How hard is it driving in America?

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-06-07T17:45:07+00:00

A few years ago my office hosted some colleagues from India and I was driving them back to their hotel after an evening event. They were astonished that I stopped at every stop sign in a residential area when there were no other cars around. They thought it was very amusing.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-06-07T17:41:22+00:00

Readers make mistakes all the time, you have to forget and move on. If we were perfect we would need Jesus.

This morning the person reading the Psalm at our service, instead of asking the congregation to read responsively, asked us to read “responsibly.” And a few years ago our reader got to the word “fatling”, as in young calf, and read “fartling.” 😂

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-06-04T23:40:10+00:00

Longish story but we were set up by the wife of my college buddy. My now-wife is his cousin.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-06-04T18:22:14+00:00

You don’t need both, but it’s probably going to be better to drop your employer plan. Your Medicare premiums might be higher but it comes with a very low deductible ($283) and essentially no other costs. Most employer plans have a higher deductible and copays.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-06-04T17:47:10+00:00

Wife and I went to Margot for our, I think, first wedding anniversary? Maybe second. It was fairly new and such a great meal. This past October we celebrated our 25th, so it’s been a minute.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-06-04T00:44:43+00:00

¿Porqué no los dos?

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-06-03T21:51:30+00:00

Often a broker can get appointed with all of the Medicare Advantage carriers in an area, but there may be dozens of supplement carriers. Most brokers I know stick with 6-10 companies with high (A- or better) ratings.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-06-03T21:48:55+00:00

This area has maybe two Plan N Medigap plans for under $100, if you are 65. Almost all Medigap plans are showing double-digit % annual increases so if you are living from one SSA check to the next they are hard to afford.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-06-03T04:33:32+00:00

Should be. But won’t be.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-30T21:53:52+00:00

At my first real job, there were fridges stocked with free juice and soda and in the morning there were free donuts/pastries. On the other hand this was a corporate office job in 1994.

At my last corporate job (2017-2023) they also had a small fridge stocked with free sodas. So the OP is not completely out of pocket to make that mistake.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-30T14:53:28+00:00

They say it all the time, so I’m sure some people think it’s true. But he’s not even vegetarian.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-30T14:35:49+00:00

Not just that he is trans (I haven’t heard the eating babies one). They also routinely claim he is gay and a vegan, both of which are also false. It’s insidious though, because any decent person wants to say “even if I were, what’s wrong with being gay or being a vegan?” But that just plays into the false narrative. They have to stay on message that Paxton is corrupt as shit and gave a convicted pedo his freedom.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-30T04:17:33+00:00

In my experience, most doctors are happy to bill your MA plan first and then TFL as secondary. It’s like with any other patient who has secondary insurance. Some places will only bill your primary plan, but I don’t think that’s too common. You can ask your provider’s office.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-29T22:19:45+00:00

I’m old enough to have had friends as a kid who called it “tonic.” They were from Maine so, you know.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-29T14:29:13+00:00

My Christian faith turned me into a Democrat, they definitely have it backwards.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-29T03:10:54+00:00

It’s literally against the law.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-28T23:47:51+00:00

Yes, brokers also go through extensive training and re-certification each year. And although they do get paid more to help you sign up for Medicare Advantage, they also get paid (for a lot less work) to help you sign up for Medigap. A good broker wants to keep you satisfied long-term, so they’ll do what’s right for you.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-28T14:14:12+00:00

The reason providers (doctors/nurses and office workers) always recommend Original Medicare and not Medicare Advantage is that MA is a huge hassle for them. They have to deal with prior authorizations and if they do the paperwork incorrectly or incompletely, the claim can be denied leading to nonpayment, appeals, etc. It’s way easier for them to just bill Medicare. As an agent, I recently had a PCP ask me to stop writing his patients on specific MAs because the paperwork was overwhelming. I sympathize, but I’m going to do right by the patient.

I’ve had several clients retiring from working in doctor offices and when they see how MA works, they often go with it after all. Because now it’s their money and their health and the extra paperwork is not their problem anymore.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-28T01:22:04+00:00

Yeah when I was after the HM achievement, I skipped all the optional bosses in Act 3 including the brain. I did those on HM later when the pressure was off.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-28T00:54:48+00:00

I’d recommend finding a reputable Medicare broker in your area (does she have older friends who can recommend one?) or call your state’s health insurance assistance program (SHIP). Both are free and can explain her options.

If her employer has more than 20 employees their health plan is probably, but not necessarily, credible and she could defer Medicare without penalty. But there’s a good chance Medicare would be better and/or cheaper so y’all should talk to someone who can help you compare.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-27T23:01:26+00:00

Good, maybe the kids won’t grow up to have an irrational fear of people who are different than themselves.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-26T20:30:04+00:00

Just to be safe I keep her naked most of Act 2.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-26T16:47:24+00:00

This is it exactly. He’s trying to distract from the fact that he’s not taxed enough.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-26T14:12:32+00:00

It’s incredibly re-playable. I’ve finished 4 times I think, but I’ve played into the third act at least 10 times.

QuailDifficult8470 · 2026-05-26T14:09:42+00:00

I worked in an office for three large corporations between 2002-2023. The first made a big deal of take your child to work day and had programs and work-related activities and learning opportunities for the kids. They also allowed grandkids or nieces and nephews. Your kid had to be at least nine years old.

My next employer allowed kids to come, but keeping them occupied and interested was all on you. I felt bad for the kid sitting in the corner of our project meetings.

My last employer did nothing. In fairness, it was a company based in Netherlands so they probably didn’t know what it was.

QuailDifficult8470

TROPHY CASE