What are you doing today?

Amish boys moved my coal stove into the greenhouse today. Will go for stove pipe and an insulated thimble for the wall. I am putting a piece of steel along the end of the potting bench and on the ceiling above it. Hope to get it fired up before the big cold comes in.

We had a coal stove in the house for years. Coal was easy to get, but then it got too expensive. DW would get it at Bridgeville Coal company in Belvidere, NJ .... hahaha She would just shovel it in the big trunk of the Pontiac.
Gosh! There is nothing better than that coal stove for heat.
Tina's Aunt has one in the cellar, and when she lights it, it heats the whole house as the heat rises. She is 93 now, and wants to get rid of it.
She is too old to go up and down the steps to maintain it.
She asked Tina if she wanted it :bounce:. I discouraged her on that thought!
I'll stay with the wood pellet stove. My coal shovlin day's are over. LOL
 
Was feeling pretty weak yesterday so the wife pulled the skid steer near the house and I used it to move a fresh pile of wood in front on the boiler. We covered it with plastic before the rain started. Since she has to load it herself it helps to have it nice and close. Will try to get the stove pipe I need today and maybe layout where the hole in the wall goes. Need the health to stabilize a little more before I can do much around here.
 
Just finished a stock refinish on a Rossi 92 454 Casull lever rifle and will reassemble it today hopefully. Seems like a good day to do it since it is wet and cold outside.
 
Was feeling pretty weak yesterday so the wife pulled the skid steer near the house and I used it to move a fresh pile of wood in front on the boiler. We covered it with plastic before the rain started. Since she has to load it herself it helps to have it nice and close. Will try to get the stove pipe I need today and maybe layout where the hole in the wall goes. Need the health to stabilize a little more before I can do much around here.
It sure does rot when work needs to be done, and not feeling up to par to do it!
Day before yesterday, I cleaned up the corn stalks the wife had in the front for fall decoration. I walked around back, and I noticed I forgot to put the trickle charger on the tractor.
All I did, was bend down sideways to pick up the extension cord plug, and I fell to my knees. Pulled the Sciatic nerve. Only a slight pinch, but enough to stop the work for a couple days. Feeling a lot better today, but not gonna push it!

Feel better Mountainman!
 
For the last few days, I've been wading through all the info on the Healthcare Reform Act, aka Obamacare :huh:. If the premiums they quote are fairly representative of what I'd actually have to pay, I could save some money.

More problems seem to be popping up every day, so I'm still pretty leary of jumping into something that hasn't proven to work. I sure don't want to go to the Dr and have my insurance rejected :ohmy:. My plan right now is to wait until after the first of the year and see what happens to the early enrollees.

I did call my insurance agent and told her what I thought I could get health insurance for, and she got mighty snippy. She told me that my Dr would get only $10 per visit, and that many doctors would start refusing to take people with that type of insurance. I don't know whether that's true or not.

I'm not sure how all of this will affect the insurance companies who will lose so many customers. Maybe she has an "agenda" for trying to convince me to stay with her company and my current insurance :whistling:.

I've got a lot more thinking to do on this.
 
You'd be very wise to see what happens before jumping into Obama Care. Here in California they are estimating that 70% of the doctors will not participate in the program.
 
Oh! Boy Oh Boy!

What a Revoltin Development that is!
I think I am safe so far on a Union Plan...and I will see what the January BS turns out to be, and find out what the Union is going to decide with the group plan.
So Far...So Good.
Like I say..... Never wake a sleeping D O G ! And hope and pray, The dog Doesn't Wake You!!!
 
Went to see my old lady doc and got some straight answers to some things. Left there and picked up my stainless steel stovepipe for the coal stove. Amish neighbors came up and did the work and we got it installed and hooked up. After 3 tries to get it burning i asked my neighbor how he does his. He gave me a starter bag of some very light charcoal type stuff and some rice coal and it took right off. Got it burning nice and the greenhouse was up to 68 when we loaded the wood boiler about 8 pm. Will have a lot of snow plowing to do this morning as it was blowing it around bad when I went to bed. I think we got about 8 inches but it was swirling so bad it was hard to tell.
 
i shopped. & shopped. got my Christmas décor/last of these gifts put together. bickered w/ my Mom, as per usual. now 2 decorate & wrap presents. ran into my friend, :)
gettin' groceries later, & then gettin' a nap.
 
Still reading and thinking on this :dizzy:


You'd be very wise to see what happens before jumping into Obama Care. Here in California they are estimating that 70% of the doctors will not participate in the program.

According to the person who sets appts for my doctor, he will continue to see established patients, but I'm still a little apprehensive that he might change his mind.

Oh! Boy Oh Boy!

