What did you do today?

[Tom Picciani]

Got the news from the ophthalmologist. Cataract surgery for me. Insurance covers all but $400 of basic cost. They don’t cover premium lenses, which I need because I have seven astigmatism in both eyes. So add $1500/eye. Thanks Mr Biden for paying half the cost with the stimulus money.
Doctor says I will need reading glasses. But no more $300/year for prescription lenses.

I wanted the lenses that focus from long to close up, but he said because of my potential for diabetic retinopathy, he didn’t recommend it. Too much risk of retinal detachment. I shut it down right there and took his recommendation.

So now physical and a covid test 3 days before each surgery. So many hoops to jump through.

Btw, the drops I need cost $30 a bottle, not covered by insurance!

overall, I think I’m making out pretty good!

 

[DarisMulkin]

Oh noes Daris, that is not ideal. I ruined an ex-girlfriends lap top spilling a whole cider on it one day, it was the beginning of the end, both for the laptop and our relationship.
I wish you luck sir!

Well I got the laptop up and running, the only thing was I had to take my mouse card out a couple of times to get it to work. Then I got this strange banner across the screen "I WANT MORE BEER".

 

[DarisMulkin]

Got the news from the ophthalmologist. Cataract surgery for me. Insurance covers all but $400 of basic cost. They don’t cover premium lenses, which I need because I have seven astigmatism in both eyes. So add $1500/eye. Thanks Mr Biden for paying half the cost with the stimulus money.
Doctor says I will need reading glasses. But no more $300/year for prescription lenses.

I wanted the lenses that focus from long to close up, but he said because of my potential for diabetic retinopathy, he didn’t recommend it. Too much risk of retinal detachment. I shut it down right there and took his recommendation.

So now physical and a covid test 3 days before each surgery. So many hoops to jump through.

Btw, the drops I need cost $30 a bottle, not covered by insurance!

overall, I think I’m making out pretty good!

I had the catarac surgery last July and they wanted me to do the pricey ones also, same price as Tom's. I thought at 76 years old "WHY". I've been wearing glasses almost 40 years and it don't bother me wearing them. The thing that amazed me was they had me schedule a month apart for the other eye but canceled it. I had an app't in Dec and was told the other eye is doing great see you in a year. So I'm thinking this is a racket and I'm diabetic also and nothing was said about one lens over the other because of it.

 

[highup]

Damn and I thought my trigger finger was bad. Started having problems with my middle finger on my left hand about a year ago. I'm right handed. How come it's defined as trigger finger if it's your middle finger. Nobody shoots with their middle finger.
........ Rethinking that. Maybe trigger finger refers to me giving someone the finger then they pull the trigger.

 

[Mark Brown]

Rethinking that. Maybe trigger finger refers to me giving someone the finger then they pull the trigger.

I think you might be on to something!

 

[highup]

It's this one.

 

[DarisMulkin]

Trigger finger is a good sign of arturitus. I had it years ago and it hurt like bitch trying to straighten out the finger. Arthur meds must take care of as I haven't had a problem for maybe 15-20 years.

 

[DarisMulkin]

It's this one.

When it catches it won't be that straight.

 

[highup]

Trigger finger is a good sign of arturitus. I had it years ago and it hurt like bitch trying to straighten out the finger. Arthur meds must take care of as I haven't had a problem for maybe 15-20 years.

I did some reading on it when I first got it. At first it would just lock lightly and you could open it back up with the same hand real easy it just felt funny when it clicked shut. I cut a 3/4-in strip off of a nylon Bondo spreader to use as a splint. I lightly tape it in place overnight so the finger won't bend very much. I just do that before I go to bed and take it off in the morning. Once I take that splint off, the finger remains a little bit stiffer than usual, but it doesn't want to lock. I've just been a lot more careful using my left hand when I carry tools and now the house when working. To make less trips out to the truck I would always carry out something hanging from every finger. Same with those plastic bags at the grocery store. I'm just careful and I don't do that anymore.
I'll have to look into those arthritis meds. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[highup]

When it catches it won't be that straight.

I also read you're not supposed to try and force it open. That can make things worse.

 

[Tom Picciani]

I had the catarac surgery last July and they wanted me to do the pricey ones also, same price as Tom's. I thought at 76 years old "WHY". I've been wearing glasses almost 40 years and it don't bother me wearing them. The thing that amazed me was they had me schedule a month apart for the other eye but canceled it. I had an app't in Dec and was told the other eye is doing great see you in a year. So I'm thinking this is a racket and I'm diabetic also and nothing was said about one lens over the other because of it.

I understand where you’re coming from. But my astigmatism is 3 diopters in the right eye and 2.5 in the left, which is my strong eye. I had a retinal bleed that for a few hours kept me from seeing out of my strong eye. I don’t think my right eye is good enough to drive with unless I get the premium lenses. I only wished I could qualify for the lenses that eliminate glasses completely. But ok.
As to the racket of durable medical equipment, that I completely agree with. But much of that is the fault of the greedy lawyers suing for every the slightest chance of victory! And I don’t hear any reform laws coming to fix that.

