Jerry CGI

March has been a yo-yo, a ping pong game, and it seems to be more turbulent as the month heads to a close.  But hey, winter is over.

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Been studying details about medical plans, primary care doctors, local medical facilities, yada yada yada.  Tomorrow is my deadline for nailing down my choices.

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Friday will be my first direct deposit from the SSA.  I hope that I have satisfied the state with their vague questions.  I spent an hour on the phone with them on Monday.  I haven’t heard one way or the other, but I was assured that it would be May before something happens.  I’m not sure if I trust that, but I’ll know Friday if I need to scream at them again.

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It’s nice getting the 65+ stuff, once the smoke clears.

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On a bright note, the wildflowers sure are pretty.

Looks like the bureaucrats are still not happy.  More stuff to deal with on Monday.  *Sigh*

I got the bureaucrats satisfied, I think, and everything else is either taken care of or can wait.  So I’m taking a few lazy days and made spaghetti, on which I can coast for days.  It’s nice not having anything major hanging over my head.  Laundry was done yesterday.  I still have to do all the medical stuff, like find doctors, as soon as I get a card in the mail.  But no card yet, so I’m still lazy.

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The freezer is crammed to the max, and I may get a shorty freezer in the kitchen so that I can have some room to maneuver things around without unloading the half the contents.  Only one more thing to go in the freezer, strawberry puree.  They haven’t reached $1/lb yet, so I’m still waiting to buy.

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Easter weekend, it should draw tourists to the area.  So I’m playing it close to the vest and not going out for anything.  I have a minor store run today, since I’m running out of parmesan.  Otherwise, I’m a homebody until next week.

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iPad got a system update today, and it acted like a major upgrade, pushing me to get iCloud (now requires 10.9 for the laptop, so no joy there, nor do I want it), requiring my Apple ID, re-establishing the login security code, and all sorts of garbage I didn’t want to see again.  I nixed it all as quickly as I could.

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Anyway, lazy days ahead.

I got the ham and turkey, and they are both in the freezer now, with zero room to spare.  The turkey was a mesquite marinade, and the stock is very aromatic and tempting.  I’m tempted to go grab some noodles and make soup from it tonight.

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Step back a few days.  Went to Bryan, got truck registration, played some music, had a good time.  When I got back, I made a store run, and wound up getting a hen turkey breast and a spiral cut ham at very tempting prices.

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Got back and dealt with the bureaucrats, and I found that I can’t abide to their wishes, since I don’t legally have an employer to fill out their forms.  I only have clients.  It might cost me.

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The weather has turned cold, and we should see upper 30’s tonight.  It’s the last blast of winter with strong northerly winds, so it would seem.  In like a lamb, out like a lion.

The blue bonnets are popping out in Brenham, at least starting to show.  They are off to an early start, thanks to the rains last week.

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Well, I have pretty much finished with the hard drive shuffle.  DVDs are burned, everything is pretty much where it belongs.  I have some catch all folders that need sorting, but I have a lot of time for stuff like that.  The big thing is that the drives are pretty much as they need to be.  And I’m recovering from the drudge.

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This week is getting the truck inspected and registered.  Music School is included in that venture.   After than, I start chasing down doctors and dentists.

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T-bones and sirloins in the freezer.  They were too affordable to resist the family packs.  I still need a spiral cut ham and turkey hen when Easter drops the prices.  I’ve got two weeks to make space in the freezer.

I’ve been breathing air for 23832 days.

Well, it’s official, I am officially officially retireded.  I am now approved for both Social Security and Medical.  Direct deposit every month and the medical card.  All with a single phone call.  Definitely a day to remember.  Here’s to being 65 with a guaranteed minimum income and medical.

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I’m not going to get rich off of it, but it is more than I need to get by.  And it will take care of my medical issues.  So it takes a lot of the pressure off things.  It is a relief.  It won’t stop me from working when I get the opportunity, and if I make enough, it won’t pay anything, but the kicker is the guaranteed minimum income.  I won’t have to work if I’m not up to it.

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Closing in on half way to half full with the new hard drive.  Lots of future storage space should I ever run dry on the other drives.  That’s not too likely in the near future.  I’ve got like 5TB of empty space, 2TB of that is backup.  It will take me a while to fill 3TB, and everything is backed up.  Well, back to the copy grind.

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Well I’m a happy boy… hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba.

Well, the new toys are here.  525 G placed on the new hard drive so far, a quarter of the way there.  Maybe.  Not in a huge hurry to get those DVD burns copied over, but not poking either.  You don’t get a drive filled by doing nothing.  Lots of box shifting.

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Microphone came in, and the amp equalizer, while crude, helps balance the hot high end.  I can get my voice and guitar to co-exist pretty well on the amp.  The set is complete now, except maybe the backup mike and cord.  Not in a hurry for that, as I’m not gigging with it yet.  Amp, mike, cord, guitar and pickup, guitar stand, mike stand, boom, iPad and holder, power strip, extension cord, folding stool.  It’s a two trip set up.

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I am back in stride, and tomorrow starts the 65 years old things.  Finally getting a chance to apply, etc.

Everything is looking much better, now that I have the kitchen back at my disposal, and $95 worth of shopping to restock cupboard, freezer, and fridge.  My blood stream ran dry of carbs the first day back.  After off loading the truck, I took a nap, and when I woke, I was unable to raise my body temp back to normal for lack of fuel, even with the ambient temp at 78°F.  I had to put on my alpaca sweater and start cooking.  Once I had enough fuel in my body, I took ff the sweater and emptied the fridge of everything that was out of date for garbage pickup the next morning (with three weeks of cat litter).

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Once I got the essentials unpacked, I made a serious store run and concentrated on feeding myself the foods I needed in my bloodstream and digestive system.  I mostly got the basics, a few quick fix entrees, but mostly filling the holes in the standard stock.  The freezer is full again after a five week absence.  I have my pick and choose of what to eat again.

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Myka was very happy to see me.  She stayed inside most of the time that I was gone.  But she was tickled at my return and distraught every time that I stepped outside the door.  She has fallen asleep in my lap six times since I’ve been back, with no blanket to lure her, a squinty-eyed ecstatic daze showing on her face and body language.  And she loves the brushing.  She is a happy kitty now that I’m back.  Her manners in the kitchen are loutish, but I’ll get her back on track in short order.  But it is good to be back with her again.  And she appreciates the open windows.

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As for me, I am being lazy for the rest of the week.  Maybe get a few things unpacked and in order again.  But for the most part, I’ll be getting my full strength back for next week.  I have multiple interviews to make and forms to fill out, and I want to be at full stride on Monday.  So for now, the La-z-boy is my bestest friend.

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I ordered the microphone and cable for my amp.  The combo was $12 more than it was a month ago when I first priced them, so I settle for one of each, instead of two (one as backup).  I want the smoke to clear before I get the backup.  I still have a few hundred to spend on necessities and other hardware.  For now, the mike is for getting accustomed to the set up.  I’m not going to be gigging just yet.  I still have medical things to do first.

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Above all else, it feels good to be back on stable ground with my monster and decent bandwidth.