What a Revoltin Development that is!
I think I am safe so far on a Union Plan...and I will see what the January BS turns out to be, and find out what the Union is going to decide with the group plan.
So Far...So Good.
Like I say..... Never wake a sleeping D O G ! And hope and pray, The dog Doesn't Wake You!!!

I'm just hoping that dog doesn't bite me on the butt if I decide to do this :mrgreen:.
 
>>established patients

been to/thru five medical groups which are declining any and all new Medicare / any Federal,state patient "insurance" programs.

seems "the gummymint" has the idea that controlling medical costs means just not paying what is billed / owed.
this is not new.
since the mid 1970's I've been dealing with Medicare payments for relatives in the 65+ group.

back then the percent of patients on "government" insurance paying 20% - or less - of the bills was smaller.

now the baby boomers are becoming the majority of patients, paying 20% - or less - and medical providers are just saying no.

no one has addressed the reasons for medical care costs increasing by blivet percent per year - and Medicare / Federal nummies just saying "thanks for your $200 billing, here's $35, go be happy" is not going to work.

add doctor shortage = the medicalites are in the driver's seat - and the ER's will be filled to overflowing with retired people, since no private practice will treat them.

until, as is the current trend, hospitals _close_ their Emergency Rooms. yes, that's right - hospitals to which you cannot go when smashed up in an auto accident or cut off your foot with a chain saw. There are hospitals _right now today_ with no Emergency Room / Trauma care.

it is happening as we watch.
the Affordable Care Act is a joke - for the premiums you can afford, you cannot afford the deductible / copays.

to cover the deductible / copays you can't afford the premiums.
subsidies? the percentage of qualifying people is insignificant.

bottom line: Affordable Care for All, All can't pay their bit.
Medicare does not pay it's bit.

but what the heck, let's go fund another $50 million per day war in the mid-east.
 
And don't forget to send money to Obama's muslim friends so they can persecute and murder Christians while Obama says how moderate and caring they are.

The Obamacare ads coming out for Christmas time are the biggest joke I have ever seen. Seriously, a 20-something year old sitting in his jammies, drinking hot chocolate and talking to Mommy & Daddy about buying health care. These are the ads of a desperate president whose signature legislation crumbles before everyone's eyes, and the insurance companies refuse to bend to protect the "Liar of the Year." The screwed up website is the LEAST of this man's problems, and the same people who put him in office (twice), have turned on him and are refusing to overpay for a product they don't want, need or care for. They'll buy new iPhones and pay the $95 penalty.

Let's not forget the deductibles are often TWICE the annual premium, and must be paid before the 60% kicks in.
 
Despite the fact that neither Fallon nor I are close to retirement age yet, I nevertheless talked to my father the other day - he's on Social Security and Medicare and I asked him what changes he's made since Obamacare came on the horizon and what he'd recommend to anyone new to it. He told me what decision he made for himself a few months ago - he applied to and was accepted by a Medicare Advantge Plan through Humana. He gave me the bottom line on why he really recommends it to anyone who asks. For a number of years he's shucked out megabucks for insurance through a private insurance company and paid in excess of $300 per month for the prescription medications he has to take to remain healthy and just plain alive. Under this Humana plan, last week he received by mail from Humana all seventeen of the prescription meds he has to take and paid $0 for the lot!! That's right, absolutely not one red cent!! As well, he is allowed by Humana to remain with his own physician who is a part of their network and go to the same hospital and labs that he always has - all part of their network, as well. And the monthly cost to him is $30 to be on their Advantage Plan. That's it and he's one happy camper. He's got nothing but the highest praise for Humana and wouldn't touch Obamacare with a ten-foot pole!! Doesn't have to, either, as long as he's on Humana Medicare Advantage Plan. If you want to call it that, the one "catch" to getting his meds through Humana is that with his doctor's full approval, he now is accepting the generic equvilant of each brand name med he'd been taking - the generics are every bit as good, as potent and as serviceable as the brand name drugs in every case. Again, these changes were all approved by his own doctors. It sure sounds like one hell of a good way to go - to me, anyway.

Ian
 
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I was an employee of the State of California for 35 years. Tom estimated that I would have made $7,000 to $10,000 a year more in private industry. However I stayed because of the retirement and medical benefits plus the security that as a senior employee I would not be laid off unless total disaster struck. I had a family to support and for a while my husband was not employed.

As a government employee I took a lot of abuse from folks who said that 'I pay your salary' forgetting that I pay taxes also and then in fact pay towards my own salary. The payoff is that I don't have to worry about Obama Care but worry about the rest of the family that has to contend with it. Also everyone else. This is a disaster. I have doctor friends that will talk to me freely and that is also their belief.

The only reason that I am not in favor of impeachment is that then we would be stuck with Biden. Better to keep Oslimy and oppose him at every opportunity until he is out of office.

