Weekly Ephemera #107

• Most of the week I spent chasing after documents needed to get Mom qualified for Medicaid.  Mom's piling system is not much better than mine.  At one point my head was buzzing so much I just laid down on the floor and stared up at the spinning fan for a while in an attempt to clear my head.  I still don't have everything but I'm getting closer.
  
  We are also spending Mom's money down on some essentials.  It's kinda sad that, to qualify for Medicaid, you have to be poor.  Our medical insurance system is a freaking disgrace.
  
  Mom had a visit with the neurosurgeon.  Everything looks great.  She no longer needs to wear the cervical collar.  The bond fire will be glorious (JK).
  
  Met with the Comfort Keepers, a home aid company, to organize someone to visit Mom to help her with tasks around the house.  We expect Mom will be returning to her home early this coming week.
  
• I called our homeowner's insurance agent to get a second adjuster out to look at our hail damage.  They want a report from our roofer before they do that.  Our roofer, not happy to be doing the insurance company's job, will be stopping by this week.
• The car insurance adjuster called and our car is officially fixable.  Yay!  I was worried it would be totaled and I would have to go car hunting.  Now it's a waiting game to see when I get my car back.
• On Friday the Deacon (formerly known as The Altar Boy) and his family stopped by on their way to a family vacation.  They were a nice distraction from all the mess we've been dealing with.
• As for what's on the boob tube, we are an all Olympics, all the time household.
• I'm hoping to go see "Deadpool & Wolverine" this week ... time willing.

Weekly Ephemera #86

• I had a dentist appointment on Monday.  The pain I was experiencing turned out to be an infection caused by a bone fragment in my gum.  The antibiotics prescribed worked and I am pain free.
• We met with a bathroom remodeler three times this week.  The first was to find out what we wanted.  The second was a visit by their plumber to verify that there was nothing behind the wall that we wanted to take out so we could expand the shower.  The third was to pick out materials, colors, patterns, and other things to finalize the redesign.  We were also left with a firm price for the remodel.  It looks like next year our travels will have to be short and local as the price was the cost of a typical trip for us.  The bathroom will be really nice once the work is complete sometime in late April/early May.
• I took my car in for routine service on Thursday.  I came out of there paying five times what I usually pay.  And the extra cost was just routine maintenance.
• We received our IRS tax refund this week.  Not sure this means it's all done or if I will still be receiving an email in the future.
• The weather was really wacky this week.  On Monday it was 80℉ (27℃) - an all time high for a February in Nebraska.  By Wednesday morning it was 9℉ (-13℃).  This weekend it's back around 70℉ (21℃).  The variability is kind of normal for Nebraska this time of year but not by these magnitudes.
• With my appointments, and a couple of my Mom's, I ended up not walking this week.  Next week looks much more promising in the walking department.

Weekly Ephemera #85

• I called my investment company about my 1099-Rs (I mentioned them in my last Weekly Ephemera post).  Turns out they are not mislabeled or at least they label all Roth IRA withdrawals this way even if it causes problems for tax filers.  So I called a tax filing company (I use their software to file my taxes) and asked how to properly file.  I expected to be pointed to an IRS form I would have to file.  No.  This is how I need to fix it:

- First, I should edit the 1099-R to "correct" them.  
- Second, file my claim.
- Third, wait for the IRS to email about the edited 1099-R.
- Fourth, explain to the IRS why I did what I did and hope they agree.

I took a deep breath and did what they suggested.  This could go well or lead me into a deep dark hole.  Wish me luck. 

•  On Thursday the Wife and I went to our local home store and set up an appointment for a bathroom remodeler to come by the house.  We are planning to gut our master bathroom and we hope to get ideas and an estimate for what it will cost.  Expensive, I'm sure.
• Thursday afternoon I went to see the Oscar nominated animated and live action shorts.  This has become an annual ritual for me. Over the years I've noticed that the animation is becoming more serious and tackle hard subjects.  This year was no different.  The live action entries have always had a hard edge but this year there were a couple uplifting and/or humorous entries.  I enjoyed my little two movie marathon.
• I'd hoped I would walk farther this week and I managed to meet that goal.  I walked three times for a total of 21.9 miles (35.25 km).  Unfortunately this coming week is full of appointments and walking time may be limited.

Weekly Ephemera #84

• This week I went to the Oral Surgeon.  He suspects the pain in my gum is a bone fragment.  The fragment has irritated my gum and got infected.  I am on antibiotics and will go back to the surgeon to reevaluate.
• On Tuesday I went to get an ultrasound to check on my kidney.  Things are looking good though there is at least one stone that they missed.  It is non-obstructive and the Doctor wants to check it out in six to nine months.
• Met with our insurance guy on Thursday.  As usual we made a change in one place and saved $80 but made changes in another place that will cost us $80.  We do have better coverage so it's all ok.
• I started doing our taxes on Saturday.  For some reason our investment company marked some IRA withdrawals as taxable income.  I will have to contact them this coming week, clear up the errors, and get a new 1099-R issued.  I would have been done this weekend if they hadn't done that.  What a pain.
• I walked twice this week.  I started pushing slightly longer distances and ended up doing a total of 15.5 miles (24.9 km).  These hikes are still quite short compared to what I used to do but I will continue to push for longer and more frequent hikes.

A rather mundane week.