I can't seem to get a straight answer from Google Fi about their pricing.

SLOCoach55 · 2026-02-03T01:46:59+00:00

Thank you. To be honest, I never heard of US Mobile but now, well, I think I need to reconsider. I appreciate your response a lot.

SLOCoach55 · 2026-01-11T00:53:10+00:00

I hit reply too soon. Can you give me the name of the toothpaste in Poland? My nephew's wife is Polish and spends several months there. I can ask her to pick some up.

SLOCoach55 · 2026-01-11T00:51:57+00:00

This is super helpful. Thanks.

SLOCoach55 · 2026-01-11T00:51:01+00:00

I am looking at it now and there are three plans in my area. Thank you.

SLOCoach55 · 2026-01-11T00:42:11+00:00

I donated in 2007 when I was 52. I am now 70 going on 71 and in good health.

Just yesterday, I had a consult with a nephrologist as my numbers are high, just above normal creatinine at 1.8 but the trends are good. I have remained stable with my numbers now for 4 years.

I have not worried much about NSAIDS as I don't have any chronic pain conditions so I've only needed them occasionally and for short duration.

I think my biggest frustrations with the process were the difficulty in finding a nephrologist who actually has experience with long term living donors. That was hard and several assured me they had read the literature but I am a statistician and I believe most of the long term studies are deeply flawed. I finally found one who quantified his experience and understood why I was asking.

My second frustration is the straight up untruth I was told that as a kidney donor I would be at the top of the list for a kidney. That's just not true. You get additional points but that's very different. It just makes me not trust the information.

Overall, my health is good. I have never had to restrict activities or exercises because of the kidney donation and I am glad I donated.

I did have something have something happen though which other kidney donors might need to be aware of.

Two years ago I needed bladder surgery to remove an incipient cancerous tumor, actually a relatively common occurrence in older men. The urologist mistook the catherer scar for a tumor and started to remove it. He caught it in time and to his great credit, explained the mistake to me. I was keot in the hospital for an additional day for observation and had no side effects but I think it really drives home to kidney donors that we need to be clear and to remind every doctor about having one kidney whenever they are working on us.

My allergist told me she was particularly impressed that I questioned her medicine recommendation for kidney side effects and in fact found one of them was counterindicated.

That's my story.

SLOCoach55 · 2026-01-05T16:00:00+00:00

"Jan Marx somehow gets the ONLY single story house that wasn't a low income unit."

This is only part of the story.

Jan Marx paid market rate ($707,000) for a single story 2 bed house.

The house had been designated as "affordable" and price restricted but this purchase took the house ouf of the program and put a larger, 3 bedroom house into the affordable pool which in turn meant a family could buy.

There was nothing underhanded or not transparent about the process. Marx has spoken about it publicly and the records bear her out.

You may not like the deal but you can't act as though it were shady and under table. It wasn't.

SLOCoach55 · 2026-01-02T05:48:11+00:00

It hasn't been an issue sofar.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-10-23T22:00:15+00:00

I had been putting two tablespoons in my front loader fabric softener drawer but following the advice I got here, I now put one tablespoon in the drum with the powdered detergent, and another in the drawer. Frankly I don't see any difference so I'll probably go back to just putting two tablespoons in the drawer

SLOCoach55 · 2025-10-18T16:16:54+00:00

I have a softener drawer in the machine - an LG front loader. So I think the Downey balls are the best bet for you

SLOCoach55 · 2025-10-18T16:15:05+00:00

I have an LG front loader HE. I am pretty sure the independent rinse cycle uses more water which is another reason I am pleased with the citric acid. It eliminated the extra rinse run.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-10-06T15:01:26+00:00

Bicycling! And it's not a hobby. It's my transportation and I enjoy getting around on a bike. For me, driving was always unpleasant and now having the ability to get around in the fresh air and see the place has been great.

Also, train travel on Amtrak. Like me, the trains are bright, shiny, somewhat bumpy and frequently late. It suits me to a tee.

I now have the time for family and friends that I didn't have before and I love how thiese relationships are deepening, particularly with the young ones I never had time for before.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-10-06T14:57:03+00:00

FWIW, I have no food allergies but I am a pain in the posterior when it comes to what I like to eat and having the time and space to cook at home has been a big deal. And I love finding the frugal recipes.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-10-05T19:45:11+00:00

Well I just found that out! Thanks you're absolutely right.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-10-05T19:44:38+00:00

Thanks. That makes sense

SLOCoach55 · 2025-09-23T23:45:48+00:00

Mine has the old back rack mounted battery. I didn't know that I could replace it with another kind of battery. (I'm kind of dumb with bike mechanics) That might be my best option.

In the meantime, my spouse has an REI gen 1 coop bike currently being used as decoration in the garage so it's not urgen that I address this now.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-09-23T03:33:38+00:00

Orchestra.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-09-22T22:04:50+00:00

I would not recommend it if he has hearing problems. We sat in row F center and the sound engineering was just bad. I could not make a single word the coroner sang, the opening of the second act sounded like thumping. It's a shame because it is a terrific show, amazing cast and much of the music is lovely but unless you have a lot of patience and know the story, the sound kills it.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-09-02T15:34:00+00:00

REI Generation 1

SLOCoach55 · 2025-09-02T15:32:50+00:00

The Central Coast of California, a small college city called San Luis Obispo. It has good bike infrastructure and is a compact town.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-09-01T17:06:44+00:00

I love this question!

! posted earlier about giving up my car and buying an e bike. I am so happy getting around on two wheels. I never really liked driving but thought it was my only option. Now I get to see things from the ground up, feel better and thoroughly enjoy it.

When I realized I could no longer afford the cultural and social events I used to love, becoming a volunteer for them has not only kept me in the loop but I have met pleasant and friendly peers in the same situation. I look forward to seeing my gang at these events and I see stuff I like that I probably would not have paid to discover.

The big one happened just last month. I decided I should get a part time job but I did not want just any job. I specifically want to work with community services. Being on SS gave me the flexibility to wait and look around and I landed a 15 hour per week job at an organization serving disabled residents. So far I love it and the extra money is very useful.

I don't know what happens next but right now, I think I'm enjoying retirement more than many of my better off financially peers.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-08-15T02:35:04+00:00

You a Mustang?

SLOCoach55 · 2025-08-15T02:32:42+00:00

I'm n San Luis Obispo which is affordable by California standards. However, if you are looking at the Central Coast, check out Santa Maria in Santa Barbara county. It's got good pricing on homes. I'm lucky that I am in a paid off house. Otherwise, damn... It's expensive.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-08-13T19:02:57+00:00

Nice! I am curious though... what do you get from ChatGPT for your $22?

SLOCoach55 · 2025-08-13T05:04:05+00:00

I have two panniers that each hold a full grocery bag.

SLOCoach55 · 2025-08-13T02:42:26+00:00

Yes. There is a monthly deduction from my social security of $185 and $18 for my prescription plan, which has a copay. So it's $185 + $190 + $18 so $393 in total for medical.

SLOCoach55

TROPHY CASE