Please let's have a candidate that we can believe in and vote for in the next Presidental election. We need to band together and get rid of this liberal establishment.
 
Folks, please keep in mind the Forum rules, specifically regarding political discussions.

Lee
 
Despite the fact that neither Fallon nor I are close to retirement age yet, I nevertheless talked to my father the other day - he's on Social Security and Medicare and I asked him what changes he's made since Obamacare came on the horizon and what he'd recommend to anyone new to it. He told me what decision he made for himself a few months ago - he applied to and was accepted by a Medicare Advantge Plan through Humana. He gave me the bottom line on why he really recommends it to anyone who asks. For a number of years he's shucked out megabucks for insurance through a private insurance company and paid in excess of $300 per month for the prescription medications he has to take to remain healthy and just plain alive. Under this Humana plan, last week he received by mail from Humana all seventeen of the prescription meds he has to take and paid $0 for the lot!! That's right, absolutely not one red cent!! As well, he is allowed by Humana to remain with his own physician who is a part of their network and go to the same hospital and labs that he always has - all part of their network, as well. And the monthly cost to him is $30 to be on their Advantage Plan. That's it and he's one happy camper. He's got nothing but the highest praise for Humana and wouldn't touch Obamacare with a ten-foot pole!! Doesn't have to, either, as long as he's on Humana Medicare Advantage Plan. If you want to call it that, the one "catch" to getting his meds through Humana is that with his doctor's full approval, he now is accepting the generic equvilant of each brand name med he'd been taking - the generics are every bit as good, as potent and as serviceable as the brand name drugs in every case. Again, these changes were all approved by his own doctors. It sure sounds like one hell of a good way to go - to me, anyway.

Ian



Several years ago, I tried signing up with Humana, but they just kept on playing games, so I struck them off the list of prospects. :ohmy:
 
Sorry you had a bad experience with Humana before, Shermie, but in this instance I'd have to go with what my Dad had to say - and he's very favourably impressed with the way his business has been handled! Very efficiently, very capably and with the utmost concern for his good health and welfare. Everyone ought to look into it if they are searching for a good provider of health care and Medicare backup, as well as prescriptiion
procurement. It's really the best of the best.

Ian :bounce:
 
It's good to see all the opinions on the health care stuff, but I ain't going there anymore :good:.

I've been looking around for a good buy on a good toilet. I know the time to replace is growing near. Every once in a while it's like a little gremlin goes and takes a tiny little pee and then the toilet runs for about 10 seconds and then shuts back off.

It must have a very slow leak on the inside, probably a flapper problem, but I've spent so much money on random repairs that I've decided to replace. Right now the basic Toto toilet is looking like a good buy. The Totos are supposed to have a fantastic flush and larger trapway.
 
Took advantage of all the wind the past few days drying things out a little. Cleared out the center aisle in the barn and got the camper out. Then took the skid steer and put a bucket of manure and another bucket of wood ashes on the garden. Fired the tractor up and since the drag box was still on it I graded some of the stones the snow plow rolls to the side back in the lane. Brought more wood over to the boiler from the slab wood pile and pulled the big tiller out of the barn. Mounted it up on the tractor and got the garden tilled up. Still need to run the hand tiller around the fence lines and planter boxes but at least the bulk is done. They want rain and showers every day till next Tuesday! I will get some peas planted no matter what the weather does. Raspberries are taking off already so I need to train them up on the fence soon. Too windy to spread lime or clover seed.
 
I've been planting in my veggie garden. In a few minutes I'll go get some more plants. I've already planted seeds for yellow wax and green beans. Also beets. Planted four tomatoes.
 
Lots of yard work here - little update on the grass project from last fall

...
It's so late that I'm just going to cross my fingers and hope that we have enough warm weather left for it to get rooted. If not, big crocodile tears will be shed.

It's not perfect, but that's about as good as it gets for me.

NewGrass.jpg
...

Looks like it's going to be just fine :mrgreen:. I've just got to figure out what I'm going to do with the area to the left...more grass?...ground cover?...mulch and forget?:

NewGrass2014.jpg
 
Wow. It did better than mine usually do. Good job!!!!!!!
 
I did more planting today. I now have 14 tomato plants not counting the ones here at home. I planted peppers, zucchini, and cucumbers. Still have to plant carrots, onions, shallots, and salad onions. Maybe I'll plant some Lima beans.
 
Many herbs like to grow in the pots, like rosemary, thyme or basils (I have 5 different basils this year, by the way - part of them will live in the pots all summer because of limited space in the garden beds). Or maybe you could have enough space for one bigger pot where you can grow many different herbs together. Like this:

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9herb-pot-x.jpg


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