What did you do today?

[lynnmor 7,305]

3 hours ago, 953 nut said:

My brother passed away last year and while processing and paying his bills I discovered that the only people who are advantaged with the "Advantage Plans" are the insurance companies.

Following a stroke my brother was hospitalized for four days (every bit had a deductible amount and/or out of network fee that the "Advantage Plan didn't pay) then transferred to a SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility). Medicare paid the first twenty days in full. After the twenty days are up you are on the hook for $ 170.50 per day (Medicare agreed amount, non-negotiable) if you don't have coverage for that portion. The "Advantage Plan paid nothing! While at the SNF his health declined and my brother went back to the hospital for about three weeks in intensive care and passed away there.

My wife and I pay about $ 200 a month each for a supplement that includes up to 100 days SNF and there are no out of network charges or co-pays for anything.

My brother's uncovered SNF bill was over $ 6,000 and the hospital co-pays that were not covered by the "Advantage Plan" were over $ 20,000. He had not paid any plan premiums during the time he was covered by the "Advantage Plan" but if he had lived a few months longer at the SNF they would have owned his house! In his case the money he saved by not paying any premiums was almost equivalent to the "Rolls Royce" plan my wife and I have. None of us have the luxury of knowing when we will need quality insurance coverage but I am comfortable in knowing I won't be leaving a mess behind for others to clean up.

 

 

If my wife and I would have paid $200 each for the past 11 years, that would have been an expense of $52,800.  Instead I pay nothing and that expense would now be at least six figures if you count investment loss.  We both had knee replacements and eye surgeries as well as other health issues and only laid out peanuts.  Not all plans are the same and they do vary by location.

[oliver2-44 9,743]

9 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

For future reference to cutting anything around dirt like that... Use a sawzall with a super coarse blade. Works like a charm. 

We've done a LOT of root removal here with all the land clearing. 

There are blades with reinforced teeth on a 4 to 6 TPI count and varying lengths. 

 

Extremely handy.  

 

 

I sharpened my shovel and could easily cut these yucca roots wit it,  

But I do have some of those Sawzall blades when needed.

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,297]

Worked on blowing leaves and started removing lattice from around the deck that I am having re-planked next weekend. Also worked on the Waldomobile ( another thread ). Plan on using the leaf eater tomorrow and removing rest of the lattice. Deck is 12 x 20 feet and the lattice is 4 x 8 feet .Lattice is in a 2x4 frame all screwed to 4x4 posts. Lot of groaning and popping noise from my old joints.   

[WHX?? 48,815]

Spent half the day troubleshooting no left rear running light on my chev. Right side works so not a blown fuse right? WRONG! So after several hours of my life I'll never get back probing harness and taking crap apart no dice. Finally checked fuses and come to find out the left & right taillights are fused separately. Yep blown left side fuse... 

Who in the he double hockey sticks decided that they need to be fused separate. 

Had to be some stupid over educated engineer who thought things need to be so complicated and wiring harnesses need to be the size of an elephant's trunk?!? Come to find out they got fuses in there that blow when your ... never mind family site.... 

Kinda my own stupid fault after pulling a trailer with questionable wiring but still. 

Gimme old school stuff where one fuse ran it all. 

OK thanks for the rant I'll step off my  now and go work on a litte red tractor that is so simple! 

Edited November 5, 2022 by WHX??

[Pullstart 62,843]

On 11/4/2022 at 7:28 AM, Pullstart said:

Roller coaster of a day yesterday.  Started with yard work, ended up at Vanderbilt Hospital, Broadway, Nashville, TN.  My wife’s cousin’s 1 year old boy wasn’t expected to make it through the night.  A case of acute leukemia took him over and we came down to support his parents in any way.  He’s the youngest of 7 kids.  He’s on an ECMO machine keeping his blood and oxygen moving.  Otherwise he’d have been gone by the time we arrived for sure.  Prayers, thoughts, juju, etc. for little Declan!

