Archive for the ‘A Musing’ Category
Reminiscing Around The Lunch Table . . .
. . . today, the conversation got around to long-ago dating
and I recalled the time I dated a twin.
I was asked how I could tell the difference,
and I said it was easy.
Laurie painted her nails
and Larry had a beard.
Home Is Where The Hazards Are
The majority of injuries – slips, falls, burns, poisoning, bruises, choking and cuts – to people older than 75 occur at home because that’s where they spend most of their time. Home-accident prevention requires some changes in both environment and behavior.
High on the list is knowing your escape plans in case of fire, flood, earthquake or other major disaster.
Other simple steps to take toward improving safety at home is to install grab bars in bathrooms and hand rails along any stairs around the house, toss out comfortable but curled up throw rugs, have all areas well lighted, and don’t leave shoes and clothing lying around to trip over.
He Who Laughs Last . . .
. . .probably had to have things explained to him.
Sleep On It
An experiment conducted by German scientists showed that a good night’s sleep improves the
ability to solve problems, according to an AARP Bulletin report.
Researchers set up a number of puzzles and gave the subjects two ways to solve them. The
subjects were divided into three groups. One group was allowed to sleep for eight hours after receiving the instructions. The second group stayed awake, and the third was given instructions in the morning after sleeping eight hours.
By a two-to-one margin, the subjects who slept eight hours after getting instructions came up
with a third way to solve the problems more quickly. The researchers suggest that during a good
night’s sleep the “brain rearranges recent memories, a process that can lead to insight and new
knowledge.” |
In A Moment of Musing . . .
. . . I got to wondering
how Noah managed the termites
he loaded on the ark.
An Inmate . . .
. . . who’s moving to colder climes
said he’s going to try some cross-country skiing,
I suggested he pick a small country.
Traveling Alone Has its Own Trip
Travel can lose much of its attraction after losing your life-long partner that shared the sites and sights you encountered around the globe over the years. And many suddenly-singles don’t relish the thought of returning to a favorite voyage or villa without the person they enjoyed it with over the years.
This is at a time when, for the first time in their lives, they probably can travel to wherever they choose to and stay as long as they wish.
Most can recall chatting with a solo traveler or two over the years. One long-time friend has flown to several countries and cities without any reservations and rents a room or apartment for several weeks to soak in the culture and cuisine of the land.
If you don’t feel like going it alone, you can book tours for ski trips, museum visits, cooking schools, national parks and almost anything you can envision.
Some of the bumps on the traveling-alone road include finding time to go off on your own during the tour you’ve booked with a group, how to avoid paying the single supplement charged by hotels and cruise ships, as well as getting along with room-mates on the trip.
Fighting Fire With Fire . . .
. . . doesn’t make sense.
As far as I know,
all fire departments
use water.
Favorites From the ‘60s
You probably have some 50-year-old things around the house that recall the 1960s.
How about that pair of ugly but comfortable Birkenstocks? And that packet of M&Ms tucked into the kitchen cupboard?
A constant reminder of that decade are those big square brown trucks UPS still uses, as is your color television set, which came into its own in the mid ‘60s. Alex Trebek and “Jeopardy” began their amazing run about the same time as “Star Trek” ventured “where no man has gone before.”
The Big Mac and Pop-Tarts emerged during that decade along with a healthier counterpart, Gatorade.
Both James Bond and The Beatles popped into our culture then along with the pill, which planted seeds for the later sexual revolution.
The Concept of Zero . . .
. . . has always baffled me.
For example,
if you have two choices
and you take one option away,
you’re left with zero choices.
Shortage of Medical Staff
The aging population not only is creating more demand for medical services, it’s also accelerating the shortage of doctors and nurses as they approach retirement age.
As the 65-and-over population grows by almost 50 percent over the next decade, almost the same percentage of doctors will join that phalanx during the same period.
We expect to be almost 140,000 physician short of what we need by 2033, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, reports Bottom Line.
To protect yourself, you can look for a younger doctor to care for you should your current physician b e close to retirement. You also can seek a primary care physician affiliated with a group practice so there will be a medical doctor in-house to serve you should your current doctor leave.
How Do Knowitalls . . .
. . .know when
they know it all?
Obesity Weighs Heavily on Elderly
When people think of poor health in the older-adult population, images of frail and underweight individuals often come to mind. But nutritionists and health professionals on both sides of the Atlantic have noted an overlooked “obesity epidemic” affecting more than 30 percent of adults over 60 years of age.
The issue of a few extra pounds pale by comparison for many people when they consider such other old-age issues as dementia, chronic disease, lifestyle limitations, and money woes. Physicians may avoid talking about obesity with their older patients because they think it may be too late to encourage a change in health behavior, experts say.
Here are some facts.
— One in four people older than 50 is considered obese.
— Slightly more than half of adults 50 and older reported being asked during routine medical check-ups about physical activity or exercise. The likelihood of being asked about exercise during a routine check-up declined with age.
— Only one-third of adults 65 and older get the daily recommended level of exercise.
A Lot Of Aridzonans . . .
. . .must be poor
because I’ve noticed
very few of them can afford
turn signals on their vehicles.
Pack for Delays
If you do decide to travel by air during the upcoming holidays, take only a carry on so you can be nimble when one or more of your flights are delayed or cancelled. You can almost count on that because the major carriers are canceling flights willy-nilly, blaming it on staff shortages and weather.
