Knees News

Whenever Kym begins a conversation with, "OK....."  I know it's not going to be a good conversation.   So, OK.  I have to have some knee surgery.  It's actually an arthroscopy on my replaced knee, in hopes of relieving lingering pain when going up and down stairs and tightness when bending it.  "Scar tissue impingement", they call it.  So, surgery is schedule for Oct. 6, a Monday.  I will have a followup appointment that Friday with the PA, John, who will release me back to work.  On the following Monday I have to go to therapy to remove the stitches and evaluate whether I am in need of any actual therapy beyond that.  Years ago, when I had the arthroscopy that started the gradual downhill slide that became the replaced knee, I was on crutches for three days, so I need to make arrangements for some new crutches (I think I can rent some from Schnucks).  I have approval from work to be off that week, but beyond that I just don't know.  I hope I won't have to be off any longer than that.

I'll be gone next week to Florida, and then I'll be back to work for two weeks, the first of which is inventory week (and I have been promised extra hours).  Then I will be off for the surgery.  So I think, if I got my timing correct, I am looking at one more "regular" check, then two one-week checks, which isn't great.

When I went to the doctor last week, I also asked him about my left knee.  It clicks and pops and locks so much sometimes that it's almost nauseating, but it rarely hurts.  In my mind, there must be something they can do - short of a knee replacement - to stop the catching and clicking.  But he said he doesn't even want to talk about that one until we get the other one fixed.  I agree with that, but what he actually said was he didn't want to talk about replacing the other until the first was fixed.  Uh, I wasn't planning on going that far.....  

But now that I have had time to think about it, maybe it makes sense to think about getting it replaced (after the right one is fixed).  I definitely don't want to do it if the right one stays this way.  I don't want to limit myself to the condition of my right knee on both sides, you know?  Even if the left one is creepy and clicky, I can still kneel on it and bend it all the way.  I have committed to walking part of the Camino in 2016, probably October.  But let's say my left knee stops being clicky and starts being clicky and painful - that's a problem.  So I have kind of been thinking about this timing:

1. Fix the right knee now.

2. Work tax season at the tax place and summer at the garden place.

3. September-ish, get left knee replaced.

4. Work tax season at the tax place and summer at the garden place, then go to Spain in October.

In order to make that happen I am going to have to really bank money during this tax season.  Luckily, I am starting from a position of relative financial comfort, but I need to be diligent about building up some savings.  And, of course, that means I can't consider Spain next year, which I kind of wanted to do.  But right now, I just have to get past the Oct. 6 surgery and see what happens.

NSC+DMV=LUV

If you were to google "people who love the DMV", this might be the only entry you would find, but I think I can say today that I do.  Since the new car, I have been noticing how really awful my license plates have gotten.  They are from 1995, my first new car on my own (Escort wagon).  The front one was slightly crinkled in an accident in the PT Cruiser when it was about six months old.  A kid ran a stop sign and though I tried to miss him, I hit his back bumper.  No damage to him (of course) but my car needed a new bumper.  The plate is scuffed and faded, but readable.

The back plate numbers have become puffy with rust under the paint, and, though I have tried to remove them, there are several years' stickers under the current one.  My sticker expires in December, and quite often it is beyond cold when I have to apply the new one. (Even though the PT was bought in June and the Outlander in August, I am stuck with my December sticker because I have transferred the plates from car to car.)  I have had problems several years trying to get the new sticker to stick, since I have no warm place to put it on.  One year it even fell off after I applied it in the bank parking lot, becoming unusable in the process, and I had to go straight back in to the bank for a different one (which I then took home and put on in my garage - sheltered, but still not warm).  And I can't tell you the number of times there has been panic when I remembered on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1 or 2, that I forgot to get a sticker.  Another $100 expense is not something I generally need at Christmas time, either, especially one I forgot about.  Never buy a car in December!

So, I needed new plates.Who wants to go to the DMV for me?  Anyone??

I decided to look online to see if they could be ordered that way, and of course, the form that I needed was not available online.   <sigh>  So, it was off to the DMV on the day after a three-day weekend, when I figured they would probably be busier than all get-out.  Imagine my surprise when there were parking spots right in front of the door - regular ones, not the ones marked for people taking driving tests!  When I walked in, instead of standing in line to take a number to stand in another line, I walked right up to the counter!  My number was 22, which is my favorite number - and they were currently serving number 20!  And the best parts were yet to come.

