DECEMBER 2023 To-Do List

Here is how the TO-DO List turned out for December.  We had a lot going on last month and I really need to lay December to rest before heading into February. 8-)))

DECEMBER

* Pay Bills  DONE  Always at the top of my list of things to get done.

* Do Christmas Cards Early  DONE  I didn't send out many this year but I did get them all sent(plus a Birthday card)before we left town.

* Find a New Neurologist  DONE  My new PCP's office informed me that around here once you have a neurologist it's practically impossible to get a new one.  I explained that the one I was given was quite lax in contacting me and communicating any information to me and/or following up in any way with me and was always changing his mind(we need to do more tests, then no, we don't need to do more tests, etc.).   He does not instill confidence in me that he knows wtf is going on and there is always an excuse for these lapses in contact(he's out of the country, he has Covid and had to leave the hospital before putting my RX through to the pharmacy, then he was out of the country again-but I was on a waitlist and got offered a closer date for an appt. while he was supposedly out of the country that time and the last time in December he was again, out of the country dealing with VISA issues. oy vey!

* Go to a Ridiculous Amount of PT Sessions  DONE  Not really a ridiculous number of them really, only about 4 before we left the state for the Holidays.

* Have a Sleep Study  DONE  Was done and we all know the outcome of that already. yeah!

* Have Dishwasher Installed  DONE

Finally got on the handyman's schedule to get this done.  The HVAC/electrical folks we have a contract with wanted over $600 to install this dishwasher(which cost $400 at Home Depot).  Being a manufactured home it had to be hard wired in so HD wouldn't install it(or couldn't).  The handyman outfit charged $160.  Good deal.

* Finish Xmas Present Buying  DONE  Got everything bagged or wrapped and thrown into the car for the trip.  We gave Daughter and Son In-Law their presents once we got home.

* Celebrate Daughter's Birthday  PASS  I gave her a card and a gift card.  She didn't want me to take her out to eat or make her a birthday cake.  Suit yourself.

* Buy Stuff for House(Always)  FAIL  Other than paying to have the dishwasher installed I can't think of anything we bought to repair or had to replace in the house in December.  This is a GOOD fail I think. 8-))

* Finish Making Travel Plans  DONE  Obviously, this got done. lol

* Follow Up on Back MRI  DONE  This one was "iffy".  The NP said if the MRI showed I needed an injection I'd get one BEFORE we left on our trip.  There were calls back and forth about what kind of injection I could get(first I had to wait 3 months after the TKR for one, then I didn't)then the scheduler called and said they needed 2 weeks lead time which meant I could have it the day AFTER we left town. WTF??  Finally we got through to someone and the issue was if insurance(still on private health insurance at that point)approval didn't come through we had to accept responsibility for payment of $600.  Seriously?  They jerked us around for 10 days over $600 instead of telling us this outright?!?  So we said of course, we'll  sign for it..... Insurance pre-authorization came through in the end so we didn't have to fork over the cash but really?  I am so over the way in which medical care is handled down here.

* Go Through and Try On all my Clothing  PASS  Well I HARDLY got everything tried on, I concentrated on shirts as I knew the pants weren't going to pass muster.  Found some shirts that didn't make me look like a stripper(so low cut in front my bra showed), bought a shirt along the way at Buc-ee's and bought smaller pants at Walmart here before we left.  January and February it seems will see me finishing up the "Great Try On of 2024". lolz

* Edit More Photos  DONE  I'm trying to stay up to date on photo editing.

* Post about Old Trips  FAIL  While I didn't post a single Old Trip Post on the Blog in December(a bit busy with other stuff)I DID work on some trip posts as January posts show.

* Work on Genealogy  DONE  Always finding time for this hobby....sometimes it's a small amount and sometimes it's a lot of information gained.

* Move Video files to new computer  FAIL  I just ran out of time and the inclination to do this one.

* Go Visit Folks I Love/Like  DONE  I REALLY needed this trip!  I've been massively depressed living down here with no one for company but my dogs and Hubs, trapped in this house except going to medical appointments, PT and the grocery store. This trip had massive challenges at times(riding in a car for 3 days straight on the way up with a broken coccyx, climbing long staircases, a tense evening out, obnoxious hotel guests, freezing to death in bed while still wearing all my clothes, barking dogs in a hotel at 3 am, unsuitable hotel rooms, etc.)but I'd do it all again because the joys far out weighed the pain.