Pack a toothbrush, extra underwear and all your medications, which you can swallow by using the reusable water bottle you’ve taken with you. It’s still pandemic time in many parts of the globe so squeeze in several face masks and tuck in a comfortable blanket.
A portable charger will be handy to keep your phone working, and cleaning products, such as hand and face wipes, will help refresh you should you be stuck in an airport all night.
My Shower Is . . .
. . . much more accommodating
since I put a bar in it,
however,
I keep running out of scotch.
Bank Fees Like Fleas
It used to be that robbers hit the banks for their money. Now, the banks are coming after you for yours. Only it’s not called robbery. It’s called fees.
When banks were deregulated more than a couple of decades ago, they were set free to compete for your dollars.
The lawmakers who lauded their magnanimous act proclaimed that the need to compete for
customers would force banks to improve services for the depositor, lower interest rates for
borrowers, and generally make one’s banking experience more personal and profitable.
What happened was banks began charging fees for services that were free before deregulation.
Make too many deposits in your bank, you could be charged for that. Too many telephone calls? There’s also a fee for that – even if you only get a recording. At many banks, charges vary for talking with a real live person, whether by visiting the building or by telephone.
However, if you don’t use your banking service enough, there’s a “dormancy” fee. Some banks
attach a monthly fee – for using your money – if your account is inactive. This definition varies
from institution to institution so you should ask your bank about its policy. If you find it unsatisfactory, close the account.
Before doing that, however, ask if there’s an account-closing fee. And, before you open an
account at another bank, ask them the same question.
In their campaign to convince you that they’re really doing you a service by closing down a
nearby branch office and making much-less-labor-intense – and therefore less costly – electronic banking available, banks merrily overlook burdening you with bothersome details.
For example, downloading cash from automated teller machines (ATMs) is undoubtedly handy.
In most cases, you’ll get it even if it means you’re overdrawing your account. There’s a fee for
that.
There’s no warning. You won’t know about it until you see your monthly statement.
Banks claim they want you to have the convenience of getting cash as you need and want it. But they don’t warn you that you’re overdrawing. You have to monitor your balance to avoid the overdraft charge.
While we’re on ATMs, it’s wise to use your own bank’s because many financial institutions are
adding their own charges for ATM users who belong to a different bank.
The banks’ back shops are getting better at maximizing charges. They clear your largest checks
first to get the most out of overdraft fees.
Let’s say you have $1,000 in your account and you’ve written three checks – one for $1,100 and
the other two for $150 and $100. The bank most likely will clear the largest check first, charging
an overdraft fee. Then it charges overdraft fees as it clears each of the other two checks that are written on your now-overdrawn account, rather than clear the two smaller checks first and
leaving you with only one overdraft fee
Nothing Gets Done …
. . . when everybody does it.
Travel Insurance Coverage Takes Many Forms
Travel insurance. Travel medical and hospitalization insurance. Extended travel medical insurance. Trip cancellation insurance. Which one of these do you want?
You’re wise to consider at least a portion of the above when you plan an extended vacation, cruise or adventure trip. You’re going to need some coverage. If you want to protect the money you have invested in the trip against the possibility of having to cancel and want to cover any hospital or medical bills you might incur on the trip, then you’re looking for “total travel protection.”
Those three words are usually identifiable by most insurance carriers, but don’t count on it because the devil is in, like most fine print, the details. Then you have to determine what they mean by “initial trip deposit.” Also in play are pre-existing conditions, along with primary medical coverage as well as secondary medical coverage.
But stop. It’s not as brain boggling as it sounds. Determine first of all what coverage you want.
Do you have hospital and medical coverage on the ship you’ll be sailing on or in the region you’re visiting? If so, does your policy cover everything or do you need a supplementary coverage? Do you care if the money you’ve deposited on your trip is forfeited if you cancel your trip?
Do you have any “pre-existing conditions?” In other words, do you or your spouse, or whoever is going on the trip with you, have a chronic medical problem, such as diabetes? Pre-existing conditions can be covered if you buy the insurance at about the same time as you make your initial trip deposit. The “grace” period can be up to three weeks after your first payment is made for the trip.
If you miss getting your travel insurance within that time, you can still get coverage for everything – lost luggage, missed connections, the cost of airplane tickets, car rental charges, and trip cancellation, for example – except pre-existing conditions.
This means that, if you don’t have any pre-existing conditions or missed the applicable deadline, you can wait until just a few weeks before your trip to buy the coverage.
Now, what about hospital and health coverage? If your existing coverage applies in whatever regions you’re visiting, you can get secondary coverage. This pays most of the bills not covered by your private coverage.
If you’re traveling abroar, you’re existing coverage probably does not extend that far. So you’ll need primary medical coverage, which costs more than secondary coverage. Most policies are sold in 30-day packages, although you can add a handful of days at a per-diem cost.
When shopping for trip, hospital and medical insurance for your travels, you can start with your current insurance agent. He or she should be able to offer you a few coverage and cost options. You also can surf the Internet for Web sites that handle this type of coverage.
If you decide to buy a policy from the ‘Net, make sure you receive your policy number immediately. Do this whether you buy it on-line or by telephone. Ask the insurance vendor if you will get a policy number immediately after completing the transaction. If you cannot get a policy number immediately, shop for another carrier.
This is especially important if you’re concerned about deadlines required to get coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Mature Life Features 