech Only if it were big and roomy which theirs is not with luggage in it. They didn't want to keep opening the trailer so the options were a little limited. Plus, having us drive the car was about the same cost as shipping it anyway.
So, we got a little bit of a mental break. We needed it. Sara and Steve have a really nice house out there. They are renting it out right now until they decide what to do (whether to move east or what). Steve's job is back here which is why they made the move in the first place (he's a programmer). They are renting a house in Charlotte til they see if they really want to stay longer. Of course, they did pick one of the worst times as far as weather but, oh, well, that's what AC is for right?
As for us, still on the job hunt for Michael. He's been studying for the A+ certification and looking into earning others to make himself more marketable. I should start Summer II on the 6th. There were enough students the last time I looked.
Friends have helped us recently so we will financially survive the summer until I get back into the full semester swing. Yes, Michael now has unemployment but it isn't nearly enough. That is one experience I could have lived without doing. (sigh) Oh, and one other: no health insurance. This one sucks too because of my meds but. . .well, I'm looking into several things that should help. I've always been sympathetic but now I can add more weight behind it.
Anyway, just thought I would catch you all up on what we've been doing. Job hunt. House cleaning. Research. Hope all of you are well. Hugs.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
It Is Never a Good Time To. . .
Well, pollen rose up and kicked my ass for a while. At the height I sounded like a frog. Fortunately, I managed not to get a sinus infection from it like in the past. So, that is something. Still, it wasn't a good time to have it hit when I was dealing with a gazillion things the last month and a half.
I didn't write sooner about the health stuff because I had to be retested. My labs came back normal so Gaye (nurse practitioner) was skeptical about the accuracy of the December tests saying that my thyroid was off. So, I tested again and it came back high again so, yeah, something wonky. Are we surprised? She now has me on a very low dose for that and also for cholesterol. I gave up fried foods and pizza for Lent (just because) and my cholesterol level actually went UP! I can't win.
I got myself a pair of those new Reeboks. Let me tell ya, they do work the leg muscles. I just have to remember to stretch. Our kitchen looks like a gym because we have everything cleared away so we can use the treadmill and elliptical. Michael has been doing that for about three weeks and lost a couple of pounds. Now that I am out of school and no longer walking on campus, I will start up some kind of routine. All of that should help.
Today is reading day and finals start tomorrow. I have my two summer classes if they make. I really hope so because, well, this summer is going to be tighter than last year. See, two Thursdays ago (the 15th), Michael was laid off from work. The company let him and another guy go. Now, you have to understand that the company isn't that big to begin with but by letting him go, they lost the one tech who knows computers and remembers all the training like it was yesterday. The irony, of course, is that Michael had just done three service calls that day. But that has been rare since the new year started. Printing is very much affected by the economy. The timing sucks because of summer coming up and my not having as much work.
The only good news out of it is that he got a severance package -- one weeks pay for every year there (5). That also means that health insurance is still in effect for a little bit.
The first thing we did on the 16th after turning in his truck and cell phone (both company owned) is get him a new cell. Fortunately, I had kept my LG ENV from when I did my new every two a while back. Wanted it in case something should happen to my phone. So, we were able to get him hooked up with my plan with no fuss. AND we learned that because I work for USC, I get a discount so it all ended up just being $20 extra month. The connection fee is going to be waived, probably because no one had ever mentioned the discount.
Then we went car hunting.
The cracked out thing is that you have to have a job in order to get a car and in order to get a job you have to have some way to get there. We tried Carmax and Michael was not impressed. Neither was I but for the reason that no one approached us. Since all of the cars Michael has ever owned were way less than $2000, he figured that was the way we could go. Yeah, right, not happening when we don't have the ready cash for that. I suggested we go to the Nissan dealership just to look. Michael didn't like dealerships but we went.
