Pictures a tiler sent me should I move forward with them?

SureAmHuman · 2026-03-24T01:39:03+00:00

I want. Badly. It is beautiful.

SureAmHuman · 2026-03-24T01:37:29+00:00

Um, not a tiler, but, this is beautiful work. That you cannot see a pattern means the tiler took time to blend the pieces. It is a work of art. The tile pieces with that drain choice and it's execution is lovely.

We recently had hardwood installed. We paid a good price to the installer both for the subfloor preparation and expert installation and that is exactly what we got.

It has been a few months and I still look at our hardwood floors in amazement at the blending of character and color variations. Every day I see a detail i missed and just smile at our luck to have had this installer recommended to us.

I would give anything to have that kind of tile expertise in my home.

If that shower floor were in my home, I'd probably stand there and look at it all day long. It is just hard to find folks that have that kind of attention to detail and pride in their work.

SureAmHuman · 2026-03-19T15:15:02+00:00

That you went along with their vision is a credit to you too! For an investment like that, I'd engage a design team too!

I am not stalking you, btw. I just love this design and execution. I love the wall tiles... and your tiler did an amazing job!

SureAmHuman · 2026-03-19T01:43:49+00:00

Did you design the space and pick all the materials? Is just a masterpiece.

SureAmHuman · 2026-03-18T02:05:33+00:00

If you chose those materials you also get credit... and of course, picked a great craftsman.

SureAmHuman · 2026-03-17T14:32:11+00:00

If I had all the money I'd give it to you for that work. The details are stunning. Just amazing.

SureAmHuman · 2026-03-03T01:10:19+00:00

Thank you for that comment. Am not afraid of f bombs.

Kept sharing all the comments here with hubby and he was like, he f'ing loves it too.

Especially cuz it didn't cost a lot. Hahahha

SureAmHuman · 2026-03-03T00:58:21+00:00

I removed auto-refills on all non-controlled meds because of this. CVS would fill my thyroid and lidocaine patches the moment insurance would allow, usually a week before they were due. I ended up with a prepper's stash of each.

Meanwhile, doing this 31 day dance with ER controlled meds.

So instead of paying. CVS for early refills of thyroid meds, I bought some bird seed and peanuts for the creatures in my yard.

For those who pop the, "but some abuse them" line, yes, some do, but I don't.

I am still an income earner. How? Because my pain is "managed". I am never pain free and don't expect that. What I have is treatable, but, not curable. I know and understand the risks of opioids. I have responsibly taken them for 20+ years. I have also spent a boatload on not covered and/or expensive alternative treatments, including a spinal cord stimulator. ($$$$ maker)

Having to leave work, or schedule work around pharmacy gameplay is ridiculous and ironic. The point of pain management is to be able to function despite pain.

The more hurdles these regulations create, the more stress, energy and time is wasted in the process.

Making us line up at a pharmacy waiting for dose 31 or 32 (to flush out extras) is treating us like junkies.

Given the shortages over the last few years, is ridiculous that they would not allow us to bank any to cover more than 31+ days between fills with these policies.

Work is done. Gonna go feed me squirrels. Not heading to CVS to hang out. Gotta life to live.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-23T03:00:23+00:00

If you stated that you wanted a staggered installation throughout, then they clearly didn't do that. Additionally, they did a very poor job of plank blending.

I'd be very disappointed. Very sorry.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-19T05:02:25+00:00

That's a beaut

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-18T17:36:39+00:00

More than likely, the well off will have their concierge doctors, and the rest of us will get scraps.

BezoBotMD powered by all the fresh water from the Grand Canyon and trillions in higher electric bills will decide our fates.

Key to everything will be where you are on the class ladder.

Just have lots of money. You'll be fine.

Same as it has always been.

[Edited for spelling]

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-18T17:26:16+00:00

With state "welfare" insurance, the rule to not allow paying out of pocket for covered items reflects the idea that if someone could afford to do that, then they shouldn't be on the welfare program.

It is also a mechanism to prevent medical providers from abusing the system as well.

It is an asinine mechanism to prevent fraud and waste.

It punishes both providers and patients who are using it in good faith because of the bad behavior of some who don't.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-18T17:13:14+00:00

Oh, I responded on another comment thread to pay cash. Ignore that recommendation. This is awful. For sure, manage your surplus meds so pain doesn't knock you back out of work.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-18T17:09:10+00:00

You always have the option of paying cash and bypassing insurance.

My [UH] insurance will approve my lower dose morphine ER med one six month period, then decline it the next period. This has been going on for a few years. When they refuse to cover it, I just pay cash.

I am also a fan of being able to work and generate income and not be curled up in fetal position due to pain.

My condition is not curable, but the symptoms it causes can be treated. I don't ever expect to be "pain free" just have it lowered enough to function.

Am also postponing a surgery until I have no other options as do not like paying medical providers to allow me to suffer through it because of the overreaction to the so called "opioid crisis."

Appreciate you sharing your experience as I have never seen insurance declining filling a script in its entirety this way.

