DH did more "organizing" in the garage on Monday. Mostly he kind of merged that "hoard" of stuff into the middle bay of the 3 car garage. He has a really big wood work bench saw table he made and he moved that sideways at the end of the hoard, so now the 3rd bay only has his quad (for snowplowing) in it. My car is in the first bay. He does have some wood to burn up, but I see he hasn't taken it out yet. He's got a pallet with a bunch of cut off pieces of beams. There's really nothing he's going to be able to use them for. He also has another pallet on the floor with several buckets of misc scrap wood. Mostly trim like pieces of various short lengths and sizes. Again, nothing he will ever likely have a use for. He got done Sunday with all his lawn mower annual maintenance and put those back in the garden shed, instead of keeping the riding mower in the garage. It's a tight fit into the shed, but it works. Yesterday he was worn out and smartly just rested up. I'm sure he'll be back at it today.
I just discovered something I was totally not aware of - having dh now on an ACA health plan again, we are eligible for tax credit/subsidy?? I had no idea! I remember when it first came out and we had to use those plans for him, I checked and I made way too much money to qualify. Something must have changed, huh? I got the email that open enrollment time started, so I logged in to get that done and was going to skip past the "are you eligible for subsidy/tax credit" part, like I did in August when I signed him up. It popped up "are you sure? most people are eligible". so I thought fine, lets just go through the motions. Well, apparently we are eligible for approx a $200 subsidy/tax credit towards his premiums. From what I read, last year something called the "American Rescue Plan" was put into effect which gave more subsidies. Based on my income estimated for next year, his premiums will now be $236/mo less than I was expecting to pay. That's good news, for sure. Starting in 2022 his monthly insurance premium will be $468 instead of $704, plus I chose a plan with $1650 less deductible/max out of pocket than the one he's on now. I'm guessing he's going to end up with more doctors and hospital bills in 2022, since he's still not really feeling any better than before he had his gallbladder out, in addition in December he has a biopsy to be done on his prostate. If that shows up bad, I'm sure he'll have lots of bills to rectify that in 2022.
I seem to maybe hopefully have found a solution to kitty constantly trying to lay right in front/on/behind my keyboard while I'm working. I had put on this big chunky cardigan sweater to walk down to the mailbox. When I got back to my desk I set the sweater on the seat of the chair sitting next to my desk. Kitty has barely left that chair all day! The "sweater blanket" is a hit, it appears, LOL.
Every day now it's at least one call from my mom "did I miss your call?" She keeps seeing me on her recent calls, so she thinks we didn't talk or she missed my call. I'm tempted to just start calling her on the landline going forward and see if that fixes that problem, or at least alleviates it some. Plus, then she'll also get used to using that phone more often. Last night she called me saying "something is wrong with taking her pills". I said oh? it shows you took your evening pill about an hour ago? She said she did take it, but she can't refill it. I explained to her again that this machine holds 90 days worth of pills, so she is good for another 90 days and it will let me know when it's low and time to refill. She seemed relieved to hear that, but unfortunately she won't remember I told her this is how it works. She hasn't unplugged it again, at least. It's sad that one of the basic things in her life, taking and making a phone call, is now something causing her some confusion and stress.
My boss texted me this morning. One of our new employees, who's had 3 paychecks so far and for some reason she gets a live/paper check. Well, her bank declined her deposit of her last paycheck! What in the world?? How does that happen? Not to mention this is a check from like the biggest payroll processing company out there. Now my boss is trying to figure out how to get her some money fast, not to mention my boss isn't in the office today. I suggested wire transfer, I think those go same day. Our bank has Zelle, but I'm not sure if that is available on our business account. If I was this employee I'd be SCREAMING at my bank to get this check deposited. I cannot fathom what reason they could have declined it.
Uuughhh your health care system would drive nuts just trying to understand it. Unfortunately, that is what the right wing AHs over here in Europe are trying to impose. Privatized medicine! God forbid we ever end up there!
ReplyDeletewell, it's not much privatized here anymore, since we don't have much choices in what we get, need or want to pay for.
DeleteI would be having a fit if I had my cheque declined too. It has happened to me but it was when I had a deposit limit of like $100 - so they held that amount over $100, but I was in my teens LOL. Hopefully your coworker gets paid / considers direct deposit now
ReplyDeleteMy boss is actually transferring her $ from her Venmo and we'll reimburse boss or employee will. Very strange. I hope she gets direct deposit set up. So much more convenient and always in your bank account the morning of payday.
DeleteI work for one person, so I get paper cheques. BUT my bank has a mobile deposit so that sucker goes right in on payday! But from an organization like yours, I would hope they switch to direct deposit soon!
Deletemy side job is a check, too and like you I use the mobile deposit app on my phone to get that right in my account.
DeletePersonal checks never were a thing here. When I started working in 1988, a bunch of payroll people would carry a plastic bin filled with envelopes holding our full month's salary (we always get paid monthly). Early 1989, direct deposits became available along with debit cards and the rest is history. I am familiar with your system only because I have lived and worked between 1990 and 93 in your country. I remember writing checks for rent, electricity and phone service.
ReplyDeleteIn this day and age I don't know why anyone would want to deal with a paper paycheck. I don't think there are any bills I write checks for anymore.
DeleteI think calling your mother on her landline is a great idea. I wonder if she will know what the ringing is. She would probably recognize the old fashioned ring tone. You can buy that. I look at my phone and see calls I think I must have missed, but after a second, I realize those are yesterday's calls.
ReplyDeleteI wondered before if your husbands illness prompted him to start decluttering as though he might die with it cluttered.
I called her on it Sunday after I left and she answered. She ended up calling me just before I was to call her yesterday, so I haven't tried it again yet. I think dh being ill did do quite a bit to kick him in the butt to start getting purged of at least some of this hoard.
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