Ended up being met by a really nice guy right off the bat. After looking around at a bunch of used cars, DJ had a good feel for what Michael wanted besides "it has wheels and will get me from point A to point B." We left the lot thinking about a few that were there though at the high end of our range when, as luck would have it, three possible cars came in after we left the lot. One was a Camry and the other two were 2007 Versas. We went back on Saturday after my class to see them. Neither Michael or I were enamored of the Camry, basically a smaller tan version of my Maxima. But he really fell for one of the Versas. See, this elderly couple had come in to trade them for just one car because the husband (a minister) is in the early stages of dementia. There was a white one (hers) and a silver one (his). I joked that we could trade mine in and having matching cars. Michael really liked the silver one and loved how it drove. In the end, we managed to get the car at wholesale cost (I had a coupon from the dealership that essentially balanced out the taxes). Our monthly payment is not outrageous and we can always pay more when get things worked out. So Michael has a way to get around AND we have a more fuel efficient vehicle for long hauls (like the one we did this weekend to Charlotte to see his mom).
We were very pleased. Michael came away with a better view of dealerships because they didn't try and screw us over with pricing (I had checked the Kelly price the night before). We are doing an extended warranty on the car (our choice) because with something like this (and 87000 miles on it), you want that extra protection.
This past week, Michael has been trying to figure out what he wants to do now. He's been considering a career change (getting out of printing) but, really, I think it's going to come down to what he can find. There are jobs to be found. I just hope that we can find him one he will like.
I didn't write sooner about the health stuff because I had to be retested. My labs came back normal so Gaye (nurse practitioner) was skeptical about the accuracy of the December tests saying that my thyroid was off. So, I tested again and it came back high again so, yeah, something wonky. Are we surprised? She now has me on a very low dose for that and also for cholesterol. I gave up fried foods and pizza for Lent (just because) and my cholesterol level actually went UP! I can't win.
I got myself a pair of those new Reeboks. Let me tell ya, they do work the leg muscles. I just have to remember to stretch. Our kitchen looks like a gym because we have everything cleared away so we can use the treadmill and elliptical. Michael has been doing that for about three weeks and lost a couple of pounds. Now that I am out of school and no longer walking on campus, I will start up some kind of routine. All of that should help.
Today is reading day and finals start tomorrow. I have my two summer classes if they make. I really hope so because, well, this summer is going to be tighter than last year. See, two Thursdays ago (the 15th), Michael was laid off from work. The company let him and another guy go. Now, you have to understand that the company isn't that big to begin with but by letting him go, they lost the one tech who knows computers and remembers all the training like it was yesterday. The irony, of course, is that Michael had just done three service calls that day. But that has been rare since the new year started. Printing is very much affected by the economy. The timing sucks because of summer coming up and my not having as much work.
The only good news out of it is that he got a severance package -- one weeks pay for every year there (5). That also means that health insurance is still in effect for a little bit.
The first thing we did on the 16th after turning in his truck and cell phone (both company owned) is get him a new cell. Fortunately, I had kept my LG ENV from when I did my new every two a while back. Wanted it in case something should happen to my phone. So, we were able to get him hooked up with my plan with no fuss. AND we learned that because I work for USC, I get a discount so it all ended up just being $20 extra month. The connection fee is going to be waived, probably because no one had ever mentioned the discount.
Then we went car hunting.
The cracked out thing is that you have to have a job in order to get a car and in order to get a job you have to have some way to get there. We tried Carmax and Michael was not impressed. Neither was I but for the reason that no one approached us. Since all of the cars Michael has ever owned were way less than $2000, he figured that was the way we could go. Yeah, right, not happening when we don't have the ready cash for that. I suggested we go to the Nissan dealership just to look. Michael didn't like dealerships but we went.
Ended up being met by a really nice guy right off the bat. After looking around at a bunch of used cars, DJ had a good feel for what Michael wanted besides "it has wheels and will get me from point A to point B." We left the lot thinking about a few that were there though at the high end of our range when, as luck would have it, three possible cars came in after we left the lot. One was a Camry and the other two were 2007 Versas. We went back on Saturday after my class to see them. Neither Michael or I were enamored of the Camry, basically a smaller tan version of my Maxima. But he really fell for one of the Versas. See, this elderly couple had come in to trade them for just one car because the husband (a minister) is in the early stages of dementia. There was a white one (hers) and a silver one (his). I joked that we could trade mine in and having matching cars. Michael really liked the silver one and loved how it drove. In the end, we managed to get the car at wholesale cost (I had a coupon from the dealership that essentially balanced out the taxes). Our monthly payment is not outrageous and we can always pay more when get things worked out. So Michael has a way to get around AND we have a more fuel efficient vehicle for long hauls (like the one we did this weekend to Charlotte to see his mom).