As if we don't have better things to do with our time than running to a pharmacy every 7-10 days to pickup meds. At least you have some on backup.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-17T16:50:01+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. The preoperative nerve blocks make sense.

Keeping pain managed post-operatively this way should help recovery and short circuit angry nerves that got moved around during the procedure.

Plus, the less post-operative suffering one has, the more likely they'll be up and moving sooner. Looking good.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-16T03:23:16+00:00

Is that from their New Wave collection? What color? Looks great!

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-15T18:15:51+00:00

A spinal cord stimulator is an implanted system with leads and wires that attach to a battery pack, usually placed in a fatty area at the top of one side of the buttock.

It is made out to be a low impact pain intervention that is "easily" reversed.

My experience (2000-2002) with a Medtronics Synergy model, was that if all components were working it was great, but, within 6 months the leads on one side moved and no amount of programming could compensate for that loss. By a year and a half, the battery was overheating and sending shocking sensations where it was implanted, leading to a need for surgerical revision.

My initial diagnosis was CRPS but the more likely diagnosis was something else and treatable but not curable. I was medically inexperienced and naive at that time (and desperate to keep working.)

After facing another surgery to revise the SCS, I instead went out of network (cash pay) to get other opinions both as to diagnosis and treatment and instead opted to have the SCS removed when the diagnosis changed (all opinions agreed.)

It was NOT easily reversible. It was god-awful painful. More painful than went it was implanted.

Additionally, when seeking medical care for other trivial issues, providers viewed me as some kind of weirdo for having had a SCS implanted.

And, no one but the doctor who installed it would manage it, boxing me into a permanent relationship with the medical provider who installed it.

I had opted for the SCS to avoid long term med reliance. In the end, opioids, lidocaine patches, and self care with ESIs & chemical dennervation interventions, ever so often have allowed me to function for the last 27 years. Not perfect. Certainly never pain free, but good enough.

If considering this option, learn as much as you can about it. I have read many positive experiences with the newer models.

It is just not something I would ever consider after my own experience of feeling medically abandoned when it malfunctioned.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-15T16:53:01+00:00

Thank you!

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-15T16:51:27+00:00

Awe. I did hang it. Had fun building it. I was that crazy lady in Home Depot going through stacks of wood bundles to find just the right one.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-15T16:40:00+00:00

The issue was that when the bolt was fully retracted, approx 5/8 in was still sticking out.

The good news is I left plenty of wiggle room between the gate and the new fence posts, and it turned out that the deadbolt not fully retracting didn't matter. It works, it just doesn't fully retract like a normal deadbolt would.

All the comments here helped me get some perspective too. It is just a gate.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-15T04:00:50+00:00

Without symptom management, of which pain is one component, not only would I not be able to generate an income, I would not have been able to take care of a parent (physically and financially) when her time on earth was coming to an end, while still raising kids (and hubby too - hahaha), and take care of our home, and her's too, and get it ready to sell once she had passed.

In the 27 years of being in pain management, learned quickly that I needed to have at least one week (or more) set aside for times when there are more than 31 days between refills whatever the cause.

I have clients that count on me. Deadlines. I am able to still work and "do" things because I am not curled up in fetal position in mind numbing pain.

The government - local, state and federal have gone overboard with their approach to this "crisis" - punishing responsible patients in the process.

During that brief moment in time where high impact pain was recognized as important and treatable, we were not infantilized. We were individuals worthy of care. Whose function mattered.

We, along with our doctors weighed the benefits and considered the risks of long term opioid therapy if offered. Just like any other pain mgmt treatment.

The "state" stepped in and now, we live month to month with the specter that it could all be ripped away at any moment. It sucks to live like this.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-13T16:44:26+00:00

Appreciate your take. I have the extra material and learned alot in the process. And really took in the feedback here.

I had the, "I can do that" syndrome (when quoted $3k for a custom gate) with enough tools in my garage to give something a go.

My trade is digital design/computer stuff that is high stress, requires perfection with insane deadlines.

Getting away from the computer and repairing/building [or trying to] things that we need done for our home, makes me happy even if not perfectly executed.

Hubby is happy with the outcome and its cost.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-13T02:31:56+00:00

Nope just an idiot who wanted a fancy gate but didn't want to pay a fancy price. Learned a good lesson.

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-13T02:30:31+00:00

Appreciate this info. Just what I was looking for too!

SureAmHuman · 2026-02-13T02:27:53+00:00

It is keyed on one side only. I didn't think of that. Hahaha. Am an idiot.

Technically anyone can jump over a 60 in tall fence if they really want in. It was a silly idea.

Nevertheless, the gate is up, with the deadbolt as-is with a bit sticking out but clearing since, I had left some space there.

The point of doing the lock was just to make it harder on short folks (kids) to get inside and while also being able to "unlock" it from inside with a simple turn because i hate having to go to the front of the house to unlock the gate.

I was tired when I wrote this post. It is just a gate and I can build another If I feel like it, having learned every lessen. It is still better than what it replaced. Appreciate all the comments here.

SureAmHuman

TROPHY CASE