I had seen online that a replacement set of plates was $9, with a replacement sticker at $20.  The new plates will automatically come with a new sticker; there was no avoiding that.  I had thought maybe I could just hold the new plates until renewal time, but no.  Oh well.   I asked if there was any way to change the expiration of the sticker, and she gave me wonderful news.  When I come in to get a new December sticker, I can instead apply for an extension of up to four months!  It costs $8/month, but it gets me to an April expiration date - way better, both weather- and money-wise.  For a mere $32 I will never again have to stand in the subzero wind chill, trying to scrape off old, frozen stickers and get the new sticker to stick and stay stuck.  Score #1!

The new plates can take up to 90 days to arrive because I want to keep my same number.  I wonder what they do for the expired sticker to get you from December to April to avoid being stopped?  Anyway, I stood there, waiting for her to tell me how much it was going to be, and she told me that because they were "defective" plates, not lost or stolen, there was no charge!  Score #2!

Total time from walking in to walking out with the knowledge that I have spanky-new plates and an anticipated April expiration date on the way, 15 minutes.  15 minutes!!  It took longer than that to drive over there.  Hmm, what will I do with the rest of my morning now?  :)

Quick Up-To-Speed

There are a couple of blogs on Blogger that detail a couple of trips in recent years to Spain and elsewhere, so I won't rehash that.

April 15, 2014   10th anniversary at my tax prep job.  This year I did just over 300 returns.

April 16, 2014   Beginning new seasonal position in the garden center at a major home improvement store.  The season will end this Sunday, and I will transition into a permanent, part time position for the winter, until it is once again time for the garden season.  The pay is decent, I haven't had any unemployment income this year, and I get a raise starting on Monday.

Kym is still living here with Blitz.  Chad lived here for over a year, but as of June is living with a new girlfriend in Atlanta.  They seem to be getting along well, so I hope it lasts.

I have spent this summer fixing up things around the house.  Had two trees removed early this summer (the big spruce that was threatening the foundation, and the ash in front of Kym's window, which had died).  In their place, I planted an emerald green arborvitae, which I love. The city came and took out the dead maple on the boulevard, too.  Also took out the evergreen under the front window (it did not survive last year's brutal winter) and replaced it with three variegated boxwoods.  Having a very small patio put next to the deck to accommodate my new gas grill.  The home improvement store's employee discount has come in quite handy all summer!

A New Life All Together

I know I have said it before, but it is amazing just how quickly lives and fortunes can change.

On Monday, two weeks ago, a dear friend called me and said that he was having some problems with a sort of depression, and he would be out of the loop for a bit (which worried me a little) - haven't heard from him since then.  And later that same day, the brilliant comedian and actor Robin Williams was found dead, an apparent suicide.  While this understandably shocked everyone, it has raised the discussion of depression issues in the media.  I hope because of this, my friend will seek some help, too.  For some reason, maybe because of my friend, Robin Williams' death really hit me hard, and it's still hard to believe.

Just a week or so ago, I was lying awake trying to figure out where I was going to come up with the rest of the money for the real estate taxes.  Even if I haven't borrowed from it "temporarily", it's a short time from the first payment in June to the second one in September.  Then you have from September to June to come up with next year's.  (This happens automatically for me out of my pension, and I really should just pay the whole thing in June and be done with it, but I hate giving the county any money ahead.)  Anyway, I have also gotten just a little behind on a couple of other things, and was mulling over all of this and trying to juggle like I did in the old days.  When do my paychecks come?  What are the priorities?  What can I put off a week or two in order to make a more important deadline?

So, between the sadness for RW, worry about my friend, and money issues, I wasn't having the best week.  I finally decided that I should go get a small signature loan to pay the taxes and give me a little breathing room.  I went in to the bank to sign the papers, and while I was there, the woman asked if I had ever thought about taking some out of my home equity line to pay off all of my credit cards, and also take advantage of lower interest rates.  I hadn't wanted to deal with the hassle of appraisal and all of the expense of a refi, and I told her that.  That is when my world changed.  She said that since my most recent refi was within 10 years, there was no more involved than filling out one paper and signing it.  What??  So I asked how it would change my payment or terms of my loan if I were to do that.  It seems that I could have enough money to take care of everything....and my payment would stay the same, due to the lowered rate.  Again, what???  And the remaining 15 years on my 20 year mortgage....would change to a 15 only!  So why not??  She needed an hour or so to do the paperwork, so I said I would come back the next day.

