Just got a notice that Kaiser will not be an option when Open Enrollment happens. I switched to United Health for this year, but I was thinking about switching back because do know how to navigate Kaiser better, but I guess I won't be doing that.
Well, lady, I must say-- You're my kinda stupid.
Mal ,'Heart Of Gold'
Natter 78: I might need to watch some Buffy for inspiration
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, butt kicking, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
-t - Sep 30, 2026 4:29:33 pm PDT #14166 of 14509
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
DavidS - Sep 30, 2026 9:21:34 pm PDT #14167 of 14509
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Does that have to do with your recent real estate financing?
It does! SBL = Securities Backed Loan.
So basically if I get a loan based on my stock portfolio, at what point in a stock dip would they do a call on my loan. Because a SBL is easy to get (if you have the stocks) but it's not locked in and if the market crashes they want their money back. Whereas a mortgage they can't do that.
I didn't know you had an MBA!
megan walker - Oct 01, 2026 1:20:48 am PDT #14168 of 14509
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist
Apparently the tax code was ambiguous and kinda FUBAR in '24 and '25 so the IRS issued a bunch of waivers on this issue. So I should be able to take care of it without penalty.
This reminds me of the last few years living in NYC on my remainder of my Dad's TIAA-CREF annuity. It was just enough to pay my rent but just under the NY retirement exemption, which is inherited... sort of. After I had been doing my taxes per their instructions for five years, NY decided that because I was one of three siblings to inherit I had only inherited a third of the exemption, even though they didn't live in NY. I ended up getting audited for four of the five years. But, hey, I got the official instructions changed... yay?
In any case, Hec, good luck with that!
In happier news, I am about to take a long-delayed trip to visit my family in France and I am super excited but have so much to do in the next few days work-wise that I am sort of freaking out.
-t - Oct 01, 2026 7:23:38 am PDT #14169 of 14509
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
Wheee France! Boo work!
-t - Oct 01, 2026 8:39:45 am PDT #14170 of 14509
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
I didn't know you had an MBA!
There isn't much evidence for it, but I do have the diploma somewhere, I am pretty sure
-t - Oct 01, 2026 9:26:53 am PDT #14171 of 14509
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
Ooh, we apparently have hired someone named Maximov. I'm assuming the whole company is joining the MCU
Steph L. - Oct 01, 2026 9:29:40 am PDT #14172 of 14509
It's actually been a really hard year, when you stop and do the math. Eliot would cry, too, if it didn't take him seventy minutes of therapy, two cocktails, and a Sondheim medley before he can experience a human emotion through the haze of his PTSD.
Ooh, we apparently have hired someone named Maximov. I'm assuming the whole company is joining the MCU
Let us know when we can buy an action figure of you!
Steph L. - Oct 01, 2026 9:51:26 am PDT #14173 of 14509
It's actually been a really hard year, when you stop and do the math. Eliot would cry, too, if it didn't take him seventy minutes of therapy, two cocktails, and a Sondheim medley before he can experience a human emotion through the haze of his PTSD.
So, because science is awesome (not sarcasm), we know a lot about neurotransmitters, and how certain things affect them. What I recently learned is that taking opioid pain meds, even at a low dose for 2 weeks, tinkers with neurotransmitters enough that when you stop the pain meds, serotonin and dopamine just totally flatline for a little bit while all the various receptors in the brain get their act together and start behaving normally again. It's not super fun.
My medical nerd side is fascinated with how opioids/opioid receptors interact with neurotransmitters. The side of me that is the actual guinea pig experiencing this medical journey is less fascinated and more stabby. Though it does honestly help to know that what's happening is a stew of chemical nonsense in my brain and not a relapse of depression.
A continued infusion of MASH episodes is also helping (I'm on season 10), although I am back to working part time this week, so I am also experiencing Sherman Potter withdrawal.
-t - Oct 01, 2026 9:59:13 am PDT #14174 of 14509
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
Oh, yikes! Good to know, but eep
Steph L. - Oct 01, 2026 10:31:07 am PDT #14175 of 14509
It's actually been a really hard year, when you stop and do the math. Eliot would cry, too, if it didn't take him seventy minutes of therapy, two cocktails, and a Sondheim medley before he can experience a human emotion through the haze of his PTSD.
Oh, yikes! Good to know, but eep
Right? Annoying that things that are helpful can also have downsides. I want all upsides!
Oh, since I'm oversharing about my medical deets, it's been almost 2 weeks since I started HRT, and my hot flashes have improved dramatically. I was having about 10 a day, and now I have like one a day, and some days I don't have any at all. That's freaking miraculous right there.