What a whirlwind this has become!  Declan’s dad is the sole provider of the family, as an optometrist.  Medical bills should be covered by insurance and some different organizations, but the family is concerned with payroll, building rent, and other business expenses, along with taking care of their own costs of living.  A fund raiser has been started for them and even if you feel compelled to share their story it would be much appreciated.  Funny, this is the second “gofundme” mention here on RedSquare in a week.  
 

for more info, please visit the link below.  If mods are compelled to remove this, I understand.

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-garnsey-family-cover-hospital-bills?qid=3728cdf7411d91845fee4d4fbf288c8d
 

Here’s a few pictures of their family enjoying a visit to the Pullstart Stables ranch in June of 2019.

[ranger 1,750]

God bless, prayers and donation sent🤞🤞🤞

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

How do you donate, and how do you pay for your donation on a GoFundMe page ?

Prayers will be sent…

[ebinmaine 67,460]

The BBT and I took a nice 6.7 mile mountain bike ride this morning.  Mostly dirt road time.  

 

Old cart roads from the early 1800s. 

We found an absolutely excellent granite rock bridge over a small stream. 

 

 

 

My blue bike is a 1988 or 89 Shogun Trailbreaker I. Bought it new. That was the last year of manufacturing before the derailleurs and brakes were changed to a cheaper type. One of the reasons I've never sold it.  

The other one is a 90s Trek full aluminum frame. It has a Super low first gear.  Made specifically for climbing over extreme terrain at very low speeds.  Got that free when I bought this house. Trina has adopted that machine because it fits her well.  

 

The pic is taken at Trafton pond right at the furthest point out from the start. 

Here's another. 

 

 

 

Here's a few more pics. 

 

 

[JPWH 6,033]

Cleaned up a couple hubcaps for an upcoming project. Their not perfect but will be good enough for my needs. The 8" had a dent I had to smooth out.

Before

After

[ranger 1,750]

3 hours ago, Horse Newbie said:

How do you donate, and how do you pay for your donation on a GoFundMe page ?

Prayers will be sent…

Go to @Pullstart’s last post #4905, click on the link, it’ll take you through everything.

Doug.

[Pullstart 62,843]

@ranger @Horse Newbie y’all are saints!  The kids went to town with their uncle today, who showed up the night before last.  They got to spend some time in church with mom and dad, and the oldest two might have been able to see Declan, or at least have a little school session to explain things in a way they can understand.  Corbin is between Jada and Rylee, Ryker is a year younger than Rylee.  These kids are so smart, so well mannered.  Almost all of them play the piano, and very well.  I’ve had a great time getting snuggles from the little girls, wrestling with the boys and learning about their close encounters with a pack of coyotes lately.  Wednesday night, one of them whooped a coyote in the ribs with a 4’ stick of 1-1/2” pvc pipe while putting the chickens up for the night.  Taylor and I spent the morning working in the parent’s room, cleaning, organizing, she doing laundry, I hanging curtains.  They just moved into this property, after renting from place to place since the 2010(?) Nashville floods when they moved down here.  We’re so happy for the progress they’ve made, virtually starting over after their move.  We stopped into town for lunch and supplies and are heading back now.

[Ed Kennell 38,162]

1 hour ago, JPWH said:

Cleaned up a couple hubcaps

Lookin good Jay.    The other Jay would be pleased.

[Pullstart 62,843]

So… two kids in the same hospital now.  The oldest two were allowed to go in after their school session and see their little brother.  Ryker, seeing the massive tubes coming out of his little bro, passed out and cracked his head on a glass block wall.  He’s in the ER being examined for concussion injuries.  Uncle Zak is here from MI, grandpa has been here, grandma (both also from MI) will be landing at the airport soon.  We’ll be wrapping up a few projects by tomorrow mid day, then Mrs. P. And I are heading back home to vote, figure out where we dropped everything and left the homestead, catch up with our girls, then planning a rotation schedule to come back for another planned stay.  A friend of a friend of theirs is home until the end December with her husband in China doing some type of teaching, and she has offered to be a stay here as a nanny for the time being.  The gofundme support is overwhelming, along with the amount of local families who have organized non-perishable food drives for breakfast and lunch, a month’s worth of planned hot dinners, people who have offered cleaning, laundry and other household assistance, etc.