Sluggy

The Great Road Trip of 2017.....Part Twenty Four/Day Eighteen

Part One of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Two of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Three of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Four of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Five of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Six of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Seven of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Eight of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Nine of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Ten of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Eleven of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Twelve of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Thirteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE  

Part Fourteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE  

Part Fifteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE 
Part Sixteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Part Seventeen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE 

Part Eighteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Part Nineteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE 

Part Twenty of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Part Twenty One of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Part Twenty Two of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Part Twenty Three of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

We were headed East but didn't get too far the rest of that day as we didn't even get out of Wyoming!

Look at all those motorcycles and RVs. *Foreboding music*  And more importantly look at the price of gas, $2.34 gal. for regular cash price and that's out in Wyoming!

"Stay Vertical All The Way To Sturgis"

**More Ominous Foreboding Background Music**

Only 58 Miles to our stop for the night....

But first we had to make another stop and it wasn't to see that field of sheep............

People had set up teepees on the side of the road across from where we pulled over.

We stayed a good long time taking this sight in.  Even from this distance, a distance where you could actually take the whole thing in and photograph it all, it was impressive.

Many native tribes(Cheyenne, Lakota, Crow, Kiowa)consider this monolith sacred ground.  It is composed of Igneous rock in the Bear Lodge Range District of the Black Hills in Northwest corner of Wyoming above the Belle Fourche River, near the towns of Hulett and Sundance Wyoming.

It stand 867 feet from base to summit.  It was made the first US National Monument on 24 September, 1906 by then President Theodore Roosevelt.

Climbers love to climb this thing but being as it's a sacred site to many native tribes I find that activity disrespectful to them and their beliefs.  These climbers are also accelerating the monument's destruction.  Geologists have found that Devil's Tower use to be much larger in circumference and taller.  The amount of "scree" or crumbling rock at it's base is growing at an alarming rate.  I didn't want to get any closer really as it would have made me sad to see all that.

I did however pose with this sign and make this short video that other's who are older than dirt will "get".....

Hubs also post with the Monument in the background.

Just me and a little ol' hill.......lol

Leaving the area we saw this trailer advertising another nearby sight.....

"Mt. Rushmore"

Hubs checking it to our motel in Sundance, WY.

We set our bags down in the room and drove around town while it was still light out.

We found this cool outdoor set up by the town hall of the representation of a jail cell from back in the day.  That's me with my cellmate Harry A. Longabaugh, known to the world as "The Sundance Kid".  Harry did indeed spend time in the jail in Sundance and took his non de plume from this town.

The town had a nice little museum inside of the town hall but alas, it was closed for the day by the time we got to Sundance.

A native of South Dakota, Edward Hlavaka, sculpted the statue.

So after visiting with Harry we drove about a bit, didn't take but a short time as this is a tiny town and very seasonal given where it's located, we saw this bar, the Dime Horse Shoe Bar.

More motorcycles??  Hmmm.....maany MANY motorcycles, Sturgis......I must be slow. ;-)

Crook County Wyoming Courthouse.  Fitting Harry A. Longabaugh sits outside of this building, no?

The only other place we could find to eat(other than the biker bar and a gas station selling fried chicken)was this place...."The Dog Pound"  All Strays Welcome.

My healthy meal of battered meat fingers and french fries with water.

Hubs got some sort of sandwich with meat, cheese and "stuff", french fries and a Coke.

Nom Nom Nom

We spied this old dog in an old pick-up outside the Dog Pound.....

                                       

I guess All Strays are really NOT welcomed there, just there owners. lol

Driving back to the motel we passed one of these statues.......

I guess Sundance decorates random spots about "town" with cowboy boots.  This one had Devil's Tower on it.

And the local phone book in our room had guess what on it's cover?

And on the way out of town we hit that gas station selling chicken(not for chicken)and saw another old dog in the bed of a pick up truck.  Are you sensing a theme there??

I went inside and found more of those, popular that Summer, candy bars.  Anybody up for Rowdy Peanut Butter?

I've known a few Pouty Princesses in my day..........

"Edgy Scatterbrain"?  But Crisper!  Any one??