We were very pleased. Michael came away with a better view of dealerships because they didn't try and screw us over with pricing (I had checked the Kelly price the night before). We are doing an extended warranty on the car (our choice) because with something like this (and 87000 miles on it), you want that extra protection.
This past week, Michael has been trying to figure out what he wants to do now. He's been considering a career change (getting out of printing) but, really, I think it's going to come down to what he can find. There are jobs to be found. I just hope that we can find him one he will like.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Whew!
That word pretty much sums up the last month or so. Things have been hopping as usual. Classes are good. I like my students. This last week was only slightly frustrating because everyone was focused on this week (spring break). I couldn't blame them because I was looking forward to it too.
I have managed to get a little done on the dissertation and have more focus. This week is being split in two between cleaning and that. Michael took off today and tomorrow so that we could get stuff done and we've actually managed to take a good chunk out of things. We actually have an almost empty shed again. Made about $70 between the cardboard and metal scraps that we had stored in there. The former was from moving, etc, and the latter were from my old desk and Michael's projects. I found out that the Salvation Army on Fort Jackson will take a lot of the higher number of plastics so we are going to give that to them rather than throw it. So, everyone gets something. Makes us feel good.
On two down notes. . .Michael found out today that his company is cutting everyone back to a four day work week which means his pay will take a hit. We're not sure how much yet but it sucks. So, tonight I went ahead and did something we've talked about for a while. . .I contacted a group about consolidating our debt. My score took a beating when the credit changes went into affect so I really don't care that it will take another hit from this. Michael won't have it as bad since only one of his accounts counts and he shares one with me. The rest are all mine. And it's better than the alternatives. We kept one small one for emergencies and the one for the bed since that has a zero interest so long as we pay it off. All told we should be out from under in a little over 4 years which is a hell of a sight better than trying to do it as we have for the past few.
The other down note is that my doctor discovered that my thyroid levels are high. Oh, joy, one more thing to deal with. However, the good side is that would explain some stuff lately and it is relatively easy to manage. But I am so not looking forward to yet another pill. Bleh
Anyway, overall things are fairly decent. Michael and I figure that we'll just have to get creative on saving money and find ways to make more. He's thinking about part-time evening work since he'll have one extra day for "rest". So, we'll see.
Hope everyone is doing well. Many hugs.
I have managed to get a little done on the dissertation and have more focus. This week is being split in two between cleaning and that. Michael took off today and tomorrow so that we could get stuff done and we've actually managed to take a good chunk out of things. We actually have an almost empty shed again. Made about $70 between the cardboard and metal scraps that we had stored in there. The former was from moving, etc, and the latter were from my old desk and Michael's projects. I found out that the Salvation Army on Fort Jackson will take a lot of the higher number of plastics so we are going to give that to them rather than throw it. So, everyone gets something. Makes us feel good.
On two down notes. . .Michael found out today that his company is cutting everyone back to a four day work week which means his pay will take a hit. We're not sure how much yet but it sucks. So, tonight I went ahead and did something we've talked about for a while. . .I contacted a group about consolidating our debt. My score took a beating when the credit changes went into affect so I really don't care that it will take another hit from this. Michael won't have it as bad since only one of his accounts counts and he shares one with me. The rest are all mine. And it's better than the alternatives. We kept one small one for emergencies and the one for the bed since that has a zero interest so long as we pay it off. All told we should be out from under in a little over 4 years which is a hell of a sight better than trying to do it as we have for the past few.
The other down note is that my doctor discovered that my thyroid levels are high. Oh, joy, one more thing to deal with. However, the good side is that would explain some stuff lately and it is relatively easy to manage. But I am so not looking forward to yet another pill. Bleh
Anyway, overall things are fairly decent. Michael and I figure that we'll just have to get creative on saving money and find ways to make more. He's thinking about part-time evening work since he'll have one extra day for "rest". So, we'll see.
Hope everyone is doing well. Many hugs.
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