 

[Incognito]

Got the 58 inch TV my wife bought me for my birthday set up.

***********************
I got the 58" too. Seems like a perfect size for my room. My son went and got the 65" for his apartment. It's kinda great for sports but really overwhelms everything else in the apartment. I kinda wanted to keep the fireplace as the main thing.

Happy Birthday

 

[DarisMulkin]

I got the 55" but wanted a 60" I told my wife if I saw a nude girl on the tube I wanted it to be in actual size She wan't buying that.

 

[highup]

Train tracks next to the highway in town are being replaced next to our museum and a new development on the waterfront. I stopped by today to take a look at the machines that are doing the work. I walked down the road to see what the welds look like. Almost invisible. The new rails are 80 ft long. I should have taken pictures of the welds. I thought that the only method to weld railroad tracks together was using thermite and a mold. The welds were all completed and finished smooth. On each side of the track for about 2 ft the sides of the railroad track were ground shiny, to bare metal. I did not know that it was possible to electrically weld these together because of the mass of the steel involved
I saw a couple of different methods on video and this might have been what they used.

Or this method.

the last two welds will be connecting the brand new track to the existing track. I'd love to be down there to watch how they do it.

 

[zannej]

That is so cool!
A late friend of ours once gave us a few railroad ties. A train once ran through is property & the track was abandoned. They left it for decades on his property & he asked about what to do with the ties & stuff. They told him keep it, sell it, whatever. I wasn't worth it to them to come get it. So we have a few of them in places around our yard.

I got a refund on something I ordered last May that never arrived from HomeDepot. It was less than $1 but it was the principal of the matter. Customer service rep was very nice about it.

Picked up the new toilet tank. It came in a different size & shape box. Was packaged much better. I took the lid out and set it aside while the clerk lifted the tank for me to inspect. No cracks or damage- but the glaze was oversprayed and sloppy on the back. I didn't care since it won't be visible. I'm going to pull the fill valve and flapper out of the old tank to have in a pinch. Might try to sell the flush lever as it sucks & it will be replaced with a sturdier metal one. We've replaced all of the default toto ones (which were selling for $50) with less expensive metal levers that last longer. I'm debating whether or not to order the new tower flush system for the old regular height toilet that will go in the guest bathroom or to stick with a flapper. I can take the flapper from the broken tank & put it in.

Went to the grocery store on Friday. Saturday was a blur because I slept again. I need to start keeping better hours. For Easter I think I will try to get my brother to help me clean up so I can actually get to the stove. There is literal trash piled up so I can't get to the stove. Cats knocked over the trash can & my brother didn't bother to pick it up. My rotator cuff & deltoid are still giving me trouble but I will make an effort to be productive tomorrow.

Been getting cold at night so 6 of the kitties are piled on and around me right now.

 

[Jon]

Train tracks next to the highway in town are being replaced next to our museum and a new development on the waterfront. I stopped by today to take a look at the machines that are doing the work. I walked down the road to see what the welds look like. Almost invisible. The new rails are 80 ft long. I should have taken pictures of the welds. I thought that the only method to weld railroad tracks together was using thermite and a mold. The welds were all completed and finished smooth. On each side of the track for about 2 ft the sides of the railroad track were ground shiny, to bare metal. I did not know that it was possible to electrically weld these together because of the mass of the steel involved
I saw a couple of different methods on video and this might have been what they used.

Or this method.

the last two welds will be connecting the brand new track to the existing track. I'd love to be down there to watch how they do it.

I hadnt been on a train for years here in NZ and was very disappointed that the trains didnt go clack clack anymore when the train went over the joints in the tracks

 

[highup]

I hadnt been on a train for years here in NZ and was very disappointed that the trains didnt go clack clack anymore when the train went over the joints in the tracks

These aren't used for passengers Jon. Right now this portion of track services a plywood Mill and that's about 20 miles Southeast of me. The railway ends at that point. 10 mi north of me is a lumber mill. Their lumber gets shipped North along with the plywood. That's about it until some new businesses decide to build here.
We still have clickety clack tracks. I think they're renovating this short section of track that you can see in the picture because of some waterfront work this being done. These were sites that used to be mills and docks where ships arrived at to load with logs or lumber. This is now where we have a history and Maritime museum and a new mini mall. The mall has a Starbucks, a Verizon phone store, a local creamery outlet, a brewery outlet called seven devils, and a few more shops.
This side of the tracks never used to have traffic because there was nothing there for the past 30 years. Now there's going to be stop lights so traffic can cross the railroad tracks to get to these businesses. I think for tourism's sake it's a good time to 'pretty up' the tracks and create a train crossing. The train does not pass through this way on a daily basis because it only services one mill.

 

[zannej]

I haven't been on a train in over 20 years. I frequently took the MRT in Singapore but I don't remember it making the same noise as the older style trains in the US. I went on Amtrack twice in like 1990 or 91. Very long trip from Louisiana all the way up to Washington DC. The ride sucked-- especially the bit where it broke down for 4 hours with no power & we weren't allowed to use the toilets.
I much preferred the MRT.

 

[Floorist]

 

[Floorist]

Anyone hunt Easter eggs?