Well I got the draw on ol' Mr. Longabaugh.......

And I tried my best to let him know the Gang was coming to spring him but he turned a deaf ear to me.   Men!  Whatcha gonna do? 8-)))

Stay tuned for more next time.

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table...January 29th Edition

The "Mardi Gras Season is in Full Swing" Edition.....  

You can't look anywhere without seeing decorations(both indoors and outdoors)in purple, green and gold and King Cakes(which is really a pastry, not a cake).  Heck my old PT has a Mardi Gras TREE up!(Take a Christmas Tree, remove all the red and dark green and Christmasy stuff and add purple, gold and green bling and top it with a crown.)

This is day 232 of the new "diet".  Down 59 lbs. since the cruise(not counting the 8 I gained on the cruise and then lost again, which would make it 67 lbs.).  

Not actively trying to lose right now, just maintaining.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned for last week...........

1. Sunday--leftover Cabbage, Chinese takeout for lunch

2. Monday--leftover Chinese take out, strawberry cheesecake

3. Tuesday--Cheeseburger(bun optional), Spinach Soufflè

4  Wednesday--Chicken and Dumplings w/Carrots

5. Thursday--Don't know and don't care

6.  Friday--Don't know and don't care

7. Saturday--Don't know and don't care

And here's what actually happened.......

1. Sunday--Chinese takeout for lunch, Leftover Cabbage for dinner

2. Monday--leftover Chinese take out, strawberry cheesecake

3. Tuesday--Cheeseburger(bun optional), Spinach Soufflè

4  Wednesday--Chicken and Dumplings w/Carrots

5. Thursday--Lasagna Bolognese (Dinner out)

6.  Friday--Frozen Pizza

7. Saturday--Veal Parm, Leftover Collards

Didn't do a lot of shopping and didn't have many veggies other than some lunch salads.  Some week are like that.

What got taken out of the freezer last week...

*  Strawberry Cheesecake(Birthday!)

*  4 Hamburger Patties

*  1 Spinach Soufleè

*  6 Chicken Thighs

*  1 Frozen Pizza

*  1 Veal Parm Pack

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  1 Pizza(The same one I took out later)

Last week we spent $50.08 on grocery shopping for January. 

Total shopping comes to $652.94 for January.   

There are 2 shopping days left in January.  

Rebate monies earned this month so far.....

I've earned $224.29 on Ibotta in January.

I've earned $59.50 on Shopmium in January.

I've earned $14.00 on Alexa app in January.

I've earned $2.20 on Kroger Cash Back in January.

I've earned $43.97 on TaDa in January.

I've earned $7.76 on Checkout51 in January

I've earned $3.00 on Aisle and $12.84 on a Manuf. Rebate.

I've earned 5,663 points from food shopping on Fetch in January.

I've earned 360 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in January

I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in January.

That is $351.36 in rebates(not counting the Kroger Cash Back/Shop Kick/Fetch/Alexa)on $652.94 of grocery spending so in reality it's $301.58 in food spending after the 6 rebate apps I count. 

My savings percentage for the last week was 46.76% and the monthly savings total for January comes in at 52.80% spent.  

Leftovers going into this week....Chicken and Dumplings, 2 Hamburger Patties, 2 pieces of Veal Parm and 1 piece of Pizza.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Zaxby Zalad

2. Monday--Cheeseburgers(bun optional), Baked Sweet Potato Fries

3. Tuesday--Leftover Chicken and Dumplings

4  Wednesday--Salmon, Stir-Fry Veggies

5. Thursday--Soup and Sammies or ?

6.  Friday--???

7. Saturday--Whatever is easy or Hubs makes

I have 2 x $3 off $3 deli meat/cheese Qs from Kroger I must use this week and I heard there are some Frozen food deals at our Walmart here going down but other than that, the grocery stores hold no big allure for me this week.

3 of my days this week are taken up with medical appointments(Pain Management/Neurology/Dermatology), one out of state as there is no Derm that treats HS in the whole state of LA(crazy, right?)so the plan this week is to use what we have and/or find food. Period. lol

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy    

A Fresh Voice & Music for a Sunday

I've been meaning to share this for awhile but things kept coming up, keeping me from doing so. Here's an interesting musician with an interesting life story making waves in the music industry.  I'm not much of a Country Music fan(though I've got a cousin plus ancestral cousins you all may have heard of in that realm)but his music touched something in my soul.  This gentleman lives in the area where my mother's "people" come from in Virginia(though he isn't originally from that area but West Virginia I think).

