Catching Up!

It’s been almost month since I posted last and we’ve had a few things happen of consequence.  Within a few days of my last post, DH started feeling under the weather - mostly a fever which would spike at times to 101-102ish. After two days of this and his experiencing chills and no appetite, we decided to check in at the corner drugstore clinic to see if he had the flu.  We had a short visit there and the Nurse Practioner/Physicians Assistant deducted that it was unlikely to be the flu but was concerned about the stomach pain so she cancelled the appointment and sent us across the street to the Urgent care.  After an hour, $150, and a urine sample, the urgent care was also concerned about the stomach pain and whether we were looking at appendicitis.  Since they did not have a cat scan there, they said we should go directly to the emergency room.  So much for our Sunday!  We stopped quickly by the house (which was on the way) to pick up a phone charger and a few snacks for me.  By 6pm we were at the hospital.  Four hours later after a cat scan and an X-ray, they determined that it was NOT appendicitis but pneumonia.  They only found it because of the cat scan because it did not show up on the X-ray.  That was an $11,000 (retail charges) trip to the emergency room.  We left at 10 pm after an antibiotic IV and a prescription for 10days of antibiotics.  DH stayed home for four days finally returning to work on Friday.  He didn’t leave the house for two whole days so you know he was feeling bad.  Now, we just wait to see what additional charges, over the $600 ER copay and $150 copay, we owe.

As far as expenditures and budgeting goes, things could be better.  I’ve not yet started tackling our debt with those big payments but that will change this week.  We’ve already gotten our state tax return and that is going straight to our Amex account along with an extra payment this month.  With buying a new motorcycle, there are always some incidental expenses to get it ready to ride.  I am delighted that we reduced out debt and that DH now has a bike he wants to ride frequently.  (I didn’t see that with the other one.)  Our total debt for motorcycle is down by a t least $4k and the payment is ver $100less each month.  This also means that the insurance was a couple of hundred less for the year as well.

We bought a second hand car in early February anticipating that we would need it for business purposes.  Unfortunately, we’ve had to put some money - unexpectedly - into it.  We had the brake pads replaced and a new battery.  Now, it has an oil leak and it’s in the shop.  Looks like about $1,000 to fix.  If it’s much more, we will just sell it.  Hoping this is the last of its repair costs.

Grocery expenses have not dropped like it hoped.  I’ve been taking a lunch to work most days.  I average buying a box lunch one day a week but I did have a bad week and bought lunch three times last week - one day I completely forgot about lunch!  How does that happen?  Now, I have two items at work that could serve as an emergency lunch.  I will start taking a salad at least one day a week now that it might start warming up.

I have been able to do a little work in the yard over the past two-three weeks.  I have about 75% of my forsythia bush cut back.  The original two plants are about two feet tall.  The outer most ring of plants is to the ground.  DH took an axe and machete to them this morning.  I will finish that this coming weekend and move along to the azalea plants next.  I expect to spend a minimum of two hours each weekend on yard cleanup and maintenance for the foreseeable future.  We still have a fence to rebuild and the other fence to put back up.  We put seed on the yard last weekend and have been watering every day since.  Today, it rained all day so no watering.  I believe we have two more days of rain forecast.

My Irish Quilt is moving along.  I have 8x6 squares complete and assembled.  I’m working on ten more now.  Then we see what size it will be.