David Copperfield

A number of events occurred since my last entry. Back in February, I was told not to come to work for an undetermined period. I finally finished reading David Copperfield, because I was told to be available to work at a moment's notice. I can't really go into details, but I got help from the union and was able to keep my job. 

Around Easter, my mom told me my grandma who lives in Naples, Florida broke her knee and was in a rehab facility. I hadn't seen her since before my dad passed, so I figured I should make plans to see her as soon as possible, rather than when it's most convenient. Probably weird to most people, but we normally take our primary vacation in October during fall break. 

My wife and kids had never flown, so it was a big deal. Since it was my mom's mother, wife thought we should invite her to come. 

Key West has always been a place of wonder, so we figured we'd go there since we'd be "close." 

My mom was reluctant to go until we said we were going to go to Key West.

I wasn't happy. Finding accommodations for a family of five is hard enough, but 6 seemed a bit too much.

I found a flight to Key West with a flight back from Ft. Myers for $217 a person for the first full week of June. Our hotel, Courtyard by Marriott, in Key West was amazing! 

After  4 nights in Key West, we took the Ferry to Ft. Myers Beach. Our hotel in Ft. Myers was okay, but the visit with my grandma was eye opening. 

My grandma was home, but she wasn't her normal self. For being 92, she always had spunk, but she was much different. 

I knew it would be the last time I would see her. She passed away the first weekend of August.

I'm glad we went to Key West first. Being ignorant of my grandma's actual condition, we were able to enjoy it.

I really didn't want to take my mom, but I'm glad she got to see her mom. She didn't get back in time when grandma was put into Hospice. Mom was in the airport waiting for her flight when my aunt told her.

Other events occurred since January, but they're more trivial.

keeping track of events

Time skips a bit when you get older.

I blame phones for filling in the void that existed. 

I've been trying to read David Copperfield for a year or two. I lost the ability to read for any stretch of time. I get distracted. 

I couldn't sit and read when I was young. I remember thinking Wrinkle Time looked interesting, but "moron" was used and I had never heard the word before so I looked it up. I never got back to the book. 

Think I majored in English literature so that I could hone the ability.

I can't listen to music when I read anything of depth. I need quiet. Sucks. I really want to finish David Copperfield. I never finished it when I had Nineteenth Century English Novel class twenty odd years ago. It weighes on me that I didn't finish it. 

I sold back all the books I read and finished, but I kept the ones I liked and those I never finished.

I don't really have interest in. Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, but I have it. 

I have the Chaucer and Arthurian Legends stuff, but my Middle English is rusty. I used to have to read it aloud to get a feel for it. The rhyme and meter makes it seem logical to be read aloud.

Yes, I'm probably retarded in some fashion, but once I learn something I remember it for no reason.

I can't do two things at once. I'm slow.

crowning achievement

The root canal was uneventful. Had the temporary crown done today. I get the permanent crown by the end of the month.

Expensive. 

I picked up a new skill at work, so I can work OT to help pay the dentistry bills. Don't need extra money, but paying over a thousand bucks for a tooth seems ridiculous.

Microwave isn't working again. The $180 in parts seemed to work,  so I'm hoping it's something else that's simple or covered under the 10-year warranty.

I did a dumb thing when renewing MAX. I used the app to renew and Google Services circumvented my using  Amex to pay directly, thus costing me $55 in cash back. I'm not happy with Max or Google. 

Worrying about a few bucks here and there gets old.

pain update

Following my weekend of pain, I  called the dentist about the mouth pain during my lunch break. 

I got in at 1:30 and they did the cold test for a tooth that bothered me back in March. I didn't feel it. Dentist said my nerve was dead in tooth, thus referred me to have a root canal elsewhere. 

They gave me a script for amoxicillin. 

I promptly went to CVS, got my script filled. I waited until after 3pm to call office to which I was referred. 

Earliest appointment was the 16th of next month, but I'm unavailable until the next week.

A day after being on antibiotics, I started to feel much better. I was able to sleep and manage the pain with OTC pain meds like acetaminophen and ibuprofen. 

Five days later, the pain is nearly all gone without needing OTC meds, and I'm questioning the need for a root canal.

misadventures in dentistry

I had my teeth cleaned on Tuesday. The hygienist picked at my gums where my wisdom teeth used to be enough that they were swollen a couple days. Thursday night I couldn't sleep from having a sore gum area. I went home from work early when I started feeling my back tighten and have sciatic nerve jolts.  Regardless, all day, my mouth head hurt whenever I laid down.