I like his voice and he seems to have a lot to say.  Have a listen.  His stage name is Oliver Anthony, in honor of his late grandfather.

Sluggy

I Am Not An Idiot & The Midnight Special

Contrary to what some would-be commenters think, I am not an idiot. I am an educated, thinking woman with most of a brain remaining.  To "Unknown" who thinks I am foolhardy, crazy even, to just go off of medications, this was not undergone without the advise(yah, the insistence)and consent of my PCP, who feels I've been overmedicated for awhile now.  Time and how my body reacts will tell and I am in no danger of anything medically untoward.
I just wanted to put that out there in case any other trolls or unknowns want to make an issue of my private life.

In happier goings on--
Here's a song about one of my many Birthday Buddies, Robert Weston Smith.  You know him(if you are a person of a certain age like me)as "Wolfman Jack".  The Guess Who wrote a song about him(including him?)in 1972.....

If you are as old as dirt like me, you are very familiar with who Wolfman Jack was.

 Wolfman's first radio gig was in Newport News, VA near were I was born and grew up and after the KKK burned a cross in his front lawn he moved his family to Shreveport LA which is near were we moved to in 2022. 8-)

Wolfman was also made the Host of a tv show featuring musical stars of that era called "The Midnight Special" which aired in the 1970's.  I've been watching some of those episodes lately.  What a walk down memory lane it has been(both good and some very bad and dated songs).

Did you ever watch Midnight Special?

Sluggy

Frugal Friday.....the January 26th Edition

There are a few Frugal wins this past week so here goes....

*  Our house did NOT float away!

We are in full Monsoon Season here in Louisiana.  This is one of many personal bayous(ie; swamps on our property during the rainy season.  It rained so much that day and at such a clip that the road out front became engulfed as well. Crazy!  My brother in Virginia heard about the flooding in Baton Rouge and called me, fearing were were being washed away too.  Nope.  Not even close to Baton Rouge here.

.

*  One doctor appointment this past week plus I had to run out in a deluge on Monday to get bloodwork done before it...Hurrah
The good news is the labs were excellent*using my Mr. Burns from the Simpsons voice in my head here* and my A1C was again not even pre-diabetic(thank you weight loss!)but normal.  At my PCP appointment among the items, we went over we went over all these drugs and supplements I had been put on(some since 2013).

These three prescription drugs on the left(plus one more)and the two vitamin supplements I was still taking due to the Wound Care adventure of Xmas Eve 2022 on the right are out of my life now.  Bye Felicia!
Of course now I am on 2 anti-seizure meds for Neurological issues so you win some you lose some. ;-)  I'll hit up my old NP and see if the rural health clinic can use some of the sealed/unexpired back stock of this stuff I have for their indigent patients.  I'd hate to see expensive meds go to waste if they don't have to.

*  Grocery shopping this past week for 2024....not much in the food department really....

A small trip to Walmart--5 moneymaker Axe deodorants on clearance @ $2.50(.50¢ better than free each after $3 Ibotta rebates), 2 bottles of Axe body wash @ $3, also on clearance(better than free after their 2 x $2 Ibotta rebates and $4 Shopmium rebate)and a jar of Olay face stuff.  That was $11.94 with an $8 rebate plus I got a $3 Bonus as it was the second time I bought an Olay product plus I got a .50¢ any receipt rebate so with the $2.50 in overage on the deodorants this was a little moneymaker. ;-)

A little Kroger shop-2 bags of clearance kibble dog food(same flavor as the super expensive Purina stuff our dogs eat for about a 1/4 of the price), 2 clearance bags of Back to Nature Granola to put in my Yogurt(and I got $2 back from Ibotta making them .99¢ each)and a bag of dishwasher tabs that were suppose to be $1.99 with discount and digital Q but the wrong Q was applied making them $2.99 instead. sigh.  Win some/lose some at least they weren't full price, right?

*  I used a Birthday $5 Kohl's Cash plus a merch. credit I had for some returned pants and got a Birthday gift for my son(who turns 29 in Feb.).  The item in question was 50% off.   I also I paid for a new bucket hat for Hubs, which was also on deep discount.  He's got quite the collection now.

