But first something awesome, whose time has long since come, courtesy of The Daily What, I give you,

“Sparkles,” My Little Soldering Pony

What can I say? She makes me laugh. 🙂 And point to her as an argument for intelligent design. 🙂

First thing’s first! Medicare.
*in a Movie Announcer-Guy Voice* Coming soon to a disabled me (not necessarily near you): Medicare A (hospital insurance) & B (medical insurance) in March 2011! :)*end movie voice* That’s only 3 months away!

What’s the significance of March? Well, March of 2009 is when I applied for Social Security. For whatever reason, that’s what’s determinative for when you become eligible for Medicare! 24 months after the date of application. Not when you became disabled, not when you started getting aid, but when you applied. Good to know! (Though I’m not sure why. Probably for the book.)

I’ve also put in for extra help with prescription drug costs. Hopefully, that will come through. I can’t see why it wouldn’t, especially when they mailed me the form. Usually when the government does something like that, it’s a hint. 🙂

Ok, maybe the gubment’s not always tryin to fuck you. There’s just a system in place, and I have no idea how it works, so I’m panicking like anyone would when they’re entirely out of control of damn near every aspect of their life that used to make them feel like who they are.

That is very good news, if you ask me, since my current insurance is on the order of $400/month, which doesn’t include the $230 or so that I have in prescription copays after that. $630 is how much of the $758 that SSDI gives me on the 4th Wednesday of the month? Medicare could make a very big difference for us. I’m not sure if it’s meant to replace my current insurance or supplement it. I’m going to need to read up and learn about it.

What I really need to do is figure out how to make whatever the figure of money is that you’re allowed to make while you’re disabled without losing disability, while being disabled. Because it is just not cheap to live, not for anyone, really. AND I also need to learn how to make what money we DO have stretch as far as it possibly can.

Money, Money, Money, Money…Money!
Ok, so one of the things that I’m doing that I thought would be helpful is clipping coupons from the Sunday paper and figuring out where to shop using those coupons, but that’s only marginally helpful unless you’re going to be buying in bulk and stocking up on things. And I wonder for a couple, how much sense it makes to buy in bulk.

Another way I’ve thought about saving money is using dried beans instead of canned beans, when beans come into play at all. I love that site. It has so many great ways to use your crock pot to save money. (Did you know that your crockpot can double as a rice cooker? I didn’t either! But I’m stoked about it for Thanksgiving!)

I love sites like Money Saving Mom and Real Simple, so I’ve set out to learn what I can from them, and sit down and do the hard work.

Adam has been doing a lot of work looking at Android apps that might make grocery shopping and whatnot easier for us. I know there are a lot of coupon apps too.

I wonder – do you all have any suggestions of websites or apps that make you feel more competent as a homemaker, or as an adult — that help you organize or help you get better deals or whatever?

Oh Yeah, I’m on the Drips too.
So, Nurse Debbie came out yesterday for day 1 of 3 yesterday and I got to log on to Facebook to show her wedding pictures. 🙂 That was pretty awesome. I’m tellin you, even without the professional shots, which I’m certain are fantabulous (and have been promised to us in the requisite 6 weeks after the event which is ohmygahsonotsoonenough,right?), between cargile24 and rawee1, we practically have a wedding album online already on Facebook at least. It’s my goal to have a gallery of the good shots up on http://www.rachael-and-adam.com by time for the holidays, along with the video of our first dance and some other goodies. 🙂

This go round of the infusions has me very awake. I woke up with a tension headache at 6 am, so I came down here to check email and vaporize in the hopes of getting back to sleep. It’s 8:08 now. We can see how well that worked out. 🙂 Ah well, 6 am’s not too terribly early though, so at least I got some sleep! I’m seriously on the edge of panicky, and am having extra muscle tension. Fortunately, with the extra energy, I ought to be able to do yoga. I’ll just have to text the nurse beforehand to make sure it’s ok to do w/ the IV still in.

I hope you’re all having a very happy Thursday. It’s 11/11! Make a wish! 😉