[Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]
3/9/24
Aloha All ---
Our cool winter continued this week -- more rain, cloudy in the late morning, chilly overnight (mid- to low 60's!). Still, the pool managed to hit our MAL (Minimum Acceptable Level) and we were able to go in a couple of times. We sure have missed out daily workouts but hopefully Spring will kick in and bring warmer weather soon. The pool solar system has been behaving itself, giving me a little time to line up a possible replacement system. I hope to get at least one e$timate next week.
Over the weekend I got our taxes done and submitted. I was motivated this year because once I had put in 
most of the numbers I found that we're getting refunds for both the state and local taxes! As I've written before, this isn't a windfall -- after all, it's our own money and all it means is we gave the fed and state interest-free loans during the year. Part of the problem in figuring the amount of the estimated payments we have to make during the year is that a fair amount of our income isn't predictable -- it depends on how the stock funds are managed as far as capital gains and performance are concerned. Next year we could just as well end up owing more at the end to the year. Anyway, I'll let you know how long it takes to get our money back....
The bummer news this week is that my vision took a dive and I had to make a special visit to my retina doctor. About the middle of last week I noticed that I suddenly couldn't see as well as usual, and the scary part is that both eyes were having trouble. Last Saturday I called and managed to get a appointment for Tuesday and sure enough, my right eye showed significant edema which warranted a shot. Hopefully we caught this early and it will reduce the problem quickly.. My real concern, though, is with the left eye (my good one). My acuity was down very little, and a pretty thorough exam didn't reveal anything significant, but I'm using some anti-inflammatory drops just in case. My next appointment is in two weeks to follow up on both eyes. Fortunately my insurance has just approved coverage for the new Vabysmo injection drug through August so this shouldn't be a financial problem. Sheesh. Remember the good old days when you didn't think about health issues all the time?
On the good news side, we have really enjoyed our time with our friends from Colorado. Yesterday they flew to Kauai to join friends and family there. Their visit focused on catching up on what has been going on in our lives since we last saw them. This was accomplished over lots of good food and joy juice at home, the beach, and a couple of our favorite restaurants. Oh, and you'll be glad to know that we managed to solve nearly all of the world's problems while we were at it.
Ok, off to market and our usual Saturday beach breakfast picnic. Stay warm, healthy, and unscathed by all the craziness out there.
4 comments:
I have several chronic medical problems , so one concern I have is something acting up while I am vacationing. This happened last fall. I didn’t need emergency care; I was able to handle the problem myself, fortunately. But I did lose one day where I had to stay indoors. What would you have done if your vision changed while you were away?
So sorry to hear about your vision issues. And Coleen asks a great question.
Ethiopia would not have been a good place for this to have happened. I could have received adequate care in the large cities but out where we spent most of our time medical facilities were .... ah, basic. I saw my retina doctor right before we left to make sure nothing was building up, and the odds were very good I'd be ok.
If this had occurred almost anywhere else, I'm confident I could have received excellent care, though it would have required taking time off from the itinerary. BTW we travel with supplemental medical insurance that includes emergency evacuation and (bummer) repatriation of remains Fun to think about, right?
Thanks, Dick. I’m glad the timing worked in your favor and that you continue to take exotic trips.
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