*  I had my last PT appointment on Wednesday.  As we are liable for a $20 co-pay for each session since going on Medicare I had to access whether the sessions were actually adding to my recovery or just a social outlet for me now.  The consensus was they are no longer medically necessary.

I will miss them as they are a great group of folks. 8-(

*  I found Money!

Nope.  Didn't find any this past week other than the change Hubs handed me when we got a burger at Wendy's while out.  He never asked for it back so I am counting it. lol

Total Found in last Week.... .26¢
Grand Total Found this Year........74¢

And here is a photo of a slice of fruitcake just because Anne hates it. lolol

That's all I got.  

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy   

This Week on the Dining Table.....the January 22nd Edition

The "Happy Birthday to Me!" Edition.....  

Well I woke up on my birthday with a UTI so we spent the morning yesterday in Urgent Care. go me.  Then it was off to get some antibiotics and Chinese Food, drink a lot of water and take a nap.  My daughter came over to bring me a card/gift, my youngest texted me and then called me later last night and my brother and his wife called to sing me "Happy Birthday".  I got 3 whole cards, one from Hubs, my Daughter and Cousin Sonya.  A bunch of people who never talk to me posted on FB "Happy Birthday".  And my oldest?  Crickets......nada.   I feel so special 8-))

Welcome to age 65.

This is day 225 of the new "diet".  Down 59 lbs. since the cruise(not counting the 8 I gained on the cruise and then lost again, which would make it 67 lbs.).  

Not actively trying to lose right now, just maintaining.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned for last week...........

1. Sunday--Leftover Chicken Parm, Salad

2. Monday--Chicken Marsala, leftover Collards

3. Tuesday--Cabbage w/Onions, Chicken Sausages

4  Wednesday--Shrimp Scampi, leftover Collards

5. Thursday--Stauffer's Cheddar Broccoli Bake

6.  Friday--Leftovers or Lean Cuisine tv dinner

7. Saturday--Leftovers or ?

And here's what actually happened.......

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Leftover Chicken Parm, Salad

2. Monday--Chicken Marsala, leftover Collards

3. Tuesday--Cabbage w/Onions, Chicken Sausages

4  Wednesday--Leftover Chicken Marsala, Collards, Scalloped Taters

5. Thursday--Zaxby's Zalad, Chicken Salad

6.  Friday--Stauffer's Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Bake

7. Saturday--Pretzel Crackers w/Hummus

Didn't do much shopping and no cooking at the end of the week.

What got taken out of the freezer last week...

*  Chicken Breast

*  Chicken Sausages

*  Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Bake

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  Nothing

Last week we spent $79.23 on grocery shopping for January.  Most of that amount was on goodies at World Markets at 90% off and not "real" groceries.

Total shopping comes to $602.86 for January.   

There are 9 shopping days left in January.  

Rebate monies earned this month so far.....

I've earned $191.54 on Ibotta in January.

I've earned $55.50 on Shopmium in January.

I've earned $14.00 on Alexa app in January.

I've earned $2.20 on Kroger Cash Back in January.

I've earned $43.97 on TaDa in January.

I've earned $7.76 on Checkout51 in January

I've earned $3.00 on Aisle and $12.84 on a Manuf. Rebate.

I've earned 5,663 points from food shopping on Fetch in January.

I've earned 350 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in January

I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in January.

That is $314.61 in rebates(not counting the Kroger Cash Back/Shop Kick/Fetch/Alexa)on $602.86 of grocery spending so in reality it's $288.25 in food spending after the 6 rebate apps I count. 

My savings percentage for the last week was 81.87% and the monthly savings total for January comes in at 53.24% spent. 

Leftovers going into this week....2 Chicken Sausages, Cabbage, 2 small pieces of Chicken Marsala and Collards.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--leftover Cabbage, Chinese takeout for lunch

2. Monday--leftover Chinese take out, strawberry cheesecake

3. Tuesday--Cheeseburger(bun optional), Spinach Soufflè

4  Wednesday--Chicken and Dumplings w/Carrots

5. Thursday--Don't know and don't care

6.  Friday--Don't know and don't care

7. Saturday--Don't know and don't care

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy