OT: May Chit Chat

[Catdancer]

Yes, tax double dipping. Hits folks here who work in Illinois and live in Wisconsin, (or vice versa), and Wisconsin/Minnesota. Each state wants their chunk out of your assets. And then the feds muddy the waters, too.

Sunshine, TC won't leave this place. They'll have to drag him off kicking and screaming....or dead...before he'd leave. He's 77, has a form of leukemia...I don't know how much longer he's going to be around. And it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to take care of me, and take care of the 15 acres of land we have here. Because it has become such a challenge to take care of me I'm likely going to have to move into a nursing home soon. Most of the nicer nursing homes are in the next town over (where the hospitals are), so I'd be 45 minutes away from him, which will be hard on him. So it's a challenge. I'd be happy to move into one of those centers where they provide "continuing care" -- live independently unless you need assistance, then in a unit where you get more regular assistance, then into a nursing home....but he is flatly opposed. So here I am.

I have to say I love this land. We spent a lot of time and money restoring much of it to native prairie, and I will sorely miss it. But I'm much more a realist than he is: I know what a challenge it is to maintain the prairie, deal with the snow, maintain the house, all that..and I can't help him. But it is too much. Ah well.

[Cherie]

It is in the hands of our HRBlock accountant who is working with an HRBlock accountant in NH. It does seem wrong and like double dipping especially since we have always paid room and meal taxes to NH on all rental income.

Howie,
How is your BP doing while you are back on Atenolol?

Got all of the houseplants outside just a while ago and the flags out by the door as well as smaller flags lining the gardens for Memorial day. As I was reaching to place the last small flag in a planter, I tripped over a rod David placed to protect the shrubs from the hose coming around from the back yard and did a face plant on the cement steps. I'm OK but have a bloodied forehead (hair hides it pretty well) bloodied knee and shoulder. UGH. What a klutz. I had just been thinking that I was overheated and tired and needed to stop for today but the "just one more" won and the thought was verified.

[Virginia]

Sorry about the fall Cherie. I do hope you will not have a lot of lingering soreness.

Cat, I wonder if there is not someone who could come in and help you 3 or 4 days a week and take some of the strain off TC. I know you live out away from where there is much, but it seems that there might be someone who could do it if there was enough word put out. The financial strain might be a bit bad, but I don't know why you would have to have any kind of skilled nursing care. Just someone who is strong enough to help you get up and down and transfer. Maybe while they were not busy helping you they could do some things around the house. (I know you would probably have a hard time with TC if they touched any of his things). I guess there would be a lot to overcome, but it might be doable a few days a week.

[agate]

Cat, I have an impression of a place there with some room to spare but maybe I'm thinking of the dollhouses--?

Would it be possible to hire a live-in person who would be on tap for you as needed--to take care of things when Tom Cat is away or if he's not well enough?

I've known of some situations where this worked. It might be an ideal for a grad student, for instance--someone young and energetic. One problem with students is that they do tend to move on and have to be replaced. There are also somewhat older people who would be glad to have a nice place to live with some duties, perhaps to supplement a job they have somewhere else so long as they aren't away on their jobs at the times when you need them.

It might be a tough sell for Tom Cat to accept someone else living on the premises but he could gradually get to trust the person, or maybe he already knows of someone if he thinks about it. Of course the person would have to be someone you can both get along with--and someone who likes cats.

[Howie]

Cherie, the BP is still a little high, but out of the stroke zone. I see my doctor again next month and we'll see how it is by then.

[agate]

A face plant--too bad, Cherie!

Hope no harm was done. Falling on cement steps--OUCH.

Trying to do anything can be frustrating, to put it mildly.

[Howie]

Trying to do anything can be frustrating, to put it mildly.

Yes, VERY mildly!

[Jeanie Z]

:) Cherie I hope you heal quickly. I got dressed to go hear Andy's band but they were not playing tonight since Jack was on call for his AC company. Since I was dressed and the ramp is working I went to Longhorn and had a steak, sweet potato and salad. It was raining when I got through. I sat under the overhang awhile until. it slacked up some. I was glad I did not have to cook. I am going to bed now and tomorrow Andy will come and we will go to lunch and gas my van. Jeanie :)

[Virginia]

Jeanie, glad you got to go to dinner. That is what I have when I go to Longhorn. I don't go very often, but I enjoy it when I do. Have a good lunch tomorrow.

[Lazarus]

Yes, tax double dipping. Hits folks here who work in Illinois and live in Wisconsin, (or vice versa), and Wisconsin/Minnesota. Each state wants their chunk out of your assets. And then the feds muddy the waters, too.

Sunshine, TC won't leave this place. They'll have to drag him off kicking and screaming....or dead...before he'd leave. He's 77, has a form of leukemia...I don't know how much longer he's going to be around. And it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to take care of me, and take care of the 15 acres of land we have here. Because it has become such a challenge to take care of me I'm likely going to have to move into a nursing home soon. Most of the nicer nursing homes are in the next town over (where the hospitals are), so I'd be 45 minutes away from him, which will be hard on him. So it's a challenge. I'd be happy to move into one of those centers where they provide "continuing care" -- live independently unless you need assistance, then in a unit where you get more regular assistance, then into a nursing home....but he is flatly opposed. So here I am.


I have to say I love this land. We spent a lot of time and money restoring much of it to native prairie, and I will sorely miss it. But I'm much more a realist than he is: I know what a challenge it is to maintain the prairie, deal with the snow, maintain the house, all that..and I can't help him. But it is too much. Ah well.

Cat, your entire post is exactly what I am living and how I feel about it. I love this land but would give it up much more easily now. John will be dragged out and probably not even kicking and screaming but dead. He loves our farm, has spent his whole life here , and wants to protect it in a way from the excesses of this cruel world! But, I think, unless you are very wealthy, it is hard to save small pieces from the ravages of modernity.

[Sunshine]

:) Cherie I hope you heal quickly. I got dressed to go hear Andy's band but they were not playing tonight since Jack was on call for his AC company. Since I was dressed and the ramp is working I went to Longhorn and had a steak, sweet potato and salad. It was raining when I got through. I sat under the overhang awhile until. it slacked up some. I was glad I did not have to cook. I am going to bed now and tomorrow Andy will come and we will go to lunch and gas my van. Jeanie :)

Yay! You had a great day :)

[Howie]

G'day all. I had a sleepless night last night. I don't know why. I took my OTC sleep med which usually puts me under in 10 minutes. But not last night.

So I lay in bed all night....thinking. Finally, about 7am, I got up and took my pills, and fed Sam, did the litter boxes, and got online for awhile. I went ahead and made coffee since I couldn't sleep anyway.

After I finished one mug, I lay back down, the TV on, but the picture off, and listened to an old movie I'm familiar with. When that was over, I turned the picture on, the lights on, got online, and here I am.

I'm going to eat shortly, and that may put me under. But I'm going to try and stay awake until tonight, then I'll get back to my regular sleep routine. Have a great day, and a good night's sleep. zzzz zzzz

[Sunshine]

That sounds no fun, being unable to sleep.

[Howie]

The average person sleeps 8 hours each night. So that means at my age, I've spent about 21 years asleep. 21 years of my life....sleeping!!! It's thoughts like that, that keeps me awake all night.

[Cherie]

Howie,
Sorry about the insomnia. I have not slept at all well the past two nights. Not sure if it is weather changes. We had two hot days (80s) in a row but today is 57 and rainy.

Forehead is still bumped up and bruised but the scab is small. Knee and shoulder closing up and knee no longer hurts but shoulder is sore. No real harm done. Have a safe Memorial Day everyone.