Same occurred Friday night, but my whole jaw and cheek were sore.

It occurred to me that the pain was such that I couldn't wear my retainer, so I figured the mouth guard I bought would be a good alternative to see if I'm grinding my teeth. The dentist suggested a mouth guard the prior visit but the pain was never relevant enough to use it. Seemed a hassle to mold it to my teeth. Less pain last and mostly pain free today.  I don't think I have an infection, but I was in more pain than I had following anything dental, including my wisdom teeth and the broken tooth being pulled.

The older I get, the more I dislike dealing with anyone in dentistry.

Cancelled Paramount Plus and MAX

September is streaming renewal month. I decided to do the annual route to save and did such one September probably 2 years ago. 

Everyone raised rates since last time, so I cancelled to see if I got a better rate offer rather than auto renew at the higher rates. 

Paramount Plus has an American Express deal that gives you $11 back for $11 spent for 3 months. I ended up passing in the monthly plan due the half-off promo that became available after my subscription ended. I used Ibotta, so I should get $4.50 on top of the $11 back from Amex, so my $59.99(plus $5 tax) will be $50 for a year. Saved at least $50 over last year's $99.99.

Max offered $7.99 a month rate for 3 months, which I will cease using before my Amex offer expires to get $25 back when spending $99 or more. I'm getting a buck back from Sam's Club now and will get $22.50 or so back from Sam's whenever I spend $150 for annual renewal. Not the same deal as $107.99 I got from HBO MAX, so I'm out $40 or extra, unless I get that deal again. $7.99 is better for the few months I can get it. Meh.

Google knows me well

Yes. I know. Blogger is a Google entity, so the title is double meaning. All of my news feed is based upon google searches and such. Basically, google is trying to get me to buy something based upon my likes. I am looking for a laptop or a computer to do basic home office things. Nothing extravagant. I'm a notoriously horrible shopper. I lack impulse. I am an excessive saver. I like to window shop. I will never have a tiny house, yet I like looking at them. It's impractical given I'm comfortable in my house. I remodeled enough that the house isn't quite what it was when we bought before we had children or SUVs.

We're replaced 2 water heaters, 3 toilets, 2 porches, 2 dishwashers, 2 exterior doors, 14 light fixtures( 7 of which are ceiling fans), 3 sinks, all non basement flooring, all kitchen cabinets... I'm not doing anything beyond my current home.

Any ways... I get articles like this : https://www.gobankingrates.com/saving-money/savings-advice/things-to-stop-wasting-money-on-so-you-can-be-rich-in-10-years/amp/

I am beyond frugal. I get boxed in by bargain hunting, because I know I will use something eventually that is on sale now, but I don't need it yet.

Wolverine boots. I had a deal in American Express for cash back. I let it it expire. Now the boots I want are less than what the AMEX discount would have made them. The price isn't free shipping threshold so I'm not sure.

AMEX had a cash back deal for Dell computers. I let it pass because I don't want a Windows 11 in S mode. 

I plan to renew: Paramount Plus, Disney Plus, Max. I already have Peacock. My Sam's club membership has a deal for Max that I can double up, just as I can probably use Ibotta to double up Disney Plus and Paramount Plus.

Ugh. Paying upfront for a year's service is cheaper, but it's a big dent in the wallet when you have everything up at the same time.

My mother got rid of her cable the other day. She took her boxes and told Spectrum to have them back. She didn't care for the $20 price hike. She already pared back her services, but yet they clawed back what they wanted.

Seems dumb to sweat about $20, but it adds up. Everything is going up. Taxes are going up because property values are inflated. Groceries are probably double what there were 20 years ago, but wages are mostly the same.

Sad.

Cable will cease to be. Big media will have to hustle for customers. 

The Writers' strike is a big deal because they're not going to have jobs soon. They know it. 

Not sad. They paint rosey picture when it's all a house of cards.

We're getting to a tipping point where no one can pay for items that make the economy run smoothly. 

Weirdly, there's nothing going on regarding riots or uprising. 

I feel the pinch of prices. I am anxious about a global meltdown like '08. Everything seems worse, yet nothing is burning.