The Kvetch Thread

@ossobuco,

I wouldn't mess with Phoenix. These people don't know who they're dealing with.

Snarling about my current editing assignment. Not enough time. Hundreds of figures. And I don't have them despite the fact that the text discusses them in great detail. I was gonna say too many commas. But there aren't too many. It's just that most of them are in the wrong place.

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@Roberta,

Quote:

If you join a Medicare prescription drug plan, you may have to pay up to the first $310 of your drug costs. This is known as the deductible.

During the initial coverage phase, you pay a copayment or coinsurance, and your Part D drug plan pays its share for each covered drug until your combined amount (including your deductible) reaches $2840.

Once you and your Part D drug plan have spent $2,840 for covered drugs, you will be in the donut hole. Previously, you had to pay the full cost of your prescription drugs while in the donut hole. However, in 2011, you get a 50% discount on covered brand-name prescription medications. The donut hole continues until your total out-of-pocket cost reaches $4,550. This annual out-of-pocket spending amount includes your yearly deductible, copayment, and coinsurance amounts.

When you spend more than $4,550 out-of-pocket, the coverage gap ends and your drug plan pays most of the costs of your covered drugs for the remainder of the year. You will then be responsible for a small copayment. This is known as catastrophic coverage.

My plan does not have an initial copay, but it is very expensive. The thing that really stinks is that before you are in the donut hole, the government includes both what you pay, and what the insurance pays. Once you are in the "coverage gap" (donut hole) they only count what the patient pays towards the point where you receive catastrophic coverage.

I figure that I ( and Mr. P.)will reach catastrophic coverage in the middle of December. Naturally, it starts all over again in January!

The only positive thing about this whole mess is that I believe that Plavix and Lipitor will go generic sometime net year.

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@Phoenix32890,

Quote:

The only positive thing about this whole mess is that I believe that Plavix and Lipitor will go generic sometime net year.

I plan on switching to baby aspirin and oat bran in Oct. when our COBRA runs out. I've already switched to CoQ10 instead of my bp meds. No way in hell I'm paying $390/month out of pocket for plavix on top of the $21,000/yr I'm going to be paying in premiums and deductibles for the four of us. I may end up in a puddle of drool but it's a risk I'm going to have to take.

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@Phoenix32890,

If I lose my Medicaid, I'm in deep doo-doo. I would probably reach the $2,800 some time in March!

Oy.

Before Medicaid, I got free samples from doctors or went without. Then I was eligible for the Bellevue pharmacy plan. Very cheap, but hours and hours of waiting. I don't know if I'd be eligible again because I'm collecting Social Security.

I take a few OTCs that used to be prescriptions. They're expensive, considering that on Medicaid I pay a dollar per scrip.

Further indication that getting sick in this country is not a good idea.

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@Roberta,

There is one drug that Mr. P. takes that is ridiculously expensive. So every time we go to the doctor, we ask for samples.We must have saved about $1,000 so far!

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Is it possible that I haven't had something to kvetch about since August 16?!

Not possible. But it happened. How humiliating. How demoralizing.

I musta had stuff to kvetch about. I was busy. No excuse.

Embarrassed

I wish I hadn't missed the earthquake. I coulda kvetched about that. How did I miss it? Don't know. Either I was asleep, or I thought it was the subway barreling underground.

Whatever the reason, I'm now gonna kvetch that I missed it. How many of them come along in these parts? A major opportunity pissed away. Sigh.

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@Roberta,

Same here! Other people in the area felt it, but not I.

I'll kvetch about rainstorms. I know, you have a whole thread's worth of kvetch on that (see, you have been kvetching since August 16th!), but my kvetch is very specific.

We're not experiencing any extremes, water-wise. Not too much, could stand to have more but not a draught. I hate watering though, I always feel so wasteful and plus I just don't enjoy it. Boring. (Yes, I'm looking into collecting rainwater in barrels. Stuck now on not making a mosquito nursery, but that's a hurdle that can be cleared if I so choose, just haven't gotten around to it yet.)

So, the good news -- rain! Yay, I don't have to water.

Bad news -- it came through with much sound and fury in the middle of the fricking night. When my kid is trying, and failing because of the sound and fury bit, to sleep.

Bah.

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@sozobe,

And now I'll kvtech about misspelling "drought" on Roberta's thread, of all places. Dammit.

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kvetch

In the past three months we've had to replace the air conditioner unit ($3700), the sump pump ($420) and the dehumidifier ($125). We also need to replace/repair the dishwasher, washer and drier, and the vacuum cleaner. The only appliance in my house that seems to be working well is the refrigerator. We cleared and will burn the fallen trees ourselves (est for removal $3500), but our chain saw is showing signs of giving up the ghost. The lawn mower also wants to be repaired/replaced but we're almost done with mowing season so we'll put that off until spring. All three cars are in need of significant repair/maintenance - total estimate about $2500. The list keeps growing and, at this point, we're just adding things to the list in trying to stem the financial bleeding. Washing and drying dishes by hand is good water therapy. The clothes, however, need more than I'm willing to do in my sink.

On a brighter note - Mr B has a meeting today with some folks who are doing something that may someday turn into a job offer.

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@JPB,

Oy. All the "things" seem to know unerringly when you have no money and, one by one, turn on you.

Or turn off on you.

Hope the bad run is over soon.

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@sozobe,

sozobe wrote:

And now I'll kvtech about misspelling "drought" on Roberta's thread, of all places. Dammit.

Well, Chaucer spelt it droghte.

Or some such.

Still, oy veh!

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soz, Thanks for pointing out to me that I was kvetcing--on the ark thread. What a relief. Thought I was losing it.

On the few occasions that I've been places where there are lawns, I loved watering stuff. Not wasteful. Flora's gotta live.

I really don't care how you spell--here or anywhere else. Unless you're paying me. Then I'll make a noise and roll my eyes. At least you were in the ballpark. Coulda been drout.

JPB, Kiddo. You got my sympathies. Big time. One thing you can deal with. But they just keep coming. In waves. Hope things settle down--and quick.

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Thanks deb and Roberta. Someone told me today that Mercury is in retrograde until Aug 28. I have no idea what that means but I take it to mean that things will stop breaking on the 29th.

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@JPB,

So I went out to dinner with a very nice a2ker (first initial S). We went to the new branch of the Second Avenue Deli, which recently opened in my neighborhood. This deli is kinda famous. The food is good and authentic.

So what am I kvetching about you may be wondering.

NOISE

I'm a native Noo Yawker. I don't even notice noise most of the time (unless a neighbor is making noise). This place was unnaturally noisy. Deafeningly noisy. Impossible to talk noisy. It wasn't an especially noisy crowd. There's something wrong with that jernt. The acoustics. It's got metal ceilings.

I ain't going back, although I might stop by for takeout.

Hey, Second Avenue Deli. Do something to muffle the sound!

1 Reply

@Roberta,

Boida- I feel your pain. I can't stand places that seem to be purposely noisy. Even I know that hard finish walls and ceilings will amplify sound.

I think the problem is that we are both (you becoming, me there) "alte cockers".
Young people, used to listening to music at 110dbs. are comfortable in high decibel spaces. Also, because of all the high level listening, they have probably lost a lot of the high frequencies in their hearing.

So restauranteurs, IMO, plan spaces that are more comfortable for the younger people, who spend money.

So, buy a pair of earplugs, and enjoy your hot pastrami on rye. Want a kvetch? I am jealous that I don't have the 2nd Ave Deli near me. We have one ersatz place in Tampa, and their quality has been deteriorating.

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Phoenix, I'm a corned beef liker. Not going back.

But I'm returning here for a kvetch addendum.

The sour pickles were way too salty. When I don't finish a sour pickle, something major is wrong. First time that happened. And I was really looking forward to those pickles. Sigh. Crying or Very sad

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@Phoenix32890,

Is that deli you're speaking of called TooJays? Apparently they're a chain in the Tampa/St/ Pete/Sarasota area. Been to the one in Sarasota...and ..as my mom used to call it..."Feh, how nice!"

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@sozobe,

sozobe wrote:

And now I'll kvtech about misspelling "drought" on Roberta's thread, of all places. Dammit.

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@Phoenix32890,

I think they also plan them for high turnover....they make people NOT want to linger...and easier cleaning. Plus fashion.

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@dlowan,

My kvetch? I feel like crap. Whole body....muscles, joints, SKIN hurts

This happens to me sometimes. My knees are really bad so have put orthotics back in. Also using all the natural anti-inflammatories I can find to have some sort of evidence base. Will also grab some natural menopause stuff as sometimes this seems to be related to hormones.

Going to a pain doctor soon. (Because of my damned neck which is, of course, feeling better!). Maybe he might have some suggestions or non-scary drugs.

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The Kvetch Thread

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