Overnight, I thought about another little problem.....my aging PT Cruiser.  I had shopped around for another car, but couldn't foresee affording one, so I resigned myself to just fixing whatever happened as it came along.  (In January, I had to have the engine replaced - the ENGINE.)  I figured whatever happened would be cheaper than a car payment (which I couldn't afford, anyway).  I was beginning to suspect that it was due for a big transmission problem, too - and the A/C hadn't been working.  I was planning to go to FL for a week or so in Sept, but wasn't sure I could trust it to get there, so how do I arrange that?  What if I borrowed enough more to make a down payment?  With no credit card payments, I could afford a car payment if I was careful.  So, off I went to the dealer to talk about a car that I had seen and loved, but not driven - a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE, built right here in Normal, IL.  As I got into the car to test drive it, the PA on the lot was playing "Walking in Memphis", and I had the feeling that this could actually be my car.  Turns out, it was.

The next morning, I called the bank to ask what would happen if I added $5000 to my request and kept the payment the same.  It will add not quite two years to the term, so that's not bad.  So.....ultimately, I ended up with a 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE, mercury gray (a dark, metallic gray), with a panoramic sunroof with "mood lighting", satellite radio, fancy stereo with a 10 in subwoofer that Chad is drooling over, CD, Bluetooth, touch screen media control with additional controls on the wheel, seven air bags, and a backup camera.  It has no keys, just clickers.  You only have to have the "key", not insert it anywhere.  No need to even get it out of my purse to unlock the doors. Very similar in size to the PT, but taller.  Slightly smaller cargo area, though.  The payment will be a very manageable $289 for 72 months.  And, of course, I could pay it off sooner.

So, to recap:

Sunday, Aug 17 - with bills looming, an aging car, and the idea of maybe going to FL in Sept, I applied for a signature loan to get the taxes taken care of.

Monday, Aug 18 - with newly refinanced house at a lower rate and money for a down payment, I purchased a new car.  Transportation problem solved for FL, too.

Tuesday, Aug 19 - down payment made, and the car is mine.

I honestly feel like I won the lottery.  How can it be that in the space of two days I can be out from under all debt (except the house, and now the car), AND have a new car?  It is just incredible to me, and I am really, really grateful.  Of course, I won't turn down the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes if they come around on Saturday......

Camel Riding in Chicago

Yesterday Kym and I went to Chicago for the Adventures in Travel Show. Dad and I have been twice before. The first time we went it was so much fun that when the next year rolled around, we signed right up to go again. The second time, though, it was much smaller and less interesting. We didn't go last year. This year, though, they were having the zipline again, so I asked Kym if she would like to go. And because I'd been a past attendee we got the tickets for half price.

We got to Rosemont just before 10:00. I'm wringing the last little bit of privilege out of my handicapped parking permit (which expires on Jan. 31), so we had a really good parking spot. When the doors opened, we went straight to the zipline, but it wasn't slated to open for 15 minutes. While we waited, we decided to try scuba diving at the exhibit nearby. We were one of the first ones to try it. They suited us up with wetsuits, masks, and flippers and we climbed into the pool. There they fitted the tanks and gave us a quick lesson, then let us swim around trying it out. They took our pictures underwater, too. They will send that to us later. By that time there were starting to be a large group of people waiting for a turn, so we had to get out. They had hairdryers available, but running them both at the same time kept blowing the circuit breaker. And of course, the rest of the day we had to go around with no makeup, deodorant, or moisturizer. Still, it was really fun.

By the time we finished there the line at the zipline was too long, so we wandered around to the booths, picking up pens and other freebies. Some of the best things we got were a "stress ball"-type squishy train car, a combination compass/calculator (as Kym said, "Hey, because how often do you need a compass and a calculator at the same time?", causing the woman at the booth to give her a weird look), some cosmetic products from a mud festival in Korea, a chapstick on a carabiner clip, and lots of other stuff. After scooping up loads of brochures, DVDs, and other loot we stopped for a drink, where some total stranger saw the SIUE sweatshirt I was wearing and proceeded to tell me about his teaching career in high school and college. Why does this kind of thing always happen to ME? Anyway, after sitting for a few minutes, we went over to ride a camel.