 

As for updates on Declan. The chemo rounds have been gentle, every 12 hours and tomorrow, they will examine kidney function, etc, and up the doses to really hit the cancer hard.  The ECMO machine is quite the piece of technology.  No less than 2 people are in the room with little Declan at a time, one operator not allowed to pass the doorway without an qualified relief personnel int he room.  His first 24 hours at Vanderbilt, there were 12-15 people in the room at all times, working on him, keeping him alive.  All 7 kids were born at home, are healthy, smart and wonderful.  The medical staff have really been knights in shining armor fighting for this dude.

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

On 11/4/2022 at 4:02 AM, ebinmaine said:

There are blades with reinforced teeth on a 4 to 6 TPI count and varying lengths.

And a lot of those reciprocating saw blades are actually designed to be used to cut through nails… dirt hardly affects them…

[Pullstart 62,843]

I put the camper away for the winter, with the zero turn and three wheel horses in it…

 

 

[Pullstart 62,843]

… then I moved a few Horses in front of the camper.  Last year, I only had room for 3 tractors under it.

 

 

[The Freightliner Guy 1,327]

I like the sticker to remind you which side up nice touch.  

[Pullstart 62,843]

1 minute ago, The Freightliner Guy said:

I like the sticker to remind you which side up nice touch.  

 

That was all @SylvanLakeWH when it was his 

[SylvanLakeWH 25,551]

11 minutes ago, The Freightliner Guy said:

I like the sticker to remind you which side up nice touch.  

 

10 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

 

That was all @SylvanLakeWH when it was his 

 

I'm not as smart as @Pullstart... I need supervision and clear directions... 

[sjoemie himself 3,068]

Helped out a neighbour today cutting up some firewood. He ran the logsplitter and I cut logs up into managaeble pieces. My saw is pretty small but with a sharp chain it performs really well. Made some nice woodchips. Fun day!

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,460]

1 hour ago, sjoemie himself said:

Helped out a neighbour today cutting up some firewood. He ran the logsplitter and I cut logs up into managaeble pieces. My saw is pretty small but with a sharp chain it performs really well. Made some nice woodchips. Fun day!

 

 

What model?

 

I have an MS180C. 

Excellent little homeowner grade saw for limbing trees after felling.  

[ebinmaine 67,460]

3 hours ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

 

 

I'm not as smart as @Pullstart... I need supervision and clear directions... 

 

 

I understand this.  

 

 

🙃

[formariz 11,987]

1 hour ago, sjoemie himself said:

Helped out a neighbour today cutting up some firewood. He ran the logsplitter and I cut logs up into managaeble pieces. My saw is pretty small but with a sharp chain it performs really well. Made some nice woodchips. Fun day!

 

 

Looking at your”chips” it looks like you were ripping rather than cross cutting. Making boards?

[Snoopy11 5,714]

On 11/6/2022 at 12:20 PM, ebinmaine said:

The BBT and I took a nice 6.7 mile mountain bike ride this morning.  Mostly dirt road time.

See @SylvanLakeWH... now this is why Colossus is dormant...

 

 

Don

[sjoemie himself 3,068]

58 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

MS180C

Spot on! Same here 

 

45 minutes ago, formariz said:

Looking at your”chips” it looks like you were ripping rather than cross cutting.

100% correct! Not making boards but cutting up some knotted and twisted pieces of wood that were too tough for the little logsplitter.

 

Thought it made for a nice picture with the saw in that pile of 'chips' (or what's the correct word for chips? please fill me in)