Happy it's Friday

Boy, I was pretty close to what dh's gallbladder surgery cost in total. I guessed about $15,000 and it was around $15,600. With this billing he maxed out his out of pocket for the year and we only owe like $630 of it. I still have not gotten the bills from the local hospital for the physicians that saw him in the hospital. I think I got one is all and also at the same time the bill for his follow up appt a week later. I don't know why we haven't gotten the bills for the doctor(s) that saw him each day. The claims have been processed quite some time ago, it appears. I called the hospital 2 or 3 weeks ago to inquire. She looked him up and said their billing company (back East) just sent out a billing. But when it got here it was only for one day's dr visit in the hospital and that follow up appt. 

DD went to call my mom this afternoon and her cell phone is going straight to voicemail, still. Same as when I tried to call last night. DD then called on landline (I'm so glad I put that in!). I told her don't even mention her cell phone. Maybe she'll eventually forget about even using it.....I also told her since she is calling her today, I'm taking the day off from calling, LOL. I'll call her tomorrow and let her know I'm coming on Saturday. I need to figure out what time.

My mom called after dinner last night. She must have got her cell phone charged again. It was actually a pretty normal type of conversation for a change of late. She was wondering about Thanksgiving and wanted to let me know that if I didn't want to have to go get her, her senior living place is having a Thanksgiving dinner for the residents. I told her I'm doing dinner and will be having her stay here for a couple of days and that dd and her dh were also coming. I told her I have to make dinner, it's dh's favorite meal! She said since she couldn't help prepare/cook anymore she wanted to help pay for it. I of course said oh that's not necessary, but she said it would make her feel really good, and that she has plenty of money and wants to spend some of it now. I told her thank you :) I get it, she wants to feel like she is contributing and helping. The part of all this memory loss I don't like is today she won't remember she offered that, LOL. But, it was nice to have a more normal conversation with her. I asked her if it snowed at her place and she said yes it was a little earlier in the day but then turned to rain and I said same at my house.

A week or so ago dh suggested I get another vacuum like the Shark one I got awhile back, so I'd have one upstairs and one downstairs and not have to carry it up and down. I had gotten such a good deal on the first one. A little over $100 for it. I looked online earlier this week and Macy's had it on sale at $220 and Kohl's at $249. Even with a coupon code it was still around $180. I decided to wait and see if maybe a better deal on Black Friday sales. Then I got a 30% off coupon code in the mail from Kohls the other day, that started on 11/11. I went back online yesterday and wooo! now the vacuum was $220, plus the 30% off plus like 3 or 4 other coupon codes it let me stack. With coupon codes and Kohl's cash I will get back, brought it down to $110, which is what I think I paid for the first one. So, I ordered it. I really have liked the vacuum so far and it will be nice not to have to carry it up and down the stairs. It has a self cleaning brushroll, which with all the long pet hair I deal with from our dog, it has worked well for me. The very expensive Dyson I have, I had to stop and cut out the fur (and my longish hair) out of the brushroll at least once every time I vacuumed or it would get too much and burn into the rollerbrush and the brush motor. Over a 2 or 3 year period I had replaced the brushroll twice and they are not cheap at all. I think they were around $90. While I know a lot of people swear by a Dyson, it just was not the one for me. It would probably work fine if my dog didn't have long fur and I didn't have long hair.

Our town auto parts store used to take used oil, but not anymore. Now dh was wondering how to get rid of it? He asked our "retired" friend from town if he knew of anywhere to get rid of it...Yep...he even stopped by and picked it up for dh! Our car has new oil and filter, new air filter and new windshield wiper blades. 

Well, I need to get my grocery list written up and ordered. I'm going to try Albertson's grocery order/pick up this time and see how I like it. Walmart has just been too annoying on their website lately. Plus I want to go into Albertson's, too, to pick out a turkey or maybe even 2. Might as well get the Christmas one, too. I have plenty of room in the freezer. I'm just trying to figure out what time I want to pick up (assuming they do the hour window, like Walmart) and visit my mom first. And time to do a load of laundry. I really like going in the morning, but doing laundry will put me there at her lunch time, which drives me nuts. I could get there at 1pm (like last Sunday) but then feel like my whole day is taken up by the time I get home late afternoon, get groceries put away, it's time to get dinner started. I think I will try to get to mom's just before lunch and bring her lunch from fast food. Then I can get laundry started, we can eat, I can do my tasks (tape!!!) and then pick up my groceries fairly early in afternoon. I still have not received the paperwork on her retirement funds beneficiaries. First I was told she was mailing it to me. Then she called and said it was getting mailed from their corporate office in New York, so would take a little longer to get to me. But, it's been over a week and I'm now thinking it's probably got mailed to my mom. I'll ask her today if she has mail from them. If I can't find anything at her apartment from them, tomorrow, I'll get a hold of the lady on Monday.