We got to pet a zebra, who was very sweet, while we waited in the brief line. And Kym decided to do the zipline next because the line was much shorter. The woman who helped us get on the camel took our pictures with my camera while we were riding (there is one stunning shot of both the camel's butt and mine - THAT's a keeper). It was an experience. Not sure I'd ever want to ride one very far, but how often do you get to ride a camel, anyway? By the time we finished with that, we discovered that the zipline was closed, so no zipline for Kym! I wasn't going to do it this time because I wasn't sure I could climb the rope ladder with my ankle. We made another circuit to pick up more pens, and then headed home. It was a fun day, and Kym actually had a good time, too.

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In other news, I was released by physical therapy on Thursday. They gave me a t-shirt and a 30 min. personal trainer session at another place, as well as a month of wellness membership so I could keep coming to therapy just to use their machines. On Friday, I was released for the THIRD time by my doctor. The first time was with a restriction to sit half a day (which they said they couldn't accomodate), and then 10 days or so ago for full duty (when they said they "weren't comfortable" with my having not actually SEEN the doctor before he released me totally). He has actually seen me and released me now, but I still have to go see the company doctor (I think Thursday) before I can go back to work. This was a last-minute addition to the process, triggered by the nurse's "lack of confidence" in my doctor because of the second release. Whatever. It's peak season at my tax job, so I've been spending lots of hours there anyway (I've done 35 returns already -- more than a quarter of the way to my goal, and it's not even February yet).

I could actually get used to a life of going to the gym during the day and working in the evening. I've been going to my deep water exercise class, too. When I do have to go back to work I'm going to miss the old ladies in my class! Tomorrow I have a 10:00 appointment for a foot massage (you get one free), then I'll work out, maybe swim a bit.... Yes, I'm spoiled. :)

Back to Work

Today I was released from the doctor to return to my real life, bill-paying job!! I have to call work on Monday and find out the process for returning. This time Skeeter can't keep me out because I have no restrictions. I'm sure I'll be tired and sore for a few days, but I really have nothing to lose by trying to go back. The nurse at work said that if it turns out that I can't manage, I could just go back on disability, so there's no risk, really. And in the meantime I could be bringing in some actual money. I have to admit that the disability pay started and continued without a hitch, but it just wasn't enough, particularly since my disability spanned the Christmas shopping period. I hope that I can arrange to still drive inside the gate for awhile till I'm used to the walk back to my work area. 

Tax season has been going great so far. I had the first return of the season in our office (major bragging rights), and I now have four completed returns out of the 14 that have been done in our office. I have several appointments coming up, and a couple of partially completed returns just waiting for people's W-2s to arrive. I'm not at all sure how my own return will come out. I had to take a distribution from my 401(k) to cover some expenses. Because it's an early distribution, I'll have the tax plus a penalty. Oh well. I had no choice. My income is down from last year, and Kym's school expenses were lower than before because her current school is cheaper, so we might not have that much education deduction, either. 

So... I have a regular weekend and two days off before heading back to the plant. My friend Susie and I are going to have lunch one day before I go back, and I need to try and get my car in for some service (recall stuff). I also need to change my therapy schedule for next week because I'll be working on Thursday morning. And one way or another, I am GOING to clean out the hall closet before Wednesday. I promised myself that I would get that done before I went back. (I also promised to paint the bathroom wainscoting, but I'm not sure that is going to happen.) It's going to be weird getting used to getting up early again, but I'm sure the first real paycheck will completely make up for the inconvenience. :)

Tornados in January?

Last night we had an ENORMOUS thunderstorm. The thunder was nonstop for hours and hours, and the rain continued all night -- we got about five inches of rain overall. We were also under a tornado warning for much of the evening, which is pretty unheard of for central Illinois in early January. There is a nearby school district who had to cancel school today because of flooding. It has been unseasonably warm the past couple of days (mid 50's), so we got this rain instead of snow. Good thing, too -- they said on the radio this morning that if it had been snow instead, we would have about 40 inches on the ground. No, thank you!